ELY S saga over residents parking rumbles on – as a long-promised council review gets underway. Around 500 households in the centre of Ely, will be sent a questionnaire – asking not only how many cars they have, but also if they are prepared to pay for

ELY'S saga over residents' parking rumbles on - as a long-promised council review gets underway.

Around 500 households in the centre of Ely, will be sent a questionnaire - asking not only how many cars they have, but also if they are prepared to pay for a resident's parking permit.

David Archer, executive director of East Cambridgeshire District Council, who was tasked with carrying out the review, said on Radio Cambridgeshire that the county council was responsible for issuing permits - but, in fact for off-street parking the district council may, if there is enough demand, issue residents' parking permits.

Even if residents say they are in favour of parking permits, the system would have to get past the council's Environment and Transport committee - and a Conservative administration who were largely against residents' parking last time the issue was discussed.

The new car parking regulations have been in operation since February and were designed to encourage "short term visitors" to the city - tourists and shoppers - who would spend money in the city centre's retail outlets, and to prevent commuters from parking all day in the city centre, instead using the new park-and-ride facility at Angel Drove.

"There are not enough spaces in the centre of Ely, so it's a question of how we best use those finite resources," said Mr Archer.

Last November, 500 residents, led but Christopher and Valerie Bent who live in Broad Street, signed a petition asking for residents' parking. The district council says it has held several meetings in the last few months with the Bents to discuss the issue.