Marlborough town councillors objected to plans to build 27 retirement apartments on the Clarke and Rodway Garage site at a planning meeting on Monday.

Developer McCarthy & Stone wants to build one and two-bedroom apartments for people over 55 on Granham Hill, with a parking space for each flat and two spaces for visitors.

One of the council’s main concerns was that the parking allocation is not sufficient for the size of the development.

Coun Guy Loosmore said: “We have huge problems in Marlborough with parking and I think the impact of this development has been massively underestimated.

“We as a town are very concerned about traffic and this is only going to exacerbate the problem that we already have.”

Design director Andy Feculak said that other McCarthy & Stone developments provide 70 per cent of their units with parking spaces which they say is adequate. He said: “One for one parking for retirement accommodation is well above what you would normally expect and it is highly likely that some of those retirees will not use every single car space they’ve been given.”

There were also concerns that a request the town council made during the consultation period for a pedestrian crossing had been ignored.

Coun Lisa Farrell said: “I met some families that live along there and trying to get their children across that road now is horrendous for them going to school at St Mary’s.”

The plans propose widening the entrance to Granham Close so that two cars can pass and to reinstate the pavement.

Mr Feculak said: “Our residents don’t leave at rush hours in the morning or the evening, it happens throughout the day.

“We didn’t get support from the local highways authority to include a crossing, they were content that the corner could be improved.”

The application will now go to Wiltshire Council for a decision.