A MEETING is being held to try to resolve the problem over parking on one of Colchester's new estates.

Commuters using Colchester North station have been at loggerheads with residents after parking their cars in the residential roads near the Northern Approaches.

Essex County Council is now looking at putting down yellow lines to stop the commuters clogging up the roads during the day.

But that will also hit residents trying to park cars near their homes.

Colchester councillor Martin Goss, who is also chairman of the Northern Approaches Action Group, said a compromise was now being sought.

He has leafletted 640 homes in the area to guage opinion to the proposed parking restrictions and is holding an open meeting to generate comments and reactions.

Mr Goss, who is also a Myland parish councillor, said: "There have been issues with parking on the Northern Approaches development for some time.

"The problem has arisen where staff at the hospital and patients park their cars on the new estate roads and cut through. There are also commuters using the station who leave their cars there.

"There have been a number of altercations between residents and commuters. They argue they are public roads and can park there.

"The county council has devised a plan to put yellow lines everywhere but that would also stop residents parking.

"We do need the lines but not everywhere. We would like the plans watered down."

Mr Goss said there had also been occasions when emergency vehicles had struggled to get down narrow estate roads because of the cars parked along them.

And he said in some instances cars had been parked on pavements causing an obstruction to pedestrians.

Residents from the Northern Approaches area are being invited to attend a meeting on Saturday between 10am and 1pm at St Michael's Church Hall in Nayland Road, Colchester, where proposed parking restrictions will be on display.

Mr Goss said: "Residents are invited to come along and give their comments. We will take these to the county council and try to get the yellow lines put in sensible places."

A formal consultation will also be held over the proposals.