VISITORS to a busy market town could be limited to a two-hour stay if proposed parking restrictions are approved.

Stanhope parish council has asked Durham County Council to consider limiting parking in the village's Front Street to one or two hours.

The request follows complaints from both residents and visitors that they cannot park in the market place because cars are being left there all day. The parish council says that the problem is discouraging passing trade for the shops in the area.

Now informal consultations are under way to gauge public opinion on a possible parking scheme on the north side of Front Street.

The 200-metre-long section, which currently has unlimited parking, could be subject to a maximum stay of one or two hours between 9am and 6pm.

A spokesperson for Durham County Council said: "The council has written to all the households and businesses in the area asking for their views on the plan. If the proposal goes ahead the restriction will apply to all traffic, including residents and business owners."

Chairman of Stanhope parish council, Harry Irwin, said there is a definite parking problem in the village and something needs to be done to alleviate the situation.

He said: "Wear Valley District Council and the county council are pushing tourism in this area but they really need to do something about the parking. We need extra parking but there is nowhere in the centre of Stanhope where we can do this."

Coun Irwin also expressed dismay at the forthcoming new market which will start in the village on Monday.

He said: "They are going to have to think about the volume of traffic. It is the residents who are going to have to suffer."

But Wear Valley District Council said that after consultation 75.5 per cent of local people and 64 per cent of businesses were in favour of the market.

They say it will feature 11 stalls selling a range of goods that are not currently available in Stanhope.