RESIDENTS claim new traffic restrictions in Milnthorpe make it difficult for them to park their cars.

Now some are calling for designated residents' spaces in the busy village centre.

Milnthorpe Square was revamped earlier this year, and new parking restrictions were brought in which limit visitors to two hours' free parking in the square and surrounding streets.

Residents are awaiting permits which will entitle them to park on the streets surrounding the square with no time restriction, although the spaces are not reserved for them.

The residents' permits will not be valid for the square itself.

One resident who was caught out was Emma Singleton, who was given a £50 fine for parking on the square.

Now Emma and other residents are calling for some on-street spaces to be designated for residents only, because they claim all the spaces are often taken by shoppers, leaving them nowhere to park.

Emma said: "It's not too bad in the week or at nights, but on Saturday morning, when everybody's off work, sometimes you just can't get down the parking bays so you have to go on the square."

Neighbour Lynn Bower agreed: "You would think there could be something to say 'residents' parking' along the sides, if we are not allowed to park in the middle."

South Lakeland District Council car parks assistant Iain Wishart said if Emma wrote to him explaining the circumstances, he would be happy to cancel her parking fine.

Cumbria County Council spokesman Sara Turnball said although the council did not have a policy to establish residents' only parking zones, they would be happy to discuss parking problems with people from Milnthorpe.

Chairman of Milnthorpe Parish Council, Charles Stewart, said the system was working well, and residents could park in the square overnight without restriction, or for two hours during the day, while waiting for an on-street space to become available.