RESIDENTS could finally reclaim their streets from outpatients and employees who park up to avoid charges and congestion at York Hospital's car park.

City of York Council is set to press ahead with plans for a residents-only parking (Respark) scheme in Hambleton Terrace, Wigginton Terrace, Briggs Street, Scaife Gardens and Scaife Street. It has published draft orders, and invited anyone with objections to write in by February 25.

People living in the area have complained in the past about increasing difficulties in parking outside their homes, which are thought to have been caused partly by hospital outpatients, visitors and staff parking for free on the streets rather than in the hospital's car park.

One resident, Colin Barton, said in 2002 that he had resorted to putting traffic cones outside his home because the problems were getting so bad.

Mr Barton, who was applying with a group of other householders for a residents parking scheme, said the numbers of people parking in Hambleton Terrace had leapt dramatically since the number of spaces in nearby Union Terrace car park had been cut by 200. He also claimed that hospital employees were using the street to park.

He said: "People like me down this street are getting absolutely fed up.

"If I come home at dinner time, people are even parking on the grass verge opposite," he said.

A council spokeswoman said today that the Respark scheme was being proposed in response to requests from local residents. "Some of the feedback has been connected to residents complaining about people not using the hospital car park."

Meanwhile, the council is also proposing to introduce another Respark scheme in the South Bank/Mount area of York. It would involve stretches of Driffield Terrace, Millfield Road, Nunthorpe Avenue, Thorpe Street, Scarcroft Road, Scarcroft Hill, Telford Terrace, Wentworth Road and Albemarle Road. But the council says the rules would be changed so that there would not be any prejudicial impact on guest houses.

New no-waiting restrictions would also be introduced in parts of Millfield Road, Nunthorpe Avenue, Scarcroft Road, Scarcroft Hill, Telford Terrace, Wentworth Road and Albemarle Road. Objections must be sent to the authority by February 25.

The council spokeswoman said: "We were initially asked by a group of residents to investigate a possible Respark scheme and have done so, in the process directly consulting with all likely to be affected residents.

"For a raft of reasons there appears to be a good measure of support for the idea and hence we now are advertising the formal orders.

"The initial catalyst for the approach in each area is not known, but all that matters to us is that there is a majority who are asking us to do something to help them park outside their own homes."

Updated: 11:12 Wednesday, February 16, 2005