Residents who live next to Wiltshire Music Centre and St Laurence School say they are running out of options to stop cars blocking their driveways.

People living in Churches say they have seen an increase in drivers causing havoc in the road that leads to the centre and the back entrance of the school in Bradford on Avon.

Stacey Newton, 26, who has lived in Churches for four-and-a-half years, said: “In the last year, since the centre has grown, people park on the drive, across the drive, over the kerbs. In busy times we cannot get into our drives and have nowhere to park.

“The music centre has offered us cones and leaflets to let us know when concerts are on. Wiltshire Council said we were not allowed to put the cones out but they haven’t given us an alternative. They said if it happens again to call the police, but what a waste of police time.

“This is meant to be the back entrance of St Laurence School, but when you look at its other car park, it is empty.

“We don’t want to fight with the centre or the school, but something needs to be done.”

Residents would like to see residents’-only parking or the possibility of the footpath connecting the school’s car park and Wiltshire Music Centre’s car park widened for cars, with a barrier that would be down in the day, but up at night to create an overflow car park.

Bernice Shepherdson, 59, has lived in Churches for 39 years, and said: “We are all for progress but they (Wiltshire Music Centre) don’t seem to have adequate parking at the venue.

“They have tried. They have put a note on their programmes to remind people not to park in front of our driveways and have given us traffic cones, but Wiltshire Council said it was against the law to put them out.

“We are determined to get something done.”

Clare Jack, executive director of Wiltshire Music Centre, said: “We are aware of the problem and we always ask our audiences not to block people’s driveways. When it does happen, we ask people to move their vehicle.

“We have always given residents closest to the music centre cones to indicate their driveway and we have asked Wiltshire Council whether we could put a sign on the pavement telling audience members please don’t block driveways.”

St Laurence headteacher Fergus Stewart said: “I have got every sympathy with the residents because we do recognise there is a problem in Churches and other approaches to the school.

“We are working with parents to try and encourage them to not bring their cars too close to the school and drop their children off slightly further away so they can walk the last bit.

“I encourage residents to get in touch with me if they have problems and they do.

“It is good to know about individual cases.”