'˜Nuisance' garage row taken to Preston Town Hall

Residents on Church Ave in Preston feel their road is turning into a garage forecourt with the amount of cars and vans left parked on it. Residents Christine and Billy Worswick with their local councillor Martyn Rawlinson holding some of the correspondence written about the problem. PIC BY ROB LOCK 24-3-2015

Two garages in Devonshire Place in Fishwick were last year served with community protection warning letters under the Antisocial Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.

But residents claim, despite the warnings, Devonshire Garage and Lukas Auto Ltd have “continued to monopolise the area for business use”, and have asked council leaders why the notices have not been enforced.

Billy Worswick, who lives in Church Avenue, addressed the latest full council meeting and asked deputy leader Coun John Swindells what was being done.

He said the warnings were issued to “two garages causing public nuisance on Devonshire Place and surrounding streets.

“The restrictions centred around working hours and using the streets for business purposes. However, the garages have continued to monopolise the local area for business use and still regularly work beyond stipulated hours.

“Please could you explain why these warnings are not being enforced and what the council intends to do about the problem?”

Coun Swindells, who is cabinet member for planning, health and regulation, said the warnings had been issued as an “informal approach”.

He said: “To take formal action, the council requires evidence that these problems are still persisting.

“The council has been working closely with the police, but it requires evidence from people living in the proximity.

“Somebody is going to contact you (Mr Worswick) in the near future and environmental health will work with the local residents and reinforce the need for evidence gathering so they can take formal action if this continues.”

A spokesman for Lukas Auto Ltd said cars from the garage were not parked in the street.

He said: “I don’t park cars in Church Avenue, only my private car is there, it is taxed with insurance.” A director from Devonshire Garage said: “None of the cars of ours are illegally parked.

“We’ve been trying to help the neighbours as best we can but, as far as we’re concerned, there’s no double yellows, they are all legally parked, I can understand the concerns but none of them are illegally parked.”

He added: “The only time it is ever open at night is if somebody is doing a bit of overtime which the council has okayed as long as the garage isn’t open.”