PARKING charges will be forced on a west Wiltshire town if it fails to reach a compromise agreeable to West Wiltshire District Council by January.

Warminster Town Council has been warned the town will face the same charging regime as Trowbridge, Melksham and Bradford on Avon, unless it is willing to give up its bid to keep parking free.

At present, Westbury and Warminster town councils lease their car parks from the district council to ensure free parking for residents, traders and visitors but the leases expired last month and the district council wants to impose charges.

Westbury Town Council has agreed a compromise package which would see free parking for two hours, and residents and traders will be able to buy permits for about £112 and £360 a year respectively. The town council is expected to pay about £31,500 for free parking.

Traders in the town fear parking meters would kill the town's future.

Robin Wilson, the former president of the Westbury Chamber of Commerce and owner of Wessex Books and Prints in Market Place, said: "It's absolutely ridiculous. Out of the five towns in west Wiltshire, Westbury is the most neglected. It needs help not hindrance or we will lose the shops one by one until the town dies."

Warminster mayor Chris March said the town does not want to cave in over parking charges.

He said: "We don't live in an ideal world. You can't get away from the fact that 80 per cent of people are dependent on, or have access to, a car. Westbury and Warminster are rural communities so you can't get rid of the car, as there are no suitable alternatives."