SHOPPERS to Witney’s newest development have raised fears over not enough parking.

West Oxfordshire District Council has told residents that it will monitor the town’s free parking, which residents say is in short supply since £50m shopping centre Marriotts Walk, in Welch Way, opened last week.

A multi-storey car park has been built for the development, but the 590 spaces are just three hours, which shoppers say is not enough time.

The car park has 100 extra spaces for residents of the 143 new homes in Marriotts.

Jane Park-Pearson, 44, of Carterton, said: “It’s not really enough time if you are going for a film and then having something to eat.

“We could do with more parking now. It was horrendous parking on Saturday, the multi-storey was full, and all of the other places were full.”

There are concerns that there will be a shortage of long-stay car parking if the district council goes ahead with its plans to shut Woodford Way, which has 250 12-hour spaces.

The land currently has outline planning permission for 50 homes, which was granted in 2007 when the Marriotts Walk development was given the go-ahead.

The car park was temporary while the development was built, but the district council has agreed for it to stay open until June.

District councillor David Harvey, cabinet member for environment, said: “With the opening of Marriotts Walk and the run-up to Christmas, we are expecting Witney to remain busy. I would like to reassure residents that we will continue to monitor the situation over the coming months and review car parking arrangements if necessary.

“We remain committed to providing free car parking in Witney and across the district, as we believe this will continue to support traders, residents, and the local economy.”

Richard Hull, 45, of Madley Park, said: “I think the open-air car park in Woodford Way has been nicely done, and it should be kept.

“I think it’s a shame to put housing there.

“It seems that as everyone has gone to the expense of building the open air car park, it seems such a shame to build on it.

“I would have thought to keep the centre alive in Witney, you shouldn’t put housing there.”

The father-of-two added: “You can’t do some shopping and then have to move your car from the multi-storey if you want to go to the cinema.”

More than 300 jobs were created at Marriotts Walk.

Don Partridge, of Madley Park, said: “With all the extra workers, where are they going to park if Woodford Way closes? Long-stay parking is already tricky.”

There are 2,000 car parking spaces in Witney town centre in total — almost 1,800 in council-run car parks, and 200 on-street spaces.