PROPOSALS to create a car park in Whitchurch have been labelled a 'monstrosity' by a village resident.

The proposed car park would be situated in part of the field opposite the church, land which is being donated by Jeffery Fox of Middlemoor.

Mr Fox said: 'It has always been a serious worry because it's very, very difficult driving past that bend because of the parked cars.

'I am quite happy to donate it to the community — we don't have a village green, it's just to provide a sort of focal point, that was my dream.'

Mr Fox hoped perhaps a 'community garden' could be created alongside the car park for the benefit of people living in the village.

But Ian Smith, who lives near the proposed car park site, called the plan a 'monstrosity'.

He said he had canvassed many people living in Church Hill about the application.

'I can honestly say that 50 per cent of people were against the proposal and everybody was in agreement they did not see the need for one that size,' said Mr Smith.

'Ultimately, it will turn into a beer garden — and who is going to maintain it, stop vandalism or noise nuisance?' he said.

Mr Smith said a smaller car park might be more acceptable, hidden behind the Old School Nursery. He did not feel parking provision would stop people parking on the road.

'I think a lot more needs to be taken into consideration,' he said.

The Rev Simon May, Vicar of Whitchurch, said he had only been involved in preliminary discussions about the scheme, which he described as 'a bit of a hot potato'.

He said: 'I think Jeffery Fox is being very generous; there are many people who would welcome it, but I fully understand the feelings of those who are concerned about the impact of the car park.'

A planning application to build the car park has been lodged with West Devon Borough Council on behalf of Mr Fox by Sue Callow, licensee of the Whitchurch Inn.

She said Church Hill was dangerous because so many drivers parked there, and people living on the eastern side of Tavistock used the road to cut across to the main A386.

'The difficulty is that there are no parking facilities at all,' she said.

'Mr Fox felt for the benefit of Whitchurch he would donate this land in order that it wasn't built on.

'It will be a public community car park for the use of the church, the pub, the nursery and the village hall and a place where people can sit and look out over the view,' said Mrs Callow.

She hoped grant money could be obtained for non-tarmac surfacing in the 30-space car park, which would be landscaped, provided with seats and picnic tables and shielded by a natural hedge.

'I am astounded that people can be so negative when somebody is prepared to donate valuable land,' she said.

Mrs Callow did not think pub customers would use the car park as a beer garden — and she did not think 30 spaces was too generous either, given the amount of people who use the church, the village hall and nursery.

She thought a committee could be formed to take care of it, similar to the village hall trustees.

The borough council's planning department confirmed the application is in the consultation stage — it will not be considered by the committee before next month.