RESIDENTS turned out in force at a meeting held to address parking problems that are blighting the Monmouth Road area.

DT1 previously reported how residents in the area, which include those living in Cromwell Road, Alfred Road and South Court Avenue, were becoming increasingly concerned about traffic problems.

After a dedicated group of residents, supported by local councillors, took action into their own hands and canvassed the views of fellow householders in the area a meeting was held with representatives from Dorset County Council that attracted more than 100 people.

The problems cited by the residents included issues with school buses, inconsiderate parking and increasing use of the roads as a car park for the nearby Brewery Square and train station.

Town and district councillor Molly Rennie, who with Cllr Robin Potter has been supporting the residents, said that there were “lots of interested people” at the meeting and plenty of “sensible comments” were shared in a bid to try and find a solution to the problems.

She said: “It was really interesting, people realised that residents’ parking and parking restrictions can just move the problems elsewhere and that’s not what they want at all but they also felt something has got to be done.”

Cllr Rennie said that in the short term residents were hoping to see double yellow lines placed around junctions to ensure the buses can turn and ease some of the problems with inconsiderate parking.

She said they also recognised the need to come up with some kind of residents’ parking scheme that suits everyone.

Cllr Rennie said that this needed to be carefully considered and when the residents reached agreement she would help put forward their preferred option to the county council.

She said: “This is just the start of the process but at the meeting it was absolutely overwhelming, I would have said 95 per cent of the room were looking for some form of residents’ parking. They need something that gives them more of a comfort that they can come home from work and find somewhere to park their car that is not six roads away.”

Cllr Rennie praised the contribution of John Hartley and other local residents who had helped bring the issue forward and she also said that contractors at Brewery Square had been “really good” at responding to the community concern.

She urged people who spot any problems with parking in the area to get in contact with the council via dorserforyou.com to make it aware of the situation.