TAUNTON town councillors agreed to ask the unitary authority to reconsider the decision to sell a car park.

Taunton town councillors will write to Somerset Council executive to ask them to pause the sale of High Street car park.

The town council said this is “due to the negative impact its sale would be likely to have on residents’ ability to access local businesses and venues in the vicinity”.

At a full town council meeting on Tuesday (November 12), members agreed that this was not a desirable sale and agreed to lobby Somerset Council.

Thousands of Taunton residents signed a petition to avoid the sale of the car park.

The petition was launched by Andrew Knutt, director of the CICCIC.

He previously said: “This concerns the directors of our business and the community which we serve as it is a very important asset for us and others.

“We are a provider of the daytime, and especially nighttime economy.

“Many of our customers who are over 50 years of age use this car park for safe nighttime parking.

“Removing this car park would have a detrimental effect on our business.

“Our nighttime events represent 75 per cent of our business.

“The impact would have a negative effect on other businesses in the area and ultimately effect the nighttime economy in Taunton.”

Back in October, councillor John Hunt (whose Bishop’s Hull and Taunton West division includes the site) said that the sale of the car park will hurt the town’s “already fragile” economy.