The need for more car parking facilities in Marlborough was reiterated when the town council considered Wiltshire Council’s parking review at a planning meeting on Monday.

One of the biggest changes to be suggested in the review for Marlborough is to move two of the most used off-street car parks, Hilliers Yard and the adjacent Polly Lane, from long stay to short stay, allowing cars to stay for up to three hours and increasing the cost of the first hour from 55p to 60p.

It also suggests that management of Savernake Hospital car park, which is designated long stay, be changed, potentially to a community-managed site or other uses for the site could be explored.

The report shows that there is a low car parking vacancy rate in the town, with 13 per cent of spaces free at a time, which generates large queues.

Coun Guy Loosmore said: “Wiltshire Council is just playing around with bits on the table.

“We as a town need some fundamental decisions and, therefore, whilst we note the comments of the review, ultimately this town is critically short of car parking.

“We have got to stand up and say enough is enough and we must make something happen on a much more major scale than is being proposed.”

Concerns were also raised that the town does not offer free parking for people on a low wage working in Marlborough.

Coun Justin Cook said: “With all these additional retirement homes being built there is going to be more of a need than ever for low-wage employees to be able to have free parking at spots around the town, which they can walk to in ten minutes, otherwise they are going to continue to park in residential areas and clog things up.”