A SUGGESTION of an alternative site for a temporary coach park in Okehampton was last week given the thumbs up by the town?s councillors.

There has been much debate about the most suitable site for such a parking area and West Devon Borough Council recently agreed to spend £12,000 on a feasibility study into land behind Brayhams Terrace.

Cllr Charles Letchford, at last week?s full town council meeting, suggested an alternative.

?One possible site suggested to me, and which I think has considerable potential, is the derelict land between the north end of Wonnacotts Road and the south end of North Road, that is to the side of, and behind, the fire station,? said Cllr Letchford.

??I am not proposing it?s a

permanent solution, but it?s been derelict for some years and it has easy access.?

Cllr Letchford said he thought the Brayhams scheme backed by the borough would be ?a waste of money? and said the site was too far away from the town centre.

He said land behind the fire station, which was owned by the borough, had been earmarked for housing, but he said the council seemed to have ?no idea? when the land would be built on.

Cllr Letchford the site was ?considerably larger? than the Brayhams site, development costs would be small and it was closer to the town centre.

?All things considered I think it is a site that has considerable potential and should be given careful thought with a view to the town council formally approaching West Devon about the use of this site as a coach park, even if only as a stop- gap measure,? he said.

Cllr Sheila Gregory said residents at Brayhams Terrace were already ?quite aerated? about noise from the new skatepark nearby.

?Anything which would take the pressure off them is a good idea,? she said.

Cllr Christine Marsh, mayor of Okehampton, said the pressure was still on the borough council to find a suitable coach park site, which was a condition of the Waitrose planning consent. She said she did not feel the proposed site at Brayhams was big enough.

Cllr Frances Luxton said: I think it?s an excellent idea as a short term thing ? I suggest we pursue it.?

The council agreed to write to West Devon Borough Council suggesting the site behind the fire station be used as a temporary measure until a more permanent solution was found.