closing Bedford Car Park during Goose Fair week is detrimental to local businesses, the town council has been told. A letter on the subject from Tavistock Chamber of Commerce was discussed by members of the town council?s finance committee. Chamber secretary Guy Talbot told the council: ?Members felt that the closure of this car park, with the attendant loss of parking spaces in the town during that week, did indeed have a seriously detrimental effect upon trade.? Mr Talbot told the council his members had requested the car park be closed for no more than a period from 6pm on the Tuesday before Goose Fair Day, until early on the Friday following the fair. Cllr Norma Woodcock said she was not surprised at the letter from the chamber: ?I would also be interested to know what other sections of the community feel about the effect of Goose Fair day and the closure of Bedford Car Park on their lives. ?I certainly know there are some people, who when they can?t get in to Tavistock to park during that week, go into Plymouth? Cllr Woodcock suggested members canvas people in the town to find out what their views were on the closure of the car park during fair week. Bedford Car Park and the adjacent Wharf Car Park are both owned by West Devon Borough Council. Town clerk Roger Howard said he had been in contact with the borough regarding the issue of Goose Fair. ?Actually, they say they are about cost neutral, in that the amount of money they get from the fair people more or less balances out with the amount of money they don?t get from people parking. ?I think if you told the fair people they could only come for two days, they wouldn?t come at all and Goose Fair would certainly lose an awful lot of what attracts people to it.? David Incoll, chief executive at West Devon Borough Council, said: ?We have good liaison with all the organisations involved in preparations for Goose Fair, including the town council ? this suggestion is late in the day. ?If we receive a similar request to reconsider the arrangements, we would need to do so with all the other partners.?
