A NEW option for the layout of Devizes Market Place has appeared at the eleventh hour but not everyone in the public gallery at Tuesday evening’s town council meeting was happy it will be explored without further consultation.

Town councillors voted to ask Wiltshire Council if a more flexible approach could be considered which would see the Market Place split into three areas rather than two.

Paid-for parking would be at the fountain end of the square with community space at The Shambles end but with the new feature of a central area which could be used for either depending on demand.

The special full council meeting was surrounded by controversy before it even started as the Devizes Future Group pointed out that it had not been widely publicised.

Mayor Judy Rose said town clerk Simon Fisher had put a notice on the council website before the weekend but a technical glitch had meant it did not appear.

Iain Wallis from the Federation of Small Businesses put forward an idea for setting up a working party and holding extra weeks of consultation.

When this was dismissed by councillors he said: “Once again the town council is not listening to what people want.”

But praise for the council came from former Labour town councillor and Mayor Margaret Taylor who said: “The council is to be congratulated. Change has to be considered to stop the threat of on-line shopping.”

Mr Fisher said that if the town did not take over the Market Place from Wiltshire Council events such as the lantern parade would be put under threat as they would have to pay to use parking bays.

Cllr Jane Burton said she wished the Market Place could revert to free half hour parking but this was not an option.She spoke of the stress she had felt because of the vitriol surrounding the project.