CLASE residents have defended the DVLA as a company and have said Swansea Council should take some of the blame for inconsiderate staff parking outside their homes.

At a Pact meeting at Clase Community Centre, people living in the area said the licensing agency had done its best to try to alleviate the problems in the community, and that it was now a matter of the council stepping up their act.

Resident and former councillor Ray Wellsby said: "The DVLA has done everything it can for us. It's the council who is to blame. I can not praise the DVLA enough."

Another resident said yellow lines could help solve the problem as well as a dedicated traffic warden to the area.

Kevin Rees, from the DVLA, attended the meeting to hear the residents' concerns.

He said: "We have built an extra car park and we are leasing land to provide a park and share site in Felindre which does not cost staff anything.

"We also have seven buses coming from across the area.

"Constable Julian Hill also has an office in the DVLA and if a resident does ring up with a complaint I have told staff we will take up any complaints."

Employees parked in Tenth Avenue had their car tyres slashed earlier this month while they were in work.

Community support officer Lisa Frankland said 18 cars were reported to police, but after door-to-door inquiries no light has been shed on the offender.

Mr Rees said the DVLA was happy to sit down with residents to see what could be done.

A Swansea Council spokesman said: "The people responsible for the parking problems in Clase are those who park in the area inconsiderately. We patrol the area regularly and we issue fixed penalty notices to anyone who is parking illegally.

"The misuse of residents' parking bays does have an impact on the quality of life of residents and the council has worked closely with the DVLA on parking issues in this area.

"Enforcement officers will continue to work closely with the police to ensure motorists comply with the traffic orders relating to parking."

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