'Racing in car park is giving us sleepless nights'

Emma Dell is the local residents’ association’s secretary

Residents said a centre car park was a hotbed for anti-social behaviour and feared the situation would not change despite action being taken to tackle the issue.

Neighbours of St Mary’s car park, in Colchester, Essex, said they had faced a "lack of peaceful enjoyment" since pay-on-exit barriers were removed from the car park in 2016.

Car racing, organised car meets, and reports of drug dealing were among the 300 incidents members of the St Mary’s Residents' Association said it had recorded since then.

Colchester City Council, which runs the car park, said an automated entrance barrier would be installed, but due to "unforeseen logistical challenges" work had to be pushed back until 24 June.

The car park is said to be a hotbed of anti-social behaviour

The authority has already taken measures to tackle anti-social behaviour and installed extra CCTV cameras and closed the entrance on Friday and Saturday nights.

But Emma Dell, the residents’ association’s secretary, was not bowled over by the steps taken by the city council.

"It's not a nice place to be bringing family and coming back to in the evenings," she said.

"We have a lot of young families in St Mary's with children. We have elderly and vulnerable people who are unable to sleep."

Ms Dell said more than 60 homes back on to the car park and are the worst affected by loud noises at night – particularly by the car park's alarm being "deliberately set off" in the early hours of the morning.

Nearby residents are allowed to park their cars at St Mary's car park overnight but feel unable to do so over crime fears.

"I don’t think I know of any resident that uses the ability to park here overnight and I certainly would not," Ms Dell added.

"I wouldn’t let any member of my family do that.

"I'm a 6ft (1.83m) tall, 53-year-old woman and I wouldn't feel safe walking around here at night."

'No plans' for exit barrier

A spokesperson for the authority said: "We understand the frustration of residents regarding the delay in the installation of the new entrance barrier at St Mary’s car park and concerns about its effectiveness in preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB) without an exit barrier.

"Our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our car parks remains paramount.

“Due to unforeseen logistical challenges, the installation of the entrance barrier has been delayed by one week. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and are making every effort to complete the project promptly".

They said there were "no plans" to install an exit barrier and it was removed several years ago "due to frequent mechanical failures, which disrupted visitors and impacted our monitoring centre".

They added: "Additionally, an exit barrier would impede the smooth flow of traffic for customers leaving the car park, resulting in increased noise and fumes from queuing vehicles, which would create further disturbances for nearby residents.

"To combat ASB, we are implementing a combination of measures, including the new entrance barrier, enhanced camera coverage, and increased patrols in partnership with Essex Police - These steps aim to provide a comprehensive response to ASB and ensure the safety of residents and their vehicles.

“We encourage residents to report any ASB incidents to the council and Essex Police."