Speke residents have expressed their fury at a new change made by Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which says it is trying to ‘clear up confusion’ for drivers
15:59, 28 Mar 2026Updated 16:02, 28 Mar 2026
Local residents Lynne, Yvonne Reid, Steve and Maggie on Hale Road in Speke(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Speke residents have said a change to an area made by Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) feels like a “slap in the face”. Hale Road and the surrounding streets have become a popular spot for holidaymakers and drivers trying to evade airport parking fees.
People who live there say drivers, including taxis, use the road as a drop-off and pick-up point throughout the day and night, with some holidaymakers leaving their cars parked on the nearby roads for the duration of their trip. They add that these people are prolific litterers, with some urinating and defecating in the street as they wait to get picked up.
Passengers with a valid Blue Badge can claim up to 40 minutes of free parking, while motorcycles can park free of charge in designated outdoor spaces. The drop-off two car park, which is a seven-minute walk from the terminal, is free for up to 20 minutes.
Smashed windows and what happened next
Smashed up cars parked up on Hale Road back in September(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Tensions flared up last September when two cars, believed to be belonging to holidaymakers, were egged and had their windows smashed.
A number of residents then reached out to the ECHO, calling for extended free parking, larger taxi ranks, and improved signage from the airport. They also asked Liverpool City Council to implement measures such as a residential parking scheme, fencing along grass verges on Hale Road and bollards along Western Avenue.
There was cautious optimism among some back in January after a meeting between residents, local politicians and airport representatives. Following this, the council approved funding to improve the estate in and around Hale Road.
Meanwhile, LJLA confirmed it was considering installing a barrier on an access road to the airport, located off Hale Road.
The fresh row
The grass verge on Hale Road people use to avoid airport parking charges in Speke, facing the new signs for Aviation Avenue and the meet and greet car park(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Those same residents expressed their anger earlier this month when the airport instead gave the road an official name, Aviation Avenue, and put-up signs highlighting the directions to the meet and greet car park. A stay at this car park must be pre-booked and costs around £149 for a week.
Residents say highlighting the access road will make Hale Road even busier and highlight the parking fees, which will lead them to use residential areas instead. A sign at the bottom of Western Avenue directing people to the free drop off and pick up car park off Speke Hall Avenue has not materialised.
An airport spokesperson said it has been looking to give the access road an official name to clear up confusion for drivers, and added they are still committed to the idea of a barrier on the access road.
‘A disgusting problem that is getting worse’
When the ECHO asked resident Yvonne Reid, 68, to explain the problems they are facing earlier this week, she said: ”Where would you like me to start? Would you like a list from one to 1,000?
“You can’t get out of your house, you can’t go anywhere with people blocking the way, stopping to let people out, taxi drivers peeing in bottles and throwing it out of the window.
“I’m a little picker. It’s just disgusting. There’s no care or consideration. The noise pollution, people getting out of taxis, making noises – the list is endless.”
Pavement parking on Hale Road(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Yvonne was just as scathing on the decision to name the road Aviation Avenue. She said: “What they’ve done is highlighted where to go and where to drop people off.
“The situation will get worse unless they actually open the airport for people to go in and not charge people for parking. This is not going to change unless they get residential parking only or double red lines everywhere.”
Yvonne says she still feels proud to live in Speke but these issues are damaging the community. She pointed to the grass verge separating through traffic on Hale Road with access to the houses.
Residents have tried to make it an attractive green space filled with flowers and wildlife, but cars stopping on the grass have made it muddy and filled with litter, from water bottles to discarded chicken wings.
Yvonne said: “Look at the rubbish. Look at the state of the road. I love where I live. That’s why I litter pick. But people have come in and they don’t respect where we live.”
A sign asking airport users to park in the designated car park(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Alan Davies, 71, who has lived in this part of Speke for most of his life, agrees. He said: “We’ve been complaining about this for years but no one does anything. This mess is because people got fed up and tried to block the verge themselves but it’s not working. The councillors actually came out once and looked at it but nothing happened.
“We get ignored. We get fobbed off. They say they’ll get back to you but they don’t. Now they say there’s money coming but we don’t believe them.
“Why would we believe them this time? Where’s that money magically come from? What’s it for? When’s it coming? No one knows. No one tells us anything. The video the airport put up of this road feels like a slap in the face.
“If people park here it’s because they don’t want to pay. This won’t make them. More will just park here now and walk down. They park all over the estate now.
“It’s all about money to the airport but this is our lives. None of them live here. We suffer because they want more money.”
Residents at the barricade constructed by locals which blocks access to Dam Wood Road from Hale Road. The taped off on the area on the left was referred to by one resident as ‘the Speke toilet’ (Image: Liverpool Echo)
Residents say they have been forced to take matters by putting cones out outside their homes and installing barriers on a piece of land that connects Dam Wood Road with Hale Road to block drivers.
One man, who asked not to be named, referred to this area as “the Speke toilet” due to the amount of airport users from outside the area urinating and defecating there.
A local businessperson also said they are losing hundreds of pounds a day in trade due to airport users taking up parking spaces.
Yvonne and other residents also criticised the lack of engagement from Maria Eagle MP and local councillors Mary Rasmussen and Doreen Knight.
The response from the airport and the council
In response to these claims, a spokesperson for LJLA said: “We have been looking into naming the access road that leads from Hale Road for some time, with this road used by buses and cars parking in particular car parks.
“This is due to the confusion the lack of clear and identifiable signage has created for drivers who have booked their parking in either the ‘Meet and Greet’ car park or one of the two Fast Track car parks accessed via this road.
“As a consequence, the promotion of this naming of the road was purely aimed at those who use either of these car parking products.
“Linked to this naming has been the establishment of a new postcode for airport offices and the surrounding area which is now different to the rest of the airport site. This will hopefully reduce the numbers of drivers using the access road or sometimes waiting on Hale Road who are either lost or confused about the location of the airport car park that they are booked into.
“The airport remains committed to the idea of a barrier on the access road as discussed with residents previously and will be undertaking traffic monitoring over Easter to better understand the volumes of traffic on this access road during a busier period, which in turn will help to understand how practical the idea of a barrier will be.
All Saints Church in Speke has asked drivers not to block the church gates(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
“As long as the results show that the barrier will be down more than it is up, and hence prevent pedestrian access, then we will continue to go ahead with this scheme.
“We had hoped to have these results in February from monitoring undertaken during the busier half term holidays, but frustratingly someone cut the cable on the equipment, which has now delayed this.
“We will communicate with all stakeholders and residents as soon as we have an update on the barrier scheme.”
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “We recognise the concerns raised by residents about people parking in nearby streets while using Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
“We will be working with the community in the coming months to put measures in place to address these issues and are liaising with the airport to reduce the number of passengers using residential roads for drop‑offs and pick-ups.
“Many streets in the area already have waiting restrictions, and anyone parking where these apply may receive a Penalty Charge Notice from our enforcement officers.
“In locations without restrictions, drivers should ensure they are not causing an obstruction. We encourage all motorists to be considerate of those living in the area.”
Ms Eagle previously told the ECHO: “I am aware that people using Liverpool John Lennon are parking on Hale Drive and roads around the airport for extended periods of time and there are passenger cars left in residential areas.
“I’ve raised these issues with both Liverpool City Council and Liverpool John Lennon and discussions are ongoing around possible solutions.”
Cllr Mary Rasmussen and Cllr Doreen Knight have been approached for comment.
Merseyside Police neighbourhood policing inspector for Speke, Michelle Ingram, previously said the force is aware of the issues around damage to cars and “nuisance” taxi drivers in the area.