THE success of Macclesfield FC has created a parking nightmare for some residents near the stadium but the government needs to change the law before the council can tackle it.

Macclesfield councillor Brian Puddicombe (Lab) said the club was a great advert for football in Cheshire East.

But he added: "The success of this fabulous community resource used by male and female players of all ages seven days a week, brings problems with it when residents of the Moss Estate have to endure obstructive, dangerous and selfish parking by some visitors to the football stadium."

He asked highways committee chair Mark Goldsmith, at a meeting of the full council, what residents could do when 'the police put the onus on the council and council officers put the onus on the police'.

Cllr Goldsmith (Wilmslow, Ind) said the situation in Macclesfield illustrated a national problem which the government needed to deal with.

He said: "While councils, including Cheshire East, have parking enforcement staff, they do not have the legal powers to tackle obstructive or pavement parking.

"The law says it is solely a police matter.

"However, while police forces have the legal power, they rarely have enough officers to enact them.

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"Therefore the council is legally unable to help, while police are operationally unable to help, and it leaves communities like those around the Moss Estate in limbo."

Cllr Goldsmith added: "Councils all across the UK have long asked to have these powers so they can tackle problem parking.

"However, despite lengthy consultation by the previous government, those powers were never given.

"I therefore hope the new Labour government will act more quickly to address this situation so we can offer these communities a better solution to that problem parking."

He said in the meantime council officers would work with the club's safety advisory group.