The council have announced that it is taking steps to combat the misuse of one of its major car parks after residents said they are unable to park at a prime green space. 

At a council meeting on Thursday, September 28, Sharon O'Reilly raised the issue with the council.

She said: "There have been over 200 cars parked in that [Upton Court] car park. Families cannot take their children into the play areas. Footballers have to park in the road, causing other people to drive into oncoming traffic.

"The people of Slough want this car park back.

"What measures are being taken to address this issue?"

At the meeting Sharon threatened a protest should nothing be done about the car park.

Lead member of Slough Borough Council Dexter Smith said: "I do sympathise. I do take the point that something needs to be done.

"I also ask you to consider that we can't put restrictions on a public car park without changing the regulations which would involve this council making a decision.

"What we did do in Colnbrook was to put some time restrictions on the parking. Clearly, these cars are being left overnight - if we put a limit on the hours of parking that is permitted in that car park that may be a solution.

"Given the fact there is this displacement - if you solve the problem in one area it will move to another - we need a comprehensive and robust solution and I promise you that is what I will deliver."

A week on from the meeting, Slough Borough Council confirmed that signs have been installed in the car park advising there is no parking after 9pm.

A spokesperson from the council said: "Ultimately this is to prevent and discourage overnight parking.

"These signs mean we can now target vehicles which are there more than 24 hours (overnight parkers), and place stickers on them which give the owners/users of the vehicles 24 hours to remove them.

"If they are not removed, we then have the power to remove them. And then people will have to pay to get them back."

It is expected that in the next fortnight or so such actions will be in full swing.

In the longer term, the council are considering lockable gates.

The spokesperson added: "We believe there may be a couple of issues with this car park - one is the possibility of rogue airport parking companies using it and two is a second-hand car dealer or dealers using the park as storage. Neither of which is acceptable.

"We will not be targeting vehicles of legitimate park users including the scout hut, the school or activity groups even if the car park is used past 9pm.

"We are targeting those who use this car park as a storage facility, blocking residents from being able to use the largest and most popular park in our borough."