AN OVERNIGHT parking ban has been lifted in seven car parks to reduce the number of cars clogging up residential roads.

Castle Point Council scrapped the three-hour limit in town centre car parks between 6pm and 7am.

The car parks are Homestead Road, Essex Way, Oak Road, Rectory Road, Castle Lane, Richmond Hall and Hart Road.

Cabinet members voted to lift the time limit to stop people parking outside houses instead of using car parks.

Paul Varker, who represents Victoria Ward, had called for the change, along with Ali Shah, owner of Tandoori Parlour, in Hart Road, who said the restriction was affecting his business.

Mr Varker said: “Hopefully it will increase trade and encourage people to park in the car parks rather than park their cars in streets, which interferes with local residents as I would guess there are noise issues late at night. It is good for the community all round really.”

Castle Point Council introduced changes to its car parks in February to make sure they were used for shoppers, rather than people parking in them all day for work.

Council officers said as the majority of shops in the area had closed by 6pm, the council would not lose money, because hardly anyone parked there in the evening, anyway.

At last week’s cabinet meeting councillors called for other car parks, including a small one in Seaview Road, which cannot be used in the summer season, to be reviewed.

Castle Point Council will now put up new signs in the car parks advertising the changes.