Cllr Shane Hebb put forward a petition to at last night’s Thurrock council meeting to demand action on street parking in Stanford West.

Residents are concerned that fire engines and ambulances will not be able to access Hardie Road and Bevin Road if parking issues are not resolved.

Cllr Hebb said at the meeting: “I have already heard of one case where a patient had to walk to an ambulance rather than an ambulance get to them, because of lack of access on Hardie Road and Bevin Road.”

Hardie Road and Bevin Road residents have been organising themselves over the past year to resolve the problems.

The residents have proposed a single yellow line on the road with limited school drop-off times.

Cllr Shane Hebb said: "To anyone who knows the area like many of us in Stanford, this area is a textbook “bottleneck”."

"At the best of times, this area is a parking nightmare, and residents have all told me horror stories of how they have not been able to park on their own driveways."

Cllr Ella Vine said it was her hard work that had led to the petition.

Ms Vine said: “As a Labour candidate for Stanford le Hope West ward for only three months, I have been surprised at some neglected issues in the ward and asked Thurrock’s Highways to take action by putting single yellow lines on Hardie Road and Scratton Road.”

“I was surprised to hear the ward’s councillor Hebb, after being in the post for almost 4 years, ask the council for the same thing.”