FOR years, commuters using Kemble rail station have struggled to find a space in the car park at peak times because there are simply not enough to meet demand.

As a result, commuters are parking in streets near the station, causing congestion and road safety issues.

And with thousands of new homes set to be built across the Cotswolds in the next few years, parking at the station will become an even bigger problem.

After being contacted again and again by people who are fed up with the situation, the Standard has launched a petition demanding action.

There are currently 220 spaces in the car park, and it is generally felt that around 100 more would be sufficient.

Supported by Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown and Cotswold District Council leader Cllr Lynden Stowe, our petition calls for First Great Western (FGW) to create more parking spaces.

But to make this happen, we need you to sign the petition too, and the deadline is Saturday February 28.

You can add your signature at change.org/p/first-great-western-create-more-parking-spaces-at-kemble-rail-station A hard copy of the petition will be available at Kemble post office in Windmill Road, near the station. Once all the signatures are in, Mr Clifton-Brown will hand the petition to FGW, which is responsible for the car park, and raise the issue in Parliament.

Mr Clifton-Brown, who has been campaigning for more car parking spaces at the station for years, said: “I will continue to press First Great Western, Network Rail and the government on this, and other issues relating to Kemble station.” Mr Clifton-Brown has raised the issue with MP Claire Perry, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.

He said: “She has responded by saying that First Great Western have presented plans for an additional 2,500 car park spaces across the entire franchise. I have asked her to provide some more specific information about this when it is available.”

Cllr Stowe is equally determined to see the petition succeed.

“Anything we can we can do to increase car parking capability at Kemble station has to be good for the Cotswolds,” he said.

He said the recent redoubling of the Kemble to Swindon rail line will lead to more traffic in the future so it is important that parking is improved.

Camlefh Khudusam , postmaster at Kemble post office, said cars parked in the road are driving trade away from his business.

He said: “If there are two or three cars parked on the front, customers cannot stop anywhere. They cannot stop to get a newspaper or a pint of milk.

“We need more car parking spaces. It is causing congestion and bad feeling throughout the village.”

Bob Williams, who lives near the station, explained that cars parked all along the Station Road and Windmill Road sides could cause an accident.

He said: “When the car park is full there is an accident waiting to happen at the bottom of Station Road and Windmill Road because you cannot see around the corner coming out of Station Road.”

Mr Williams explained that the car park side of the village is worst affected by congestion.

He said that if plans to build 2,350 new homes in Cirencester are approved there will be an even greater need for more spaces at the station.

Find the petition at change.org by searching for ‘Create more parking spaces at Kemble rail station’.