- Locals in Ipswich, Suffolk, said students block driveways and park on pavements
- Have YOU been caught in a neighbourhood or parking row? Email [email protected]
Furious residents have told how students are making their lives a misery by leaving cars outside their houses – with some locals leaving nasty notes to stop youths parking in the area.
Residents in Ipswich, Suffolk, claim students at a huge sixth form college leave their cars in nearby roads, opting to drive to school rather than take the bus.
Those living close to One Suffolk Sixth Form College said the impact outside their homes is ‘completely unacceptable, disruptive and lazy’.
Complaints include vehicles being parked on pavements, blocking driveways and taking up spaces needed for visitors and tradesmen.
One local, who asked not to be named, said: ‘It’s been going on for nearly ten years.
‘The residential areas within a one-mile radius of the school, you experience this sort of parking. Students take some of the very limited spaces we have for visitors, family, friends or workmen.
Have YOU been caught in a neighbourhood or parking row? Email [email protected]
‘We pay to live there and can’t have anyone visit us because we haven’t got any spaces for them.
‘They park on grass verges which need cutting but we can’t gain access to them because cars are on them, they park on the pavements which means I sometimes need to walk my dog in the road.’
Students have been asked to use a Park and Ride service if the car park at the college is full.
But the resident added: ‘They don’t want to use that out of pure laziness. They’ve been offered buses for £1 as well but they don’t use this. Ultimately, it’s very lazy, inconsiderate and disrespectful.’
As well complaining about rubbish being dumped by the cars, the homeowner said: ‘You have to manoeuvre and swerve down my road sometimes. At one point an ambulance couldn’t get down the road because of the cars parked on either side.’
Another local said: ‘I’ve had cars parked most of the way across my driveway.
‘I confronted one of them and said they couldn’t do that and he just pointed at my driveway and said there was enough room to ”squeeze through” and complained it was really difficult for him too.
‘They have zero respect for the people who live here.’
The war between residents and students has seen increasingly nasty notes left on windscreens from locals demanding they stop parking in the area.
One expletive-filled note, left on March 19, warned: ‘Yet again, you f****** a******* decide to park here. You are a disrespectful p******* s***.
‘I have reported this car again!! We will get rid of you.’
The student’s parent said the ‘abusive’ behaviour towards minors was ‘completely unacceptable’.
They added: ‘My daughter is not lazy, has worked hard for her car and provides a car share for three of her friends in a bid to help reduce the parking issue.
‘The park and ride at just over 20 minutes’ walk away is certainly not an ideal option in poor weather conditions.
‘This note left by residents on my daughters’ car – which in fact was parked legally, we have checked – is not acceptable.
‘Letters of a similar tone and different handwriting are left regularly either on my daughter’s car or her friends’ cars. The most recent letter has been the most abusive and contains the worst language.
‘As young adults, they are naturally worried about these threats.’
The parent continued: ‘I would be so ashamed if my daughter had spoken to a resident in this manner.
‘She was asked to move her car slightly the other day when parking, which my daughter did, and was thanked by the resident.
‘However, the nature of the anonymous notes that are being left is just disgusting and far from polite.’
Some critics pointed out that the normally environmentally-minded students were ‘betraying their consciences’ by driving their car to college instead of taking public transport.
Suffolk county councillor Christopher Hudson, whose electoral division covers the affected area, said: ‘This is a really long-standing issue. I do think we need to try and mitigate the problem.
‘The way to do that, I think, would be for students who go to the school to sign a contract along the lines of following parking guidance from the school as to where they can park.
‘It’s causing real aggro with the ratepayers and residents in the area. Students are parking very unreasonably and I am shocked and appalled at the way it’s gone on for too long and it’s rising again. We have to nip it in the bud.’
The co-educational college opened in 2010 and has around 2,000 students aged 16 to 19. In 2015, Ofsted gave it a top rating of ‘outstanding’.
Its website has a page dedicated to ‘Travelling to Campus’. The short entry on ‘driving’ briefly mentions park and ride facilities at Copdock and Martlesham.
A spokesperson for One Sixth Form College said: ‘We are very proud we are playing a vital role in supporting the local economy, putting Ipswich on the map for all the right reasons.
‘With this success, and the fact our numbers have grown significantly since we first opened, we have been continuously working closely with the borough, district and county councils – and we are constantly looking for – and finding solutions to – parking in and around One.
‘Thanks to support from Suffolk County Council, students can park for free at the London Road park and ride facility.
‘As part of this, we have increased our bus routes, providing our student community with affordable and convenient travel options.
‘We have carefully analysed the travel habits of our current and prospective students to target our transport options to be accessible across south and east Suffolk and north Essex.
‘By partnering with a transport supplier, we will be offering additional routes and stops in the future, with the aim of making One reachable to those who may struggle to get to and from our educational establishments.
‘We continue to emphasise local park and (st)ride facilities as a travel option and encourage walking, cycling and rail options wherever applicable.
‘We have always engaged with the local community and we welcome further conversations and engagement with them. Our students are keen to play a central part in local life and we encourage them to contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable environment.
‘And whenever the need arises, our staff work with our students to ensure they continue to be mindful citizens who show care and consideration to others around them.’
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
