RESIDENTS in Old Riverside and Springfield Road have been reassured that their free car parking is not being taken away – yet.

Somerset Council began resurfacing and relining work on Monday (February 23) in the car park at the northern end of Springfield Road.

Letters were delivered to residents living nearby to tell them the car park would be closed for the week to allow access for contractors.

It immediately sparked fears the cash-strapped council would bring in parking fees for the first time once the project was completed.

But a council spokesperson told the Wellington Weekly: “We are currently reviewing parking charges across the county.

“Any future decision on charges will be part of this review and will not be related to the ongoing maintenance.

“There are no immediate plans to start charging at Springfield Road car park.”

The authority had previously said it would consult with town and parish councils over the future of free car parks before taking any decisions.

Residents in Wiveliscombe and Milverton have been campaigning in recent months to try to keep their car parks free of charge.

Wellington Town Council chief executive Dave Farrow said his councillors had expressed an interest in taking over the Springfield Road car park.

Mr Farrow said: “We will continue to push for proper consultation and engagement with the town council on this matter.”

One Springfield resident said the area was already experiencing pressure on parking spaces after residents were stopped from using the grounds of the former Somerset Skills and Learning premises at the other end of the street.

They said the free car park dated to 1977 when it was provided for residents as a ‘sweetener’ by the Swallowfield factory at a time when liquid petroleum gas tanks were being installed near their homes, and later sold for £1 to the then-Taunton Deane Borough Council.