The next steps have been revealed for the Cheltenham Zone 15 parking scheme, with changes due to be implemented early next year.

Gloucestershire County Council, with help from independent consultants Project Centre, asked local residents and businesses for feedback on proposed changes to the scheme.

Six hundred and forty-nine submissions were received from the consultation.

The council asked residents about:

• Creating two new areas to better manage parking and simplify the existing zone

• Changing operating times and days to better suit community needs

• Allocating parking bays to reflect the needs of each street

• Improving accessibility and visibility by reviewing bay placements

• Improving signage for clearer controls

• Reducing the number of different controls to make it less confusing

Over half (57%) of respondents disagreed with creating a new Zone 16, so this won't go ahead.

In the proposed Zone 16, 47% agreed to reduced days. In proposed Zone 15, 42% wanted to keep days the same. The council will reduce days in the north and keep them the same in the south.

In the proposed Zone 15, 42% wanted to keep times the same. In proposed Zone 16, 18% supported the current timings. The council will reduce times in the north and keep them the same in the south.

Nearly a third (31%) had concerns around the placement of bays. The council will review these concerns in the final design.

Nearly a third (31.6%) said parking is a problem on event days, with 39% supporting event day restrictions. The council will introduce event day restrictions near Cheltenham Town's stadium.

Respondents in the north east of the zone said a parking scheme wasn't needed. The council will remove we will permit zone restrictions on Eldon Road, Eldon Avenue, Beechurst Avenue, Oak Manor Drive, All Saints Terrace, Teme Road and sections of Hale's Road and Hewlett Road.

The operating times in the north of Zone 15 will be Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm. Times in the south of the zone will remain Monday - Sunday, 8am - 8pm.

Cllr Stephan Fifield, deputy leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: "We've tried to ensure as many people who live in the area were actively engaged with this review as possible. We really appreciate the time that everyone has taken to let us know how they feel.

"We fully appreciate that we'll never come up with a solution that pleases everyone, but we have been driven by the data and the feedback we've received and feel that this is a strong compromise solution. We're also very grateful to the divisional member in this area - Cllr Hay, who has worked closely with the project team to bring forward and support this solution."

Cllr Colin Hay, county councillor for All Saints and Oakley, said: "This second round of engagement has been much more comprehensive and more effective in getting residents' views to design the changes to the scheme. I'm pleased to see the use of Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) being used. This will allow residents to see how the changes will affect them and also allows changes to be made before the order is made permanent."

Changes will be made via an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), which can last up to 18 months. This allows the community to see the impact before permanent adoption.

The new scheme will start in early 2025, with updates to line markings and signage, and will be reviewed in the initial six months of operation.