LAST week the county council published its proposed new on-street parking restrictions for seven roads to the south of Cirencester including Chesterton Lane and Somerford Road.

These parking restrictions will answer widespread concern about the hazards and inconvenience of parking in these roads and inevitable traffic congestion.

I would estimate the loss of about 100 on-street parking spaces, maybe more.

However the drivers who often park their cars all day are students, town centre shop and office workers, customers of businesses in the town and shoppers.

All are important to Cirencester.

Many cannot afford Cirencester car parks.

Doubtless in the short term they will be forced to park in residential streets further out of town, which will inevitably lead to more complaints.

In the longer term some will go elsewhere, to the detriment of the town.

The Parking Demand Board led by councillor Mark Harris has an unenviable task to find sufficient and affordable off-street parking.

But if there is insufficient parking today in Cirencester, both on-street and off-street, then the extra cars generated by the proposed 2,350 houses in Chesterton will make the town’s traffic and parking problems impossible.

Most of the proposed homes will be some two miles from the town centre and very few residents will be prepared to walk that far.

Save Our Cirencester from this damaging Local Plan.

JOHN NICHOLAS

Cirencester