HUNDREDS of people in Bury St Edmunds are to be offered permit parking while other areas will see changes in regulations on their streets, according to council documents.

Suffolk County Council will ask residents in Hospital Road, Mill Road, Out Westgate, as well as those living in the Springfield Road/Grove Road area if they want a permit zone put in place.

Many of the investigations come after residents have complained about people using their streets as free car parks while they work in the town centre.

Robert Everitt, chair of Bury St Edmunds Area Working Party, said: “Parking management is a big issue around the town and the difficulty is when you address one area it often decamps somewhere else, so the problem moves elsewhere.

“In fairness to residents, when they come and lobby us we will do our best by way of consultation to make sure if there is approval we will introduce permit parking.”

According to the report, which will be discussed by St Edmundsbury Borough Council on February 5, residents in Shillitoe Close have already opted to join Zone H permit. Those living in the Out Northgate/Station Hill area have rejected a permit scheme and instead a ‘no waiting’ restriction between 8am and 10am, Monday to Friday will be put in place on the west side of Out Northgate near the Linden Tree.

The report also states that the county council has been investigating implementing traffic regulation orders on a number of streets after safety and access issues. These orders will affect Bakers Lane, Raingate Street, Barwell Road, Cotton Lane, Beech Rise, Grindle Gardens, Beetons Way, Bishops Road, Cavendish Road, Eyre Close, Kelso Road, Lamdin Road and Northern Way. The regulations will be published in March and in the event of objections, the orders, which also take in Orchard Street, Scarlin Road, Short Brackland, Skyliner Way, Western Way, Whiting Street and Thingoe Hill, will be considered in June.

The report also details long-standing proposals to alter the layout of the entry point to St Andrew’s Street South from Woolhall Street to stop abuse of pedestrianised areas. This project, along with the removal of the mini roundabout at the junction of St Andrew’s Street/Risbygate junction is programmed for September this year.