Already more than 100 residents have put their name to the protest.

At the West Southsea Neighbourhood Forum this week, residents heard that Portsmouth City Council will use the common for 'overflow' parking this summer.

Concerns have been raised that the move will put people, particularly young children, in danger as well as taking away valuable recreation space.

A petition that states the common should only be used for parking in exceptional circumstances, and not as an overflow parking facility, was passed around at the forum, which was held at St Jude's Church in Kent Road, Southsea.

The council has said it intends to allow up to 400 cars to park on the common at weekends if spaces around the seafront are full, this summer.

Speaking at the forum meeting, Cllr Linda Symes agreed that the common should not be used as a car park even if all the other car park spaces in the area had been used

The Conservative councillor said: 'It's not just the people of Southsea that value that space, it is people all over the city.

'This will amount to 17 days over the summer when people will want to use this wonderful space to have a picnic or fly a kite.

'There is no more annoying thing than finding an open space has been turned into a car park.'

Cllr Symes called for a credible park-and-ride plan to be formulated.

Ken Ellcome, the council's parking manager told residents parking space had to be made available to encourage people to continue visiting the seafront.

Mr Ellcome said: 'I agree there should be an alternative but, until there is, we are left with the situation where people are turning up expecting to find a parking space.

'Shall we put up signs to say "sorry, we are closed" or should we try to accommodate them so they want to come back?'

Liberal Democrat member for St Jude ward Cllr David Butler is also against using the common as an overflow car park.

Cllr Butler said: 'I have had so many personal issues raised by constituents on this matter. We need to think through the whole seafront strategy.'

Residents have until Friday to register objections.