ANGRY residents are concerned their road is becoming a parking free-for-all after they opted out of a parking permit scheme.

People living in most of the streets around Boscombe Road, in Southend, chose to be included in a residents’ parking permit scheme.

However, those in Boscombe Road itself objected to the scheme and asked to be excluded, against Southend Council advice.

Now many are struggling to park outside their homes with Vicky Takawira, 40, often having to pay to park in the town centre and walk back with her fiveyear- old twins, Samuel and Esther.

She said: “It has becoming horrendous. It started last year when they started putting in the residents’ bays.

“We are the last road left so it is a magnet for commuters and people working in Southend all day.

“You go out and can’t park anywhere when you come back.

“Sometimes there is no alternative but to park in town and pay for three hours of parking and walk home.

“It’s like that from 8.30am to 6.30pm and is very difficult with young children.

“Even my family are reluctant to visit because there is nowhere to park.

“My mum, who has cancer won’t visit anymore, because she can’t walk very far.”

Boscombe Road is a stone’s throw from Victoria station and near to the town centre.

Ward councillors requested the permits originally because of nuisance parking by commuters and town centre workers and the scheme was unanimously accepted in surrounding roads following a consultation.

The have gradually been introduced in recent months, leaving Boscombe Road the only street with no parking restrictions.

About 50 per cent of residents in the road have off street parking, but the rest are at the mercy of anyone who wishes to park outside their homes.

A questionnaire sent to residents in all the roads affected was completed by 288 households – about 30 per cent of the total number.

In nearby St Anne’s Road 65 residents responded with 62 for it and just three against. In Boscombe Road 53 people replied with 13 for the scheme and 40 against.

In addition, the council received a petition against the scheme from Boscombe Road residents.

Jack Creeber, the council’s team leader for parking, said: “Adding the road to the scheme could be considered, but further consultation would have to take place and a request to review would need to be made to the council’s traffic and highways team.”