FURIOUS Chippenham traders have criticised plans to close a town centre car park to make way for buses.

Work at the combined Timber Street bus station and car park is due to start at the end of January, and will mean the loss of all 40 parking spaces.

North Wiltshire District Council, which owns the car park, says losing the car park is the only way the bus station can be improved.

Shoppers can currently park in there for two hours. Previous proposals to cut spaces there have sparked uproar.

Pam Burfoot, who owns Pembroke Photography in Upper Market Place, slammed the decision.

She said: "It is totally ridiculous. Anyone who ever comes into Chippenham will know how well used that car park is.

"On a Saturday they are queuing to get in there. To say there are sufficient parking spaces elsewhere in the town is complete rubbish."

She said many shoppers used Timber Street car park because getting in and out of Borough Parade was so difficult.

She said: "A lot of people won't use Borough Parade or Emery Gate, because it can take so long to get in and out. Timber Street is very popular particularly with people shopping this end of town. Losing it will have a major effect on trade up here."

The parking spaces will be replaced by new bus bays and a new waiting room with glazed walls will go up.

The improvements follow complaints that the buses could not be seen from the existing waiting room.

Passengers said the only way to see where the buses were going was to walk in front of them, putting them in danger.

The council's long term plan is to relocate the bus station from Timber Street to the Bath Road car park.

Chippenham town and district councillor June Wood said: "Parking spaces are so very precious and are not in good supply in Chippenham, but other spaces will be found elsewhere although they might not be so convenient.

"There is some danger at the bus station and people's safety is what we have to put first."

A council spokesman confirmed all the parking spaces will be taken out.

He said: "This has gone through five committees and has planning permission. Officers are working on the final details of the scheme and the work is due to start at the end of January.

"Our officers have surveyed car parking provision, and have said there are sufficient spaces in the town to compensate for the loss of these spaces."

The bus station improvements are being done as a joint scheme between the district council and Wiltshire County Council.