FROZEN food firm Iceland is fast developing a frosty relationship with elderly residents at a Greenock housing complex – by using their designated car park as an overnight stop for delivery vans.
Householders at Royal Court say that up to five Iceland vehicles at a time are ‘hogging’ spaces on the site and preventing residents, essential care workers and visitors from parking there.
Catherine Christie, secretary of the tower block’s residents’ association, says the problem has been going on for months. She said: “It’s a matter of common courtesy. The whole street outside is empty and they’re parking in here.
“But it’s not just for a wee while – the vans are here from about seven o’clock at night and they can still be here at one or two o’clock the following afternoon.
“It’s been going on for months. We’ve been on to the company about it but they’ve basically said that they can do what the hell they like.”
Iceland bosses today admitted that they are dodging recently-introduced town centre parking restrictions by pitching up at Royal Court.
But they insisted that they use only ‘public’ spaces and not private or allocated residents’ bays – and that they have permission to do so.
A spokesman for the company said: “Our store in Greenock has four home delivery vans which are usually parked overnight in the nearest available public parking spaces, not in private or allocated residents’ parking.
“Council parking restrictions prevent us from leaving the vans any closer to our store. We are sorry to be competing for spaces with local residents, and for any inconvenience this may cause them, but have been unable to find any suitable alternative parking locations.
“We have checked with both the police and the council and they have confirmed that, in their view, our vans are appropriately parked.”
However, it appears that they may soon have to find another location after the Tele contacted housing provider River Clyde Homes.
Officials there had been unaware of the parking furore until we brought it to their attention, but have vowed to address the issue.
The housing association’s greener neighbourhoods manager, Russell Smith, said: “We manage the marked bays, which are intended as parking for residents of Royal Court. We will write to Iceland and ask them to refrain from leaving their vehicles in this location and look at the best option for road markings or signage that would make it clear that the bays are for the use of residents.”
Residents’ association secretary Catherine said: “I think they [Iceland] just want us to watch their vans for them, and it’s just not on.
“What Iceland is doing is to the detriment of the residents of Royal Court because we are being deprived of those spaces. I’ve asked if Iceland can park up the street and they’ve basically said that they pay road tax and they can park where they want.”
Another resident, Anne Geary, added: “It is all disabled people who live here and the parking area we have was created for this building.
“The spaces are taken up 24/7 because when a driver come to get a van, he leaves his car behind. And some of the vans are so big that they take up two spaces at a time.”
Another resident said: “This is an old persons’ building and carers and other people visiting can’t get parked because of what Iceland is doing.”