POLICE have agreed to carry out an impact assessment of parking round their new Northallerton headquarters after angry residents claimed their lives were being blighted and put at risk.

Over 150 residents packed a public meeting with police representatives to voice their concerns and county councillor Caroline Dickinson said: “The police were left in no doubt about the strength of feeling, and the need to come up with solutions.

“There are really serious concerns over parking on verges, the numbers of vehicles, particularly at busy times and the affect it is having on residents and the primary school.”

One homeowner said: “The whole situation is blighting our lives because of the inconsiderate and illegal parking of police staff. Grass verges are being destroyed, deliveries cannot be made, elderly residents cannot park in front of their own property and the passage of vehicles on Crosby Road is becoming more and more hazardous. Will it take a tragic accident before any action is taken?”

Police moved into the new headquarters, formerly the Rural Payments Agency building, last year amid concerns that there were only 100 parking bays for over 400 staff and there have been continuing problems. Residents have pointed out the nearby pay-and-display car park which charges £3.20 a day is often only half full.

Superintendent Mark Khan said: “We’ve been constantly reviewing the way we use our car park to ensure we use the space in the best way possible.

“Part of this includes a car-share scheme with designated bays in our car park. This encourages employees to make environmentally-friendly choices while cutting down on the amount of vehicles in Northallerton. It has proved very popular with more than 100 members of staff signing up so far.

“We’ve also done a lot of work to make staff and visitors aware of public car parks, which many of our employees use daily, while regularly reminding them about the importance of parking considerately.”

Police are now planning an “Environmental Visual Audit” when they will join local volunteers to walk around the area at different times on different days to identify parking issues.

“We’ll then work with residents and local authorities to come up with solutions,” added Supt Khan.