A consultation is underway in a renewed attempt to find a solution to a dispute between Ipswich residents and students who are parking outside their homes while at college.
Cherry Blossom Drive is a small residential road close to One Sixth Form College in the Pinewood area of Ipswich, often used by students to park close to the college and for free.
Alternatives for the students would be parking at the Copdock park and ride and walking, parking in Ipswich town centre and travelling out, or using public transport.
Now a public consultation is open to try and find a solution to the problem and defuse the tension between the two groups.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It’s more of an irritation than a full-blown problem.
“Most of them are fine, they won’t block people’s drives, but some of them will arrive in the morning and they might play loud music, they might drive quickly up the cul-de-sac.
“When it’s full of cars it would be very tight for an ambulance or a fire engine to get down here.”
Other residents are reportedly less than impressed, with petitions written to the council demanding changes to the road.
Signs reading “do not park here”, which were previously taped to a students car outside one house, were found in a bush.
Lucy Lockwood, from One Sixth Form College, said, “We have been and will continue to work with residents, Suffolk County Council (SCC) and local authorities to find the best solution to parking issues in and around Pinewood.
“While the SCC parking consultation ensues, we will also continue to emphasise cycling options and local park and ride schemes to staff and students - and our senior team will maintain ongoing patrols of local residential areas.”
One engineering student, 18-year-old Fraser Parrish, parks in the road and drives from Rushmere St Andrew. “I park here because it’s free, there’s no parking at the campus and easier than the park and ride,” he said. “I know some people have had a problem with it, but there’s nothing on the road saying we can’t and I don’t park in the way of driveways.”
A spokesman for the council said: “Suffolk Highways is aware of parking concerns around Suffolk ONE, particularly on Cherry Blossom Close.
“We’re currently looking at this location to determine whether there are any measures that can be introduced to improve the current parking situation.”
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