Northampton neighbourhood slams NHS staff over six-year parking 'nightmare' in busy estate

"A nurse who parks outside everyday in a resident's space just says, 'ok, ok' and walks off. She just does not care."
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A Northampton neighbourhood has spoken out about the 'nightmare' that rogue car parking is having on their estate.

Residents from the Bouverie Walk/Vernon Terrace/Vernon Walk area, just off the Wellingborough Road, have slammed drivers for continually parking on their streets.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This newspaper has spoken to three residents from the estate who have all said the main problem drivers are from Northampton General Hospital, be it NHS staff or visitors.

A note which was left on one rogue parkers carA note which was left on one rogue parkers car
A note which was left on one rogue parkers car

Northampton General Hospital responded saying the issue was a council one and any concerns over parking should be raised with West Northamptonshire Council.

The council did not provide an official response as the car park is not private, but the authority did provide a link to how residents can apply to implement a parking permit scheme in the area. The link can be viewed here.

Residents' view

One 50-year-old woman says she has been 'banging her head against a brick wall' for six years about the issue and ended up moving house because of it.

Stockley Road/Vernon Terrace areaStockley Road/Vernon Terrace area
Stockley Road/Vernon Terrace area
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said: "I moved in March last year during the pandemic - I just had enough. I was getting into arguments, I was stressing out so much and I thought, 'I need to to leave'.

"People are selling up and leaving.

"I've had somebody [not from the hospital] threaten to shoot me when I confronted them about parking. I'm always polite, I say, 'do you live here?' and point out out the sign post.

"A nurse who parks outside everyday in a resident's space just says, 'ok, ok' and walks off. She just does not care. I put three polite notices on her car."

The woman says she is 'sick' of everyone ignoring the signs, which have been put up by Northampton Partnership Homes, and says she has been passed between the hospital and the council over the years to no avail.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said: "I am sick of getting ignored by everybody. The hospital is using Covid as an excuse; their staff should not be parking here. It's mostly NGH staff.

"The council say they have not got the money to police it properly; the police don't want to know, they don't even come out when people park over a dropped curb.

"You end up giving up a bit because you feel like you are banging your head against a brick wall, nobody wants to know.

"I just want people to have manners and not park where they are not meant to. I think it needs to be a joint effort, the hospital needs to take responsibility.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I just think everybody needs to take responsibility and do what they can to prevent this. People should not be parking in places that are sign posted."

Another resident, who has been living on the estate for nine years, said: "It's just really bad. Disgusting.

"It's a nuisance. It just puts everyone out. It needs to be addressed. The NHS staff don't want to pay the monthly charge to park in the hospital so they just come and park here.

"It just causes rows and somebody is going to get hurt one day. It could get violent, you don't know what people are carrying, they could be carrying knives.

"It's got to stop, it's not fair."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Another 73-year-old resident, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 43 years, said: "I am not exaggerating this but sometimes it's impossible to get an emergency vehicle through.

"I don't drive and, at one point, I thought this didn't concern me until my visitors couldn't park nearby. It seems to be hospital staff and visitors who think its convenient. It's just not on.

"We have confronted people about it and had confrontations. The workers should park in their own spaces, presumably they have them at the hospital, so why don't they park there?

"This has been going on for five or six years now."