AN INVITATION has been offered for people to air their views on the proposal to scrap the residents’ permit parking scheme in Yarmouth.

The Great Yarmouth Residents’ Association has welcomed the public to join a meeting on Friday at 7pm in the Conservative Club, Market Gates, Yarmouth.

A move was passed to defer a recommendation to scrap the scheme back to the borough’s cabinet following a scrutiny committee meeting held last week.

The decision to disband the scheme was seen as cost-cutting measure aimed at preventing residents and businesses from having to pay to park near their premises, while eliminating the scheme’s annual deficit – which has grown from nearly �27,000 in 2007/2008, to close to �97,000 in 2010/2011.

More than �50,000 of the 2010/2011 deficit is made up of departmental recharges, which include the day-to-day running costs of the scheme.

Last year’s deficit was paid for by more than �200,000 made from the seafront on street pay and display parking. However, money saved from scrapping the scheme would be ring fenced and could only be spent by Norfolk County Council on improving traffic systems in the town.

Currently, a resident’s permit costs �25 annually, while a business permit costs �100. More than 610 residential permits, and 840 visitor permits, were issued between April 2010 and March 2011. Seventy business permits and 140 business visitor permits were issued over the same period.

The decision on whether to scrap the scheme will have to have final approval from both Norfolk county and Yarmouth borough councils.