Vehicles have been egged and had their windows broken
A white Hyundai trashed near to Liverpool John Lennon Airport(Image: Liverpool Echo)
‘Parking wars’ have escalated on a road near Liverpool’s airport – with cars egged and smashed up.
Some holidaymakers abandon their cars on Hale Road, in Speke, before jetting off from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA).
Locals believe they do so to avoid paying for parking at the airport for the duration of their trip.
They say other motorists, including taxi drivers, also use the street for drop-offs to avoid paying JLA’s charges of £6 for 10 minutes and £10 for 20 minutes, although blue badge holders can claim 40 minutes of free parking.
Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here
Residents say ‘it happens all the time’ – but now some appear to have taken matters into their own hands.
The Liverpool Echo visited Hale Road yesterday (September 29) and discovered two cars had been damaged, following reports vehicles had been targeted along the street.
The driver and passenger windows of a white Hyundai had been smashed in, while the back window had been hit too.
Three windows of a blue Volvo had also been fully smashed, with damage also sustained to the back window. The car had also been egged and one of its tyres had been punctured.
A blue Volvo was smashed up and egged(Image: Liverpool Echo)
People living on the street said the cars had been parked there for several days and added they had spotted the damage on Saturday. They believe the cars belong to holidaymakers.
During the hour that the Echo visited Hale Road, several cars and taxis used the street for drop-offs it for this purpose. A spokesperson for the airport said it is looking into ways to deter passengers from doing this.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said damage to vehicles and airport users abusing the road is a common occurrence.
He said: “It happens all the time. You get people dropping off and picking up all hours of the day and night. Doors slamming, beeping, things like that.
“We’ve had people park in front of our driveway in the past so you can’t get out. Now we tend to park the car on the road instead. Sometimes they say, ‘we’ll only be 20 minutes’ but that’s still a problem.
“My wife’s just gone to pick up my son from school because he’s not well. We would have been stuck if a car had been parked there.
“People have been talking [about the smashed windows] on the local Facebook group. Some have said, ‘you’ve got to respect other people’s property’. But where’s the respect for my property when they park in front of it?
“I understand people want to save money, but you’re spending £300 on a holiday and want to save £6 on parking? Plus, if you park in one of the official car parks it’s a secure site.”
There is also a bus route off Hale Road which takes passengers directly into the airport, which the man said many people aren’t aware of. The man said the parking was one of several issues he and others face in the street from airport users.
Smashed glass on Hale Road(Image: Liverpool Echo)
He said: “I’ve had people putting their rubbish in my bin. I opened it up once and there was a load of used nappies in there. One of the neighbours had to deal with a woman pooing in her front garden.
“Cars sometimes park up on the pavement on the other side of the road, so people have to walk into the road. They could get hit by a bus.”
The man says he has raised these issues repeatedly with Liverpool council and the airport over the years to no avail. He believes installing fencing outside the houses could be a solution but is very pessimistic about anything being done to address these issues.
Another resident also voiced his frustrations, adding: “Whether they’ve been targeted because they’ve parked for the airport or not, I don’t know.
“The blue car has been there for weeks and I saw the damage on Saturday. I don’t agree with people using the road for parking but I don’t agree with that either. It’s not just this road either – there’s damage to cars in other parts too.”
When the Echo approached JLA for a response, an airport spokesperson 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.”
The Echo has also approached Merseyside Police and Liverpool council for comment on the parking situation on Hale Road.
The council told the Echo in August 2022 it would arrange a visit with Merseyside Police to the road to determine whether highways improvements were needed and the last three years of collision data for the area would also be reviewed.
A council spokesperson said at the time: “There are extensive sections of road in the area where waiting restrictions prohibit parking which the council regularly enforces, similarly enforcement regularly takes place around taxis parking.
The grass in the central reservation has been damaged by cars and pedestrians over the years(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“We also run action as part of Operation Jet where compliance checks on taxis are conducted to ensure they have a booking and are carrying the number of allowed passengers.
“However, if vehicles are parked, not causing an obstruction or contravening any waiting restrictions and are taxed, MOT’d and insured this would not be classed as an offence but we will engage with the airport on the issues that have been raised.”
When the Echo asked for an update on the outcome of this in October 2023, the council said it had a meeting with Merseyside Police to discuss the issues raised.
An airport spokesperson said at the time: “We are naturally disappointed to see drivers parking on public roads adjacent to the airport who are clearly doing this so as not to incur any parking charges and this is despite there being a free drop-off/pick up car park at the airport which is closer to the terminal than where the majority of these vehicles appear to be parking on adjacent roads, forcing their passengers to walk further.
“The parking charges at the airport are in line with fees charged at other airports and in many cases they are lower, with on site parking available for as little as £51.99 for a week’s parking with all the associated security benefits too and we will continue to encourage all drivers to make use of the choice of on site car parks whether they are picking up, dropping off or going away for a few days.
“Discussions have taken place previously with Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police regarding this issue and with the help of the Council’s Licensing Department we have communicated with the City’s private hire drivers, requesting that they do not park in roads adjacent to the airport but use the official airport car parks including the free drop-off car park where they can wait for up to 40 mins free of charge.
Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE
“We are also aware that enforcement has taken place with fines issued for vehicles parked illegally in the area. We agree with many local residents that a resident’s only parking permit scheme is the best solution, similar to successful schemes introduced elsewhere across the city that had previously suffered from similar parking problems such as near Anfield and Goodison Park on match days.”