Maidenhead tradesmen fear for future amid 'disgraceful' council parking crackdown

Outraged tradesmen in Maidenhead fear their livelihoods are on the line after being served council enforcement notices amid a crackdown on parking near their homes.

The watchful eye of RBWM’s parking department has fallen upon vans used by Ray Street and Ray Park Lane residents, with the council threatening to revoke their permits over claimed rule-breaking.

But their owners say, after years of having to fork out hundreds of pounds for parking permits, the swoop on their vital vehicles is hypocritical and has left them fearing for their futures.

Martin ‘Taff’ Ehrenstrasser, 55, – one of three ticked off tradesmen the Advertiser has spoken to – said he faced quitting his job or being forced to move out from his home of 20 years.

“The only way I can describe it is discrimination against tradespeople,” he said. “It’s not a lifestyle vehicle of choice, it’s a vehicle of necessity.

“I either have to quit my job or move.”

Martin’s Ford Transit is what keeps his job running.

It stores all the tools and materials needed for the specialist bathroom fitting work he does for elderly and disabled people in and around Maidenhead.

Having twice been the victim of van theft before – at the cost of thousands of pounds – he said it would be an enormous stress to have to leave his van parked unattended in a foreign corner of Maidenhead.

That was even if alternative parking could be found.

Gardener Phil Macdonald, 67, had similar fears.

“I think it’s disgraceful because if I can’t keep my vehicle safe near my house, then I would have to look at moving house,” he said.

Gary Beagley, 53, who runs door fitting company Funky Doors, also worried about the safety of his van.

Gary said: “Where the hell am I supposed to park my van now? I’ve lived here for 10 years.

“My van’s loaded with tools and equipment, so I need it within earshot.

“If it gets broken into, I want the be the first one out there.

“If it’s parked five miles away in Slough, who’s there to give a toss about it?”

An email to Gary from RBWM parking and enforcement, seen by the Advertiser, said his resident’s parking permit was breaking the rules because it was too heavy to meet the criteria.

But he hit back at this claim.

“It’s only a small wheelbase Vauxhall Vivaro,” he said. “It’s no bigger than most of the cars when it's parked in the bays here.”

Parking permits were introduced in Ray Street and Ray Park Lane area around five years ago.

Then, long-time residents Martin and Gary did manage to secure permits for their vehicles.

But in the years since, both said it has been a battle to get them renewed.

“I feel like I don’t belong here now, I’ll need to look at moving out,” Gary added.

“If this scheme was up and running when I first moved here, I wouldn’t have moved here because my van is my number one concern.

“What’s going to happen now? I’ll park it outside someone else’s house, and then it’s going to annoy them and they’ll ring the council

“And then the council will say, ‘I know what we’re going to introduce a resident’s parking permit outside your house’.”

The Royal Borough was contacted for comment.