SHOPKEEPERS and residents are being urged to get round the table, in an attempt to find a solution to a long-running parking dispute.

City officials have rebuffed calls for a fresh investigation into the problems outside Broadway shops in Fulford, and instead say it is time for all parties to talk it out.

Locals have long complained about motorists parking on the pavement, claiming it could cause an accident and various attempts to resolve the problem have failed.

Fishergate councillor Andy D’Agorne hoped to use new powers to force a review of the issue, but officials said there was little point, as any recommendations would be hard to implement.

Instead, they suggested a round-table discussion, with emphasis on using street-furniture to define a pedestrian area and a parking area in front of the shops.

The problems in the area came to a head last year when a petition was presented to the council, but the authority said it could not intervene on privately-owned land.

A dedicated lobby group, Broadway Area Good Neighbour and Residents Association (BAGNARA) has also campaigned on the issue.

In a new letter to the council, the group’s secretary, Barbara Robinson, said cars on the pavement restricted access for shoppers, blocked wheelchairs and pushchairs and were a particular danger to children.

She said: “The best solution to these problems, in our opinion, would be to remove the bus stop, telephone kiosk and recycling bins from the raised island in front of the shops and replace this with tarmac parking bays for cars, thus keeping them separate from the pavement.”

Coun D’Agorne has used the new “councillor call for action” powers to try to get the issue addressed.

His request will be considered by the council’s economic and city development overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday, but councillors have been advised to vote in favour of fresh discussions, rather than a full review.