COUNCIL leaders have said there is little more they can do to help shoppers find alternative parking around Fareham while a new shopping complex is being built.

Traders in Fareham Shopping Centre are calling on the council to take action over the lack of shoppers coming into Fareham because they have been put off by the parking disruption while Market Quay is built.

Tenants, some of whom have suffered up to a 50 per cent slump in trade, claimed the closure of the Market car park to accommodate the complex plus refurbishment work at the Osborn Road multi-storey car park was having the combined effect of putting the public off.

They are gathering a petition demanding better parking facilities and a reduction in charges.

But at a meeting held yesterday council bosses insisted that enough had been done to point shoppers in the right direction.

Director of planning and transportation Jeff Williams said: "We publicised the fact that the car park would be closing and what the alternatives were.

"The council has not received any complaints and we know that there are spare car parking spaces around Fareham.

"We promised last year not to increase parking charges and we have done that, but we are not able to lower them as the revenue has already been built into council budgets.

"We are making a big investment in parking facilities in the town and by the start of next year a pay-on-foot system will be in place."

Centre manager Rhoda Joseph said: "I think a positive point from the meeting was the council's commitment to invest in parking around Fareham.

"They did admit that the

timing of the car park's closure at the same time as the work at Osborn Road being carried out was unfortunate. But we must look to the future now and make sure communication between all parties is better."

Tenants say the promise of improvements to car parks in Fareham has come too late.

Chairman of the traders' association Gillie Beattie said: "To be honest the damage has already been done.

"All right, we have been told the pay-on-foot system will be installed at the end of the year, but what about between now and then?" Traders are still planning to hand in a petition to the council with more than 1,500 signatures in support of the their argument.