Wander around the streets of Keswick and it’s easy to find a resident frustrated with problem parkers.
Step forward Duncan Hogg, of Eskin Street, who returned home to find a large BMW estate parked right across the front of his driveway – complete with kayak and fully-loaded back seats and boot.
On-call firefighters and tradesmen have also had to erect signs outside their homes pleading with drivers not to block access – often to no avail.
This week a meeting took place in Keswick to discuss parking and access issues but an attendee told the Reminder: “There’s no silver bullet.”
Proposals to try and reduce parking pressures in the “back streets” of Keswick are expected to be made public in weeks.
Ideas were discussed at the major meeting at the Skiddaw Hotel in Keswick, which was an invite-only event for “stakeholders” and not open to the media.
It was attended by representatives from the Lake District National Park Authority, Allerdale Borough Council, Keswick Town Council and Cumbria County Council, among others.
At the meeting, local parking providers, elected members, residents and B&B owners were joined by members of the police and fire service to discuss the issues experienced this summer.
Top of the agenda was parking in Helvellyn Street, Southey Street, Blencathra Street and Eskin Street, which all came under massive pressure this year.
Ideas include a possible community parking scheme – led by the county council – with permits for residents and businesses, and a roll out of more double yellow lines.
Cllr Tony Lywood, who represents Keswick on the county council, said the local authority intended to table some initial proposals for wider consultation “within weeks”.
Mr Lywood said the issue of parking had been contentious for some time and the extra pressure this year had brought it to the fore.
Cllr Lywood said: “The issue of the back street parking is a thorny one and not easily solved.
“The residents are clearly unhappy that this area is at present completely unregulated and used by everyone as a free car park.
“However, the balancing of the wants of the residents and the needs of the B&B owners is a difficult one and trying to come up with an agreeable solution is not going to be easy.
“One thing is pretty much agreed by most is that it cannot remain as it is, and some form of permit scheme needs to be introduced accompanied by yellow lines on the junctions and the enforcement that goes with it.’
Cllr Allan Daniels, who represents Keswick on Allerdale Borough Council, also attended the meeting.
He said it was understood that there were roughly around 500 properties and around 400 spaces, but double yellow lines were of little use if they were not enforced by county council traffic wardens.
But he also said that installing double yellow lines and extending them up to five-metres from each corner could actually reduce parking places.
He said many visitors arrived later in the afternoon at 4pm which was when the streets could become “chock-a-block” and needed enforcement.
Other initiatives include potential “stop signs” at blind junctions as currently drivers have to enter corners blind and run the risk of meeting cars coming the other way.
Cllr Daniels said: “The wardens only really come to Keswick on certain days. I did raise that if you were to have a fire on Southey Street on a Friday night, a fire engine could not get to it because some times there is parking on both sides.
“But whatever the solution is, there will be people who will be unhappy — that’s the problem. There isn’t a silver bullet.”
The county council said there would be a “fair and equitable” community parking management scheme with future public engagement and consultation events planned later in the year.
It said emergency service vehicles needed unobstructed access to the area.
