Frustrated residents have called for enforcement action to tackle cars routinely parking on double yellow lines in their estate.

Those on the Crest Nicolson estate off Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, have said that parking is a “massive problem" and pathways have become unusable and narrow.

The roads affected include Braeburn Close, Meridian Rise, Discovery Drive, Ellisons Crescent, Russet Road and Tydeman Close.

James Howard, 42, said: “We were one of the first people to move in, and were told that the whole estate would be double-yellow lined and everyone would have allocated parking spaces, driveways and garages."

However, because parking restrictions are not being enforced, he said, many people instead park at the roadside.

“No one is going to tell them off for doing it, so they just park where they want,” said Mr Howard.

“Now I’ve got a little one, and we can’t walk down the estate without walking in the middle of the road.

“There have been times when there is an ambulance in the middle of the road with cars parked both sides, and no one can get in or out.”

Ipswich Star: Vehicles parked along the paths are making them unusable to those using mobility aids, or parents with pushchairs and young children.Vehicles parked along the paths are making them unusable to those using mobility aids, or parents with pushchairs and young children. (Image: Archant)

Suffolk County Council has confirmed that it has not adopted the majority of roads in the estate, and is therefore not enforcing parking restrictions, with the exception of Bramley Hill.

A spokesperson said: “The Traffic Regulation Orders on these [unadopted] roads were requested and funded by the developer at the point of construction.”

A Traffic Regulation Order would allow parking restrictions to be enforced.

An Ipswich Borough Council spokesman said it could take enforcement action if such an order was implemented but at present no penalties could be issued.

The management company for Crest Nicholson is HLM Property Management.

A spokesperson said: “The freeholder ‘Crest Nicholson’ has been in ongoing communication with the local council in the attempt to have the roads adopted, which would remove the maintenance obligation for the service charge and therefore any future cost to residents.

“Due to the pending adoption of the roadways by the council, we had been under the instruction not to place parking enforcement on the development as this would likely be seen as unneeded at the time of the adoption and could be seen as unreasonable expenditure of service charge monies.”

Suffolk County Council were not able to confirm if or when they might adopt the roads in the estate.

Other residents have had similar difficulties to Mr Howard.

A resident of Meridian Rise, who asked not to be named, said: “Every resident has been allocated a parking space, but some of them have more than one car which is causing the trouble.

“It is very frustrating. When I walk down the road with my granddaughter, we have to walk in the road because of all cars.

“If the double yellow lines aren’t being enforced, then they should be removed.”

Another resident said: “Parking is a massive problem around here, but short of redesigning the whole development, I don’t know what can be done about it.”