We're being squeezed out by Butlins workers '“ car owners

Car owners' complaints they were being squeezed out of Felpham by workers in Butlins have been answered by the company.

Resort director Jeremy Pardey acted on the moans by neighbouring residents straight after he became aware of them.

The homeowners contacted the Observer about the situation after they had spoken to Butlins.

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Mr Pardey has said the problem '“ caused by the influx of contractors finishing the 20m Ocean Hotel '“ should have been solved.

"We should not have a problem of workers parking their cars on the streets from now on.

"If anyone does continue parking there, we will speak to them about the alternatives.

"We have instructed our contractors now that they can park on site," he stated. "We have separated a space for them to do that.

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"Arun District Council has also offered us some free space in the Gloucester Road car park. The combination of using these two areas should get us through until the hotel is opened."

The problem had arisen because an influx of 160 workers fitting out the new hotel before it opens in August were leaving their vehicles in surrounding roads.

This meant residents in the Snook's Corner area found it impossible to locate somewhere to leave their cars during the day.

The 34 spaces in the Links Avenue car park and all the kerbsides in the surrounding area were full of the contractors' vehicles.

The situation had become acute in the past few weeks.

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Old Coastguards' residents Maggie Nairn and Margaret McCue complained to Butlins about the situation.

Maggie said she was delighted Butlins had acted to remove the problem. "It's fantastic news. Butlins have been very responsive to us," she said.

She described the parking situation of the past month as a nightmare.

"I've been fined three times for parking outside the shops in Felpham Road for more than an hour because there has been nowhere else to leave my car," she said. "What else was I supposed to do?"

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Margaret said: "None of the houses in Snook's Corner was built for cars. There are 15 properties in Old Coastguards and none of them even have parking spaces.

"Residents had been calling each other on their mobile phones when they do find a parking space. It was just a case of living day by day."

Margaret, 68, who has lived in Old Coastguards for about five years, and Maggie, 58, a resident since 2004, said they had asked the county council to consider bringing in a residents' parking space.

This would see them buy an annual permit and would stop others parking all day in a specified area.

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"I don't mind paying if it meant I could find a space to park," said Maggie.

The parking crush added to the generally congested traffic conditions around Snook's Corner.

It can be encircled by traffic jams when peak-time traffic mixes with holidaymakers arriving and leaving Butlins.

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