Kayleigh Williams, a resident of Hunts Cross, has sparked widespread reaction after expressing her frustration over not being allowed to let her seven-year-old son play in the communal car park below her top-floor flat on Alderman Road, managed by Sanctuary Housing.
Mother Claims Car Park Is Safest Option
Williams supervises her son as he meets friends in the car park, arguing that the limited green space nearby is less safe due to an alleygate and a main road. She told the Liverpool Echo: 'Someone’s complained about the kids playing. We’ve got green spaces outside but the car park is the safest. They’re doing no harm, they’re just kids.' She added that accusations of car damage are unfounded, as she watches him from her window.
Social Media Backlash
Many online disagreed. Cathy Rutherford commented: 'A car park is for cars, not kids!' Hazey Gazey said: 'A car park isn’t a safe place to play. What happens when one of the kids accidentally damages someone’s car?' Linzi Grierson added: 'It’s a car park not a play park.' John S Wilkinson stated: 'Car parks are for cars. Why should your children be an exception?'
Sanctuary Housing's Position
In a letter seen by the Echo, Sanctuary Housing warned Williams: 'You have been advised on several occasions you are not to allow your son to play around the car park as it is not a play area.' The letter cited the tenancy agreement requiring communal facilities to be used for their intended purpose. A Sanctuary spokesperson said: 'The safety and wellbeing of all our residents is always our top priority. The car park is busy and in constant use and is not a safe environment for them to do so.'
Williams noted that only she received the letter, despite other children playing there. She said: 'I’ve lived here seven years and I’d never had any complaints until they started playing in the back.' She suggested alternative games like kerby to minimize disruption.
