Nearly 70 Marlborough traders have signed a petition demanding fairer parking prices in the town.

Coun Peggy Dow, one of Marlborough’s two Wiltshire councillors, told the town council on Monday she would present the petition to Wiltshire’s ruling cabinet in the hope of getting Marlborough’s parking fees cut to those charged in other towns.

Wiltshire Council is harmonising charges but rather than cut the highest fees in places like Salisbury and Marlborough, it intends leaving them unchanged until the other town charges catch up.

Coun Nick Fogg, the other Wiltshire Council representative, called for an end to Marlborough’s exorbitant charges.

He said he was pleased to see a recommendation that season ticket fees in Marlborough should be cut from £700 to £500. “This is still not very satisfactory but at least it’s a step in the right direction.”

Coun Fogg said he had heard waitrose was looking to take back control of its large council-run car park and that the store was planning to allow the first two hours parking free. “That will be a very welcome step forward,” he said.

Last week Wiltshire Council cabinet member Lionel Grundy told the Marlborough Area Board that parking charges were necessary to raise the revenue for subsidised rural buses.