A new, 30-space town centre car park on the site of a derelict gas depot is allegedly operating without permission from district council chiefs.

The car park, on land in Fore Street, is reportedly being operated by Marina developers Eagle One Homes, and has had several dozen spaces marked out with a parking meter installed.

But, according to town council documents, the car park does not have planning approval and the developers have been given an ultimatum.

The town council planning agenda for August 30 reads: “It is now the council’s (East Devon District Council’s) opinion that use of the land as a car park is an unauthorised change of use, and there are now two options available...

“Cease the use of the land in question as a car park, and remove the relevant signage and parking meter from the land. Or apply, retrospectively, for permission for change of use of the land, to enable it to be used as car park.”