Mid Suffolk District Council to consider Stowmarket permit parking area to combat nuisance parking

A council will consider implementing a permit parking area in a town to combat nuisance parking.

A report going before Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet on February 11 will detail the next stage of a possible residents’ parking zone (RPZ) in Stowmarket.

It will set out the difficulties townspeople have raised regarding nuisances they have experienced around parking in the town.

It will recommend using £25,456 to progress the design of the RPZ.

The proposed area would cover: 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.

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, so we are proposing to fund feasibility work to better understand how any scheme might work and ensure everyone can make an informed decision.”

Suffolk County Council, as the authority in charge of highways, has the power to establish an RPZ.

The proposed funding from Mid Suffolk would enable the development of a detailed plan, which would show the scheme’s feasibility, costs and potential impacts.

Parking restrictions as part of the scheme could be in place all day or for a defined period, such as from 8am to 6pm.