CONCERNS over traffic movement and an increase in parked cars were last week voiced by West Devon?s planning committee, as it considered an application by a Tavistock car sales business. The application to build a workshop and servicing building at the car sales operation at 10 Ford Street, opposite Drake Stores, was discussed by councillors in Okehampton last Tuesday. Tavistock resident Michael Woolley, who lives opposite the garage, said his main concern was parking in the area, rather than the workshop building itself. Mr Woolley said: ?Although your report says the area will allow for more cars to be parked, that just isn?t true. What I am really worried about is once this building goes up, it will create a lot of restrictions on cars moving within this area.? Ward member Cllr Dick Eberlie said: ?Parking is undoubtedly a problem ? the long lines of cars and increased useage of Ford Street and Callington Road is very worrying to me and I am amazed highways have had no objections to this ? I think they must have been thinking about the building itself, not the cars.? Cllr James McInnes said the committee was ?between a rock and a hard place? and whatever building went on the site would have ?a considerable effect? on the amount of cars on the site. Cllr Ed Persse said the proposal was a reduction in size on a previous scheme in terms of height and floor space. Cllr Roger Mathew, chairman of the planning committee, said as planning consent already existed for a repair garage on the site, it was difficult to argue cogently against the application. Displacement of vehicles was speculation from a planning point of view, he said. Planning officer Jane Green said it would be possible to impose a condition whereby parking spaces on the forecourt were kept specifically for customer use in attempt to ease parking pressure in the area. But Cllr Sally Monk objected to the suggestion. ?I think it would aggravate the situation and push more cars out on to the road,? she said. The committee agreed to grant planning consent, subject to conditions, including use of the site should be restricted to car sales, MOT testing and servicing, with hours of use restricted to 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday and 8am to noon on Saturdays. Prior to development, an area of parking shall be identified and delineated to be kept available for use by customers.
