FED up residents on a Romsey street claim they are "prisoners in their own homes" after enduring weeks of parking chaos.

Contractors have been on site in Botley Road for the past few weeks building a new 40-home complex for the elderly at McCarthy and Stone's Hillier Court.

But residents in Rosedale Avenue have found their road opposite the construction site swamped with workmen’s vehicles while a key phase of the work is done which is preventing them from parking on site.

With no parking restrictions in place along the narrow Rosedale Avenue, the contractors working on the complex are free to park along the street.

Now residents have vented their frustration after they claimed workmen leave their vans on the road all day, blocking residents' own cars in.

Sue Godley, who runs a childminding business from her home said that some of her clients are struggling to get their children to her front door.

Another couple Moray and Lynne Scott fear that the problems are only just beginning while one neighbour complained that she feels like a “prisoner in her own home”.

One other resident is struggling to get down the road in her mobility scooter.

Sue said: “In the last month it’s just got unbearable to the state where we’re looking at we can do about it. They will just have to park somewhere else.

“I’m trying to run a business here.”

She added: “Now with pavements blocked we now have to go onto the road to get by obstacles with babies and our dogs taking your life in your hand.

Children on bikes trying to get to and from school, I am trying to run a childcare business from my home and struggle every day trying to get in and out with children from my driveway. I have had enough.”

Moray said: “All of the neighbours are up in arms about this. We’re all quite upset about the whole situation. It’s just chaos.

He added that he has spoken to the site manager who he said is trying minimise the disruption.

Moray said: “There’s nothing he can do about it because there’s so much work being done on site that he has no alternative.”

Although this phase of building work is expected to be completed in about a week, Lynne and Moray both expect the chaos to continue.

Lynne said: “What they’ve done now if they’ve built the block of flats, each of them has a single parking space. There’s no facilities for the people who work at the complex but there’ now place for people to park if they’re visitors.”

Moray added: “Why wasn’t this picked up at planning? If people park in Botley Road it will cause major tailbacks along a major thoroughfare into the town centre.”

Test Valley Borough Council’s planning policy and transport portfolio holder, Councillor Martin Hatley, said: “The council is aware of the recent car parking issues in Rosedale Avenue as a result of the nearby McCarthy and Stone building work. We have spoken with the site manager to request that vehicles are not parked inconsiderately on local residential streets while the remaining work is carried out.

“Though we anticipate that the parking issues will be resolved once this particular phase of the building work is completed in about one week’s time, we will consider whether it may be necessary to introduce parking restrictions when we carry out a review of the area later in the year.”

No comment from McCarthy and Stone was available at the time of going to press.