FURIOUS residents are demanding answers after they were given permission to set up their own parking permit scheme, only for it to be pulled at the last minute.

About 125 residents of Crosse Courts, Laindon, have been fighting for restrictions to be introduced to stop commuters parking outside their homes for five years.

Most evenings they have to wait for more than half-an-hour to find a parking space, as commuters come back from nearby Laindon train station.

Earlier this year they had a breakthrough after Lovell, the development company which owns the road – as it has not been adopted by the county council – gave them permission to set up their own parking permits.

Residents would pay £5 a year to secure their parking space, with any commuters who used them being fined up to £100.

Resident Keith Guttridge, 37, was ready to sign the contract on his neighbours’ behalf when things changed.

The deal fell through earlier this week when the company got back in touch to say the person who had authorised it within the firmdid not have the power to do so.

Mr Guttridge said: “We have just been neglected from the start.

“We were willing to set up our own initiative and had everything in place and now they have said no.

“We want to know why they have revoked permission, what action is being taken against the person who did give us permission and we are asking them for costs incurred for us setting this up.”

Crosse Courts is one of several roads surrounding Laindon train station to face problems from commuters.

Many train-users clog up the roads and do not collect their cars until well after 6pm – leaving residents with nowhere to park.

Crosse Courts was set to have two authorised residents patrolling the street to fine any unauthorised parking – which would have been legally enforced by the British Parking Association.

Any money raised by fines would have been spent on administrative costs, paperwork and would be pumped back into the scheme. Following Lovell’s decision to revoke permission, Mr Guttridge said theywere now considering suing the company for breaching their human rights.

He added: “It would be under the right of enjoyment of our properties.

“We can’t even park outside our own homes.”

A spokesman for Lovell said they understood residents’ frustrations with parking and were investigating their complaints.