Hundreds of people are calling for plans for new parking restrictions in a residential area to be scrapped.

There is growing opposition to Gloucestershire County Council’s proposals to introduce a new residential parking scheme in Cheltenham, known as Zone 16.

It would mean residents would have to use designated parking spaces and non-residents would only be able to stay for a maximum of four hours.

Gloucestershire County Council has been contacted for comment.

The proposed new zone was created as part of the review of the current controversial parking permit, Area 15in the northeast of the city.

If implemented, Zone 16 would cover Hewlett Road from Brighton Road to Hales Road, Pittville Court, Pittville Circus Road and All Saints Road.

Out of hours, vehicles could park on single yellow lines if it was safe to do so. However, residents said the whole scheme was pointless.

Michael Bloxham, who opposed the scheme, said: “The current confusion with Area 15 is due to poor design, planning and implementation of the signage and scheme.

“How can reducing parking spaces by over 100 spaces further improve and benefit parking opportunities for residents of Zone 15/16?”

An online petition created by residents now has more than 340 supporters, according to him Local Democracy Reporting Service.

They argued that the data used to justify the introduction of the control parking zone was flawed as it was collected before and during the Covid lockdown.

Ian Weaving, another local, said he had met many elderly people who had become isolated because of the parking scheme, with some saying they had stopped seeing visitors because of the restrictions.

“I helped an elderly lady remove her hedge so her son could take his car into the front garden, all because he couldn’t use the technology that comes with the scheme,” Mr Weaving said.

“A friend’s mother got a ticket one Sunday outside her own house because a child was left behind. These are just a few examples,” he added.