Charges at Castle Farm could be a solution to the parking issues problems by local residents, a top councillor at Warwick District Council has said.

Kenilworth councillors have continued to raise the issue of "dangerous" parking around the town's new leisure centre, with motorists forced to park on double yellow lines and on grass verges on the surrounding streets once the car park gets full.

Locals and Kenilworth Town Council had predicted the problem before the new Castle Farm development was approved - and now it appears to be a particular issue on Saturday mornings.

Cllr Andrew Milton raised the issue at last week's full council meeting.

"During the planning consultation and the preparation for Castle Farm leisure centre in Kenilworth many concerns were expressed by residents and by local councillors about the adequacy of the car parking provision," he said.

"Despite assurances provided by officers across WDC and WCC these concerns have proved to be well founded. 

"On a visit to the leisure centre last Saturday I witnessed considerable problems including cars parked on pathways, on zebra crossings, on double yellow lines and parking clearly overflowing out onto Fishponds Road."

He called on the cabinet to say what the plan for fixing the issue is, and when it will be sorted.

Portfolio holder for communities and leisure, Cllr Jim Sinnott acknowledged there is a problem between 9.30am and 11.30am on a Saturday morning which he said was "exacerbated by factors some of which are beyond our control".

Councillors were told there was "unprecedented" demand for football pitches from 34 teams on Saturday mornings, as well as "better than forecast" user numbers at the leisure centre itself.

But expanding the facility's car park looks unlikely.

"We are currently mitigating by pushing the use of [the nearby] Square West car park," Cllr Sinnott explained. 

"Extension of the car park [at Castle Farm] would be costly and would involve the concreting of green belt. 

"We are going to continue with parking enforcement. 

"Introduction of charges is a possibility."

The overflow car park is not yet marked, so defining spaces there could "squeeze a few more parking slots out of that".

Councillors have been told a new parking strategy is expected for next summer as this is an "issue right across the whole district"