PARKING permits for a Weymouth district will be changing - in a move that is supported by residents and opposed by hotel and guest house owners.

Dorset Council has announced there will be four amendments to the residents parking scheme in the Park District area of Weymouth as a result of a consultation which was launched in October 2018.

During the consultation - which calculated that there are 526 spaces for vehicles within zones A and C with 698 permits in circulation - 273 questionnaires were completed and returned.

As per the new amendments, hotels, guest houses, holiday homes and Airbnb accommodation within zones A and C will be removed from the eligibility criteria. These premises will now only be able to purchase permits for the Swannery Car Park, with guests able to use 10-minute uploading time to drop luggage and check in.

Eighty-five per cent of respondents who identified themselves as residents supported this amendment, compared to just 15 per cent of respondents who identified themselves as guest house or hotel owners.

Properties with private driveways will be restricted to one permit per household and residential properties will be restricted to a maximum of two on-street permits per household. Overall, 73 per cent of respondents agreed that there should be a restriction on the number of permits, with 26 per cent stating one and 63 per cent stating two.

In another big change, the one-hour maximum wait period for on-street parking, which is currently available at any time of day, is being reduced to between 9am and 6pm. Between 6pm and 9am parking will be for resident permit holders only with no waiting period.

The pricing of residents parking permits is not changing and anyone with additional vehicles needing an extra permit will be able to buy a Swannery Car Park permit.

Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council portfolio holder for highways, travel and environment, said: "Although we're unable to create new parking spaces in this densely populated area, we can make changes to our permit system to favour residents and make it easier for them to find a parking space.

"The available parking space may not be directly outside your home as there is still such high demand in the area, but this new allocation will provide more space across the permit zone.

"We recognise it will take time for accommodation providers in the area to adapt to this new system, but we feel that this arrangement will be a much more positive experience for visitors who currently have to circle the area and join the fierce competition for an on-street parking space.

"I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our consultation and who attended our drop-in sessions at the community centre. You've helped us shape this permit scheme and make it more effective."

The changes will start from February 1, 2021.