PEOPLE living in East Reading have called for a residents’ only parking scheme in their streets, a consultation has revealed.

An informal consultation by Reading Borough Council shows 57 per cent of residents would like to have the scheme introduced.

Neighbours stated parking problems worsen during university and school term-time as students and parents battle for parking spots.

It comes after residents demanded a scheme be introduced following concerns about parking in Hamilton Road and Bulmershe Road, as previously reported by the Chronicle.

Council officers are now set to design a scheme which could prevent non-residents from parking their cars in the area.

A report reads: “Most respondents (in Bulmershe Road) have raised pavement parking as an issue in their area. Parking issues are exacerbated during University term time and school drop off and pick up.

“Some respondents have requested marked bays to be installed on alternating sides of the road. Emergency vehicle access needs to be addressed.

“Most respondents (in Hamilton Road) would like to see an end to pavement parking, with marked bays on alternating sides of the road and a mixture of permit only and shared use restrictions.

“Driveways need to be protected if a scheme is introduced. Parking issues are a direct result of a displacement of parking from the hospital and university parking scheme.”

Parents at Alfred Sutton School recently warned it was only a matter of time before a child was injured due to motorists blocking pavements in East Reading.

They demanded Reading Borough Council introduced a parking scheme to prevent non-residents from blocking up the area.

Posting on his blog, ward Councillor Rob White, said: “Not all roads had a majority in favour of permit parking.

“However it was decided to produce a scheme for the whole area to minimise any displacement of parked cars, without permits, from new permit parking roads to free parking roads at the edge of any new zone.”

Should the designs be approved at Reading Borough Council’s traffic management sub-committee meeting on March 8, a formal consultation will happen later this year.