Residents living near Debden tube station welcome plans for permit parking

Epping Forest District Council has promised to finally start a parking review of the area around Debden Station in October this year after first saying it would do so last year.

Residents on nearby roads to the station have welcomed the move with the idea of permit parking proving popular.

Michelle Duncan, of Colson Road, Loughton, said: “Myself and my neighbours are all hoping and praying we get something.

“I would definitely like permit parking. I wouldn't mind paying a fee. At the moment it's so frustrating. You come home and you've got children and you've got shopping and you've nowhere to park.

“They keep putting it off, I'm not sure why. Every other station has parking restrictions: Buckhurst Hill, Loughton, Theydon Bois. Debden is the only one that doesn't. It just seems they're not interested in helping us out.”

Disabled pensioner Bill Johnson said he struggled to park outside his own house, in Torrington Drive.

He said: “It's no good. Everyone parks there and when I come back I can't park. I think I'd possibly pay. At the moment it's ridiculous down there sometimes- you just can't park.”

Loughton Residents' Association has been pushing for a parking review for months.

Vice-chairman David Linnell said council officers had been put off by the complexity of any potential scheme adding: “It hasn't been done for a long time and it's a massive undertaking. If you're a resident it's extremely bad.”

A spokesman for the district council said: "The Loughton Broadway Parking Review is a new scheme. This has been in preparation since last year and we have worked to get to a public consultation stage.

"Essex County Council and Epping Forest District Council are committed to completing the reviews to agreed time frames and The Broadway area is currently scheduled to go to informal consultation in October 2009, which has been delayed from this September to allow for summer school holiday period."