IT MUST have come as a shock to residents neighbouring South Gloucestershire Council’s offices when they found out more car parking was going to advance towards their homes.

This will be the case even more so when the land those new spaces will be laid on are used for recreational purposes, like tending to an allotment. It must feel like your hobby and hard work are all coming undone.

But in all fairness, the land belongs to the council, only being leased out to the residents for the allotment and chicken run, so the users of the site should have known something like this could always happen.

With a growing population, more people are needed to run the council effectively, meaning most people will be coming from further afield, not just within walking distance.

The council have also offered to help find new land for the residents to continue their work on, so while it doesn’t have the convenience of being on their doorstep, at least they can continue doing what they love.