AN Ilkley parish councillor is calling for measures to be taken to alleviate parking problems around Menston Station.

Even though Menston Station already has 110 parking spaces, a huge number of cars are also parking along nearby Station Road, Newfield Drive and Cleasby Road, said Councillor Audrey Brand, who represents Menston on Ilkley Parish Council.

She said: "When I go up there, there are always at least 60 cars parked along Station Road. People who live nearby can't park their own car on the road because it's full of cars."

Station Road resident Stephen Feathers, 59, said: "Sometimes you can't park near the house, and there are times when you can't pull the car out of the drive."

Mr Feathers has tried confronting people who have blocked his driveway, or left a note on their cars. But his efforts have met with little success.

He said: "I point out to them, 'how would you like it if this was outside your house?' Although it doesn't register with some people, I feel you have make a gesture."

"I'm not normally a miserable person, but these things get you down."

One of his neighbours, Station Road resident Jerry Harris, 64, said: "It gets worse and worse week by week. The parking is so tight you can't get in and out of the driveway with ease."

And because there is parking on both sides of Station Road, Mr Harris said cars driving along the road find meeting situations very difficult.

He stressed that it is times like these that drivers need to be patient.

Although Mr Harris does not drive, he said his partner and daughter have had difficulty getting into and out of the drive, and so they must take time to carefully manoeuvre the car.

"They've been flustered by agitated drivers. But there's just no room for manoeuvring."

Mr Feathers echoed his sentiments, saying that the parking situation causes a lot of problems with congestion.

"I've seen some quite serious arguments, no-one wanting to give way. People tend to have short fuses when it comes to cars."

Although Coun Brand and nearby residents said about half of the drivers parking at or near the station are from Menston, many of the rest come from Otley, Guiseley or Baildon.

Coun Brand said that to help alleviate the parking problem, she suggested one possibility could be that residents could get some form of parking permit.

But she also wouldn't rule out requesting that the station charge for car parking.

She said: "Make it expensive for all-day parking. It would free up a lot of parking spaces."

But Wharfedale ward councillor Chris Greaves said that calls for more double yellow lines around the station would not work.

He said: "That just moves the problem elsewhere."

And while the station car park was extended to include the former coal yard around ten years ago, which alleviated the parking problem for a short time, residents say in recent years the parking has gradually worsened.

Mr Harris said: "The actual volume of traffic is more than ever."

But Mr Feathers remained diplomatic, saying: "The only thing you can do is to educate people about the problem."