COUNCILLORS in Haydon Wick have expressed their frustration at the damage caused to the parish’s grass verges by car and truck tyres.

Residents have issued a barrage of complaints after wayward parking has left many turfed areas churned up by tyre tracks.

Councillors engaged in a lively debate this week in a bid to find a suitable solution.

The complaints come after angry householder Michael Whittaker last week called on Swindon Borough Council to repair a verge outside his home after it was churned up by bin lorries.

“It’s not as if the driver is just clipping or mounting the curb, they’re driving over it,” said Michael Whittaker, 49.

Coun John Stooke said on Tuiesday night: “We have residents complaining about chewed up grass verges in Oakhurst, Abbey Meads and this situation in Haydon End.

“They don’t want this council erecting flagpoles and squirrel statues, they want us to do simple things to make our environment better.

“I say, if residents have to walk 25 yards rather than park their cars or drive over grass this council has to cut and maintain, then so be it.

“It’s intolerable that the Borough Council require developers to put in simple low wooden barriers to stop parking on the grass surfaces when the houses are new, then when they decay or get damaged they won’t allow this council to replace them.”

The worst affected areas, according to Coun Stooke, are around the Casterbridge Road area of the parish.

Highlighting the extent of the problem, Coun Ellen Baker-Lee said: “This is a mammoth task because this is happening in every road in the whole of the parish that has a grass verge – every single one.”

Coun Stooke asked about putting up posts to prevent people parking on the grass. But Coun Ed Gerrard was quick to put down the idea. He said: “If residents have no proper drive, they will park on the grass in front of their houses.

“To me, the solution is to ask the residents if they will be prepared for us to put tarmac on the edge of the verge so they can park on it. And if they don’t want to pay for it, then we don’t do anything.”

Coun Richard Hailstone, chairman of the committee, also advised against erecting anything that cars could potentially hit.

At times exasperated by the lack of vocal support, Coun Stooke said: “We are here to help people, and if we can’t do that, what’s the point of coming here? People are coming to us and asking us to sort it out.”

Parish councillors suggested getting borough councillors involved in order to find a solution. Either way, all agreed something needed to be done.

Coun Dave Smith said: “Swindon has a parking problem. Over the years we have always talked about parking problems.

“Let’s not bury our heads in the sand.”