IT'S well known that we have real problems these days with streets of Victorian houses that were designed before the motor car.

Almost every householder has a car, some have two, but whole areas of East Lancashire streets do not have places to park them.

Today, planning authorities insist that builders must include enough parking places in their developments for new homes.

But it must be extremely annoying to be unable to park your car outside, or even near your home, especially when what spaces there are quickly become filled by visitors or people who work nearby.

In the Infirmary area of Blackburn, hospital workers who complain that they have nowhere else to go, are a particular problem.

To combat this problem a system of residents' permits was launched with hundreds of people paying at least £10 a year so that they could park close to their houses.

Such systems are in operation in many towns and cities throughout the country.

But today we hear that the system has not been working because police and wardens have been unable to enforce it properly because they lack the resources to do so.

Local residents are far from happy at having paid for a service that has not been effective although there are promises that it will improve from October.

This improvement must happen or the residents should get refunds.