Organisations near to a Suffolk college have been asked to offer students parking after residents complained of an ongoing “nightmare” over blocked roads.

People living in residential streets around One in Ipswich claim students have been parking across driveways and preventing bin lorries from making rubbish collections.

Residents say the problems have been raised repeatedly for more than three years and yet nothing has been done. They want the college to find somewhere else for the students, either by building a new car park or through an arrangement with other organisations.

A Wentworth Drive resident, who asked not to be named, said the situation had become “ridiculous”. “We had the summer holiday and for six weeks we could park outside our homes, there were no blockages and the bins were collected,” she added. “Now term has begun and it’s alike a carpark with students parking across our driveways again. It’s a nightmare - if the emergency services needed to get through they wouldn’t have had a hope.”

Another neighbour, speaking anonymously, said residents had been dreading the start of the new term “and it didn’t disappoint”. She said it was time for someone to take responsibility and “get serious with the problem”.

But the parent of a student said: “Students have no option but to park in the local residential streets as the local council will not agree for the college to provide any student parking and park and ride isn’t exactly near or cheap.

“The residents have my sympathy but equally so do the students as they suffer verbal abuse and intimidation and in some cases actual damage to their vehicles for parking on the road where as a road tax payer they are entitled to do.

“It would be more constructive if both the students and the residents set up a petition to request the parking is addressed as a matter of urgency.”

Christopher Hudson, who represents the division at Suffolk County Council, said the current situation was not good for residents or students and changes needed to be made.

He said he had been involved in discussions between the college and nearby organisations over students using their carparks. Although Aldi had been unable to help, Mr Hudson said the YMCA training centre was still an option. The YMCA confirmed it had been approached about parking and would be holding a meeting about the proposals.

Residents also suggested the students could be offered free use of the London Road park and ride carpark near Tesco.

Alan Whittaker, principal of One, said: “Every year we make our students aware of parking in and around the sixth form and stress the importance of being respectful to our neighbours.

“We are always keen to work with the local community and most recently, we took part in a very positive meeting with local county councillors on this issue over the summer, but we have no further detail at this stage.”