BUSINESSES in Moreton will be asked to take part in a survey of their parking needs as traders try to find a way to solve the town's parking problems.

About 30 people, mostly from businesses in the town, turned up to an open meeting at the White Hart Royal Hotel last Thursday, called by Moreton Business Association to discuss parking and the town council's plans for double yellow lines along part of the High Street service road.

Members voiced strong fears that the lines would mean the loss of 13 parking spaces and said that something had to be done to create more empty parking spaces because many were taken by train passengers dodging the fees in the Thames Trains car park.

Many others are taken by people working in offices in the town, leaving very few for shoppers who come in for a short time.

Traders said they were worried that if people could not park they would not come to Moreton.

Stephen Farnsworth said a management system was needed, even if it meant time-limited parking in the High Street with charges for long-stay parkers, residents' parking permits and even employing a part-time traffic warden.

James Hayman-Joyce said the first step should be a survey of businesses to find how many staff were parking in the town and how many left their cars there all day.

"When we know what we have to deal with then we can start pushing the town council and the district council," he said.

The association will now carry out the survey but a long-term solution could prove elusive. Town council chairman Chic Dempster said he believed the only suitable place for another car park was off Bourton Road on the old rectory field and added: "I think in the future we have to look at that."