RESIDENTS of a Worcester neighbourhood which has long been plagued by inconsiderate drivers parking on pavements have hit back at the lack of action to tackle the problem.

At a meeting of the Arboretum Resident’s Association (ARA) on Tuesday, April 8, the group’s chairman Brendan Magill said he was sick of car owners parking across pavements in the area.

“Anti-social parking is getting worse in the Arboretum in many places,” he said.

“Today six vehicles were parked so close to the property it would not have been possible for someone in a wheelchair or a buggy to get through.”

He said he had spoken to West Mercia Police about the problem but had been told they were not enforcing nuisance parking.

“That is not satisfactory,” he said. “This is something that’s got to be solved.

“Parking on the pavement to avoid parking on the road is not a satisfactory solution – all you’re doing is passing your problem off on someone else.”

As the area borders the city centre commuters have often used it to avoid paying for parking, leaving residents with nowhere to park their own cars.

ARA secretary Paul Brohan said there seemed to be no end in sight for the problem.

"Most people in the Arboretum want the maximum amount of parking as near to their homes as possible," he said.

Group member Ivan Smith said enforcing restrictions in the neighbourhood was not a realistic solution.

"If we have lines drawn in the Arboretum no one will be able to park anywhere, he said.

A spokesman from West Mercia Police said it was an offence under the Highways Act to park on a pavement, which is enforced by traffic wardens from Worcester City Council, but vehicles obstructing people from getting past was a police matter. She added police and local authorities worked closely to deal with problems when they arose.

Parking problems in the area have been a particular problem recently with a year-long series of roadworks throughout the neighbourhood currently in progress.

The £1 million project by Severn Trent Water and contractor Morgan Sindall to replace about five kilometres of old water pipelines in the area began last August, resulting in rolling road closures throughout the Arboretum.

After concerns were raised when the work was announced that the road closures would cause problems with parking, a special scheme was introduced allowing people living in the area to access their homes by car.

The work is on target to finish this summer.