PROBLEMS caused by rail users parking all day in a Gloucestershire village and clogging up the roads is being tackled head-on.

Kemble Parish Council has been concerned for some time about commuters driving into the village to use the rail station and, rather than paying to use the train station car park, parking for free on the residential roads.

Reports have been made of some cars being left in the village for up to two weeks, causing obstructions on the roads.

At a recent meeting of the Parish Council, chairman Cllr Roger Pettit said there were a number of possibilities the council could explore to relieve the problem, such as setting up a new low-cost car park near the station.

“I think its incumbent on us to explore options further,” he said. “We are not enthusiastic about yellow lines in the village – I’d like to think there may be other options.”

He added he hoped residents would co-operate with the council in finding a solution to the problem.

“If residents are so upset then they may be prepared to make a contribution via a council tax levy for example,” he said.

Cllr Gabi Somerville said she felt that, even if a low-cost car park was provided, many commuters would continue to park on the road.

“The street is free and if it’s closer to the station they they’re going to park there,” she said.

She added an option may be to enforce residents-only parking restrictions throughout the village.

The council agreed to set up a working group to work with Gloucestershire County Council’s highways department to find a solution to the problem.

GCC local highways manager for Kemble Scott MaCaulay-Lowe said the council was working with Kemble Parish Council to address the problem and would be meeting with them soon to discuss it.