OPPOSITION councillors are claiming victory over a U-turn which means Diwali celebrants will have somewhere to park while visiting the Swaminarayan Temple this week.

Restrictions stating who could leave their vehicles at a temporary overspill car park at the Gibbons Recreation Ground were unanimously lifted at the eleventh hour during a meeting on Monday night (Nov 12).

Labour had previously passed a late amendment that binned an agreement between visitors and local residents, whereby 300 cars visiting the Mandir during the festivities would have been able to park in a specific area in the park.

However, this was then limited to staff and stewards only, sparking protests from worshippers who wrote to Cllr Ann John, council leader, saying they were 'baffled and disappointed'.

Conservative spokesman, Cllr Harshadbhai Patel, said: "It is disgraceful to place such a meaningless condition restricting parking to staff and stewards when the facility is needed for the worshippers and visitors. The Labour administration reneged on a promise to the Temple that they would allow the use of the recreation ground as an overflow car park."

Both Cllr Patel and Lib Dem deputy leader, Cllr Paul Brown, also argued for the Temple to use the recreation ground as an overflow car park for a maximum of 10 days a year, but this proposal was rejected by Labour councillors.

A council spokesman said it is committed to achieving an amicable long-term solution but had not achieved this in time for Diwali this year.

"The council therefore agreed to allow overspill parking on the recreation ground for the festival day on Friday. This was conditional on parking being for temple staff and stewards.

"The temple asked us to review the decision and we decided to relax the condition," he added.