CAR parking changes including a proposal to make people pay to leave their cars in Devizes Market Place are set to spark a heated debate at a town council meeting on Tuesday.

Wiltshire Council is consulting on a series of options to increase the amount of money it gets from car parks across the county and included is one to introduce a charge of 70p for a one hour stay in the Market Place and £1.30 for two hours.

At the moment motorists car park for free for half and hour. Deputy town clerk Simon Fisher said: "When the half hour limit was introduced there was some disagreement from traders but it has meant there is a constant flow of traffic.

"If people were to be allowed to pay to stay for two hours that would disappear. Half an hour is enough for people to pop to the bank or go to the chemist to get a prescription. I think it works well.

"The town council is yet to discuss this but I think there will be a lot of members very against it and probably people in the town as well. We would welcome anyone who has a view at our meeting on Tuesday evening."

Mr Fisher is also worried about another option outlined in the consultation which would take away free event parking in November and December which he fears would hit the Christmas lantern festival and light switch-on.

He said: "The Christmas festival is an important community event and the change could have a real impact."

Town councillor Judy Rose dismissed the consultation as a sham and said she would not fill in the form. She said: "The consultation is incomprehensible and the questions are all designed to get the answers Wiltshire Council wants. I will be writing a letter so I can explain my views in detail and I would urge other people to do the same thing.

"Originally when the free parking in the Market Place was reduced to half hour I was against it but it has actually worked well. I think a charge would be very unpopular."

The town council meeting will be in the town hall at 7pm.

Q6 Would you support the council withdrawing the use of its free event parking offer in November and December? It is estimated this would raise an additional £5,000 a year.

There are a small number of parking facilities where currently no charges are applied. In the interest of improved fairness (i.e. between different towns in Wiltshire) and efficiency (i.e. charging for the use of the car parking service and asset), if the proposed charges were applied in all council parking facilities this would result in a projected annual increase of £95,000.

The detailed locations and charges can be found in Appendix 4 - Proposed Charges in Currently Free Car Parks on the councils website and consultation portal

Q5 In light of the above, which option below would you most support (please tick one option only)

Wiltshire Council implementing charges in all its car parks

Spreading the income requirement across the chargeable car parks within that local community with the resulting cost increase to parking charges

A reduction in the equivalent funding of public transport and other highway services.