A SCHEME to create residents' parking zones in Chippenham has provoked a mixed reaction from people living in the proposed areas.

The first areas earmarked for the scheme are set to include Marshfield Road, Parkfields, St Paul Street and Park Lane.

These areas have been agreed in principle but householders will be consulted once plans have been finalised by Wiltshire County Council.

advertisement Linda Quirke, 30, who moved to Parkfields two weeks ago, said she was in favour of the idea.

She said: "Everyone comes along and parks in this road and then walk down to work, that way they escape the charges in town.

"There is a vets nearby and they all park outside my house and then walk to their surgery.

"I would be very much in favour of the scheme but only if it guaranteed a space.

"Otherwise there is no point to it.

"We moved to this road from another area of Chippenham so we are very aware of all the trouble with parking in the town."

Park Lane resident Mr Meyrick-Carpenter said he was strongly against the idea.

He said: "Permit schemes are pointless especially when people are coming and going all the time.

"You can never guarantee that you are going to get in a space.

"The parking situation in Chippenham is just getting worse and worse and I think the best thing they could possibly do is build a multi-storey car park.

"Yes it would be an eyesore but it would serve its purpose.

"A lot of people park on these roads and then walk into town because they don't want to deal with all the parking charges."

Another resident of Parkfields, who did not wish to be named, said she thought the scheme was a good idea and was fed up with people leaving their cars outside her home.

The scheme follows the decriminalisation of parking in September 2006, which saw responsibility for enforcement pass from police to North Wiltshire District Council.

The senior parking officer in a report to the council said in the region of 700 properties and 1,000 vehicles would be eligible to apply for the permits under the first phase of the project.

Public support will decide whether the zones come to fruition.