IF townspeople want to keep Tavistock?s status as best market town in Britain, this will not be achieved by bringing a multi-storey car park in the town?s main parking area (Times, July 8)..

Doing so would destroy the fine view from Bedford Bridge looking down the Tavy.

There would be excessive and unmanageable traffic flow coming out of the Wharf and Quay area exactly opposite the bus station, where there is already frequent congestion.

During construction there would be hundreds fewer car parking spaces for the months or years which construction would take.

Such a building might only be fully occupied a few weeks a year, and therefore unprofitable. Council taxpayers would then have to pick up the bill to subsidise its building and maintenance costs. Do we really want this?

Judith Davies

Parkwood Road

Tavistock

ONE doesn?t have to be a geographer by education or a town planner by profession to see that the physical constraints of Tavistock?s narrow river valley site preclude limitless expansion.

One doesn?t even have to visit the town (though that helps) ? the possession of an Ordnance survey map and a modicum of intelligence enable that conclusion to be reached from afar.

The front-page story on traffic congestion and the Manhattan solution to parking problems, highlights the sheer lunacy of building a further six hundred houses.

Clearly, the town has already expanded as far as it can with any degree of comfort. If there has to be further development on greenfield sites, it should be to enhance the amenities for the existing inhabitants rather than increase congestion further.

Why were these issues not raised seriously and vociferously ? not ?in jest? even ? five years ago and taken into account?

We should enjoy our status as the country?s number one market town while we have it: with 600 new houses, 900 more cars, 2000 more people, no significant new employment prospects and a multi-storey car park, what are the chances we?ll retain it?

Over-developed market towns aren?t special ? they are two a penny.

Dr Ian Goodfellow

206 Whitchurch Road

Tavistock

COUNCILLOR Woodcock?s suggestion of a multi-storey car park in Tavistock must be implemented, and soon, if the town is to retain or improve its status as a market town.

Your report, however, sounds a warning; the borough council is, even at this early stage, procrastinating.

The town must have more parking space and the borough council must either relinquish its control of parking or devote a large part of the huge revenue it received from the existing spaces to enlarging the provision.

In either case, perhaps the town council (as lessors) and Ward and Chowen (as lessees) could agree to a relocation of the livestock market to the outskirts of the town. Could land be obtained at the top of Launceston Road or by the river at Crowndale?

Such a move would provide the market company and the farmers with a better auction hall and cattle pen layout and reduce the number of trucks and tractor/trailers in the town centre.

G Kirkpatrick

Parkwood Road

Tavistock

HAVING been voted the prettiest town in the South West, watch our councillors try to spoil it! Out of town parking with Park and Ride would be fine, but a multi-storey car park would be dreadful.

Launceston imposed such a monstrosity against the wishes of the people. Are we about to witness the same thing?

There is said to be a need for more parking. But all the council has to do is continue putting the parking charges up disproportionately and no one will be able to afford to visit the town. Neither will there be any need for them to do so because the traders will have gone out of business.

Terence Scarborough

1 Uplands

Tavistock

HAVING read Mrs Woodcock?s comments re changing the Bedford Car Park into a multi-storey I feel she will meet with a lot of opposition from the residents whose gardens back on to it.

I wonder why one wasn?t built at Abbey Bridge where the new housing is going up. I suppose the site was more valuable as a residential property.

The car park exit could still have been in Abbey Rise where the existing one is, not on the roundabout.

Mrs M E Richards

26 Chollacott Close

Tavistock