‘Nightmare’ parking and ‘abuse’ from users of newly opened cafe in Mountsorrel

Mounsorrel residents who live near a newly opened coffee shop claim they are being affected by customers parking dangerously in their streets. The cafe, called Public, opened last month in a former car showroom and garage in Loughborough Road.

The building is shared by retail outlet Claude and Co, both businesses operated by our Neighborhood. In the weeks since it opened, neighbors claimed the parking lot had gotten out of hand. Residents, including elderly members of the community and families with young children, had to walk on roads to get around vehicles parked on pavements, they said.

Residents also claimed they were subjected to abuse when they asked drivers to move their cars. A neighbor told LeicestershireLive the situation was “getting really dangerous” and “is extremely upsetting”.

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One resident, Lyn Williams, said: “(The cafe) opened on Saturday April 6 and it’s been a nightmare here ever since. It’s getting dangerous. People park on the streets at the corner of the T intersection.

“We were abused by people when we asked them to move their cars. Elderly people living in The Homestead (a nearby street) having to walk on the road, families with children having to walk on the road with their prams is extremely distressing.”

Plans for the redevelopment of the former car showroom, which was granted planning permission by Charnwood Borough Council in March, also included a soft play area as well as the two businesses currently open. However, the approved planning permission only included three public parking spaces and eight staff parking spaces.

Leicestershire County Council, as the highways authority, was consulted on the original plan when it was considered. She believed the road and safety impacts “will not be unacceptable”.

Neighbors disagreed, with several objections lodged against the scheme when it was being considered, raising concerns about inadequate parking permission. Residents now fear the situation will get worse as a new application has been submitted to Charnwood Borough Council to turn the soft play element of the plan, which never opened, into a 72-seat pizzeria.

Laura Storrs said: “We are now faced with dangerous and inconsiderate parking to the extent that delivery vehicles and sometimes large cars cannot get through. One of the neighbors has a 102 year old mother and there have been occasions when ambulances have been needed and I’m afraid they won’t be able to get through with the car park as it is now.

“I know some neighbors are advising people who park on Crown Lane, The Homestead and Windmill Close to use the Little Lane public car park, only to receive a lot of abuse and bad language. Our concerns are compounded by the new application for a pizzeria to open on the site, for 72 spaces, where are these customers going to park and is this going to turn a day problem into a night problem and?”

Another resident, John Strange, called on the local council to step up and tackle the parking chaos in the area. He said: “Since it opened to the public, things have become ridiculous. Many cars, mostly large SUVs, are dumped on our road, usually on the pavement, without regard for what is parked opposite, making navigating to our homes really difficult. Even worse, in Crown Lane, we have cars left on both sides of a narrow road, making it impossible for larger vehicles to navigate.

“If an ambulance was called in an emergency, there were times when it wouldn’t have been able to get through. This is intolerable. Someone has to take responsibility for the chaos the Public has caused, and that should start with Charnwood Planning. Committee.”

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue have also weighed in on the matter. In a Facebook post, he asked the public to park carefully and ensure there is enough space for emergency vehicles to pass. It identified Crown Lane and The Homestead, two roads near the cafe, as “sometimes difficult to maneuver”.

A spokesman for Leicestershire County Council said: “Our position and response to the planning application was based on the information provided to us by the applicant. The final decision and responsibility for the application of any planning condition rests with the planning authority. We have received reports of parking issues and will look into them in accordance with our normal processes.”

A spokesman for Charnwood Borough Council said: “Leicestershire County Council is responsible for highways issues and was consulted as part of the planning application process for the cafe and soft play facility. The county council raised no objections to highways matters, which would include parking.

“A planning application has recently been received by the council for a change of use from a soft play unit to a pizzeria on the same site. The council will consider the application through the normal planning process, including consultation with agencies such as Leicestershire County Council as the highways agency. Residents will also have the opportunity to make any comments. Residents with immediate concerns about parking or highways in general should contact Leicestershire County Council.”

LeicestershireLive approached Public/Our Neighborhood for comment but did not receive a reply before publication.