RESIDENTS will be consulted on whether a town centre parking scheme should be made permanent in Ellesmere Port.
At the latest environment committee meeting borough councillors agreed that those affected by the initiative should be consulted again before deciding whether to implement it for good.
Last summer residents living in the Central, Fields and Vale zones voted in favour of introducing the scheme for an initial six months.
Now they will have their say again. What the public consultation will involve has yet to be decided but it will cost the council about £500.
In a report Jane Williamson, head of property and support services, says the scheme had so far been a success, despite some problems, and suggests it should be implemented permanently.
She explains: 'The feedback from the majority of residents has been positive. Although there are a few minor issues, on the whole the scheme has proved a success.
'I think the scheme has improved the general parking in the vicinity of the town centre and removing the scheme could cause many problems for residents.'
In the report she adds that Woodfield Road, in the Fields zone, had been experiencing problems with other residents living in that area using the street to park their cars closer to the town centre for shopping visits.
The council has also received reports from residents claiming visitor permits are being sold to friends or relatives who work in the town centre or are being swapped by people living in different zones so they can park in each.
Mrs Williamson said: 'Unfortunately, it is very difficult to prove and enforcement action can only be taken if the resident who supplied the permit leaves the property when their permits are cancelled.'
A number of residents have requested further scratch card permits for one-off visits, having used up their full allocation, but Mrs Williamson says no more should be issued.
She also says visitor permits should not be handed out permanently to family and should be retained in the property.
If the scheme is made permanent it would cost the council nearly £5,000 a year to operate.
If it is decided to vary the current legal orders to make provision for landlords and contractors visiting empty properties, they will have to make a one-off payment of about £10,000.
