MORE residents’ parking schemes could be introduced in central Bury St Edmunds to tackle parking problems.

Suffolk County Council is set to ask residents in the areas of Springfield Road, Springfield Avenue, Grove Road, Grove Park, Cornfield Road, Spring Lane, Hospital Road, Mill Road and Shillitoe Close about their parking concerns.

It comes after some approached their ward councillors to request residents’ parking as they are fed-up with workers or students parking outside their houses all day, seemingly to avoid car park charges.

David Dawson, 68, who is retired and of Hospital Road, said: “The problems are wholesale in that we are a cul-de-sac. We are probably the closest non-residents’ parking street to the centre of town therefore large numbers of non-residents park their cars in our road and just go off to work, and that’s obvious because we see them doing it.”

Mr Dawson, who has lived there for 10 years, said the problem had intensified as residents’ parking schemes had been established in neighbouring roads, effectively moving the problem along.

He said it was a “lottery” for residents to find an on-street parking space, adding how sometimes the non-residents were also obstructing access with their vehicles.

David Nettleton, St Edmundsbury Borough Councillor for the Risbygate ward, said he had been “inundated” with requests from people in the Springfield Road and Grove Road areas calling for a residents’ parking scheme.

He said other residents’ parking schemes in the town were working really well, but it would be up to the people to decide if new schemes should be introduced in their roads. He said a parking permit should cost less than about �1.50 a week.

Mark Ereira, Suffolk County Councillor for the Tower division, said: “We [county council] are doing a whole range of investigations. This is very much about what local people, residents want for their area in terms of improving not just parking, but road safety issues.”

A spokeswoman for Suffolk County Council, said: “The county council is starting a significant investigation following a number of issues being raised over the on street parking in certain areas of Bury St Edmunds. Questionnaires will be sent to the residents in the Springfield Road/Grove Road and Out Westgate/Hospital Road areas of the town in the next couple of weeks. Once we have a better understanding of the concerns the council will then work with the community on possible solutions.”