Liz Coates YELLOW lines may not mean the end of the road for parking problems at a quiet Gorleston cul-de-sac after years ofasking for action, claim campaigners.

Liz Coates

YELLOW lines may not mean the end of the road for parking problems at a quiet Gorleston cul-de-sac after years of

asking for action, claim campaigners.

Householders in Spencer Avenue want relief from problems caused by sixth form college students parking nose-to-tail in their street, but a handful say the latest proposals could land them with a situation that is more annoying than the one they have now.

Norfolk County Council has answered residents' concerns with a proposal for double and single yellow lines and daytime parking restrictions.

But Mike Liversidge, 50, claims the scheme would bring new problems, with visitors and those with more than one car unable to park near their own homes all year round, not just in term time.

He tagged the scheme an easy option and added that the problem of parking at the 1400-student college needed looking at in a wider context. He said he did not blame the students for seeking out elusive spaces in residential streets, adding: “It is a free world and you can park where

you like.”

Most people, he said, were happy with the yellow lines scheme, but reality would bite when visitors, and friends would not be able to park nearby.

Principal of East Norfolk Sixth Form College Laurie Poulson said: “I understand the problem for the residents, but the reality

is we do not own the

road outside our houses.

The college invests an enormous amount of money in providing heavily subsidised or free transport for students on buses. Really there is no need for students to use cars.

Technically, I cannot stop somebody parking a car in a place where they are entitled so to do. We have got quite a limited site and we invest heavily in transport because that is a key enabler for students to stay on in education.”

A spokesman for Norfolk County Council said: “We recognise that some people living in Spencer Avenue have been concerned about students parking down their street for some time and have just begun a consultation with residents and the nearby sixth form college about a proposal which would see a mixture of single and double yellow lines in force along the road between 8am-4pm. “

“Letters have been delivered to homes and we would ask as many residents as possible to respond to the consultation with their views by May 13.”

Written objections to the order, specifying the grounds for objection, can be sent to Dept of Legal Services, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 1DH, marked for the attention of Mrs L Page. Public queries about the proposals can be sent to Jonathan Taylor, call 01603 224200.

Following last week's story about parking problems in Gorleston's Gresham Close Frank Gibbs has told the Mercury about similar problems in Tudor Walk, a cul-de-sac running off Kennedy Avenue.

He said: “We recently petitioned the council regarding the double yellows introduced on the corner of Kennedy Avenue and Tudor Walk, as this

has pushed more traffic into our cul-de-sac which includes not only cars parking for the hospital, but also picking up children from the Cliff Park

School.

“100pc of residents of Tudor Walk signed the petition asking for some action to be taken (ie double yellow lines) and we were told that nothing can be done until the 2009-10 program

“We are somewhat surprised to see the name of our cul-de-sac left out of any future proposals relating to this issue.”