Residents say the issues they are facing are ‘constant and dangerous’
Cars parked on the pavement on Hale Road(Image: Liverpool Echo)
People in Speke say they are unable to leave their homes due to severe parking issues, leading to bottles of urine being discarded on the streets. The proximity of this area to Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) has turned some roads in Speke into a popular spot for holidaymakers and drivers trying to evade airport parking fees.
People who live there say drivers, including taxis, use the road as a drop-off and pick-up point throughout the day and night, with some holidaymakers leaving their cars parked on the road for the duration of their trip.
Recent tensions have arisen following the damage of two cars, believed to belong to holidaymakers. After the ECHO published this story on Monday, several residents reached out to discuss the matter further.
People in the area are advocating for extended free parking, larger taxi ranks, and improved signage from the airport. They are also demanding Liverpool City Council implement measures such as a residential parking scheme, fencing along grass verges on Hale Road and bollards along Western Avenue.
The express drop-off point at JLA is located directly opposite the terminal. It costs £6 to stay there for up to 10 minutes and £10 for 20 minutes.
Passengers with a valid Blue Badge can claim up to 40 minutes of free parking, while motorcycles can park free of charge in designated outdoor spaces. The drop-off at two car parks, which are a seven-minute walk from the terminal, is free for up to 20 minutes.
Some residents have put cones out to deter drivers(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Currently there are small signs around the airport saying: “For airport use, please use designated car parks.” Residents argue this does not explicitly prohibit parking on their streets.
JLA says it is looking at ways to deter passengers from using the road in this way. Meanwhile, the council says plans are in place to gauge residents’ views before any potential solutions are put in place.
The residents we spoke to did not support people damaging cars but believe it is a symptom of a wider issue. They say they have been ignored for years and the community is reaching a breaking point.
Jason Worrall, 51, who lives on Western Avenue, says a once pleasant suburban road has been turned into a wall of noise, litter and danger.
He said: “You come home, you can’t park outside your own house. You go to bed, and you’ve got cars outside with the radios on and the lights on. You try to go to sleep but you just can’t.
“I’ve got a work van and it’s got a tracker. I get home and as soon as I turn the engine off, I’m not allowed to restart it.
“I want my van to be somewhere safe so I can see it. But I have to park off the road because of selfish taxi drivers, which again, is not fair on the residents.
“I wouldn’t say I feel unsafe, but we don’t know who is parking there. People are scared to come out and say something. They know where you live but you don’t know where they live.
“People are actually walking on the road because the cars are blocking the pavement. Sooner or later, someone’s going to get killed.
“When I moved here 19 years ago, this was a lovely road. I’ve seen people coming out picking up rubbish on a daily basis.”
Yvonne Reed, 67, who lives on Hale Road, is one of those litter pickers and says she spends once a week picking up bottles of urine.
She said: “They’re peeing in bottles and leaving them everywhere. This is constant.
“They park right by my house. My problem is, we know it’s legal, we know they’re allowed to, but it doesn’t make it right.
“We’ve got a school down the road. The kids can’t see the traffic because of all the traffic so you have to step onto the road.
“It’s constant. It’s dangerous. You can’t get out. My son had a hospital appointment a few months ago and he couldn’t get out of his drive. I had to pick him up. It’s beyond ridiculous and beyond dangerous.”
Another resident added: “We’re not archaic, we’re not against change, we’re not against progress, but what we are against is being railroaded and people doing whatever the hell they like.”
Residents say parking outside All Saints Church is an issue too(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Business owners on Hale Road said the constant parking has been damaging their trade too. Many residents also said that drivers are littering by All Saints Church on Speke Church Road and blocking the entrances and exits needed for funeral hearses.
The ECHO later spoke to Reverend Cate Jacobs from the church, who backed up these claims. She said: “We need access for funerals, which we have on a regular basis, and recently we’ve had a number of occasions where there have been cars parked outside and it’s blocked the access for hearses etc.
“Obviously that’s quite distressing. It is just not good for people coming for a funeral service to have to negotiate cars that are blocking the way. It’s been a real problem for a while for us and for the residents of Speke.
“We’re lucky that we have a great team of volunteers that come and help us to clear up the churchyard and what have you, but the parking does create problems with litter too.
“I’ve been up there for three years. In the time that I’ve been there, it’s gotten a lot worse, particularly, again, as I say, for residents around the church and nearest to the airport.”
The reverend also backed calls for a residents’ parking scheme and a change to prices at the airport. She said: “We have put up polite notices, but people don’t always take much notice of them.
“It’s something that the council needs to really take seriously and think about. The airport has a responsibility for this too.
“I would say that their pricing in terms of people dropping off and being picked up, if they could adjust that, maybe that would make a difference. I don’t know, but I think it needs a cohesive approach.”
The ECHO contacted the airport with details of these concerns raised by residents. A spokesperson referred us to the statement made on Monday which said: ”We are looking at ways to try to deter passengers from being dropped off and picked up on roads close to the airport, which is also causing disruption and is a nuisance for local residents at all hours of the day and night.”
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson also referred us to their statement earlier this week. It said: “We understand the frustrations that residents have around people choosing to park on the road for extended periods of time while using the airport and are exploring solutions to these. Plans are in place to gauge residents’ views before any potential solutions are put in place.
“Currently, there are waiting restrictions which prohibit parking along a number of roads in the area, which our teams regularly enforce. Similar enforcement takes place around taxis parking in the area.
A group of residents have voiced their anger and frustration(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
“However, if there are no waiting restrictions in place and vehicles are parked without causing an obstruction, this is not classed as an offence.
Maria Eagle, the MP for the Liverpool Garston constituency, said: “I am aware that people using Liverpool John Lennon are parking on Hale Drive and roads around the airport for extended periods of time and there are passenger cars left in residential areas. I’ve raised these issues with both Liverpool City Council and Liverpool John Lennon and discussions are ongoing around possible solutions.”
Neighbourhood policing inspector for Speke, Michelle Ingram, said the force is aware of the issues around damage to cars and “nuisance” taxi drivers.
She added: “We have set up a working group with the airport and Liverpool City Council where we are looking at long-term problem-solving and the implementation of traffic-controlling measures in an effort to reduce the problems being caused to the community.
“We have also requested extra high visibility patrols to the area, particularly during the night when there is an increase in issues.
“In addition, we have community surgeries regularly in the area to listen to the concerns of the local residents and would encourage anyone with questions to attend one of those surgeries.”