Parking disaster

A Bellville business owner is battling her neighbours over parking issues she says not only threaten the area, but also her livelihood.

Sandra Hugo, 60, has owned the Droomland Creche in Pastorie Street for 20 years, but for the past 18 months, she says she has endured a nightmare – courtesy of her opposite neighbours.

Ms Hugo said: “There is a church/funeral parlour that started operating from the house across the street, and since then, a massive amount of cars and people frequent the house. 

They park the streets full, and they even make use of my parking spots, to the point that my own staff cannot even make use of the parking, but, even worse, is that the parents of my children are unable to stop and pick their kids up.”

The house in question, 2 St James Street, has clear no-parking signs in front of it, and it is next to a stop street, yet this has not stopped the visitors from parking on the pavement close by and blocking the street off from all sides of the street.

As a result of the parking issues, the creche owner says she has had to build a fence around her property.

however that has only attributed to bigger holes in her bank account.

Ms Hugo said: “I have always had 80 children per year at my school, but since the whole parking issue, I have seen my attendance drop to just 56. This has cost me approximately R52 000 a month in lost fees and having to still pay my staff, along with other expenses, of course. This has had a negative impact on my well-being.”

With so much activity happening at on her doorstep, Ms Hugo has had frequent rows run-ins with the visitors yet fortunately, it has only been verbal exchanges to the funeral parlour.