A 270-space multi-story car park in Taunton High Street will no longer be sold due to concerns over the future use of the site.

Cash-strapped Somerset Council had planned to sell the Mary Street Car Park along with 20 other assets last August as a way to raise money to plug the well-publicised budget gap.

It is now set to reverse the decision to sell the car park next month, following concerns from Taunton Town Council and businesses about the possible impacts of selling it for development.

A decision recommending the removal of the car park from the ‘for sale’ list has been added to the council’s forward plan and will be formalised before the end of March

A petition calling for the reversal of the planned sale reached 1,835 signatures.

READ MORE: Somerset households face huge council tax hike to plug financial gap
READ MORE: Taunton’s Reuse Shop reopens at recycling centre

Campaigners said the sale would result in less people shopping and visiting the town centre and would result in 12 disabled bays being lost.

“Taunton aspires to be a destination – for arts and culture, festivals, social activities, retail –  but removing this car park will do nothing but damage to town centre footfall, our cultural life and the town’s economy,” they said.

Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s lead member for economic development, planning and assets said the message from Taunton was “loud and clear”.

“This council has to be sustainable in these extremely tough financial times, but we also have to listen,” he said.

“The message we’ve heard loud and clear is that the impacts of the sale of the High Street car park are such that we need to reconsider, and that’s what we have done.

“We thank everyone who has taken the time to let us know their views.”

The decision to reverse the sale comes just a week after Somerset Council was granted permission by the government to raise its share of council tax above the national cap of 5%, to 7.5%.