Keith Vaz (Leicester East) (Lab)

- Hansard -

The petition concerns car parking facilities at Watermead country park in Leicester. It has been signed by 146 local residents. The signatures were collected by local volunteers Nik Pattni, Kam Kanabar, Kit Kotak and Jat Parmar. I also want to thank Councillors Rita Patel, Ross Willmott and Piara Clair and other local residents for their support.

I went down to Alderton Close and saw the congestion that local residents have had to put up with. Last Sunday the situation got so bad, with those who cannot park in Watermead country park deciding to park in this quiet cul de sac, that the police had to be called. The residents therefore want urgent measures to be taken.

The petition states:

The petition of residents of Leicester East,

Declares that additional car parking facilities for Watermead Country Park users are required urgently as during bank holidays and hot days the car park capacity for Watermead Country Park is insufficient for the number of visitors to the park; further that, once the car park is full, Watermead Country Park users park on Alderton Close; further that this blocks the residents’ drives and restricts the movement of cars entering and leaving the area as vehicles are backed up along the road; and further that local police have been called on numerous occasions to diffuse the situation between residents of Alderton Close and Watermead Country Park users.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to encourage Leicester City Council to extend the parking facilities at Watermead Country Park in Leicester.

And the petitioners remain, etc.

[P001698]