URGENT calls for lighting at 'the darkest car park in Worcester' are gathering pace with a petition attracting signatures from scared residents who 'just want to feel safe'. 

Anger is building over the lack of street lighting at Snowshill Close in Warndon dubbed the darkest in the city, where residents have complained of drug deals and dogging.

Some have said the car park is so dark they struggle to unlock their cars in the morning, especially in the winter. 

A petition for street lighting, organised by Warndon's Labour councillor for Worcester City Council, has already attracted 35 signatures.

Meanwhile, some residents have even asked if they can hang their own solar lights on the fences to stop them from feeling so scared at night. 

A sticking point is that the the landowner, Platform Housing, said installing lights would generate a service charge for tenants even though not everyone who uses the car park is a Platform tenant.

Cllr Jill Desayrah, who has made several visits to speak face-to-face to residents about their concerns, said she had raised the job with both Platform Housing and Worcestershire County Council - and is convinced a solution can be found.

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"Nobody has made any progress with this. Platform Housing don't want to do it. The residents feel very unsafe walking around the car park and the footpaths around - none of them are lit in that immediate area. They feel very nervous.

"Residents are feeling neglected, unsafe, nervous depressed about the situation. They feel like nothing is going to change.

"But I'm going to keep pushing Platform Housing and the county council to work together (she has lodged the request in writing).

"They want something reasonable and fundamental and which I believe is the right of anyone paying council tax.

"It is hard to see why some accommodation can't be reached between the county council and Platform Housing." 

In a statement, issued last month, a spokesperson for Warndon Safer Neighbourhood Team said it has stepped up patrols and there have not been any calls about ASB in the area recently.

“However, we take any issues around anti-social behaviour and drug use seriously and we will continue to work with our partner agencies to address such issues as and when they arise."

A spokesperson for Platform Housing said last month: "There is no current landlord supply to this area, therefore to install lighting would create a service chargeable to our customers and be unfair as the car park is used by non-Platform customers too.

"We do acknowledge the concerns raised and if residents are witnessing anti-social behaviour and drug dealing we would advise them to contact us and also report this to the police."