A Bournemouth councillor has jumped to the defence of students amid an ongoing row over parking in Winton.
Students have historically been blamed for parking issues in the area including blocked driveways and pavement parking.
But Winton East ward councillor Simon Bull said it isn’t just students who are to blame – and that all residents in the area should take responsibility for situation.
Cllr Bull, deputy chair of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, said: “I wouldn’t put it all down to students… Yes, students do it, but others do too.”
Winton is a popular area for students in their second, third and fourth year at Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth.
Shared student houses can typically have as many as seven cars per singular household, adding to the pressure on streets where parking is already limited.
Cllr Bull described Cardigan Road and Waterloo Road as the “battle streets” of Winton, with residents often being forced to park several roads away due to dense housing.
However, he said the issue isn’t simply the number of vehicles, but also the impact that pavement parking has on pedestrians.
He said: “Pavement parking is not fair on disabled people who need to get by or parents with pushchairs who struggle or have to go out into the road to have to get past.”
Some homeowners have been known to leave notes on vehicles that have parked in front of their driveways, asking drivers to move, while others have put up unofficial ‘no parking’ signs in front of their house.
Cllr Bull said that these signs have no legal weight, although he encouraged drivers to respect residents’ requests where possible, out of “common courtesy”.
In response to questions about the council’s solutions, Bull acknowledged that the situation is not easily dealt with.
He said: “Theres no quick fix, but I’m often called by people because cars are blocking pavements which is a particular issue. How do you educate people not to do that? I’m not sure.”
He has advised Winton residents that they should focus on the wider issue of parking with respect and be mindful of pedestrians.
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