Locals on road near a train station in a town in Dorset, say that their street has no parking restrictions and people are taking advantage by parking and going on holiday got months
Residents near a train station claim that people are parking on their street for extended periods, sometimes up to six months, while they go on holiday.
Those living near Dorchester South Station in Dorset have had enough. The nearby Cromwell Road, which has no parking restrictions, has become an attractive spot for those accessing the Weymouth-Waterloo train line, allowing them to leave their vehicles for days, weeks, or even months at a time.
The lack of restrictions results in the street becoming overcrowded with vehicles, leaving residents to struggle to find parking spots.
Locals often witness travellers dragging suitcases past their windows. Mary Upward, an 81-year-old retired resident, expressed frustration, stating: “I have been here 30 years, they’ve been doing that for 30 years. It’s something you put up with when you live here. I find it annoying. A lot of people go on the train to go on holiday, there’s no need for that. I can understand if they’re just quickly going into town.”
Mary added that she has experienced difficulties parking due to the influx of outside vehicles. “They get their suitcases out of the car. I wouldn’t like to see resident’s parking because we’ve got to pay for that – why should I pay for someone else to park?”
On one occasion, Mary even had a confrontational encounter with an outside parker. She shared: “I had a row with someone [who was trying to park here]. I said: ‘I live here and I have lived here a long time’ but she said: ‘I got here before you, get out’. She was really not nice. They can get a bit aggressive, especially the men.”
Anne Moors, a 66-year-old care assistant, expressed her frustration over the ongoing parking issues in her neighbourhood. “It’s been the same thing for 20 years. It’s a simple case of: there’s a railway station. People go on holiday, they park their cars, take their cases and off they go,” she explained.
She recalled an incident involving her late father-in-law, saying: “When my father-in-law was alive across the road, he had his legs amputated so he had a disabled parking space. A Land Rover parked there for three weeks. We couldn’t move it because it had a disabled badge in the front. We called the police who said they couldn’t move it because it had the badge.”
Despite the challenges, Anne remains pragmatic. “It is difficult. We did try and do resident’s parking but half wouldn’t do it. I would still be pro it in a sense but as the council said, it’s a public highway and anyone can park here. It is residential – if you’re going to go on holiday take a taxi to the station.”
Another resident explained how in one notable instance, someone took advantage of the situation to an extreme degree by parking for six months. “I did end up catching them. They decided to park and go off to get a plane and didn’t come back for months,” said the resident. “I recognise it’s not illegal but it’s annoying. You always see people with their suitcases going down the road – which I get, airport parking is horrific.”
Their frustration peaks when individuals park carelessly before heading off on holiday, occupying more space than necessary. “When people go away on holiday and park really poorly, so they take up two and a bit spaces, it’s [disrespectful]. I’ve always thought there should be lines showing parking spaces.”
Molly Rennie, a town councillor, expressed her sympathy for those affected when speaking to the Dorset Echo: “I really feel for the residents as it’s about the selfishness of people who park there for weeks to go on holiday.
“The town council’s planning team has approached Dorset Council regarding an overall parking strategy as we’re not the only town to suffer.”
The Mirror contaced Dorset Council for comment.
