Tourism in Wantage could suffer if coach parking areas are not replaced, the town council has warned.

Parking for coaches in Limborough Road will disappear when the site is developed to make way for seven shop units, six larger retail units and a supermarket.

Wantage town councillors have agreed to hold a meeting with officers from the Vale of White Horse District Council to press for a new coach and lorry park site.

The town is popular with walkers who come to visit the North Berkshire Downs and the White Horse at Uffington.

Cllr Peter Kent said: "An increasing number of visitors are travelling to Wantage by coach.

"It is a green form of tourism because it cuts down on the number of people travelling by car. And the visitors also boost the local economy."

Cllr Kent said the town council had not identified an alternative site for coach parking, but the Garston Lane school site and extending the leisure centre car park had been suggested previously.

Anthony Rankine, manager of the Bear Hotel, Market Square, said he was concerned that coach tour operators would consider looking for alternative accommodation stops, if coach parking was located outside the town centre.

He said: "From spring 2002 to 2003, we have more than 50 coach parties booked to stay with us.

"People on holiday have money to spend in the town.

"Some coach parties have a free day scheduled into their visit, when people can choose to visit Wantage.

"If a coach park is based too far from the town centre, then drivers will ask their companies to look for alternative places to stop."

Carol Bowler, supervisor of the Wantage Tourist Information Centre, based in the Vale and Downland Museum, Church Street, said the centre received numerous enquiries from people wanting town plans with coach parking marked.

Last year, the Vale of White Horse District Council carried out a parking study to find out how much extra parking would need to be provided in the town, as a result of the Limborough Road shopping development.

Gordon Willcox, the council's principal engineer, said the council recognised the need for coach parking and was looking at various site options. He added that the council was investigating whether to replace parking for lorries.

He said: "Coach parking needs to be central, but obviously takes up quite a lot of room.

"There are not many sites in the town centre that the district council controls and the public car parks are close to capacity, so finding an alternative site for coaches is proving quite difficult."

Bill Atkinson, managing director of Wantage-based development consultant Bushbuy, responsible for the Limborough Road site, said creating a coach park in the town centre would involve using valuable development land.

He said a coach drop-off point in the town centre, with designated coach parking on the edge of the town, was the best option.