Norton residents call for 'dangerous bog' to be turned into a car park
Frustrated residents have launched a new campaign to turn a small green outside their homes into a car park.
The residents, who live in a cul-de-sac on Prospect Road, Norton, say they are fed up of having trudge across the green, which often turns into a ‘dangerous bog’ when it rains, and where many have had slips and falls.
They say cars also park along side it leaving them with nowhere to park their own.
“It would just make sense to turn it into a small parking area as it is useless as it is,” said nearby resident, Teresa Long.
“It is about 20 metres by 60 metres, in the centre of six bungalows and people here have been complaining about it for years. There were plans for a car park about 18 months ago, but they were dropped due to the £40,000 cost.
"My neighbour, who is disabled, was told when she accepted the property that disabled parking would be provided. The bungalows are supposed to be adapted bungalows, therefore we feel there should be parking available.
“The latest argument from the district council is that they want to save it as part of their green environment initiatives. This is ridiculous when you think of the size of it and then hear they are cut down hedgerows and use up whole fields to build houses.”
Resident, Heidi Burrows, said: “It’s just a nightmare.
I’ve lived here for five years and when we bought the house, the estate agent told us the green was going to become a small car park.
“When people park around it, we have to park the far end of the road and walk home, in the pitch black, rain and its dangerous to walk across.
“A few of the residents in the cul-de-sac are elderly or disabled and ambulances have trouble getting here. When it turns boggy, it’s treacherous, and dangerous. I have fallen, my daughter has fallen, and so have other people.”
David Etchells-Butler, chair of Norton Parish Council, said: “This problem has been going on for at least 15 years. That end of the road is very narrow and cars tend to park all over the place, including partially on the green itself. We hope to work on the problem jointly with the district council.”
A spokesperson for Mid Suffolk District Council, said: “We are arranging a site visit with a member of the parish council to ensure any options we consider for the future are safe, economically viable and meet planning requirements.
“We are committed to maintaining green space wherever possible to mitigate against climate change and to try to limit carbon emissions – but recognise the need to balance this with the needs of our residents.”
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