THERE will be an exodus of independent businesses from Cirencester unless parking is improved in the town centre.

That is the view of business owners who are losing customers due to parking problems, and they have joined forces to urge Cotswold District Council (CDC) to take action immediately.

The lack of spaces has become particularly bad recently, as CDC refurbishes the Forum car park, and financial firm St James’s Place has drastically reduced the size of its car park while its new office is built in Tetbury Road, meaning employees are parking elsewhere.

Tom Wharton, who owns tailor Barrington Ayre in Market Place, told the Standard he had lost nine customers in the past month due to parking.

The 37-year-old said he may have to consider moving out of Cirencester.

“Last week, I had a customer come down from Buckinghamshire, only to try and park for over an hour. He got so frustrated that he actually turned around and went home and even called CDC to complain,” Tom said.

Oli Christie, the CEO of mobile app firm Neon Play, in Tetbury Road, said: “If parking doesn’t improve, we would have to think about moving.

“We want to double in size in the future. This is our biggest risk for growing the company,” Mr Christie said.

A spokesman for CDC said the council would be “addressing” the lack of parking spaces through its Local Plan (a development blueprint for the Cotswolds) and its long-term parking strategy.

One idea put forward by Tom Wharton to improve parking is to change the layout of the market on Monday and Friday to free up about 20 bays.

The town council and market organisers are said to be considering this.