RESIDENTS furious that they could lose parking outside their homes if new restrictions are brought into force are today demanding their authority backs down.

RESIDENTS furious that they could lose parking outside their homes if new restrictions are brought into force are today demanding their authority backs down.

Their plea comes after more than 150 people packed into a public meeting to express their anger at plans to introduce the double yellow lines in Crown Street, Cardinalls Road and Regent Street in Stowmarket.

Families say spaces for more than 100 cars will be lost, resulting in chaos and there is also a proposal to have restricted parking from 8am to 6pm on the west side of Newton Road, with a single yellow line on this street.

Rosie Carter, a Cardinalls Road resident who called the meeting and who has also launched a petition, said they are now also establishing a residents association.

She said: “More than 150 people braved the cold, although the county council did not turn up, which I really cannot understand.

“People are shocked by what is planned, it's just mad and there is no thinking where residents will put their cars. The whole community is united that this is just daft, we will literally be left with no parking, trying to park in other streets.”

Suffolk County Council, the highways authority, argues that while there would be some loss in parking for residents, the authority did not believe it would be as much as residents fear. And officers believe measures are necessary because the fire service and refuse collectors can find it hard to negotiate the narrow, traffic-clogged streets.

Anne Whybrow, Stowmarket town mayor and a county councillor, said: “I have got concerns for residents. If you take away their parking, even if only in part, it's an awful muddle for them.

“We have to look at all the different options, we will look at alternatives, this is a real consultation. But we also have to consider the emergency services. Their vehicles are getting larger and larger and people would be pretty worried if a home was burning down and the services could not get through.”

Copies of the protest petition are available to sign at the Crown pub or Regent Street Fish and Chip Shop and letters can be written to Heather Miller (Legal Services), Suffolk County Council, Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2BX by Thursday .

Suffolk county councillors will now meet on January 9 for their rights of way committee to debate the plans.