THE Royal Agricultural University has long been the top place to study agriculture in the UK, and it is fantastic news for Cirencester that the RAU will soon be the top place to develop an agricultural technology business.

Not only will Farm491 create around 200 jobs and provide advances in ‘agri-tech’ which could benefit the world, the influx of new people will be a boost to the economy in Cirencester.

There will be more people shopping in the town, which will be a welcome sight for our traders.

However, the prospect of these additional visitors to the town centre once again raises one of Cirencester’s longest running problems: parking.

Not a day goes by when we don’t receive a letter from a business, resident or visitor exasperated by the shortage of spaces in the town centre.

Indeed, the letters on the letters page of this week's Standard and the stories on page 7 and 18 show just much of a crisis this has become.

Cotswold District Council is clearly seeking a solution, and the demolition of the Old Memorial Hospital to make way for more parking spaces is a step in the right direction, but there’s a feeling that it’s all too little too late.

The plans for more spaces and perhaps a multi-storey could take months if not years to deliver, and the parking crisis in Cirencester is happening now.

Businesses are losing customers and residents are moving elsewhere now.

We need action now.