CHIPPENHAM'S Christmas park and ride scheme is set to be scrapped after six years because of high costs and a disappointing take-up.

North Wiltshire District Council hopes to encourage more shoppers into town using better signs, publicity about car parking and research into short-term Christmas parking provision.

Although about 1,000 cars a year use the park and ride scheme over the six Saturdays prior to Christmas, the number has stayed stable over the six years, while costs have gone up.

Last Christmas the scheme cost the district council £9.78 for each car or £4.28 per person.

"At £10 per car this can not be considered good value for money," said Coun Bill Wood, at a meeting of the Chippenham area committee on Monday.

"But we shouldn't just do nothing we should try and find commercial sites not in use and negotiate with the owners to try and get parking there."

The park and ride scheme was set up to encourage shoppers into the town centre and reduce congestion.

Two supervised parking areas were provided, at Regent Lock on the Bath Road, and at the Wiltshire Ambulance College on the Malmesbury Road.

A free bus shuttle service transferred people into the town centre every ten minutes.

A budget of £9,000 has been set aside for this year's scheme.