RESIDENTS' parking facilities in Fareham town centre are in jeopardy and moves to include another road within the scheme look doomed.

Borough council highways and transportation committee are discussing the future of residents' permit parking at their meeting on Tuesday.

The scheme was first introduced in 1997 after residents complained they could not park because of shoppers' cars get in the way.

Although the number of permit holders has increased, the scheme has operated at a loss from the start. Current annual deficit is £740.

Officers stress that unless at least 15 extra residents join, it will continue to run at a loss - and no provision is made in the budget for an ongoing subsidy.

But instead of axing permit parking now, officers say residents should be given one final chance.

They are recommending that a publicity exercise should be launched to encourage additional residents to take part. They believe the scheme should only continue after March 31 next year if a further 15 annual permits are sold. Residents' parking streets are King's Road, Hartlands Road, Portland Street, Queen's Road and Western Road.

High Street residents have asked for their road to be included, but officers reject this because there are not enough residents without off-street parking to make it self-financing.

Traders also believe business would be hit if a section of the street was reserved only for residents' only parking. They stressed that more, not less, general parking was needed. The issues will be decided on Tuesday.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.