TRADERS and other businesses in a town centre have welcomed plans to scrap a weekly parking charge.

Shop and office workers have been paying £15 a week to park in Peterlee town centre in recent months.

The unpopular charge was introduced by the town centre's previous owners, Modus Properties, in December.

However, after the centre changed hands, following the recent acquisition by Oracle Estates, the parking fee has been dropped.

Bosses at Oracle, who have pledged to make the town centre "bigger and better", said the parking policy did not appear to work well during its short life and therefore decided to scrap the scheme.

Maureen Rigg, the North- East Chamber of Commerce's County Durham manager, said the decision was warmly welcomed in the local business community.

"Concerns were expressed that this charge would be detrimental to the town in terms of increasing the numbers of shoppers and aiding recruitment."

The chamber plans to meet Oracle Estates to consider a new parking policy covering the entire town centre.

Oracle also hopes to redevelop more than 300,000sq ft of retail and office accommodation in the town centre.