A community campaigner has submitted a 510-name petition to Sefton Council in a bid to resolve a car parking nightmare in the Trafalgar Road area of Southport.
David Barton has also highlighted numerous concerns raised by residents and businesses about the historical problems in the area.
He said the situation had become particularly bad at the Oxford Road junction with Trafalgar Road and York Road, where cars are regularly parked on either side of the road leading to visibility issues when entering and exiting the junction.
The area is close to the Smedley Hydropathic Centre, formerly Her Majesty’s Royal Passport Office and a hotel which is currently the home of the General Register Office for England and Wales.
There are over 200 car parking spaces on site, which regularly gets full and Mr Barton, a former councillor for Dukes Ward on Sefton Council, has held talks with bosses at the building to try and ensure staff park considerately in the surrounding area to help alleviate the problem.
He said other solutions could include a subsidised Sefton Council Park & Ride Service, providing funding to the local Southport & Birkdale cricket club to provide car parking facilities for staff at the Smedley Centre or altering highway line markings.
There have been a wide range of issues, including blocked driveways, parking on pavements leading to mobility difficulties for senior citizens and young mothers with prams, difficulties for emergency vehicles and doctors and cars parked up to the corners of the street, compounded further by speeding cars at junctions.
Mr Barton said that whilst there has been a small increase in staff working at the former Smedley Hydropathic Centre it does not charge the staff to park in its car park.
He said: “We are now ultimately seeking as much support as possible from Sefton Council to finally resolve this long-standing matter, which dates back to the 1980s.
“The need to take proactive action is in everyone’s best interests, especially regarding the health and safety elements such as emergency vehicles not being able to gain access along the streets or to people’s houses.
“Not only would this improve relations within the local Birkdale community but it would also encourage people to invest in and visit Southport, restoring faith in the local authority and in turn demonstrating strong business leadership.”
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