FURY has been expressed by residents at millions being spent on alleviating commuter parking problems in other parts of the district while their area continues to be ignored and lives put at risk.
Over two years ago residents of Chigwell High Road asked Essex County Council to paint double yellow lines in the stretch of road between Chigwell Underground Station and Chigwell Park Drive.
When the opening hours of the station were extended to midnight in 2009, they said that commuters flocked to use it, packing the High Road with their vehicles.
Previously the station closed at 8pm.
They claim that ever since this has resulted in parked cars blocking their drives and leaving them unable to exit, obscuring their vision when pulling out on to the road, resulting in frequent near collisions, and obstructing pavements, forcing schoolchildren and mothers with prams to step out in to the path of traffic to get past.
But despite initially agreeing to impose parking restrictions on the road over two years ago, the council has since failed to act.
While residents in Epping, Buckhurst Hill and Loughton have been provided with expensive parking reviews to solve their commuter traffic crises, there are fears that only a serious accident will prompt the authorities to take action and impose the promised restrictions in Chigwell.
Ellis Rich, 64, lives in Chigwell High Road.
He said: “I take my life in to my hands every time I go out. You just can’t see the cars coming on either side. “At one council meeting I threatened to take out a paint brush and paint double yellow lines down there myself.
“It is a danger to life. How much does it cost to put a few double yellow lines down?”
Fellow resident Bernard Bloom, 50, said: “We are talking about a serious safety issue here, this is dangerous.
“There have been fights and people shouting and screaming first thing in the morning because when they are asked to move their vehicles they get aggressive.”
An Essex County Council spokeswoman said: “We are currently in the process of advertising the design of the parking restrictions. Once this process is completed we will be able to provide a date for the work to commence.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel