TAVISTOCK'S Bedford Square monitoring group has hit out at the county council, claiming the authority is preventing a proper analysis of the effects of last year's enhancement scheme on traffic congestion.

The group, evolved from the working party which devised the town centre enhancement scheme, became a watchdog after the controversial project — reducing traffic lanes and parking spaces — was finished.

Angry members claim the reluctance of the county council to conduct video surveillance of traffic movement in the town centre means the watchdogs cannot do their job properly.

Monitoring group member Cllr Roger Mathew was one of the leaders of a campaign to stop the enhancement work going ahead.

In 1996 the square was monitored for two days by two cameras and the results analysed. The same process should be carried out again now the work has been completed he said.

'All we want is have a fair assessment of the benefits and a fair look at any problems there might be.'

'It was a hell of a battle to get the video monitoring — they're now saying you can have the video but we're not going to do any analysis because in our view, we've done it.'

Mr Mathew said the analysis should be 'like for like' — instead, the post-enhancement scheme surveillance only involved one camera over two days.

Cllr Ken Sanders, monitoring group member and strong supporter of the enhancement scheme, said: 'I think it's important they get it done, so we can compare it with what was happening in 1996.

'I think it will prove that it is increase in traffic that's the problem.'

Mr Sanders said video surveillance would 'prove a point one way or the other.'

County councillor Gretta Madigan, chairman of West Devon partnership committee, said the county carried out an assessment of the changes in Bedford Square this summer and a report would be submitted to the partnership committee in December.

Mrs Madigan said: 'The study covered taxis, buses and coaches, goods vehicles, pedestrians and traffic.

'It was found all the objectives had been met.

'The monitoring group felt the only worthwhile form of monitoring would be video monitoring, but as the county had already carried out its review, it was thought this would be an unnecessary duplication.'

Mrs Madigan said the original purpose of the videos was not to watch traffic but to help design the new-look square. The county council agreed to co-operate with the monitoring group's request for a camera but never agreed to interpret the footage as their report had already been prepared, she added.

She felt the 'overwhelming' message was that Bedford Square should be used more.

'If anyone wants to start a fund to put planters and tubs in the square I will be first to put my hand in my pocket,' she said.

Tavistock's county councillor Roy Cook said, although roads were busy, he never had problems getting into Tavistock by car.

'The only problems I've ever encountered are people parking on double yellow lines,' he said, adding he had no objection to video surveillance in Bedford Square.

'Do it and let's see what happens,' he said.

Inspector Nick Rogers of Tavistock Police said: 'From a policing point of view we have absolutely no problems at all with Bedford Square — it's working fine.'