TRADERS in a Hampshire community fear ambitious plans to overhaul their town centre could be bad for business.

Proposals for the revamp in Totton include getting rid of parking spaces outside shops in Water Lane.

Up to 24 cars can currently park outside the shops but this time next year that could be reduced to just 12.

Shopkeepers from the parade of stores on the edge of the town centre are fighting the plans and have already handed in a petition to Totton and Eling Town Council with more than 1,000 signatures.

Andrew Dunning, owner of Home Plus, a DIY outlet in Water Lane, is spearheading the campaign.

He told the Daily Echo: "We are not against making the area more pedestrian-friendly, but we feel we are going to lose customers. None of the traders here want it to go ahead.

"People like to park up outside while they quickly nip in to the shops.

"These plans are designed to encourage people to park in the town centre and walk around. That's laughable as Totton is so spread about.

"The parking works very well as it is now and we don't want it changed."

The plans form part of the Water Lane Triangle Envir-onmental Enhancement Scheme being put forward by the town council, New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council.

The scheme, funded by the county council, includes landscaping footpaths, narrowing roads, creating lay-bys with room for six cars parallel parked on each side, and raising the surface of the road at its junction with Salisbury Road.

Rumbridge Street has already been transformed and there are also plans to reduce the size of the World Stores roundabout, where four of the town's busiest roads meet.

Attractive The town council supports the plans. Parish clerk Derek Biggs said: "People don't bother spending time in the town centre. The whole raison d'être of the scheme is to make it more attractive, providing places to sit and encouraging people to stay longer.

"We are very well endowed with car parks. We are aware of the traders' concerns but the original plan did not include any parking.

"The civic centre car park is only 200ft away and the Westfield Road car park is only 400ft away."

Public consultation on this latest phase of the work has ended and comments are now being considered. Work is expected to start in Water Lane and Salisbury Road in August 2008.