TOWN and parish councillors have urged Kennet District Council to think again about more than doubling the cost of parking in Station Road, Devizes.

Last week district councillors approved a rise in the hourly rate in Station Road car park from 15p to 35p, bringing it in line with the car parks in the town centre.

But at the Devizes Community Area Forum on Monday evening, councillors attacked the move and said it would discourage people from using the car park, despite improvements to pedestrian access from the Market Place.

Coun Noel Woolrych said: "There has to be consistency in parking policy across the district. Devizes and Marlborough have high charges while it is free in Pewsey. It is also free in some other towns.

"The new charges at Station Road are going to do exactly what we don't want - drivers will drive straight past Station Road and park in the Market Place."

Coun Jim Thorpe noted that there were always plenty of empty spaces in Station Road.

But Ron Crook, Kennet's director of community services, said: "We are trying to sustain the local economy and you have to start somewhere."

Coun Jerry Willmott, who chaired the meeting at Kennet District Council's HQ, said: "If you want to reduce the charges at Station Road, presumably you would accept an increase in council tax or reduction in services somewhere else." A motion by Coun Margaret Taylor to ask Kennet to peg the increase to 5p an hour was passed.