Villagers at war with UK tourists who park on their roads for weeks

Residents on North Road in Takeley, Essex have said they are being blighted by motorists avoiding paying for parking at nearby Stansted Airport

11:18, 22 Jun 2025

Villagers are at their wits' end with holiday-goers abandoning their vehicles while they take flights at a popular airport.

Residents of Takeley, Essex, a hop away from Stansted Airport, are grappling with drivers shunning airport parking fees and leaving the locality gridlocked.

Despite restrictions already existing on North Road, which is a mere eight minutes from Stansted, locals lament that these measures are flouted with little to no enforcement.

At Stansted Airport, pre-booked parking can start at GBP59.99 for four days, but the price jumps to a whopping GBP268 for those opting to pay on-the-spot.

A sharp increase in motorists leaving their motors while they travel has led to fears amongst the community that accidents will occur, perhaps even fatal ones.

The locals have been enduring this nuisance for a decade, but tempers have boiled over, prompting calls to prohibit non-residential cars on their street.

Frustrated residents have taken drastic steps, with one couple resorting to traffic cones to safeguard their parking and accounts of confrontational encounters escalating.

Ana and Luis Dos Santos, who have spent eight years in their North Road abode, describe living conditions as "chaotic".

Ana, 34, shared her exacerbation: "It is horrible to come back and not have a space for your car.

"It is chaotic especially if you have kids - walking to the end of the road for the bus stop.

"They just don't care."

Luis, 55, revealed his tactic: "I borrowed cones from work so we can save our parking spot from airport parkers.

"It has been a nightmare, especially in the summer months.

"If there is an emergency, there is no way a fire truck or ambulance could get through.

"You have to look left and right for your car not to be scratched."

Luis mentioned he'd be willing to fork out for a parking permit, albeit reluctantly, as a 'last resort'.

He elaborated: "We already pay a lot to the council. If it does come down to a parking permit - as a last resort - then we will pay it.

"But we are mainly concerned about the safety of the children who walk to the end of the road. Safety is top priority especially for the kids."

Local resident Bill Collinson, aged 77, noted that vehicles have been lining up along North Road - and the adjacent Parsonage Road, for a decade.

Parsonage Road serves as a key route to Stansted Airport, bypassing the M11, which makes it a favourite with drivers coming from the southern parts of Essex.

Pensioner Bill observed that North Road is frequently jam-packed with cars abandoned by holidaymakers, who are then collected by taxis or hop on a bus.

He recounted how a German chap once propositioned him with GBP700 to leave his car on Bill's driveway during his trip.

Bill recounted: "He pulled up to me and said he'd give me GBP700 to park outside my house.

I said no, more like GBP7,000.

"This has been going on for ten years - people parking in front of driveways, blocking people in. It's disgraceful.

"Someone should come along with a flatbed, pick them up and get rid of them. It's dangerous."

Bill has raised concerns about the congestion caused by up to 20 cars parked along Parsonage Road, causing visibility issues for those exiting the already crammed North Road.

He noted his recent near miss: "The front of my car was almost hit the other day when I was pulling out because I just couldn't see."

He lamented that the problem peaks during the holiday season, saying, "It's worst in the summer when you have the businessmen getting away and people going away on holiday."

Describing the scene, he added, "You see them leaving their car behind and walking up the road with their suitcases."

Bill voiced his frustration over the lack of action despite reaching out to various authorities: "I've written to Kemi Badenoch (MP for North West Essex), the Highways enforcement team, Takeley Parish Council, Essex County Council - no one will do anything."

He stressed the urgency of the situation: "This has got to change before someone gets hurt."

Local authorities are currently considering traffic control measures such as establishing controlled parking zones, implementing clearways and red routes on main arteries, and introducing parking permits for residents.

Vicky Pearson, a long-time resident of North Road, Takeley, is spearheading a petition for prompt intervention to prevent North Road from becoming an 'overflow car park for airport passengers'.

The 60 year old security officer at FedEx, said: "People are frightened to pull out of these streets now.

When we are going on holiday, we are paying for a cab so why can't other people?".

