HUNDREDS more city residents face having to buy permits to park outside their homes.

Durham County Council officials are to introduce a controlled parking area (CPA) in the Dryburn area of Framwellgate Moor, Durham – and are considering extending the scheme into North End.

The Dryburn zone, which covers 233 homes, will come into force on Monday, November 1.

Residents wanting to park on designated streets must buy annual permits, each costing £30. A maximum of three permits will be available to each household.

A similar controlled parking zone operates in Durham city centre.

John McGargill, Durham County Council’s traffic section manager, said: “Demand for parking in this area (Dryburn) is constantly growing both from local residents and commuters.

“The scheme is very similar to that operating in other parts of the city and aims to dissuade commuters working for large organisations in the area from parking in nearby residential streets.”

Mark Wilkes, Liberal Democrat councillor for Framwellgate Moor, has been campaigning for a Dryburn CPA for some years.

He said: “An awful lot of residents come to me saying they can’t get out of their driveway because of the volume of people parking wherever they like. It’s making residents’ lives not very pleasant.

“I think it’s going to really improve the way in which people live in that area. I’m glad we’ve managed to get it through.”

Framwellgate Moor residents were given the chance to vote on whether their street should be included in the scheme, with streets which rejected the project omitted from the parking zone.

The streets included are: Westcott Drive, Dryburn Hill, Aykley Green, Aykley Court, Durham Moor Crescent, Aykley Vale and Dunholme Close.

Permits will be needed between 8am and 6pm, from Monday to Saturday. Special passes will be available for builders and carers.

Anyone found flouting the rules will receive a penalty charge notice. Blue badge holders will be exempt from the scheme.

Parking permits will be available from mid-October, from the Parking Shop, in North Road, Durham. For more information, visit durham.gov.uk or call 0191- 384-6633.