WE live in a small close off Floral Way, Andover, constructed in the 70s with a layby for casual car parking of residents’ and visitors’ cars. This has been a valuable amenity over the years.

However, the borough council has now imposed parking restrictions for four hours each and every weekday throughout the year (8am to 10am and 2pm to 4pm). This means only permit holders may park here during those hours. The pretext is that there has been a problem from parents dropping off and collecting their children from the three school sites along Floral Way.

We never have had a problem with parents parking in the close and have made no representations that it should be regulated.

However, it is good to know the council cares about us not having to put up with inconsiderate parent parking. In fact they care so much that the rules are in force even when the schools are out...

and a number of us have been told that not only are the school ‘taxis’ banned but so are we as we don’t qualify for permits!

But it’s all OK, we are told, because we, or our visitors, can park some way from our close in unregulated areas (including outside someone else’s house – be warned, residents in parts of the Millway Gardens estate).

This in spite of the fact there may well be empty spaces in ‘our’ layby.

The refusal to grant parking permits to certain residents of the close is an unreasonable, unfair, bureaucratic and unjustifiable decision by the council.

Regrettably the decision to impose parking restrictions here was one in which our local Millway Ward councillors (we are told by an official) had a significant hand.

If this is representing the best interests of constituents how soon is the borough council election? Then we will have an opportunity of representing our own interests on a ballot paper!

Representations to the borough council from a number of us have fallen on deaf ears, so far, but we live in hope that reason will prevail, the rules are reviewed and a fair and just response might be forthcoming.

Short of removing the unrequested and unwa n t e d parking regu l a t i o n s a l t ogether all we want is parking permits to use our close.

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