The idea is to allow parking on the side of the road that is the less busy during the rush hours – out of town in the morning and into town in the evening.

At present clearway restrictions mean there is no parking at all, which businesses and residents say can cause them problems.

Residents say it can be difficult to park their cars overnight and shopkeepers point out that deliveries are often made during peak periods.

Two routes have been selected for the trial – Chesterfield Road between Woodseats Road and Broadfield Road and City Road and Duke Street between Park Square and Park Grange Road. If successful the 'tidal parking' principle could be extended to Ecclesall Road, where a 754-name petition underlined the need for extra parking.

Pressure to try to create more parking on busy commuter roads increased last year when the council decided to extend urban clearway restrictions and bus lanes to try to smooth the run for buses.

Council highways officers will recommend the experiment at a meeting on Monday.

Possible concerns about safety are being raised, with drivers encouraged to turn right across oncoming traffic to use a parking spot, then having to negotiate oncoming traffic when leaving.

However, no such problems were found in Nottingham where a scheme has been operating.

At the same time it is difficult to make direction comparisons. "The idea is tidal parking arrangements has merit but due to the relatively narrow widths of many of the city's major arterial routes may have relatively limited potential in Sheffield," say city highways officers.

If councillors decide to press ahead, the authority will formally advertise the proposals and await public reaction before making the final decisions.



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