What is the issue?:

I am a resident of Bayford Road, Sittingbourne, and like many of my neighbours, I face the daily struggle to find a parking spot near my home due to the increasing congestion caused by multiple factors:

• Tesco's new car park regulations preventing residents from using the car park over-night. Any drivers parking for over 30 minutes within their car park will now be facing fines.
• The RLC garage parking its customers' vehicles in the street.
• Irresponsible car owners allowing their Tax/MOT to expire, resulting in their vehicle being clamped; taking up space. Some of these vehicles are in the care of the RLC garage!
• Local business employees parking on the road and walking to their place of employment (Not on Bayford Road).
• People parking up, then go to the train station to continue to their destination.
• Arrogant drivers parking on the road, leaving massive gaps that could accommodate other vehicles if these drivers were considerate enough.

How this affects me personally:

 We must remedy this situation. For me, personally, it's more than a mere inconvenience - it's a serious health concern. With several medical conditions, some causing chronic pain, parking further away requires a painful walk. If parking permits were introduced, then I would not have to endure as long/painful a walk. I have tried to get a disabled badge & parking bay, but I am not "disabled enough".

Aside from the medical aspect, I am sure we would all take comfort in being able to park closer to our homes, whether it be to comfortably take in our shopping from our vehicles, to keep an eye on our vehicles for security reasons, or for drivers with young children trying to get their children to their vehicles safely.

What needs to be done:

We can appeal to Swale Borough Council to respond to our plea and recognise our right to park in our residential area. We urge the Council to introduce parking permits for residents to alleviate parking difficulties and to respect the quality of life of its residents. Please sign this petition and stand with the residents of Bayford Road, demanding proper parking regulations.

If possible, we can also appeal to ask that parking bay guides, similar to take of a disabled parking bay, are drawn out on the road to assist drivers in ensuring that there is plenty of space available for other road users to park up.

I hope you will all see the value in signing this petition and will join me in signing it. Regardless of whether you sign or not, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for at least reading and considering this possibility.

For more information on Parking Permits provided by Swale Borough Council, visit their website:

https://swale.gov.uk/parking-and-streets/parking/parking-permits