TAVISTOCK town councillors have told Dartmoor National Park that their plans to revamp their byelaws are ’too draconian’.

The council was responding to a request from the authority to get their comments in on controversial amendments to the park’s byelaws by November 1.

Councillors had originally asked their representative on the Dartmoor Commoners Association, Cllr Barry Smith, to collate their opinions on the changes.

But they voted, with an 8-2 majority with two abstentions, to tell the national park authority that they did not agree with the changes.

The revamp of the byelaws has caused a wave of controversy, particularly in the tightening up of restrictions regarding dogs.

That change, if passed by the authority, will mean dogs will have to be kept on a three-metre lead between March 1 and July 31 to protect birds’ nesting season and to halt an incresaing number of attacks on sheep by dogs.

Other changes would see the banning of barbecues, including disposable ones if ’it is used in such a manner as to cause fire, damage or harm to the land or vegetation, or when the fire severity index reaches high or at other such times when directed by signs.’

Authority members are also looking at abuses surrounding ’wild’ camping. Campers are allowed to use what they can carry on their backs, but The national park authority has received reports of visitors driving camper vans onto the moor.

Town councillors voted against the changes after mayor Andy Hutton described them as ’draconian’ and Cllr James Ellis said evidence from talking to people in Tavistock and comments on social media had made it clear that there was little support for changes in the byelaws.

He said the council had spent enough time discussing the proposals and added: ’I think we need to make a statement on behalf of the town that we as a town do not want to support these changes.’

Cllr Ellis he believed the proposed changes would penalise the people who already respected the law and be ignored by those who didn’t.

Former mayor Cllr Anne Johnson also said she believed law-abiding people would be penalised because of a minority and added: ’I don’t think it’s necessary to keep dogs on leads for that period (the bird nesting season). I think most people are responsible and grown up.’

Cllr Mandy Ewings said: ’I feel it’s wrong to penalise local residents who respect the laws. Where are all the rangers going to come from to carry out enforcement? This is for the whole of the town and not just what we think about it.’