Parking fury has hit Slaithwaite after shop renovation vans blocked up a public car park.
Shoppers have found it difficult if not impossible to find a space in the Carr Lane car park and nearby areas since building workers started a major refurbishment of the Co-op store on neighbouring Lewisham Road.
And one resident has raised concerns about the impact the vans ‘hogging’ spaces could have on local shops.
Half a dozen large vans have taken over the 12 spaces in the Carr Lane spot during the week. It is the car park used by people shopping on the village’s main street, but has been used by contractors since work began on November 23.
Drivers have also been accused of partially blocking Lewisham Road, using up other parking spaces in the Wharfeside Inn car park and parking articulated lorries ‘awkwardly’.
Resident Robert Bamforth, was particularly concerned with the lack of parking control.
He said: “While I appreciate that workmen need to have tools and materials on the job they don’t all need to have their vans adjacent to the job all day.
“The car park that they are hogging is essential to the functioning of Slaithwaite as a local shopping centre and shoppers simply can’t park.
“They are doing this without any consideration for local people and yet, when they reopen the store next week, they will want customers to support them instead of shopping at the new Aldi store.
“If this is the way that the Co-op treats local people then their trade will definitely suffer.”
The news comes after shop owners and councillors raised concerns regarding the lack of existing spaces in Carr Lane, which were going to be reduced due to the location of the street’s zebra crossing.
Colne Valley councillor David Ridgway said: “While there is sufficient parking for shoppers the area is consistently being used by other vehicles for activities other than shopping.
“They’re doing some work to a shop that has long served the people of Slaithwaite so they have to have a certain degree of accessibility to their vans but that’s not to say they shouldn’t demonstrate a degree of sensitivity to the community.
“If their vans are just being used for transportation of people they should park further away and walk like everyone else has to.”
The Co-operative store has been closed to the public during the refit and is due to re-open on December 11.
A spokesperson for the company, said: “Throughout the refit we have tried to keep any disruption to a minimum.
“However, there has been some congestion on the nearby car park, from various contractors and deliveries, which has been unavoidable and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
