More than 1,300 people have backed a petition calling for short-stay parking spaces to be installed outside Ashford’s sorting office.

Residents have long called for parking to be offered at the Royal Mail site in Tannery Lane, which is surrounded by double-yellow lines.

The petition to Royal Mail and Ashford Borough Council has been started by chef Stephanie Roberts who feels enough is enough after a struggle to pick up a parcel just before Christmas.

The mother-of-three, who lives in the town centre, said: “I will often walk there because I don’t live too far away but being a busy person, it’s just handy sometimes to be able to do it on the way to work.

“Sometimes I work late, or on my day off it seems to be closed, or operating on short hours.

“I try not to have my parcel delivered on days I won’t be in but that can be quite tricky.

“People might think we’re being lazy but there is a need for it and based on a lot of the signatures, other people think there is a need for it too.

“People might struggle with mobility but don’t have a blue badge, others might have kids and don’t have the time to park up for a five-minute job, while others live too far away.”

The petition is asking for three 15-minute parking bays along Tannery Lane, something Ms Roberts feels will ease the situation considerably.

Less than 24 hours after it was launched, 1,100 people showed their support with a signature.

One supporter said: “It’s about time locals had somewhere free to park to pick up parcels.”

Another added: “There is a need for somewhere to park for elderly people without them having to walk a fair distance to collect parcels.”

'Once the petition has been formally submitted to the council we will study it carefully'

Echoing the concerns, one resident said: “The Post Office is a public service and we should be able to reasonably easily pick up mail.

“It’s not a particularly busy road and having some 15-minute bays would not be a nuisance to other road users either.”

When the issue of parking was discussed in March 2018, Royal Mail bosses said there was not enough room outside their sorting office to introduce any car park spaces.

Instead residents were urged to use nearby public car parks or reschedule their deliveries.

In September more controversy surrounded the site when posties working at the sorting office were told they could no longer park their cars at the site due to safety concerns.

Royal Mail said limited space in the yard at the facility meant workers who used to park in the staff area now have to leave their vehicles elsewhere.

Commenting on the parking bay campaign, a spokesman for Ashford Borough Council said: “We note the petition in support of installing three waiting bays outside the Royal Mail sorting office in Tannery Lane.

“Once the petition has been formally submitted to the council we will study it carefully and consider the issues raised.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Parking provision in the local area is ultimately an issue for the local council to comment on rather than Royal Mail.”

To view the petition, click here