PEOPLE living near the proposed site for a new Lidl in Nailsea have started a petition to prevent the loss of more than 80 car parking spaces.

In September, the Times reported how supermarket chain Lidl wants to build a new store in Crown Glass car park, as part of a £9million investment plan for Nailsea town centre.

Letters flooded in objecting to the loss of 83 free parking spaces if the supermarket plans went ahead.

A resident living in Meadway Avenue, opposite the shopping centre, has now started a petition to stop the supermarket from being built on the site.

Gordon Hayton, aged 77, has collected around 200 signatures from people concerned about the affect it will have on them.

He said: “We are not against Lidl being in Nailsea but we are against the location.

“My main concern is that I live adjacent to the car park area and we get cars parking down here now. If we lose about 80 spaces we are going to get cars parking in all the adjacent roads.”

Mr Hayton is also worried about more cars using Christ Church Close to access 37 of the supermarket’s parking bays.

The narrow street is already used by members of Christ Church and residents and visitors at two retirement homes.

The supermarket will also have less disabled parking bays for shoppers.

He added: “In their plan it only shows five disabled car parking bays, against the 10 we have at present.

“This is going to cause trouble for people trying to get into the health centre because the number of disabled bays will be halved.

“The car park is about 90 per cent full every day except Sunday.

“People will either park in adjacent roads, which is going to cause chaos, or they are not going to bother coming to Nailsea which will take trade away from the town.”

Mr Hayton is appealing for people to support his campaign. Petitions are available to sign at Burchills in Collier’s Walk, or The Cutting Room in High Street.