THREE parking spaces in Tavistock town centre are at the centre of a row between local residents and the borough council this week.

Business people and those living in Barley Market Street are up in arms after a car park used by residents, shopkeepers and shoppers for many years has been handed over by West Devon Borough Council to a company in nearby Drake Road.

The council owns the land and recently sold a two-year licence to Miller and Sons.

Charles Colwill, who currently owns nine flats and four shops in the street, has organised a petition calling for the council to reinstate the public parking. He said all 27 of the street's traders and residents had signed.

'These three places have been amicably used on a first-come-first-served basis by everybody — it was a park that was never empty night and day,' he said.

'Suddenly, a licence is granted by the council for Miller and Sons of Drake Road to have exclusive rights to this parking, which precludes even overnight parking, with no consultation of anybody in the Barley Market Street area. There's been a total injustice done by not even informing us that this parking was up for rent.'

Mr Colwill said other people, including himself, had tried to buy or rent this piece of land.

'They were refused at the time because the land was for public parking only,' he said

West Devon Borough Council chief executive David Incoll said the council's main concern was ownership.

He said if the council did not formulate an agreement for its use it risked losing control of the car park under a law that grants possession to anybody who could show they had occupied the site for 12 years.

He also said it was not suitable for a public car park as it was potentially dangerous reversing out onto Barley Market Street and, by renting it to Miller and Sons, Mr Incoll said the council was helping a local business and getting a reasonable return for the council tax payer.

He explained they offered the licence to Miller and Sons as they were the only people who came forward to say they were using the car park when the council investigated who was using the site without authority.

Miller and Son's Tavistock branch manager Matthew Miller said they had never approached the council to use the land but having been offered it, took full advantage.

'The council approached us, we said thank you very much and paid them lots of money,' he said. 'It's a godsend to us and saves us a lot of time.'

Mr Miller said they wanted the car park between 8am and 6.30pm Mondays to Saturdays, but were happy for residents to use it at other times.

'We don't want to upset the local people — we've tried to be as reasonable and flexible as possible,' he said.

Mr Miller said the issue had been blown out of all proportion. He said some people would be dissatisfied whoever was given the licence.