Permits considered to limit parking near station

Only residents with permits could be allowed to park in parts of Stowmarket

A residents' parking zone (RPZ) could be introduced to stop commuters parking on roads near a town's railway station.

Mid Suffolk District Council is to spend £25,646 on looking at introducing a RPZ in Stowmarket.

In a survey, 66% of the 207 respondents said they regularly had difficulty finding somewhere to park and 48% said they would be prepared to pay for a permit.

The money will be spent on designing the scheme, site visits, documents and a formal consultation.

Crown Street is one of the roads where the parking zone could be introduced

The council said it wanted to progress the plan as residents had raised issues with "nuisance parking" in the town.

It would mean only permit holders being able to park within marked bays on some roads during certain hours.

Suffolk County Council will have the power to establish the zone but it would depend on the district council's ability to prove resident support and approve its creation alongside funding, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It could take up to two years to complete the entire process.

Green Party Councillor Andy Mellen, leader of Mid Suffolk District Council, said: "We recognise that parking is a real issue for some Stowmarket residents, so we are stepping in to try to help Suffolk County Council, as the authority with ultimate responsibility for on street parking, find a possible solution.

"A recent survey of residents showed that a majority felt that an RPZ could be the answer."

The areas being considered include Bond Street, Bury Street, Cardinals Road, Church Walk, Creeting Road West, Crown Street, Edinburgh Close, Elizabeth Way, Fox Court, Hamilton Road, Milton Road North, Regent Street, Stowupland Street, Stowupland Road, Union Street East, Union Street West and Victoria Road.