We’re stuck in 10-year battle with students blocking driveways – our angry notes are ignored… we can’t cut our grass

LOCALS are stuck in a 10-year battle with students blocking their driveways.

Residents in Ipswich, Suffolk, have been leaving the pupils angry notes as they can't cut their grass or have friends and family over.

The students are from One Suffolk Sixth Form College and they use the suburban street to park their motors while at school.

One local who asked to not be named said students had been parking on the street and stealing parking spaces for nearly 10 years.

They told the : "We pay to live there and can't have anyone visit us because we haven't got any spaces for them."

The local said they were forced to walk their dog on the road as the students parked the cars on the footpath.

Residents have also been leaving angry notes for the students, telling them "Do not park here".

Others have had much stronger language: "Yet again, you f****** a******* decide to park here. You are a disrespectful p******* s***."

Another resident said the students have zero respect for the people that live in their street.

They said: "I confronted one of them and said they couldn't do that and he just pointed at my driveway and said there was enough room to 'squeeze through' and complained it was really difficult for him too."

One parent said the behaviour directed toward their child from residents was unacceptable.

They said a park and ride option for students was a 20 minute walk away, which is why many of them were parking in the street.

The letters, they said, the angry letters were left regularly and were abusive and contained bad language.

She said: "However, the nature of the anonymous notes that are being left is just disgusting and far from polite."

Suffolk county councillor Christopher Hudson, whose electoral division covers the affected area, said: "This is a really long-standing issue. I do think we need to try and mitigate the problem."

He said the notes the residents were leaving were "unedifying", but they did have a point.

"The way to do that, I think, would be for students who go to the school to sign a contract along the lines of following parking guidance from the school as to where they can park.

"It's causing real aggro with the ratepayers and residents in the area. Students are parking very unreasonably and I am shocked and appalled at the way it's gone on for too long and it's rising again. We have to nip it in the bud."

A spokesperson for One Sixth Form College said: "We have been in contact with the student to check on their wellbeing, clearly this is a worrying note and we have had conversations with the police regarding this.

"We have always engaged with the local community as a hub for its needs and whenever there are issues, we always seek to understand individual concerns and find solutions.

"Since the last time this issue was raised, we have increased bus routes, have been actively encouraging behaviour changes, continued to emphasise park and (st)ride options, encouraged walking, cycling and rail options where available, challenged all car park users who do not display a parking permit, and we stress the need for our students to be mindful citizens when parking in and around our local community.

"We welcome further conversations and engagement with everyone - but would urge the individual to stop issuing threatening notes and instead come and talk to us so we can work together for the benefit of all."