Parking fees in Chippenham’s short-stay car parks will be rocketing in April, with the cost for an hour going up by more than 100 per cent.

Town councillors and the Chamber of Commerce are fighting the move by Wiltshire Council, which will see charges go from 50p to £1.10 for one hour’s parking.

Retailers have also spoken of their concern that the rise in parking charges will drive business away from the town centre.

Rob Perks, who owns and runs the Dutch Cottage in St Mary Street, said: “I believe this is a critical mistake that will damage the town’s economy. It is outrageous that these rises can be going through without providing a public consultation or any kind of impact study.”

Other changes coming into the town in April will include the season parking ticket.

Currently, those who work in the town pay £540 a year, although this looks set to rise to around £1,200.

They will also have to park in ‘edge of town’ car parks, although these locations have not yet been specified.

Mr Perks said: “Those who buy a season ticket are not even being guaranteed a parking space.

“They may arrive to these designated car parks to find that, despite having paid over £1,000, there is nowhere for them to park.”

The chief executive of the Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce, Michael Williams, said: “Our primary concern is with the level of the increase.

“We have a lot of empathy for Wiltshire Council, and understand that they have to make rises to pay for central government policies, such as bus passes for the over-60s. However, there is a very real possibility that local businesses in Chippenham are going to suffer as shoppers may choose to take their custom elsewhere.”

Coun Dick Tonge, the Cabinet member for highways and travel, said money raised would go towards improving public transport, which is facing a cut in Government subsidy.

Coun Tonge said: “Last year in Wiltshire, over ten million bus journeys were taken. Out of these, 50 per cent of the buses were subsidised. Without the subsidies for bus travel, many of these journeys couldn’t have happened.

“If there were no buses getting into Chippenham, that would have a drastic impact on the local economy. Unfortunately, the money for these things has to come from somewhere, but it is not a decision we have taken lightly.”

The final decision on the parking charges will take place at a full council meeting on February 22.

The changes are part of a review of parking charges county wide in which major centres have been put into bands. Salisbury is in the most expensive band one, with Chippenham and Trowbridge in band two and Devizes and Marlborough in band three.