Residents must have say

Plans to introduce permit parking in the terraced streets of Castlefields will need extensive consultation among residents before it could be implemented.

As a former borough councillor for Castlefields, who organised public meetings on the issue, I know there is no easy solution.

Firstly, many residents feel they shouldn't have to pay to park in their streets when the cause of the day time problem is the ever- increasing car park charges in the town centre. This encourages commuters to park for free in Castlefields and walk into town.

Some residents want a scheme as long as they can park in their own street and not have to walk to another street that is a designated part of the permit area.

One resident actually told me he would only support a scheme if he could park directly outside his house.

Most importantly, the council needs to consider whether there is enough capacity for all local residents to park in the streets at night when most residents are home.

Imagine a resident who has had to pay for a parking permit and is still unable to find a place to park?

We all agree that shoppers should not be allowed to park in the terraces, but any scheme that doesn't provide enough spaces for residents will be a disaster.

John Turnbull, Shrewsbury