‘Dangerous and disruptive!’ Parking row erupts as residents ‘live in fear’ of cars being abandoned in ‘irresponsible’ spaces

Cirencester residents have claimed they are “living in fear” of cars being left in “irresponsible spaces” by students from a nearby town.

Householders in Chesterton Park have reported ongoing issues with irresponsible parking from students attending Cirencester College on Stroud Road.

One resident claimed they were nearly run over at a junction because a driver’s visibility was restricted by poorly parked student vehicles.

“The way these students park defies common sense and laws,” they said. “They park on bends, obstructing visibility. They park in the mouths of junctions and they double park.”

Residents report that ambulances have been unable to reach properties due to the parking problems, while safety concerns have escalated beyond mere inconvenience, residents claimed.

“It’s an impossible situation for delivery lorries, refuse collection vehicles or, more alarmingly, emergency services,” one householder told the Standard, citing that students’ vehicles create dangerous blind spots at junctions.

“I was nearly run over by a car, not because the car was speeding or the driver was at fault, but because they couldn’t see round because the junction was filled with student cars.”

A resident on Chesterton Lane reported students parking directly in front of their driveway.

“They need their eyes testing to not see a big car in the drive,” they said.

Some residents have suggested the college introducing paid parking has pushed students to seek free alternatives in residential streets – leading to heated confrontations between residents and students.

One householder reported being sworn at when challenging students about their parking, while the situation escalated when “a student emptied a whole bin’s worth of rubbish onto someone’s garden because they had put a note on their car,” one resident claimed.

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More concerning still, residents claim some students have begun retaliating by “parking outside houses during their lunch breaks, blaring loud music and using the estate’s narrow streets as a racetrack, driving recklessly through the zigzagged rows of cars,” said one householder.

Despite contacting police daily for three weeks, the resident claimed officers only responded twice.

One householder expressed frustration at the lack of effective intervention from authorities and, despite acknowledging that not all students should be blamed, residents are calling for more action.

“I don’t want to give all students a bad name at all, but the college has got to do something about it,” said one Chesterton Lane resident.

Cirencester College has acknowledged the parking issues while defending most of their students, with the spokesman saying: “We understand and share the frustration of the parking situation in Chesterton.”

They noted that while some students park in the area, “the majority park legally and considerately on the public road” maintaining that the area is “outside of our jurisdiction” and they cannot identify car owners.

Despite this, they “continue to remind students to park carefully and considerately with respect to householders”.

“We still have lots of space left in the car park for students who need a space,” they said, adding that the college has arranged meetings with the Chesterton Housing Group and local police to address concerns.

Meanwhile, Gloucestershire police confirmed they are “aware of ongoing concerns around parking on Chesterton Park” and continue to monitor the situation by patrolling the area “when possible”.

They acknowledged the issue involves multiple agencies including the college and county council.

A meeting with the college was scheduled to “discuss the matter” with police “looking to work with other agencies to resolve this.”

A spokesman for Cirencester Town Council said: “We are aware of various on-street parking issues across Cirencester and will be undertaking consultation with the public in the spring.”

He added they are “liaising with Gloucestershire County Council to find out what evidence base is required” for an official review.