SLEEP-deprived residents of a street where a makeshift car and lorry park has sprung up are calling for restrictions to be cranked up.
People living in London Road, Hastingwood, near junction seven of the M11, are plagued by noisy refrigerated trucks stopping outside their homes overnight and cars being left along their street for up to three weeks.
Rebecca Field, 28, who lives in London Road, said: “It’s getting to a point where we’re not sleeping because of the lorries parked there.
“The refrigeration is going for 12 hours and it’s a constant drone. They can’t turn them off because of what they’re carrying.”
She added that lorry drivers staying in the road overnight were urinating nearby because there are no toilets and the parked cars either forced residents to drive over the grass verge or trapped them in their drives.
“Some people are verbally abusive when you ask them to move,” she added. “They parked across my neighbour’s drive and there was no way to get out.
“He asked the driver to move and they said ‘if you don’t shut up, I will shut you up.’
“One car has been parked outside my house for three weeks. People come and park and get a taxi to the airport.
“Why can’t there be a parking restriction from noon till 2pm?”
Her father, Mark Field, 46, said: “I’m a truck driver myself and I know that around the country, if a lay-by becomes a nuisance overnight, they shut it overnight.
“Outside our house are two posts with five tonne weight limits on them, so lorries technically can’t park there, but it’s not enforced.
“There are no restrictions on parking. We’ve been chasing the council for a good year and had no-one has come back to us.
“It’s not much of an advertisement when it’s on one of the major routes to London with the Olympics next year.”
Richard Morgan, who represents Hastingwood on the district council, said: “Essex County Council’s highways department is looking into it to see if they can put restriction signs for the lorries that park there overnight.
“We’re trying to get three hours’ maximum parking there and also restrictions on the green verge where they park.
“The slip road had yellow lines and is restricted to no lorries overnight.
“The sign’s been knocked over and the yellow lines have been rubbed out, so I’m trying to get them replaced.
“I last spoke to highways about a week ago and they’re still processing it. They have to advertise in case there are objections.”
A district council spokeswoman said: “Epping Forest District council is aware of noise issues from HGV and refrigerated lorries.
“Theoretically, we can pursue noise issues with regard to refrigerated lorries parked up in the lay-by, but when they are parked on the highway we can only tackle individual vehicles on a case by case basis.
“This involves the resident telephoning us when the noise is a problem, an officer visiting, entering their house to assess the noise level and then approaching the driver at that time if noise amounts to a statutory nuisance, usually late at night or in early hours of the morning.
“Environment and Neighbourhood officers have responded to a number of complaints in the past and will continue to do so.
“The North Essex Parking partnership is now responsible for introducing parking restrictions on behalf of Essex County Council and is looking into whether restrictions could be added at this location.”
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