FREE on-street car parking spaces in Devizes and Marlborough could be scrapped. Motorists could be charged £3.20 to park all day in the two towns if decriminalised parking is introduced in Kennet.

The warning has come from Kennet District Council's director of resources, Frank Marshall, who told councillors that Kennet, North Wiltshire and West Wiltshire district councils are likely to come under pressure to introduce on street charges for areas that are currently free.

Mr Marshall said consultants appointed by Wiltshire County Council had produced a report examining how decriminalised parking would work.

Salisbury District Council and Swindon Borough Council have adopted decriminalised parking which results in the councils keeping the money they raise in car parking charges.

Mr Marshall said Kennet could be forced to introduce the changes.

At a meeting of Kennet's community development executive committee he said: "Until recently it seemed the decision on whether or not to bring in decriminalised parking was our decision to make but I have an awful feeling that there will be an inevitability about it.

"I feel the Secretary of State will make us do it or the county council will make us do it."

He said that at present the Government gives the county council a supplementary transport grant worth around £20m.

But the Government had indicated that this money might not be forthcoming unless parking is decriminalised.

"There is a very big hint coming out of Government that no decriminalised parking means no supplementary grant or less of it. I think there will be pressure for us to do it," he said.

Consultants have estimated that the only way Kennet will make a surplus is if 9,830 penalty charge notices are issued each year but currently Kennet issues only 4,000 parking tickets per year.

Mr Marshall said it would only be economical to introduce charges in Devizes and Marlborough. Devizes has 267 free spaces and Marlborough has 188.

The consultants have assumed that motorists would be charged 20p for half an hour's stay.

The consultants estimate the start up costs of introducing decriminalised parking in Kennet to be £268,761, which Mr Marshall said Kennet would struggle to find.

He said if charges were brought in more motorists might park in residential streets, leading householders to call for residents' only parking.

Councillors were unhappy at the prospect of charges being introduced.

Devizes councillor Jeff Ody, who is not a member of the committee but was invited to speak, said: "I would challenge the principle that it is inevitable. If we believe we don't want to go for it we should stand up against it.

"The retail base in Devizes is extremely fragile at the moment and we don't want to see it weakened at the moment by fewer visitors."

He said that Kennet should not feel intimidated by the county council as the county council had refused to undertake a traffic modelling assessment for Devizes.

Marlborough councillor Maureen Hannaford said: "There would be a very loud outcry from Marlborough if this were to be introduced."

The committee agreed that Kennet officials should explore the various possibilities about parking.