A meeting over a Suffolk college’s student parking problem is said to have achieved a “breakthrough” – with hopes new spaces could be made available.

Christopher Hudson, who represents Belstead Brook at Suffolk County Council met with the YMCA training centre yesterday to discuss the possibility of Ipswich’s One college students using its spaces.

The meeting follows complaints from people living near to the college who say students parking along their roads have blocked driveways and prevented bin collections from being made. Concerns have also been raised about access for emergency services.

The students are also reported to be unhappy with the situation, which one parent said had led to young people suffering “verbal abuse and intimidation” when parking on roads because no spaces are available on college grounds.

Mr Hudson said yesterday’s meeting to discuss the proposals was “very positive” and suggested 35-40 places could be made available by the YMCA, though no agreement had yet been reached.

“We are making excellent progress and starting to deliver the solution,” he added. “I feel this is a real breakthrough.”

The YMCA said the meeting had been positive but stressed nothing had been finalised.

One principal Alan Whittaker thanked Mr Hudson for his “support and hard work” in trying to resolve the parking situation.

“We are working with him and other local partners to provide affordable alternatives and his intervention seems to be speeding up the process,” he added.

Residents living near to One have previously criticised the decision to build the college without including parking spaces for students, many of whom travel from several miles away.

The problems have seen police called in after residents claimed to have been blocked in their driveways. Meetings have been held about the concerns and residents have presented petitions calling for action to be taken. The latest complaints arose after the start of the new academic term, when residents said the problem returned worse than ever.

Residents in Wentworth Drive and other roads in the Pinewood area described the problem as a “nightmare”. “If the emergency services needed to get through they wouldn’t have had a hope,” one resident said last week.