Council workers' cars clog up park spaces, says MP

A campaign and petition have now been launched to free up more spaces for visitors.

Stourbridge MP Margot James said the general public have nowhere to leave their cars during the week as all the spaces are taken by the 200 council staff who were transferred to a park building last year.

Miss James is now demanding the council find a solution. She said the site was becoming inaccessible to anyone who did not live within walking distance.

"The car park is being monopolised by council workers who arrive for work early in the morning," she said. "I know how important Mary Stevens Park is to local residents, and so I find it completely unacceptable that their access is being so restricted."

Stourbridge councillor Heather Rogers, who is also chairman of the Friends of Mary Stevens Park group, said the local authority was 'excluding' people from the park. She said: "Originally there were 100 staff in the building. They moved out and 300 staff moved in from children's services – triple the amount.

"There are approximately 130 parking spaces and the staff arrive at about 8.30am, therefore they take up all the parking spaces."

The park is to undergo significant renovation after receiving a £2.6 million Heritage Lottery grant. A new cafe will be added along with a multi-use games area and netball court.

Improvements will also be made to the gates and war memorial. Councillor Rogers said a solution needed to be found. She said: "A lot of money is going to be spent on Mary Stevens Park over the next 18 months.

"We have been working for several years to get this grant from Heritage Lottery and it is a shame that the public are getting to the park and can't park. It's ridiculous.

"This is one of the most popular parks in the borough. People come from Cradley Heath, Halesowen and all areas of Stourbridge.

"It was left by Mary Stevens forever to be maintained as a park in 1929 and Dudley Council are effectively excluding the public from parking in the week and I don't think they have the right to do this."

Councillor Tim Crumpton, cabinet member for children's services, said: "We are happy to work with the friends of the park to find additional parking spaces and I have also asked staff not to park on the car park to the left of the entrance.

"With children's services staff now centralised and working more efficiently on the one site we are able to provide a better service to vulnerable children and their families."