THEY’RE coming to a street near you and there’s going to be one on nearly every corner.

But a man who is passionate about preservation says that Dorchester’s new pay and display parking machines are too ugly for the town.

From this week, 26 black solar powered machines will be installed in streets in and around the town centre as free parking becomes a thing of the past.

Workers have begun putting in the bases and meters will be bolted onto them in time for the charging operations to come into effect in the summer, when 263 spaces will be charged for.

Dorset County Council stands to make £68,000 a year from the £85,644 scheme.

Dorchester Civic Society chairman Derek Beauchamp thinks the new meters are unsightly.

He said: “They will clutter the pavements and affect the street scene, especially in High West and East streets, where there are many Grade II-listed buildings.

“I have concerns about the physical and visual impact on the street scene. Do they really need to be quite so chunky?

“The old ones they used in London were a lot smaller and not so intrusive.”

Small business owners in metered zones have already voiced concerns about the effect the parking charges will have on their trade.

They are worried that people who used to pop into town and take advantage of the free parking will no longer call in.

Some have described the changes – which are part of the Dorchester Transport and Environment Plan (DTEP) – as another ‘nail in the coffin’ for the town.

Council chiefs say that paid-for parking will reduce the amount of traffic in the town because drivers will no longer ‘do the circuit’ looking for a free space.

Head of highways Andy Ackerman said: “The new pay and display and extended residents’ parking schemes are an important element of the DTEP.

“Adequate parking for visitors and shoppers is needed to maintain the economic vitality and general liveliness of the town but it must be carefully managed in order to reduce congestion and damage to air quality.

“By encouraging commuters to use Park and Ride and travel into the centre of town using alternative means of transport, we are freeing town centre parking for those who live in the town and those who need short-stay parking.”