AN Old Town resident claims he is being forced to move out of the area because rule changes mean he only qualifies for one parking permit.

Toby Robson's partner, Anna Boyd, was planning to move in and share his house on Prospect Hill but he has received a letter from Swindon Council saying that from now on he can only have one resident's parking permit, not two.

The same applies to all households in zones A, D, E, F, G and L.

Residents who previously had two parking permits are being given a three-year grace period before they face similar restrictions.

Toby, 35, a press officer, says he will now have to move elsewhere.

"I'm going to have to sell my home," he said. "My car isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. I work in Newbury.

"The council has slipped this in on the quiet. It's so short-sighted.

"What's made Old Town successful is young professionals moving in.

But we all commute. We're going to have to leave the area.

"I love Old Town and I'll be gutted if I have to leave but if my girlfriend wants to move in what choice do I have?

"For £625 a year she could use a car park in the centre of town and walk back to my house in the dark.

"Everyone is aware something needs to be done with parking but we thought we'd have to pay for a second permit. Most of us thought that would be fine."

He believes that the price of all properties in the area will be affected.

John Harding, the owner of Charles Harding estate agents in Old Town, said: "This is going to have an effect. Up until now there were two permits for each household and the allocations have been reduced overnight.

"This is a huge consideration as most families have at least two cars.

"It's bound to affect people's decision as to whether they buy or not, and that could bounce on to affect prices. It's not been planned well. It should have had a longer phasing in."

A Swindon Council spokesman said: "We will look at cases on an individual basis. Mr Robson should write to us and make his case.

"We consulted very widely last year on the changes to the residents' parking scheme.

"We understand residents' concerns, which is why residents who were eligible for a second permit will get a three-year grace period before any second permit is withdrawn.

"We can't alter the fact that the demand for residents' on-street parking in many areas of Swindon is greater than the space available.

"We held a number of meetings and workshops with residents to find out their views on how best to tackle the problem, and the consensus was to limit the number of permits per household."