A WINDERMERE guesthouse owner with the backing of 40-name petition has slammed the town's parking review, claiming it could be the last nail in the coffin for his business, reports Lisa Frascarelli.

As the last yellow lines went down on Ellerthwaite Road this week as part of a Cumbria County Council-led parking shake-up, the owner of Briardene guesthouse, David Topping, has said the changes will keep customers away and threaten his livelihood.

Angered by the changes, which were undertaken across the town in response to local residents who claim they are being squeezed out of spaces by visitors and all-day parkers, Mr Topping presented a petition from perturbed residents and guesthouse owners to CCC and Windermere Parish Council.

"These changes will crucify my business, there are no ifs or buts," said Mr Topping, owner of the five bedroom guesthouse. "Eighty per cent of my bookings are over the internet and any hotelier will tell you one of the first questions you are asked is have you got parking?"

Ellerthwaite Road, which until a few days ago had free parking on both sides of the street, now only has free parking on one side to help ease congestion.

He added: "Now my customers will have nowhere to park. They're going to go elsewhere. I just think these changes are crazy and I really don't think the council has thought about our livelihoods."

Owner of Victoria Street's Village House B&B Peter Cramant shared his sentiments.

Although there have been no parking changes to his street, the adjacent street where he and his guests park, Cross Street, has become residents' parking only.

"Windermere is a tourist village and parking is vital. In one foul swoop this parking review has taken around 50 spaces away with no thought to replacing them," he said. "We are snookered. This is really going to put pressure on our business. Most B&B owners aren't millionaires, we run our budget on a shoestring so this is desperate for us."

He added that suggestions by Windermere parish councillors that guests could use Broad Street car park, which is free overnight, wereunworkable. He said it was full by 11am and most guests did not arrive until after 12pm.

But Bill Smith, chairman of the Lakes Hospitality group, which represents around 45 businesses in Windermere, said he had heard no complaints from guest house owners and added he believed time would show the situation was "probably not as severe as many would like to believe."

Nick Raymond, CCC's Area Engineer for Barrow and South Lakeland, explained the parking review was carefully drawn up in response to petitions and complaints by residents who said they had nowhere to park.

"There are so many demands on parking in the area businesses, guest houses and shops so it is always going to be difficult to please everybody. There is always going to be conflict," he said.

He added the review had taken around two years and was done through numerous public consultations.