FEARS have been raised over the impact new overnight parking charges could have on the Regent Centre in Christchurch.

The manager of the popular theatre and cinema, Felicity Porter, has written to Christchurch council to express concerns over the recently made changes to Wick Lane car park's night-time charges.

The council changed the start time back to 7pm from 6.30pm recently, following a petition from the owner of the Urban Gym, Manoj Patel.

Writing to head of property and engineering, Lindsay Cass, Ms Porter expressed concern over the impact the changes would make on the business and the night-time economy of the town.

She made clear the concerns were not just for the theatre, but also other businesses in the town.

In her letter, she said: "The success of the Regent in the last few years has not gone unnoticed and we recently achieved a nomination for the ‘Best Independent European Event Cinema’, as one of only 7 in Europe.

"The success of this and many other awards has come down to the support from the local community, the dedication of our 200 volunteers and hard work by all our staff."

She said over the last two years, with the charge starting at 6.30pm, the Regent's business has grown, and they have encouraged their patrons to visit restaurants and cafes in town before their events start.

"When we read about the temporary change to the Wick Lane car park in the Bournemouth Echo we were understandably disappointed, particularly as nobody had notified us, even after I had expressed concern", the letter continues.

"The Wick Lane car park is full during the evenings due to the volume of customers attending the Regent Centre. To expect them all to come and collect a permit from us, return to their car, then back again is an unnecessary inconvenience when the permits could have been supplied to the gym at a considerable reduction in cost and numbers.

"The Regent Centre is the hub of Christchurch High Street and has a direct impact on the local economy of Christchurch and the surrounding area."

It asks for the "grave concerns" to be discussed at the next meeting of the council's policy and resources committee.

"The Regent Centre board and staff are working tirelessly to ensure the future of the Regent Centre for future generations to come and want to work with the council in order for this happen."