A councillor says a £200,000 works scheme should solve parking problems in a narrow village street.

Silver End councillor James Abbott said villagers had been waiting for nearly a decade for improvements to be made in Valentine Way in the village.

He said: “We are absolutely delighted that we have finally got a decision to move ahead.

“It’s been about nine years since we first had a public meeting, which took place in a packed village hall.”

Mr Abbott said because the village was constructed early last century, planners could not have considered the volume of cars on 21st-century streets.

Residents are currently forced to park on grass verges, which not only causes traffic problems but tears up the turf in the winter.

The money will pay for grasscrete to be placed over the verges, which means cars will be able to park on a solid surface without losing the greenery.

The Braintree Local Highways Panel agreed the project, which does not yet have a start date, at a meeting last week.

Mr Abbott said: “It provides a hard surface but still looks pretty much like grass.

“It’s not possible to get it perfect, but we are trying to get it better.”

The first phase will be funded with £50,000 from Essex County Council, £10,000 from Greenfields Community Housing and £10,000 from Silver End Primary School.

Funding sources for the second phase have yet to be agreed.