NEW parking restrictions have been introduced in a Northumberland town centre.
The changes have been introduced by Northumberland County Council in Prudhoe town centre in response to long-standing concerns about congestion and parking issues, particularly affecting the B6395 Front Street and nearby residential junctions.
The changes aim to improve road safety, accessibility and traffic flow for both residents and visitors.
The new parking arrangements include amendments to on-street parking places as well as waiting and loading restrictions.
Mark Mather, Northumberland County Council’s cabinet member for roads and highways, said: "The county council is committed to provide free car parking places in Prudhoe.
"The on-street parking restrictions currently in place were no longer fit for purpose in terms of promoting vehicular turnover, increased footfall, loading facilities for commercial premises or providing parking for residents in the most congested streets within the town centre.
"A few changes have been made, which cumulatively we hope will help alleviate parking and congestion issues in this part of town."
These updates follow consultations with statutory bodies, residents, and businesses, and are part of a broader review prompted by evolving shopping habits and changes in the high street business mix.
Among the new measures, loading bays on Front Street and U8280 Front Street Back Lane have been relocated outside Heron Foods. A disabled bay with a maximum stay of three hours has also been introduced in the lay-by outside the store, operating from 9am to 6pm daily to support Blue Badge holders while keeping it available for overnight residential use.
The former loading bays on Front Street and the back lane have been replaced with limited-waiting parking, allowing for a maximum stay of two hours from Monday to Saturday between 9am and 6pm. Additional two-hour waiting bays have been introduced on the west side of Neale Street, where longer stay restrictions were deemed unnecessary.
Dual-use bays next to Heron Foods have been changed to resident permit holders only during the same hours, while permit parking on Victoria Terrace has been removed to make space for short-stay visitors.
A new loading bay has been created outside the funeral directors behind Front Street. The previous arrangement relied on double yellow lines, which were often used by Blue Badge holders but blocked essential business access. The council hopes the new loading bay will reduce the need for businesses to use opposite parking bays for deliveries, freeing up spaces for residents and visitors.
All changes will be monitored over the coming months to assess their effectiveness.
Northumbria Police, other emergency services, and statutory consultees are being formally notified as part of the permanent traffic regulation process.
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