AN extra 150 parking spaces could be created in Pershore town centre in a bid to prevent traffic chaos residents fear could arise due to a new hospital development.

The news was revealed at a consultation meeting attended by scores of Pershore residents where plans for a new cottage hospital and health centre planned for the town were discussed.

The meeting saw a mixed reaction to the plans from residents, with some welcoming the development, and others expressing concern over the impact it would have on parking and traffic congestion in Pershore.

The £6m scheme would be built on land adjacent to Pershore Civic Centre, and would replace the existing Defford Road hospital and Pershore Health Centre, currently in Priest Lane.

One resident who lives in Whitcroft Road, near the Civic Centre, and wished to remain anonymous, said: "I've been to Worcestershire Royal Hospital recently and witnessed the problems they are having there.

"That hospital was built only two years ago and despite improvements to parking since then I still had to spend more than an hour there the other day trying to find a parking space and in the end had to park in a residential road.

"I can imagine people won't want to pay to park and I'm worried something similar to the Worcester hospital would end up happening here and people would park in Whitcroft Road or Mount Pleasant and make it difficult for the residents to park.

"If you get a lot of cars parked around that area it will only result in chaos."

However, developers involved in the project assured residents that plans were being drawn up to address the issues.

They could include 150 new spaces for shoppers in the town centre, up to 123 new spaces at the Civic Centre and 40 spaces for health staff in Priest Lane.

Improvements to traffic signalling in Worcester Road and Station Road, the installation of zebra crossings and campaigns to encourage people to take other modes of transport or car share were also among the plans.

The consultation, held at the Civic Centre on Wednesday, was one of three taking place in Pershore.

Residents' views will be put forward to health and council bosses and will be taken into consideration before the plans are either approved or rejected.