Furious residents are worried their safety is being put at risk in an on-going dispute over parking.

Occupants of Princess Road, Beulah Grove and Bologne Road in Selhurst have shared their frustrations concerning the amount of garages and dumped cars obstructing their houses.

They said it has left single mothers, pregnant women and elderly residents walking up to two street lengths before being able to get into their own cars or fighting for parking spaces.

Sarah Coats, 55 who lives in Princess Road said: “Last year I could not go outside my house. I was depressed, I went to the doctors. “The neighbours had to go out for me in case I lost my parking space.”

“I couldn’t move my car. 

“We had someone park outside house for ten months.

“When my neighbour’s was house on fire the fire engines couldn’t get into the road. I couldn’t put my bins out. My dad cannot visit me because he is disabled and there is nowhere for him to park.”

A spokesman for Croydon Council said it was aware of the concerns of a number of residents in the area.

He said: “A petition was presented, and then reported to the traffic management advisory committee, which agreed to consider it and consult residents in a number of roads as to the possibility of introducing shared-use permit and pay-and-display bays.

“Introducing parking controls can be controversial with residents due to the cost of permits and the fact that there is no guarantee of a parking space.

“In reality, schemes do help give priority to residents and reduce abuse of parking in the area.

“The concerns over dumped vehicles is being investigated by the council’s environmental enforcement team. Ordinarily, action to remove vehicles can take place only if vehicles are untaxed. This team can also investigate reports of vehicles being worked on while parked on the highway, which can be enforced, and officers continue to monitor the area.”

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