TRADERS, residents and business leaders in Malmesbury have welcomed ‘free parking for all’ in a pioneering £9,000 move that will be closely monitored by towns throughout Wiltshire.

Business and shoppers in Calne and Chippenham will be following the new scheme in Malmesbury with interest and whether car parking could be free for two hours at the Church Street car park is to be discussed at Calne Area Board meeting on Tuesday.

From tomorrow Malmesbury's town centre visitors can leave their vehicles in the Station Road Car Park for two hours free of charge during a 12-month trial period.

The Malmesbury scheme follows months of research last year after which a string of key initiatives were drawn-up to secure the town’s prosperity as a ‘retail destination for the future’.

Delivering an ‘improved parking experience’ was among the top priorities.

The initiative has now been made possible after Malmesbury Town Council and the Malmesbury Town Team agreed to jointly subsidise Wiltshire Council’s parking revenues for the next 12 months to the tune of an estimated £4,500 each.

Both organisations hope free parking will encourage shoppers, visitors and residents to make more use of the Station Road facility and attract them to the town.

A free ticket will be issued by the ticket machines and must still be displayed.

Charges for longer periods will not change.

Malmesbury Town Team chairman Gordon MacPherson said: “Research carried out in 2014 pointed to parking improvements as one of the key priorities.

“We hope that free parking just a short distance from the town centre will help achieve our goal to increase footfall.”

Malmesbury mayor John Gundry said the town council ‘welcomed the opportunity to subsidise parking for the benefit of the residents, workers, visitors and shopkeepers’.

Independent Wiltshire councillor for Malmesbury Simon Killane, who lives in the town, said “I am really keen residents, workers and visitors to Malmesbury have access to convenient, lowcost parking.

“I am delighted this partnership has delivered two free hours parking for all.”

John Brunner, owner of The Old Bakehouse in High Street said: “I think it’s a very good idea. It can only be a big plus. The cost of parking can be ridiculous.

“If someone has the choice of going to two businesses and there is free parking near one of them it’s not rocket science which one they are going to choose.”

Melanie Shute, who runs Capers delicatessen and café said: “Free parking will bring more people into Malmesbury town centre.”

Devizes calls for a rethink on scale of fees

DEVIZES Town Council wants Wiltshire Council to rethink parking charges in the town rather than helping pay for a free parking scheme similar to Malmesbury.

Cllr Nigel Carter, chairman of the ruling Guardians group, said: “There is no suggestion we would go down a similar route at the moment.

“The attraction of the Market Square as free parking puts us in a favourable position.

“We have, always had slightly higher parking charges elsewhere to compensate for the costs of the Market Square’s maintenance.

“We are currently seeking a free area in Station Road car park. We are handicapped in not knowing what the income per car park and the maintenance costs are.

“We will cheerfully watch the Malmesbury experiment but keep our cards close to our chest in Devizes.”

At the moment it costs 45p for one hour and £5.60 to stay all day but under the new recommendations the first hour in the short stay section will be 30p and or all day in the long stay area will be £4.

But Cllr Carter said: “I think they have missed a trick here. This is a very small reduction.”