RESIDENTS living opposite the site of a new four-star hotel in Bridgwater say they are being forced to pay to park as spaces are taken by construction workers.

Work on the new Bridgwater Mercure Hotel project, in Eastover, is underway, but those living in nearby Barclay Street say they are fed up of workers parking outside their homes - and are calling on Somerset County Council (SCC) to take action.

They have handed in a petition and say the situation is ‘another example’ of town residents ‘being forgotten’ amid development in the town.

Resident Jill Riddle said: “Workers are already parking outside our homes leaving us having to either pay to park in the Barclay Street car park or find somewhere elsewhere.

“The situation is already frustrating - what will it be like when the hotel is complete? Will the customers be allowed to park outside our homes, too?

“It just feels like another example of Bridgwater residents being forgotten with all the development going on.

“How did this get planning permission when they haven’t thought through the parking situation and how it will affect us?”

The petition called for the county council to introduce a residents’ parking scheme in the area.

Another Barclay Street resident, Carli Hogg, said: “We have all got jobs, we don’t want to get home and be struggling to find somewhere to park or rummaging for change for the car park.”

Damian Kaye, general manager of the hotel project, said the company had taken ‘all possible steps’ toward securing parkers for workers and guests in close consultation with planners and councils.

He said: “We have encouraged our construction workers to be as sensitive as possible to our neighbours and as the new hotel comes online we will be striving to inform our workers of the environmental as well as the good neighbour benefits of carpooling, cycle to work and other measures to minimise all but positive impact on our local residents.

“The Mercure Bridgwater Hotel will bring new jobs and impactful economic growth to the town and wider region.”

The hotel is set to open in early summer and will feature a Marco Pierre-White-branded restaurant as part of the development. In total, it is expected to create 300 jobs in the construction, hospitality and retail sectors.

A total of 26 spaces in the Barclay Street car park have now been reserved for the hotel and Sedgemoor District Council (SDC) says it is the town’s most underused car park.

“Residents can buy a permit if they so wish - it is never over capacity,” an SDC spokesman said.

The county council confirmed it had received the residents’ petition but required further information and support before consultation could take place.

However, residents said they were now ready to resubmit the petition and hoped swift progress could be made.

A county council spokesman said: “We have received a request from residents of Barclay Street for a resident parking scheme.

“The petition organiser is currently arranging for additional support to the request.

“Once received we will commence consultation with residents on the suitability of a resident parking area.

“We have revised our policy on how residents may request a new parking scheme or change to an existing one.

“Details on how residents may request a resident parking scheme can be found on the county council website.”