ON-STREET car parking charges outside homes in Darlington town centre could be in breach of human rights, a meeting was told yesterday.

Councillor Dorothy Long warned that Darlington Borough Council could face legal action from residents if it implemented its proposed £1-an-hour parking scheme for 25 streets.

She said visitors to homes in residential roads such as North Lodge Terrace could not be expected to pay a fee.

"To expect a visitor to pay to park to visit them is actually verging on a human rights issue," Coun Long told a joint meeting of the environment and resources scrutiny committees.

"If anybody might want to take us to court or challenge this we might be on a sticky wicket."

She said it was outrageous to put a restriction on how long visitors could park.

The authority's development and environment director, John Buxton, said: "We are not making any changes to the waiting restrictions on the streets, so those residents in North Lodge Park will have the same amount of time for visitors as they have now.

"All we are talking about is charging for use of parking on these streets during the working week and Saturdays."

Central ward councillors Ray Flowers and Isobel Hartley said the scheme would be unfair on old people living in sheltered housing in Har-greave Terrace who rely on visits from carers and relatives.

"The people who live in there, 50 per cent of them, are between 75 and 95," said Councillor Hartley. "Their relatives come to visit them and I think that they might want to stay for an hour."

The meeting also heard objections from Conservative councillors, who said the scheme would be a stealth tax on motorists, and traders in Grange Road and Northumberland Street, who fear it could drive customers away.

The councillors agreed by eight votes to four to recommend the scheme to cabinet with three additions:

* That the charge be 80p rather than £1, in line with off-street car parks.

* That an exemption badge scheme for visitors be considered.

* That if approved and implemented, the scheme be reviewed after six months.

The full council will make a decision on the proposals next month