New restrictions in free parking crackdown

Douglas Terrace is one of the affected streets in Newcastle

A crackdown on commuters and shoppers looking for free parking outside a city centre is set to come into force this autumn.

The order will impose new parking restrictions on 15 streets in Newcastle's West End.

Newcastle City Council transport chiefs said people who lived in the Arthur's Hill area deserved a "fair chance" of parking near their own homes.

The plans, which were first announced in February, will introduce a parking permit scheme on roads either side of Stanhope Street.

It means anyone without a permit will be banned from parking in the designated streets between 09:30 and 11:30, and 15:30 to 20:30, seven days a week.

A council spokesperson confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that a legal order for the restrictions was expected to come into force in September.

The affected streets are:

• Avison Place

• Avolon Place

• Cookson Close

• Douglas Terrace

• Edward Place

• Frosterley Place

• Hamilton Crescent

• Liddle Court

• Liddle Road

• Monday Crescent

• Monday Place

• Philip Place

• Thorpe Close

• Vallum Way

• Worley Close

Vehicle displacement

Three public objections and three supportive comments were submitted in response to the plans.

One objection was made by someone who used the area to park for free during work hours, while the other two raised concerns about the impact on visitors to a nearby church on Sunday mornings.

"This scheme's aim is to provide residents with a fair chance of parking near their homes as many residents currently find it difficult to park," the local authority said.

It added the restrictions might lead to some "displacement" of parking into neighbouring streets, but it was not possible to determine how many vehicles were going to be affected and where they would move to.