MORE than 1,500 people have signed a petition calling on Wiltshire Council to create more long stay parking in the centre of Devizes.

Traders started the campaign last month after the council made major changes to prices to town centre car parks and altered the status of some from long stay to short stay.

Campaign leader Ruth Blanshard, 46, of Johnson Jewellers in Maryport Street, was particularly upset that long stay options had been removed from central car parks. She said: "A lot of the traders were gobsmacked. It will cause a massive impact on the town and will have an impact on businesses. Everyone was devastated, we are trying so hard to keep Devizes afloat. We are supposed to be improving the town and encouraging more people to come here."

As well as affecting businesses, it is worried that the changes to the parking will have an impact on the tourism in the town as well as workers and people who need disabled parking.

Mrs Blanshard said: “In the summer it will affect tourism, we have a brewery, a market and a selection of shops, three hours is not enough to see all of these things.

“The initial impact for me was the thought of where was I going to park, then I wondered where are the workers going to park? The point is that anyone who visits the town will be clock watching the whole time.”

She complained that the long stay area of Station Road car park is now at the furthest point from the town centre and to reach the town people had to walk up a steep hill. She also said that after dark people worried about their safety.

Devizes Town Council said that it had a clear strategy when it came to the changes in parking, with some of the changes not meeting its plans. The council did not object to the change from long stay to short for the town centre but wanted much cheaper parking in Station Road.

Deputy town clerk Simon Fisher said: “I think the town council has quite a clear strategy and some of it has been done, the plan is about making sure there is affordable parking and the centre’s parking isn’t as blocked up so people can go shopping.”

Car parking charges have also increased in the central car parks with one hour now costing 70p up from the original cost of 55p.

Mr Fisher said: “Prices have gone up dramatically which the council isn’t pleased about, we also think that the whole of Station Road car park should be long stay, which is the general consensus. I think what has happened was that Wiltshire Council hasn’t listened to the community.”

Philip Whitehead, Wiltshire Council's cabinet member for highways, said: "When we asked people in Devizes what they wanted earlier this year, almost three quarters of them asked us to prioritise short stay car parking near the town centre to help businesses by increasing the turnover of shoppers – we listened and we have now done this. We have also kept the half hour free parking in the Market Place.

"In addition, we have reduced the all-day prices in Station Road and The Wharf - both of which commuters with season tickets can now park in for £1.16 a day. This represents amazing value for money.

"We will of course listen to any comments people have about the current arrangements."