CHANGES have been made to a parking scheme in central Weymouth to free up spaces for residents overnight - and it's already caught out some motorists who have been slapped with fines.
Residents pay for parking permits in the Park District, with non permit-holders allowed to park for an hour.
The hour parking offer used to be available through the day and night - but from last week this is now only allowed from 9am to 6pm.
Parking between 6pm and 9am is for permit holders only.
Signs have popped up informing motorists of the new restriction - but some drivers who have taken the risk of leaving their cars overnight have been caught out and given £35 fines, which if not paid in two weeks will rise to £70.
It comes after Dorset Council made four amendments to the residents' parking scheme as a result of a consultation.
READ MORE: Dorset Council announce changes to resident parking permits in Weymouth
The council stressed the change is not about attempting to recoup losses from the pandemic.
A council spokeswoman said: "It was recognised by the community group that there's an imbalance between the availability of spaces and the number of cars seeking to park in the area.
"This is the final part of the project to make parking permit allocation more effective in the Park District area. The price of parking permits (£75) is not changing."
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment at Dorset Council, said: "Although we’re unable to create new parking spaces in this densely populated area, we can make changes to favour residents and make it easier for them to find a parking space.
"The available parking space may not be directly outside your home, as there's still such high demand, but this new allocation will provide more space across the permit zone."
Paul Hutton, Service Manager for Parking Services, added: "This new system aims to make it easier for residents to find a parking space in Zones A and C – where there's an imbalance between the availability of spaces and the number of cars seeking to park.
"Under the permit system, drivers have always needed a permit to park overnight in the Park District, though there was previously a one-hour wait period in operation 24-hours-a-day. As part of the amendments to the permit scheme, this one-hour wait has been reduced to operating between 9am and 6pm, to provide more available parking spaces for permit holders overnight.
"This means drivers who may have previously taken a chance and parked in the area overnight without a permit are now clearly evident to any civil enforcement patrols, and as a result of repeated requests from residents we are enforcing the area more robustly."
Have you been affected by the changes to the daily-and-overnight parking in the Park District? Contact me on: sam.mckeown@newsquest.co.uk, or ring: 01305 830821.
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