A PROTEST was held as people came out in force against a parking shake-up in Wootton Bassett.

About 50 residents from Wood Street turned out on Saturday to highlight their concerns that they might soon lose their car parking spaces.

North Wiltshire District Council wants to open their residents-only car park to the public to raise extra revenue, as reported in Saturday's Advertiser.

But the council has also hit the residents with a 350 per cent increase in the cost of their car parking permits.

People living on the single-track lane were armed with banners for their orderly protest against the plans.

Organiser Melanie Hopkins, 44, who lives in Wood Street, said: "It was a fantastic turnout for the protest.

"All morning people were coming up to my front door apologising that they couldn't make it, but I was pleased when I saw so many people turn up.

"I just hope the council gets an idea of just how we feel about this.

"To me the whole idea that we could soon be paying more for parking spaces that we might not have just seems absolutely crazy.

"I do wonder if they have actually visited the street and looked at the situation we have here.

"A lot of residents are not able to park their cars outside their homes, and we have always been told that these are our spaces and they are taking them away."

Mrs Hopkins has also started a petition and signatures are stacking up.

Under the proposals, the spaces, which are at the end of Wood Street, would be open to the public through a pay and display scheme, where shoppers would have to pay 30p for one hour.

But Mrs Hopkins insists that the plan would be ineffective.

"Most of the time the car park is completely filled and when we were doing the protests on Saturday, there were just three parking spaces available," she said. "How can the council make any revenue by charging for just three spaces? It is crazy."

Coun Chris Wannell (Wootton Bassett South, Con) is against the charges and said that the council was using the Lime Kiln Leisure Centre - recently saved from closure - as an excuse for increasing the cost.