Go-ahead for visitor parking permits plan

COUNCIL chiefs have given the green light to plans that allow thousands of city centre residents to buy visitors' parking permits for the first time.

The visitor permits – which allow guests to park for half the price of pay-and-display parking – are only available to people living in the recently-opened areas of the controlled parking zone.

But now councillors have approved plans to extend the scheme to all CPZs by the end of next year.

The roll-out is being timed to take place at the same time as the introduction of hundreds of shared-use parking places, which can take both pay-and-display and permit drivers.

The visitor permits were introduced in 2006 to make life easier for tradespeople, carers and visiting family and friends. But city centre residents complained the situation is unfair because their visitors have to pay at meters.

A visitor pass costs £1.20 for a 90-minute stay and residents are limited to 150 of them a year.

The permits may be used on their own or together to allow parking for longer periods.