INVERCLYDE’S Depute Provost is calling on the council to change its parking policy in Kilmacolm — because shops are complaining about losing business.

Councillor Wilson, who represents the village, had already been involved in a row with the council over people allegedly being booked after a funeral.

Now he has renewed his attack on the new parking regulations, which allow drivers to wait for only 30 minutes.

He said today: “We must have a change of policy.

“Kilmacolm traders are complaining that shoppers just leave the village when the parking wardens arrive.

“I’d like to see the half-hour restriction extended to two hours, as has happened in West Blackhall Street in Greeenock.

“The traders are up in arms because the village empties when the wardens arrive — shoppers are not given enough time to shop and have a cup of coffee.” Mr Wilson said the wardens visited Kilmacolm on 8, 23, 27 and 30 January and also on 5 February.

He added: “That’s five times in a month.

“For three years there were no visits by police or wardens, and the village coped well.” The Tory revealed that traders are set for a meeting on 9 March with Aubrey Fawcett, the council’s director of environment, regeneration and resources, to discuss the problems.

He said: “Renfrewshire Council do not impose such parking restrictions on their villages.

“They understand villages better, but Inverclyde is using a hammer to crack a nut.

“A visit by wardens once a month would be fine.” An Inverclyde Council spokesman insisted that Kilmacolm was not being singled out for special attention.

He said: “Street parking has not been changed in Kilmacolm by Inverclyde Council.

“Fewer parking tickets have been issued in Kilmacolm, and parking wardens have visited Kilmacolm on fewer occasions than any other area.

“Also, when they visited they haven’t found any problem getting a legal and free parking space in the village.

“If residents disagree with a policy or a service delivered in their community they should raise it, discuss it and put forward suggestions and ideas.

“But they should do it based on the actual facts.”