Unofficial disabled bays painted amid Sparkhill parking row
Unofficial disabled parking bays have been painted outside inner-city homes amid a dispute over street parking.
There are about 16 bays on Clarence Road in Sparkhill, Birmingham, where residents said there was fierce competition for spaces - but not all are believed to be genuine. Neighbour Faisel Hamood said: "This has become like a joke, so many disability bays are popping up like mushrooms." Birmingham City Council said it would remove any bays found to be illegal. Orysia Gravell, who has arthritis and sciatica, said she tried to get a genuine bay on the road but was turned down. "Sometimes I have to end up parking two roads away... and to get to my house it is very painful. "No-one is willing to do anything about it, that is the biggest concern." Parking problems have also seen residents place wheelie bins and cones in spaces, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Hannah Cockram added: "I don't know why it is so bad in this road. "I think it is just people wanting more and more cars." Councillor Nicky Brennan, Labour member for Sparkhill, said a contractor had approached residents asking if they would like bays painted outside their homes for £100. "I think it is terrible, I think people with a genuine need are going to get penalised. It is going to cause more tension between residents," she added. A council spokesman said residents could apply to have official disabled parking bays and that all applications would be subject to meeting certain criteria. The spokesman added "no-one has a legal right to park directly outside" their home. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone.