CONTENTIOUS parking control plans in Overton have been shelved by the parish council.

Proposals to introduce parking permits and restricted hours in Winchester Street were knocked back following an outcry from villagers.

Overton Business Association (OBA), which put forward the plans, feared village shops were losing custom because people parked in the spaces all day.

The proposed controls included plans to restrict the parking time in Winchester Street to two hours from Monday to Saturday between 9am to 6pm and introducing annual parking permits for residents costing £23.50.

However, when Overton Parish Council discussed the idea, Councillor Maggie Atkins said: “I don’t think we should go ahead with this now.

“The Overton Business Association brought this up but are not here tonight and have not commented on the plans. |I would have thought they would have been very vocal on this.”

Earlier this year the parish council sought the views of residents, and council chairman Alan Whitney told the meeting there had not been much of a response.

He said: “We’ve had 14 comments and half a dozen think it’s a good idea. One person said: ‘I don’t agree with parking permits, it is all to pay for councillors to live in luxury.’ “People don’t want them and therefore I see no problem in us saying we’re not going to do it.”

Parish councillor and ward member for Overton, Paula Baker, said: “Speaking as chair of Overton Community Association I’m concerned about the proposal.

“It will just move the problem around. What it does is burdens the village with a lot of signs and paint on the roads.”

Speaking afterward, OBA lead member Peter Baker said: “The residents of Winchester Street currently have parking freedom and the parish council has voted to continue that.

“I’ve tried to deal with this in an even-handed manner. Shop owners don’t want people parking there all day but at the same time the owners are some of the ones taking up the spaces.”