Durham parking scheme could expand (From Durham Times)

Durham parking scheme could expand

12:04pm Wednesday 25th April 2012 in News

A RESIDENTS’ parking scheme could be extended for a fourth time, just months after its third expansion.

Last July, Durham County Council agreed to expand Durham City’s controlled parking zone (CPZ) to include areas of North End.

The CPZ aims to restrict on-street parking by requiring visiting motorists to display resident-issued scratchcard-style permits.

It was extended after North End residents complained of their streets being jammed with the cars of County Hall workers, hospital staff, sixth form students from St Leonard’s RC School and commuters.

In a ballot, 12 streets voted to join the CPZ.

Householders on Boste Crescent and Old Dryburn Way voted against the scheme and so their streets were excluded.

However, parking problems have since moved onto these streets, leading to complaints from residents.

Neville’s Cross county councillors Nigel Martin and Grenville Holland have launched a survey of Boste Crescent and Old Dryburn Way to see if residents would now like to join the CPZ.

Coun Martin said: "Having talked to the traffic department at County Hall, it seems that they are naturally reluctant to impose a scheme so soon after residents voted against it but it may be that the local mood has changed, in which case County Hall may be persuaded to move."

However, The Northern Echo understands council chiefs would support the CPZ’s extension.

Coun Martin added: "The presence of the hospital (the University Hospital of North Durham, or UHND) is not only creating problems around the nearby residential estate – there are regularly queues tailing back onto Southfield Way around 2pm when afternoon visiting starts at UHND.

"These are long enough to cause problems at the Sniperley roundabout."

The two councillors are leading the survey house-to-house but residents can complete a questionnaire online at: surveymonkey.com/s/NLRYSD9 Durham’s CPZ was introduced in the city centre more than ten years ago, before being extended to Western Hill and later to Framwellgate Moor.

Residents wanting to park on-street have to buy annual permits, each costing £30, with a limited number available to each household.

Visitors have to buy a regular visitors’ permit or be given a scratchcard-style pass by a resident.

The proposals could require formal consultation. If there are objections, they may have to go before a highways committee.