RESIDENTS have again thwarted a council's bid to introduce parking restrictions in their city centre streets.

But they have yet to persuade it to adopt their own plan to address parking problems.

In spring last year, Durham County Council tried to introduce a combination of pay and display and resident permit holder parking in Hawthorn Terrace, The Avenue, Atherton Street, Neville Street and West Terrace, in Durham City.

The move followed the introduction of similar restrictions in many other city centre streets, which the council said had increased demand for parking in uncontrolled areas, making them congested and unsafe.

The proposals were met with opposition from many residents, who formed the Hawthorn Terrace Neighbourhood Parking Group and submitted petitions bearing almost 250 signatures.

In the end, the council dropped the idea.

But recently, after claiming that some residents were now requesting controls, the council tried to re-introduce the scheme.

In keeping with other restricted areas, it proposed mixed permit holder and pay and display restrictions from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, along with waiting restrictions in areas considered unsafe.

It earmarked The Avenue, May Street, Hawthorn Terrace, Laburnum Avenue, Lawson Street, Mistletoe Street, Holly Street, Atherton Street, East Atherton Street, New Street, Neville Street, West Terrace and Station Lane for the scheme, and launched widespread consultations before carrying out a ballot.

But it refused to meet the demands of the Hawthorn Terrace Neighbourhood Parking Group, which submitted its own proposals for residents-only parking for most of the neighbourhood.

A report by Chris Tunstall, the council's director of environment and technical services, said: "It had been clearly stated in the consultation leaflet that 'residents only' parking was not an option as this would be detrimental to the balanced approach to supply and demand for on-street parking within the city.

"Parking surveys undertaken by this authority had indicated that mixed parking would provide adequate space for residents as has been the case in other areas of the city."

After residents in all but two of the streets balloted voted against the restrictions, the council has decided to introduce them in only West Terrace and Station Lane.