COMMUTERS have been blamed for clogging up parking spaces in Laindon.

They are taking the parking spaces at the Laindon Shopping Centre and health centre in High Road in order to avoid paying £5.50 a day at nearby Laindon station in Station Approach.

They can park for free at the shopping and health centre.

Phil Rackley, ward councillor for St Martin’s, said: “I believe the commuters are abusing the free parking spaces and this is not fair on Laindon’s residents.

“I stop off to use the health centre car park to get my newspaper most mornings at about 7am, and by 10am it is very full.

“It is clear commuters travelling to London are abusing the free spaces. There use to be a notice up in the car parks about two years ago, which said people could only park here for a limited period of time, but now it has gone.”

Zoe Kiteley, a dispensing assistant at Lloyds Pharmacy, in Laindon Shopping Centre, added: “The car park in front of the health centre does get very busy during the mornings and afternoons and it is difficult for people to get parking, but it does tend to ease up after these periods.”

Pat Rackley, who also represents St Martin’s Ward, said the car park was being clogged up.

Mrs Rackley, said: “I popped into the Laindon Health Centre and the car park was completely packed.

“The health centre was not full, and it was clear the small number of people inside the centre had not taken all the spaces.

“Some kind of parking enforcement needs to be put in place to ensure residents are able to use these facilities, instead of commuters.”

Managers at the shopping centre were unavailable to comment.