A COUNCIL’S decision to erect a gate at the entrance to a library car park in Wotton-under-Edge has infuriated residents.

Wotton Library’s car park, which people living nearby used outside of the building’s opening hours, has been secured by Gloucestershire County Council due to misuse.

The move comes in the midst of a debate over parking in Wotton, with people in the town clashing over whether or not a new 100-space car park on offer by Colburn Homes is worth seeing 10 homes built on some of the town’s green land.

Landlord of The Falcon Steakhouse Andrew Starling said he had remained quiet on Wotton’s “parking fiasco” until the installation of gates on the library car park in Ludgate Hill last Wednesday sent him “over the edge”.

He fears that closing off the 14-space car park will have the knock-on effect of forcing motorists to park on the high street, potentially affecting his business and others.

“The residents of Ludgate Hill and the high street use the car park in the evening and now that the car park is going to be closed off these residents will park on the high street taking away much needed spaces that Falcon customers use,” he said.

“It’s a shame that when you’re trying to maintain a successful business outside factors that seem to halt you.”

Andrew went on to say that he supported proposals for a car park in Wotton, but did not feel the 10 luxury homes on offer by Colburn, along with a car park with 96 spaces, were worth the sacrifice. He did, however, suggest that a development with starter homes made from traditional Cotswold stone would be.

He said the library should have opted to use a clamp system during opening hours, deterring non-library users during the day but keeping the spaces available to residents at other times.

Maddy Cook has lived in Ludgate Hill since 1978 and was stunned when she heard the council was planning to prevent access to the library car park for non-users.

She said: “Parking is a real problem in our small town, which was built long before garages and cars were even thought of. Why penalise residents who have no alternative for parking?”

The county council insists that the move was necessary to prevent library users being left without any spaces.

Rob Barnes, head of delivery for property services at GCC, said: “Library users in Wotton-under-Edge have been finding it difficult to park at the library and some library users contacted us to see if we could help.

“We noticed that some residents had been taking some of the parking spaces, particularly during opening hours, so we’ve put a lock on the gate which can be used when the library is closed and we hope that this will help the situation.”