SO West Devon Council are 'freezing car parking fees' — I should think so too! Tavistock must have some of the highest car parking charges in the country! And I mean countRY, not county.

We had a day out at Teignmouth last week, and we were amazed and delighted to find that the winter parking charges were minimal. Even for '4 hours and over' the cost was only £1.10! This obviously helps out of season visitors, but also local residents who want to shop in their own town. We thought this was a brilliant policy. If they can do it, why can't we?

We welcomed the proposed council consideration being given to 'reduce first hour' parking, as in Chagford and Hatherleigh, so that people can 'pop and shop', though I would suggest that a two-hour limit would be more practical. Getting all of your shopping done in an hour can be a rush, whereas two hours would give time for a bit of browsing and a cup of coffee too, all helping to keep Tavistock's vibrant atmosphere.

People around Tavistock want to be able to afford to pop into town regularly, to support the lovely town shops, —­rather than being put off by the outrageous parking costs. We should all start a 'Half Price For Locals' campaign!

V L Aston

Tavistock