Anger as bin collections held up by bad parking in West Leigh

Residents in Stockbridge Road, West Leigh, want double yellow lines in their street so dustbin carts can get through

A small number of people living in Stockbridge Close, West Leigh, have, for a number of years, been campaigning for double yellow lines along the entrance to the road.

Poor parking by some residents of a block of flats in the road sometimes prevents the refuse truck from Havant Borough Council entering the road to collect bins from the houses at the bottom.

The flats are owned by Portsmouth City Council and there are few parking spaces for those residents, apart from on the street.

Sydney Giles from Stockbridge Close in Havant, along with his neighbours are fed up of their bins not being collected on a weekly basis

But those affected have been told not enough people want the double yellow lines.

It means the problems will continue.

Frustrated Sydney Giles said: ‘For several years now the people living in our road have had a running battle with the refuse department.

‘The entrance to our road has a block of flats,which the residents and their visitors park outside of.

‘When the refuse collection lorry comes they cannot get past the parked cars, therefore we don’t get a collection.

‘We have asked the refuse department if we could get yellow lines put down, upon which we are told it is up to us to get a petition up to get something done.

‘But it affects too few residents to have an effect.

‘We are paying for a service that is often not carried out.’

Havant Borough Council is the local authority in charge of both refuse collections and double yellow lines.

But they say that there is not enough support for double yellow lines in the road.

In a statement the council said: ‘Parking in the area of Stockbridge Close is at a premium.

‘Therefore the request for double yellow lines would require support from all residents’

‘However, we have placed this on our waiting list for consideration for a future works programme.

‘We are working closely with Portsmouth City Council whose tenants are affected, as well as local residents to resolve the parking issues.

‘Bins in this area are collected regularly.

‘When access is an issue a smaller refuse vehicle is sent for a return visit to ensure all bins are emptied’.