TOWN councillors in Marlborough are backing residents who say the removal of parking from the side of a busy road will encourage traffic to speed.

Members of the town council asked Wiltshire County Council to include the stretch of Pewsey Road between the High Street and River Park in areas requiring parking restrictions.

The county council had not included Pewsey Road in the areas to be considered for restrictions but did so at the town council's request.

Now objectors are saying the town council was shortsighted and that a ban on parking would encourage traffic to drive faster.

One objector, Louise Ostergaard who lives in the High Street, said parking is vitally important to local people who have nowhere else to go. he said residents have not been consulted by the town council.

Ms Ostergaard said: "The parked vehicles have seemed to act as a mild traffic calming in an area where there is in any case a need for traffic to go slowly because of a roundabout, residential side roads and pedestrians, including many children, crossing."

At a meeting on Monday Coun Nick Fogg supported the arguments put forward by the objectors. "If the town council wanted parking banned in Pewsey Road it must have been out of its mind," he said.

Town clerk Graham Gittins reminded Coun Fogg he was a member of the council at the time it made its recommendation.

The council agreed that having heard the objections from residents it would do a U turn and withdraw its suggestion of introducing double yellow lines in Pewsey Road.

But councils gave their backing to a proposal to introduce yellow line passing bays in Frees Avenue.