Wiltshire Council spent £40,000 on a report which suggests cutting the number of cars coming into Trowbridge, a move which has been widely criticised by community leaders.

The 16-page Trowbridge Transport Strategy Development, which was produced by consultants Mott MacDonald in Southampton, suggests the number of people coming into the county town by car could be reduced if workplace car parks were removed or if charges were levied on them.

The report concluded that car usage was encouraged by the council’s on- and off-street car parking which is “often priced cheaply” and that increasing the costs of car parking further, or even removing car parking spaces, could help tackle the issue.

It also suggests house builders should provide less spaces for cars in new developments.

Mike Williams, chief executive of the Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce, said: “I’m sure we would all like to have streets free of cars but this is a pipedream. It would only seek to drive people away from the town at a time when businesses are already feeling the pinch.

“Wiltshire is a predominantly rural community and bus provision from some of our villages is inadequate, so people rely on cars to get them into towns like Trowbridge.”

Graham Payne, Wiltshire councillor for Drynham ward, said: “This is an expensive report which is completely unrealistic. You can do a lot with £40,000.

“The report seems to run contrary to the requirements of Trowbridge residents and town centre businesses. Any attempt to reduce the amount of car parking is economic lunacy and the suggestion that car parking charges should be increased show that the writer is not aware of the adverse effect on council finances that has resulted since the last price hike in April.

“If Trowbridge town centre is to survive as a shopping centre, there needs to be an acceptance that the car is here to stay and to take steps to accommodate it. If the council is not prepared to do that then the town will decline to a point of no return.”

The report will form part of the Wiltshire Core Strategy, a model which sets out future plans for development in the county over the next 15 years.

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “As part of the Core Strategy, we must produce evidence to show how Trowbridge’s transport infrastructure will be able to deal with the extra traffic created by the proposed housing developments in and around the town.

“It will allow the council to ensure developers are paying for any improvements needed in a structured way. Also, without this document, the Core Strategy will not stand up to inspection. The contract was awarded following a full tender process, and will cost just under £40,000 once all stages are complete.”