TRADERS and business people in Chippenham have expressed fears about totally inadequate car parking included in the revised plans for the Flowers and Riverside site.

At a Town Centre Forum meeting last week, officers from North Wiltshire District Council unveiled the new plans and asked for feedback from the business community.

A riverside hotel, restaurants and offices have been added to the plans, which were also exhibited in Emery Gate shopping centre so members of the public could also have their say.

The new plans still feature areas of housing, but planners said they had taken local feeling on board and had added leisure facilities and open space along the River Avon.

But Coun Diane Moore flagged car parking as an area for concern, suggesting extra leisure and shopping facilities would attract more cars into the town centre.

"We need to think very carefully about car parking sites," she said.

Lionel Gibbs, from Prudential, suggested this was the time for the district council to grasp the nettle and build a multi-storey car park in the town.

"I reckon it would cost about £3 to £4 million. This could be a missed opportunity. Now is the time to start looking for money to build one."

The exhibition was part of a consultation process for the Draft Development Brief for the site, which stretches from Westmead Lane to Wood Lane.

The Town Hall was packed with more than 50 members of the public on Monday night.

Officers from North Wiltshire District Council's urban design team and Economic Development and Tourism department, as well as James White of Wiltshire County Council's Transport department, talked residents through the plans with photographs, maps and key objectives for the site.

Feedback from the public was largely negative with many expressing fears about a lack of parking and potential congestion on the already busy Gladstone Road.

Tom Newey of Marshfield Road, said: "It' all very well talking about building new houses but that will only bring more cars into the town and there is nowhere for them to park."

He suggested houses could be built without parking spaces to discourage people to use cars and was told this would be a consideration.

At a meeting on January 23, the district council will consider any further feedback before agreeing the development brief.

This will be adopted as supplementary planning guidance when any future planning application is considered for the site.