A group of residents in Winchester have successfully campaigned to prevent their estate being used as a "long-term car park".

The city council is to suspend unrestricted parking in Poets Way, Byron Avenue, Shelley Close, Wordsworth Close and Browning Drive. In its place there will be two-hour maximum stay parking, excluding residents who can buy permits to park all day.

Sue Fairbrother, who lives in Byron Avenue, helped to organise the residents' campaign.

"Our street is often used for long-term railway parking. We've seen people come in a taxi with their luggage and pick up a car that's been parked in the estate for over a week," she said.

A council survey found the majority of residents wanted parking restrictions, but some are sceptical about the idea.

Malcolm Bennett lives in Wordsworth Close; he feels the council has created a city-wide parking problem.

"They get the residents to pay for a problem they created. They haven't addressed the wider issues and now the parking problem will just go elsewhere," he said.

The estate was excluded from the city's Controlled Parking Zone established in 1996 on the request of residents.

Many have since complained the five streets have been used by commuters and students, taking advantage of free all-day parking.

The council has also recognised the estate becomes very busy with parents dropping and collecting children at the nearby Western School. In order to stop "uncontrolled parking" by drivers on the school run, the council may introduce a no-waiting policy on the estate between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday.

The power to draw up traffic regulation orders currently lies with the county council. However, city members expect to have the necessary authority to make the changes "within a short time".