WORK is being done to stop overcrowded parking on a Halstead street after multiple accidents occurred there in a month.

Halstead Town Council says it has received a complaint from a resident in Butler Road.

The resident, who has been living there for a year, has spoken of the difficulties regarding parking.

A town council spokesman said: “There is parking available in Butler Road Car Park, which is free from 3pm until 8am the next day.

“There is parking on the road in places and there are gravel parking spaces opposite the houses.

“However, the resident has noticed since living there a large number of people use the road and spaces opposite the houses to get out of having to pay to park in the car park if it is before 3pm.

“The car park itself is often only half full.”

Butler Road typically fills up with workers at about 8am, with parking also often full on weekends.

It has also been described as “impossible to park” if the Empire Theatre has an event on.

The spokesman continued: “Often people will park in gravel spaces which don’t have defined lines with gaps which could have allowed more cars to park had they been spaced more “normally”.

“Although this is a free road and legally, they are entitled to park there, it is becoming increasingly difficult for residents to park.

“People often wait for residents to move their cars in the mornings so they can use the spaces.

“When residents return from work in the afternoon, it is often difficult to find somewhere to park.

“As a result, people have taken to parking in terrible places, often far too close to the junction with Beridge Road, opposite the junction with Beridge Road and even blocking drives.

“The alternative is to park miles away on different roads.

“In June there have been three accidents because of this and one incident of a resident having their stationary car crashed into.

“One of the accidents occurred on the junction with Beridge Road and was directly caused by a car being parked on the junction which resulted in a lady being injured.”

The town council discussed tackling the issue at last week’s town council meeting.

It was unanimously agreed to bring the situation to the attention of the North Essex Parking Partnership.

The town council also asked for the Empire and car wash to request their customers, wherever possible, to use the Butler Road car park.

It also advised residents any request for residents-only parking will have to come from them, supported by the councillor responsible.