MORE parking spaces could soon be created in Backwell to help struggling businesses in the village.

Backwell Parish Council is investigating extending the parking bay in Rodney Road to allow more cars to use the space and adding a time restriction.

A number of businesses in Backwell rely on passing custom and the lack of parking facilities is affecting trade in the village stores.

North Somerset councillor for Backwell, Karen Barclay, said: “Some of the parking bays in Backwell have hourly restrictions, like the ones outside the doctors, the chemist, at the bottom of Dark Lane and in Station Road, but they are not enforced and people leave their cars there all day.

“It causes problems because the shops rely on passing trade so if people drive past and see there aren’t any spaces they are unlikely to stop.

“If we could have people coming and going more it would help the shops.”

At a meeting on Thursday, Backwell Parish Council agreed to ask Cllr Barclay to speak to North Somerset Council about the feasibility of adding more parking spaces to Rodney Road.

She said: “We are looking to fit in more spaces in the lay-by outside the newsagents.

“It would mean extending it into the pavement and then putting a restriction on it, which would need to be enforced by the police.

“It gets very congested and villagers identified it as a problem area in our neighbourhood plan.

“I’ve spoken to North Somerset Council and it can be done but it means some work and money.

“No matter how many spaces we create they are going to get full so we are never going to be in a situation where we have got lots of free spaces, but if we could restrict the time people can stay there then that would help.”