Park District residents in Weymouth are making a bid to reclaim their streets.

They say they are fed up with permits being given to hotels and b&bs while they struggle to find somewhere to put their cars – despite paying £70 a year for each permit.

A call for changes in the system is being considered by county councillors next Friday.

A questionnaire organised by the Park Community Centre last October led to a petition calling for changes to the policy signed by 163 residents with another five adding their voices online.

Councillors will hear at their meeting claims that the parking permit policy is “out of date and not fit for purpose.”

They will be told: “After 5pm and weekends parking is only available in non-permitted areas away from homes and necessitates a long walk back home, often with bags, buggies etc.

"Older residents, disabled residents, young families and people employed during non-sociable hours, including many hospital workers, are particularly affected by this problem.

"They are unable to park in the permitted areas they pay for. This obviously impacts upon social life and many reported that they feel trapped throughout the summer and many weekends. People who have lived here for many years talk of wanting to move after years of loving the area.”

Residents claim more hotel guests from seafront hotels seem to be parking in the area and that those who risk parking without a permit often get away with it because of a lack of enforcement officers.

Some claim that there is more demand for parking in the area because there are additional multi-occupancy flats being created out of old, larger buildings.

Residents suggest that hotels be encouraged to persuade their visitors to use the park and ride, that the council employs more enforcement officers and that permits be restricted to two per household. At the moment there is no limit. They would also like to see better use made of overnight parking in the main car parks.

Councillors will be told there are several actions they could take in response to the petition including holding an inquiry or public consultation, more research, taking the issue to the full Dorset County Council or a combination of measures.

Residents parking permits for the area currently cost £70 per year with the permit policy having been in place since 2012. Almost 600 residential permits are currently in place with 156 allocated to hotel or b&b guests, 34 business permits with an average of 30 visitor permits per day.

Councillors will be told that in total there are more than 830 permits with 625 on-street parking spaces available.

A report to councillors notes: “The tensions caused by the imbalance of parking demand and availability prompt regular and repeated complaints to the council by residents living in the district.

“Whilst there is no realistic scope of increasing the availability of parking spaces for residents there is scope to try and manage the demand with a review of the existing policy although it is recognised that this could lead to a displacement of vehicles which would need to be accommodated elsewhere.”