Northumberland County Council has scaled back plans to remove all long-stay car parking places in Hexham after an angry reaction.
The council had planned to convert all of the long-stay parking in Wentworth car park to medium stay following its investment to create a new car park at the former Bunker Site on Alemouth Road, which included 250 long-stay bays.
However, local county councillors and stakeholders raised concern about the removal of the long-stay options at Wentworth, and a petition was presented to the council last year with 564 signatures.
The spaces are often used by communters who work in the town centre as well as visitors to Hexham.
As a result of the outcry, the council has proposed to retain 100 of the all-day parking spaces at Wentworth car park, while the remaining all-day spaces will be converted to medium stay. Officers said this would provide a net gain in long-stay parking spaces sought by the petition, and also retain a significant number of long-stay spaces in Wentworth.
Wentworth currently has 283 long-stay bays, which the council had proposed to switch to four-hour-stay bays. The changes would have resulted in the loss of 33 long-stay spaces, and petitioners were also concerned that some of the long-stay bays would be taken up by guests at the town’s new Travelodge.
However, the number of long-stay spaces will now increase by 67.
The issue was discussed by councillors at Tuesday’s meeting of the Tynedale Local area council. Speaking at the meeting, mayor of Hexham and county councillor for Hexham West Derek Kennedy said: “I think this is a positive move.
“I would suggest that we go with it and have a look in six months and see if there’s any minor nudges needed.”
Coun Nick Oliver, who represents Corbridge, added: “If the spaces in the centre are being used by town centre businesses who rely on people coming into the town centre, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
“Moving them a couple of hundred yards down the road to the new car park seems the sensible thing to do.”
The new measures were approved by 10 votes to zero, with three abstentions.