RESIDENTS look set to lose their battle to keep parked cars off their busy street.

Campaigners have collected a name petition, calling for a residents’ parking scheme in Holland Road, Westcliff, as a way of stopping cars blocking the street and preventing emergency vehicles getting down it.

They say residents in nearby bedsits, commuters and daydrippers all park there, often completely blocking the narrow cul-de-sac.

Howevever, Civic Centre officials have dismissed the petitioners’ suggestion, arguing it would merely shift the problem into nearby streets.

They are recommending Southend councillors reject the request for permit parking when they meet later this week.

Holland Road resident Trevor Bell, 68, who organised the 42- name petition, said: “It’s not fair at all.

“We need a parking scheme of some sort.

“We want our quality of life back.”

Holland Road is surrounded by bedsits, which have no parking of their own. It is also two minutes walk from Westcliff railway station and is also close to the seafront, with steps at one end leading down to the sea.

In the past, emergency vehicles have struggled to get to the 41 flats in the Homecove House sheltered housing complex of at the end of the road.

Mr Bell, who has lived in Holland Road for more than 20 years, said he had even seen firefighters having to park their fire engine at the end the road and and run down to the address to which they were called.

However, Julian Ware-Lane, Labour councillor for Milton ward, said he felt residents’ parking could hit Holland Road residents, since there might only be room to have parking bays down one side to allow space for emergency vehicles to pass.

He added: “The danger is it will take away more parking than it frees up.”

The council’s traffic and parking working party is due to vote on the residents’ request tomorrow evening.

In a report to the meeting, Cheryl Hindle-Terry, the officer in charge of parking matters in the borough says: “While there is sympathy for residents, as this street is very near Westcliff station and the seafront, this is an area-wide issue and any action, in terms of parking controls, will need to be on an areawide basis to avoid simply moving the problem elsewhere.”