She further questioned the behaviour of her fellow travellers: "If you can afford to go on holiday, then you can afford to pay parking."

Vicky faces daily challenges herself, struggling with obstructed sightlines due to vehicles parked near her driveway as she sets off for work.

Vicky expressed her proposed solution firmly: "All we need is yellow lines and a sign that doesn't allow for people to park here that are going to the airport."

She believes it would markedly improve safety: "It would be a lot safer for Takeley and the surrounding areas."

Local frustration at airport-related parking trouble has reached boiling point, with instances of vandalism previously used by residents as a deterrent.

Given the proximity of the congested street to a local primary school, there's a heartfelt plea in the petition for council intervention to safeguard the road.

Local nonagenarian Terrance Martin, 93, voiced his sheer discontent with the situation.

He shared his unsuccessful efforts to curb the issue: "We have tried and tried with trying to stop airport parking."

His concern for public safety was palpable: "I wonder how there has been no accident."

Terrance didn't mince words expressing his feelings: "I am disgusted with it."

Long-time Takeley resident Barbie Wilks recounted the hostility faced when challenging inconsiderate parkers.

She revealed the aggressive backlash from offenders: "We used to ask people politely but we stopped since people started to shout abuse at us."

Barbie described an alarming incident involving a pregnant neighbour: "One neighbour who was pregnant was struggling to get out her car.

"She had been blocked in by someone and when her partner asked them to move the car, they threw rubbish on the road."

Intimidation seems to be an all-too-common reaction according to Barbie, describing further confrontations: "We have been screamed at, shouted at and spat at."

A grim warning from Barbie indicates the severity of the issue: "It is getting to the stage where something bad is going to happen."

She summarised the community's sentiment: "Most people are fed up to their back teeth."

Barbie endorsed the idea of permit parking as a solution to ease the tension caused by airport-goers: "Barbie said she would be in support of parking permits to stop 'a whole road of airport parkers'."

She concluded with a comment on the disruption caused: "All you hear is people beeping their car horns.

"I have watched people and families from the bottom of the road get out of their cars and get the bus to the airport."

Dan Saull, 48, who has resided in his North Road abode for four decades, believes that sorting out the parking chaos is squarely on the shoulders of the airport.

Dan, a scaffolder by trade, remarked: "I totally understand why people park on the main road, times are hard and airport parking is expensive.

"But for the last three or four years it has been a real problem.

"When I'm out with my dog in the wee hours, I've noticed folks trying to squeeze their fancy motors into spaces here."

He warns drivers, saying: "I tell them not to park around here because some people will damage the cars."

Dan, who shares his home with his pooch Ted, expressed his near miss: "I nearly hit someone the other day, you cannot see, especially when cars are parked on the kerb."

He insists: "For me, the airport should step in.

They should do something about it.

Lower their prices."

A spokesperson for the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) stated: "NEPP continues to work with partners, including Uttlesford District Council (UDC) and the Fly Parking Task Group, to look at long-term, joined-up solutions to airport-related parking issues, rather than piecemeal fixes."

They added: "While past proposals have faced challenges and not moved forward, we remain committed to supporting effective and enforceable restrictions where appropriate."

The spokesperson also mentioned: "A UDC-commissioned parking review covering the wider area is currently being prepared for publication, though North Road has not been flagged directly in it.

"In addition, a Cabinet report on 19 June, presented findings from the Takeley consultation and broader parking work in the district.

"We will consider any outcomes relevant to North Road once that report is published.

"We encourage residents experiencing parking issues to use this route to formally raise concerns and help us identify workable, supported solutions."

Uttlesford District Council pointed out that dangerous or obstructive parking, such as blocking access to a highway and parking on a bend, is a matter for the police.

A council representative mentioned: "We are aware of the issues raised and as an issue of public safety the responsibility lies with Essex County Council, via the North Essex Parking Partnership, as the highways authority."

It's been understood that Stansted Airport is actively collaborating with Essex County Council, Uttlesford District Council Enforcement Team and Trading Standards to address any issues related to suspected unauthorised parking.

References

1. ^ Birmingham rhyming slang (www.birminghammail.co.uk)