SO, 73% of the 83 shops and businesses that replied want us to have on street parking charges? (Times, August 27).

In other words only about 60 of them have decided that all shoppers and visitors (their customers) should pay to come and shop in the town and the chamber of commerce are going to use that to push their case!

I wonder how many of those shopkeepers bleated about Sainsburys and Lidl taking away their trade? They say that due to lack of enforcement people are parking in the free zones all day, I also wonder how many of those are shop or office workers?

If full-time wardens cannot be found to enforce the one-hour parking, how are they expected to deal with those who overstay their time or feed the meter? Also, why should shop owners have the trouble of refunding parking charges?

Tavistock needs more parking, but as we already have some of the most expensive per hour parking in this part of Devon, charging for the free spaces is just screwing the motorist even harder, making out of town shopping with its free parking more attractive — is that what they want?

Paul Mercer

Ivy Cottage

Peter Tavy