'Our street is a car park on Port Vale matchdays'
FED-UP families are calling for action to be taken against football fans parking outside their homes on matchdays.
They claim their street is turned into a car park whenever Port Vale play at home.
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PARKING PROBLEM: Petition organiser Matthew Ellis-Dorsey.
Shaftesbury Avenue, in Burslem, is within walking distance of Vale Park and there are currently no parking restrictions in place.
Now 95 people living on the road have signed a petition calling on Stoke-on-Trent City Council to solve the problem.
But football fans driving to Saturday's League Two fixture against Plymouth Argyle say they do not have particular problems parking near Vale Park.
Petition organiser Matthew Ellis-Dorsey, aged 29, of Shaftesbury Avenue, who works as a civil servant, said: "You get people parking in front of your drive and on both sides of the road, so you either can't get out of your drive or can't reverse out of it properly.
"If a fire engine or ambulance had to get to a house on the street, they would have no chance to get down.
"We've spoken to one of our councillors who has said the road could be turned into a residents'-only parking zone on matchdays, and we're waiting to be consulted on that.
"I think it would be a good idea and would solve the problem."
Fellow Shaftesbury Avenue resident Patricia Clowes, aged 53, said: "It seems like people are parking on the street to avoid having to pay to park nearer to the stadium.
"I don't see why the residents should have to suffer every time Port Vale play at home.
"They just leave their cars wherever there's a space, even if it means blocking someone else in."
As well as problems with matchday parking, residents say there is also an increasing issue with cars speeding down the road after traffic lights were put up at the High Lane junction with Haywood Hospital.
Mr Ellis-Dorsey added: "Since the traffic lights have been put up at Haywood Hospital, our road has started being used as a shortcut.
"People are using the road to get to Stanfields or Tunstall, instead of having to queue up and wait at the traffic lights.
"There's a double bend which is very dangerous, especially if cars are going too fast.
"I've seen a few who have mounted the pavement on the bend."
Labour councillor Joy Garner, who represents the Burslem Park ward, today said matchday parking around Vale Park is "diabolical".
She said: "It appears that at the moment some residents do not want a residents'-only parking scheme.
"We will monitor the area and highways staff will investigate the number of vehicles which pass through and their speed.
"We are aware of parking issues around Stoke City's Britannia Stadium but it is an issue in areas around Vale Park. It is also a problem around hospitals and schools and as a council that is something that we need to get to grips with."
The petition will be presented to councillors at a full council meeting on Thursday.
Councillor Adrian Knapper, cabinet member for transport and planning, said: "A petition about traffic safety concerns on Shaftesbury Avenue has been received by the city council.
"A formal response will be sent to the lead petitioner and this will also be addressed at full council on Thursday."
At Stoke City, around 800 fans have been fined for illegally parking in streets near the Britannia Stadium on matchdays between August, 2010 and the end of October.
69 Comments
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by andybhanley
Thursday, February 09 2012, 12:34PM
“I feel your pain mate, but spare a thought for those poor Vale fans who have to watch that ***** every other week”
by Backdoored
Sunday, February 05 2012, 12:41PM
“I like the Vale because of their historic relationship with Stoke City.
Stanley Matthews -Manager; Freddie Steele -Manager; Jackie Mudie -player-manager? John Rudge -Manager at the Vale and 'Director of Football' later at Stoke City.... and the list goes on where players are concerned -crossing the city in both directions over the century.
Then of course there are also the fans who support both clubs. Up the Vale -Come on Stoke.”
by Wozzer101
Sunday, February 05 2012, 8:30AM
“I would not worry about next season, non-league football don't bring the crowds in.....lol.”
by dogmaster
Saturday, February 04 2012, 9:55PM
“Next season your problem will be halved tell both drivers to park on the left hand side of the street, for the first half, and the right hand side for the second half.
That's if they stay for the second half !!
We have the problem in our street at Stoke, you cant go either way, it gets blocked off with Tony Pulis ego.”
by DocPhil
Friday, February 03 2012, 4:23PM
“Typical civil servant... nothing else to moan about. Yes they park in Shaftsbury, they also park in my street which is much much narrower - it really isnt a problem though. As for fire engines etc. getting down; you could get one down Shaftsbury sideways even with cars parked both sides, and as for cars mounting the kerbs on the bends this cant be anything to do with football parking, because if the comlainant is to be believed cars are parked both sides anyway - thereby making it impossible to mount the kerb - attempting emotive blackmail maybe? Anyway, it strikes me that just one thoughtless person parking irresponsibly and making it difficult for this guy to park (which is not acceptible) and he's off on one! He must have known there was a football ground there when he chose to buy the house and he should have thought ahead.”
by Lifestyle Windows
Friday, February 03 2012, 3:05PM
“boo hoo !!! vale park was there long before you moved in your home. let me guess if you moved next to a farm you'd moan about the smell , doh !!”
by toria2010
Thursday, February 02 2012, 1:36PM
“i understand why people in this street would be annoyed as i live in Stoke and my street and the surrounding streets minus one as its permit only fills up every match day and if i go out somewhere and i dont get back in time to get in my street i have to park at sainsburys and walk 15 mins with my 2 young children and i shouldnt have to do this, the street is very narrow and u can only get cars coming in one direction anyway but when its full because of stoke fans you end up having to reverse halfway down the street just to let someone from the opposite direction through.”
by Clayhanger
Wednesday, February 01 2012, 4:39PM
“laythevale,
Sorry you had a bump to your head at the last AGM.....................However it does explain your bizarre pro board slant”
by YorkValiant
Wednesday, February 01 2012, 4:36PM
“laythevale, what a ridiculous comment. No innocent bystander should be subjected to being elbowed in the head - so to make light of such an incident... worse, to make a joke out of it... is unacceptable. The occurrence of such incidents gives Vale a bad name, and your attempt at humour only exacerbates it further.
I ordinarily think that your comments are well-intentioned, even though they may often be at odds with the views of some posters, but on this occasion you suffered from a serious lack of judgement.”
by laythevale
Wednesday, February 01 2012, 4:11PM
“by misskdt - "I was walking home from burslem one night last year and walked past the vale ground just as everybody was leaving. A scuffle broke out and I got elbowed in the head as I walked past."
Ah... the AGM. What a night that was.”