Residents have given their views on Marlborough with the town council declaring that the town is friendly, beautiful and historic.

Marlborough Town Council launched a survey in September and October with 480 residents giving rave reviews of the town.

In the survey results, over 75 per cent of people agreed that the town has beautiful buildings, areas of outstanding natural beauty, open spaces, parks and play areas, a vibrant feel during the day and a wide variety of food and drink outlets.

On Sunday, the Guardian published a piece where Marlborough was rated as one of the best independent high streets in the UK.

However, 60 per cent of people called for improvements to the traffic congestion, poor air quality and more parking for visitors and residents.

Town clerk Richard Spencer-Williams said the town council was exploring ways of finding a way forward.

He said: “We are looking to identify a budget to commission someone to look at the situation, but we don’t know what can be done at this time.

“If we can find an evidence-based solution then we work with Wiltshire Council.”

The issue will be discussed at the next meeting of Marlborough Town Council on December 6.

68 per cent also wanted better access to the town centre via public transport and 57 per cent of people wanted a safer environment for cyclists.

An application will be made to the Wiltshire Towns programme where £1 million will be invested in the county’s high streets and town centre until 2025.

MTC wants to apply for the money as it looks to improve the town, this includes adding more public seating to open spaces, and improving signage and tourist information.

The town council says it is in talks with Wiltshire Council regarding the traffic flow.

Calls have been made for a "safer and more suitable" pedestrian crossing on the main road through Marlborough.

It comes almost two years after a local resident first raised the alarm about the crossing on Port Hill road next to Marlborough Common in an online petition from November 2020.

MTC has also promised to tackle the amount of increased graffiti in the town after a number of comments appeared in the survey.

The council says it is committed to working with partners early in the New Year to raise awareness and seek a joint approach to tackle graffiti right across the town.