Car park campaigners in Devizes say plans to lower the charge for all day parking in Station Road have not gone far enough.

Wiltshire Council has just announced the result of its review into car parking for the whole county following consultation and a series of meetings.

In Devizes the council wants to get more people to use Station Road car park and is planning to split it into long stay and short stay areas.

At the moment it costs 45p for one hour and £5.60 to stay all day but under the new recommendations the first hour in the short stay section will be 30p and the price for all day in the long stay area will be £4.

But both Devizes Town councillor Nigel Carter and Tony Aldridge of Devizes Tourism Partnership believe the price for staying all day should be much lower.

Mr Aldridge said: “What we wanted to happen was for the price to come down very low so that the car park, which is hardly used at the moment, becomes much fuller and people who work in the town use the car park rather than residential roads.

“I really think they have missed a trick here.”

Coun Carter agreed that for people in low paid jobs the £4 daily charge was still a significant part of their first hour of pay. He said: “I don’t think this is low enough. I think the price should be as low as possible if people are going to be encouraged to park there all day.”

Mr Aldridge was also disappointed that there appear to be no plans to introduce barriers in the Central car park so people could spend as much time as they wanted at attractions and shops without having to rush back to their cars.

He said: “We want to encourage people to spend as much time as possible in the town so they spend their money here. A barrier system where you pay on foot before you return to your car would allow people to relax and go for an extra coffee if they feel like it.”

Coun Carter was also concerned that the cost of the first hour in The Wharf was going up from 55p to 70p.

He said: “That car park is hardly ever full so to put up the price does not seem like a good idea.”

WILTSHIRE Council plans the following changes:

  • Station Road – Sectioned into short and long stay. First hour goes down from 45p to 30p, all day £4.
  •  The Wharf – Stays long stay, first hour rises from 55p to 70p. All day goes down from £6.10 to £6.
  • Central car park goes from long stay to short stay with three hour maximum. First hour goes up from 55p to 70p.
  • Sainsbury – Goes from long stay to short stay, first hour rises from 55p to 60p. Three hour maximum.
  •  Northgate – From long stay to short stay, first hour rises from 55p to 60p. Three hour maximum.
  •  Sheep Street – Still long stay. First hour goes from 55p to 60p.
  • West Central – From long stay to short stay and first hour rises from 55p to 70p.
  •  Market Place – Still free.