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A residents parking scheme is to be introduced in West Belfast in a bid to overcome “crazy” congestion.

The move will see people who live in the Iveagh area, between Broadway and the Falls Road, issued with permits allowing them park in the area.

Homeowners and people renting will get just one permit, with a pay and display set-up for people from outside the area. The pay and display is expected to have a maximum stay allowance of seven hours in an effort to stop people parking there while they go to work.

Residents expecting visitors are to be allowed one book of 25 visitor’s permits every quarter at a cost of £12.50.

Ciaran Beattie, a Sinn Fein councillor in the area, said the move was welcomed at a public meeting on the issue on Tuesday night.

He added: “Parking is a huge issue all around the mid-Falls, but it’s just crazy around Iveagh. There was a traffic survey back in February and it came back that the area is at 100% capacity. You’ve the Royal nearby which is one of the biggest employers in West Belfast and you’ve St Mary’s College nearby so there’s a major issue here.

“There’s been really positive feedback and we are looking at a pilot scheme in the new year with it possibly becoming a permanent fixture in about 18 months.”

The first Residents’ Parking Scheme to be introduced in Northern Ireland started in the Holyland area of South Belfast in April.

The Department for Infrastructure initiative created ‘Controlled Parking’ zones for residents and business owners in the Rugby Road and College Park Avenue area.

A total of 236 parking bays were laid out in that scheme, with 117 for permit holding residents only and 119 for Pay and Display.

The plans for Iveagh are at an early stage, but it is understood there will be entry and exit signs designating the boundaries of a resident parking zone. Blue badge holders will be allowed to park free of charge and without a time limit within the parking zone.

Sources say that regarding the visitor permits, it is believed they will be like scratch cards with a window to scratch off for each day. These permits must be displayed on the dashboard of the car and can be transferred between various cars during the single day of use.

If you are 65 years or over, you will qualify for an additional book of permits per quarter, free of charge, according to a source familiar with the issue.

Parking for healthcare staff or carers attending to a resident living within the parking zone is free of charge with a permit will be issued by the Department of Health.

For funerals and other special events, residents within the zone can apply for enforcement to be suspended for short periods of time depending on the circumstances, it is understood.

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