The highways director for Dorset is to be asked to appear before Dorchester town council to explain what his department is doing to improve roads and paths in the county town.

The town's planning and environment committee heard that since Dorset Council came into being more than a year ago a local committee to push forward improvements has been abandoned.

Town and unitary councillor Andy Canning, who used to chair that committee, said he saw little chance of it being re-started but said that there were projects still needed to improve safety and tackle pollution.

The town planning committee agreed to invite highways director Matthew Piles to a town council meeting to explain what, if anything, is being planned to improve the town's road, path and cycleway networks.

Mayor elect Cllr Gareth Jones said the town council would also like to know what is happening to proposals for improving residents-only parking.

He said he knew of people now moving from some roads because they could never park anywhere near their home while some households had four cars kept almost permanently on the street.

"It's an issue which has just been kicked again and again into the long grass by Dorset Council," he said.

Cllr Molly Rennie said she hoped that some of the issues would have been discussed at a meeting due to be held in April to look at a further review of car parking policy – but that meeting had been cancelled, with no new date set, to allow highways brief holder Cllr Ray Bryan and senior Dorset Council officers to spend more time to sort out problems on Weymouth harbourside.

Cllr Rennie, who currently chairs the town's joint markets committee, has also been calling for changes to Sunday parking fees for those attending the charity car boot sales at the Fairfield.

From April the parking fees for those attending the car boot are a minimum of £4, compared to the £2.60 minimum fee for those attending the Wednesday commercial stall market.

Other parking issues raised by the town council include drivers who park on grass verges and pavements, an issue which has developed off Damers Road and South Court Avenue and at Fourgates.