Angry residents who say their village is plagued by inconsiderate parking fear it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt.
Homes in Hamstreet have been damaged and routes blocked as drivers continue to ignore double yellow lines, mount pavements and cause obstructions.
Members of the parish council are now calling for action and say the “community cannot wait any longer” for new traffic restrictions to be installed.
Suggestions include a new loading bay for shops in the area, bollards to prevent parking on the pavement and a pedestrian crossing.
It comes after one house in The Street was badly damaged when it was struck by a Morrisons delivery lorry, resulting in a crack in the wall.
The Street, the main road through the village, is covered intermittently with double yellow lines, but villagers say drivers consistently ignore them – despite there being two free car parks nearby.
Michael Wady, vice-chairman of Orlestone Parish Council (OPC), which covers the area, told KentOnline: “People are not using car park spaces available.
“They’d rather stop on double yellow lines and cause havoc.
“The bigger lorries tend to park there as well and cause problems, so accidents have happened and obviously there are going to be a lot more.
“Basically, it’s a nightmare.”
Lorries are allowed to stop on yellow lines, as long as as they are continuously unloading, not left unattended and not causing an obstruction.
When our reporter visited Hamstreet, he witnessed one lorry parked for the delivery of supplies to Morrisons Daily. It semi-blocked the busy road and cars had to drive around it, but it was still possible to pass it.
Speaking to our reporter, Trevor Cook, who works as a catering assistant in the village, said: “When we have deliveries the road gets almost totally blocked.
“And also, we do get cars mounting the pavement along here to try and let big vehicles through, which is obviously equally dangerous for any pedestrians.
“There isn’t very much on-street parking and the road is extremely busy.
“In the evening we get a lot of people just popping in and out to the shop and quite often just leave their cars parked anywhere.
“We’ve even had a car parked halfway across the road. Somebody just rushed into the shop and left their kids in the car.”
Andrew Othen, parish council chairman, said he is concerned for the future of the village as more homes are planned.
He said: “It’s a very old village, the roads are very narrow and there is a lot of traffic.
“We’re very concerned about what will happen in the village in the future with the increased amount of traffic.”
Cllr Othen said new housing developments have pushed up the population and from that increased the need for vehicles to come in to deliver supplies.
Morrisons offers free parking and it is also available at the Marsh Road car park, a short walk away.
Now, OPC is demanding action and has sent a letter voicing concerns to Morrisons, Kent County Council (KCC), Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott, Ashford Borough Council (ABC) and MP Katie Lam.
Clerk Susan Stiffell wrote: “Ongoing road safety and parking issues in the centre of Hamstreet have now escalated to a dangerous level.
“The situation reached a critical point when a Morrisons delivery lorry struck a residential property.
“While, thankfully, no one was injured, the house sustained serious damage and the potential for tragedy is clear.
“It is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or worse.
“The community cannot wait any longer.”
Mrs Stiffell said damage has been caused to pavements by trucks mounting the kerb to park leading to expensive and unnecessary repairs.
It also causes hazards for pedestrians, especially those with mobility problems, she stressed.
The letter added: “OPC now feels that this issue has reached a critical point and that decisive action must be taken immediately.
“We are determined to ensure that no further accidents occur and that the safety of residents, particularly children, is not put at further risk.
“We strongly urge you all to convene a meeting involving all stakeholders, to urgently identify and implement effective solutions.”
OPC also asked ABC for increased patrols by enforcement officers.
A spokesperson for ABC said: “We have responded to the parish council with a request that if there are specific times when problematic deliveries tend to occur, they should let us know. This information would help us to plan patrols more effectively.
“We would be happy to attend a meeting to support further discussion; however, this would need to be led by KCC, as they are the key stakeholder in this matter.”
A spokesperson from KCC said: “Our officers have investigated a number of potential solutions, including those suggested by the parish council.
“Unfortunately, due to the limited road space available in the area, many of these options – including a dedicated loading bay, bollards, and a controlled pedestrian crossing – are not possible.
“We will continue to work closely with the community through the Highway Improvement Plan process. We remain committed to exploring any viable measures that could improve safety and accessibility in the village.”
The parish council also requested Morrisons use smaller trucks for deliveries to the branch and to delivery within its car park.
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “We fully understand the concerns raised by the residents and the local council and have carried out a prompt risk assessment at the store to help address this.
“We have responded to the council with our suggested changes and we look forward to their response.”
