RESIDENTS are going to be consulted on whether they would like to see the introduction of permit parking to alleviate problems with cars clogging up streets.

Councillors in Shoebury are going to be distributing leaflets to houses in streets close to Shoebury station asking whether residents would be willing to pay £15 a year for a permit to park in their road.

Cllr Roger Hadley, who represents Shoebury, will be delivering leaflets to 700 homes tomorrow (Saturday) asking for people’s opinions on the proposal.

He believed the root cause of the problems was that rail passengers travelling to London were not willing to pay the £4 a day fee to leave their car in the station’s car park and were instead parking in residential roads.

This situation had been made worse, he added, by new housing developments at nearby Great Wakering, which had resulted in more commuters using the Shoebury terminus to get into the capital.

The streets being targeted by the consultation include the High Street, Hinguar Street, Wakering Avenue, George Street, Rampart Street, Smith Street and Elm Road.

Mr Hadley said Shoebury was set to become the first part of the town to get a permit parking scheme six years ago, but residents decided against it due to the cost involved.

But since then a number of areas of the town have adopted a permit parking system, including the Beresford and Milton areas, Colchester Road, Southend hospital, roads around Southend town centre and Victoria station.

Each household can apply for permits for up to four cars, with the first two cars costing £15 each and then £30 for a third car and £50 for a fourth car.

Mr Hadley said: “The residents have raised the issue over the parking situation, but if we are going to see what the overall consensus is then we have got to consult the residents.

“If we do that then we have got to include all these roads, which cover quite a wide area.”