A DISABLED woman s fight for parking on her street in Sidbury has stepped up a notch following talks with district and town councillors. ,

A DISABLED woman's fight for parking on her street in Sidbury has stepped up a notch following talks with district and town councillors.

Jennifer Hillier and other Furzehill residents are urging East Devon District Council to install parking spaces in their back gardens.

Many residents are elderly or disabled and claim their quality of life is being affected by the lack of parking.

Mrs Hillier, and her neighbours Hilda Pope and Martin Paver, met with district councillor Tony Reed last week to discuss the problem.

"These are supposed to be retirement bungalows for disabled people," Mrs Hillier, 61, who has limited mobility, said.

"But we have got a situation at the moment where we have got disabled people and they have got nowhere to park."

Mr Paver, 56, who was chairman of the tenants and residents association before it folded, said they had fought tooth and nail to secure parking but had been "fobbed off" in the past.

Mr Reed told residents: "I would like to think I can get something positive done here because the opportunity is here - the space is here and it is not a major work.

"It would make so much difference to the quality of life up here."

Mrs Hillier also met with Sidbury ward town councillor John Hollick on Wednesday.

She told the Herald: "He said taking away the top piece of garden and putting hardcore or gravel down is the solution without too much expense. He thinks it's a brilliant idea."

Mr Reed said following his meeting with Furzehill residents he spoke to a senior member of the housing department at EDDC but warned "Rome was not built in a day".

He added: "The upshot being that a member of staff would visit Furzehill and assess the potentiality in the garden area, behind these bungalows, for parking provision.