Should Portsmouth have more parking zones? Residents have their say

Portsmouth currently has 33 such zones around the city, with the first one established in 1999.

Other areas have been earmarked to become permit zones, and residents have been debating whether or not they benefit the city.

We spoke to Portsmouth residents and business owners to find out what they think about parking zones.

Dave Bean, 39, who owns Keepers of the Peculiar on Victoria Road South, said: 'Permitted zones might mean customers struggle to find spaces but I'm sure residents would like them.

'I live in Somers Town where it's permitted and it's awful. Just because the rest of the parking spaces are pay and display. But I think the permits are good for people who live there, just not visitors because there is not much other parking around for them.'

Michael Mikell, 69, of Duncan Road: 'We would love to have a parking zone. During the day the road is really full with cars.

'Even if we had some parking restrictions that would help, like making it only  a couple of hours parking at a time for non-residents.

'There's a garage nearby and quite often they park their cars around here. And their vans take up to two car spaces. What we find is we have got a lot of traders parking their vans and cars going to work as well as shoppers.'

David Greentree, 47, Hawthorn Road: 'The people who park down my road during the day are workers half the time. You see the regular cars back in the evenings.

'So it's not too much of a problem because most of the residents are out while other people park there.

'Although there is a lot of illegal parking on the kerb.'

Rob Holland, 25, from Portsmouth said: 'When you go along the seafront you see people driving up and down.

'I used to live in an un-permitted part. It was so difficult finding somewhere to park. I used to drive around and around. Sometimes I had to park about ten minutes walk away. I can see why permits are a good thing.

'But I suppose it does just move the cars into other areas without permits.'