A councillor has said that building on green space could help address the problem of parking in Huntingdon.

Councillor for Huntingdon North, Leedo George is asking for councils to take a look at parks and green space on the Oxmoor, to see if they could make way for car parks.

“There are a lot of cars trying to find spaces where there isn’t the space,” said Councillor George.

“We need more parking spaces and we don’t need all of that green space. The whole of the Oxmoor has got this problem.”

One location that Cllr George has earmarked is a strip of land next to Saunders Close, with half vacant for use as a car park and the other left as green space for a football pitch.

“If half of this green space could be made into a car park then half of the problem will be solved. We need 20 or 30 spaces in this area which will almost halve the problem in Saunders Close,” added the Labour councillor.

He also noted that more controls and space was needed for parking in Sallowbush Road and Elm Close, where the problem is heightened by people stopping to pop into shops.

Cllr George said that there was particular concern that, because of the parking problem, it could prove impossible for an emergency vehicle to use one of the packed roads.

The idea has been met with scepticism by town councillor for Huntingdon North Councillor, Alan Mackender Lawrence.

“I’m against the loss of any green space but of course car parking is an issue in the area,” said Cllr Mackender Lawrence.

According to Cllr Mackender Lawrence the Oxmoor was originally designed be an area with a number of green spaces but this has since changed.

“Because the houses that used to be owned by families with one car are now being rented out the amount of cars has quadrupled over the years which has already meant that a lot of the safe spaces on the Oxmoor estate have been lost.”

Cllr Mackender Lawrence is currently in talks with Cllr George and Councillor Patrick Kadewere to solve the problem of parking in the area.

Before any action is taken Cllr George will be asking residents to fill out a questionnaire to see whether there is urgent need for additional parking.

Cllr George added: “We have got to ask the residents of Huntingdon what they think needs doing and when we’ve got residents support we will go to the councils.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Should councils look to build on green spaces to solve the parking problem? E-mail sophie.day@archant.co.uk or write to Hunts Post, 30 High Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3TB.