​Traders and residents have called for short-stay parking bays to be installed in the village’s High Street.

Shoppers stopping outside stores in the street, often park illegally on double yellow lines.

But they run the risk of being slapped with parking fines of up to £50, despite only being there for a few minutes.

Residents have called on Gloucestershire County Council to install free short-stay parking bays, saying it would cut down on needless fines and help to boost trade.

Parish council chairman Malcolm Stennett said: “Replacing a section of double yellow lines with parking bays would be a sensible option.

“People are stopping there at the moment, so in that sense there would be little difference. It would just make it legal.

“As long as there was a strict time limit on how long people could stop there – 15 minutes for instance – it would be a useful addition.”

Mr Stennett said there could be room for two bays outside Rowlands Pharmacy and three on the opposite side of the road, between the Bakery Stores and the Post Office.

The suggestion has been welcomed by village traders who said it would help to boost business.

David Akroyd, manager of Rowlands, said: “At the moment customers are worried about getting fined when they stop outside to pick up their prescriptions.

“Some on-street parking space would be very welcome, provided there is an enforced limit on the length of time people can stop there. We wouldn’t want people hogging the spaces all day.”

Clare Hutchings, manager at the post office in Prestbury High Street, added: “Installing parking bays would be a positive move.

“They would encourage people to stop here and do their shopping, so it would undoubtedly have a positive impact on trade.”

But some residents raised concerns about whether making parking legal along the strip would cause an obstruction to passing vehicles.

One man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “Vehicles come along Prestbury High Street quite quickly. If you’ve got people stopping outside the shops, there could be a risk of collision because the street is not very wide.

“It could also be dangerous for people getting in and out of cars.”

Stephen Burden, from Gloucestershire Highways, said he was unaware of the proposals, but said similar parking schemes had worked well in other parts of Cheltenham.

He said: “We would ask traders to get in touch with more information about the parking changes they would like to see introduced. We would be more than happy to look into their proposals.”