HOPES of a new car park opening in Tavistock town centre early next year have received a setback.

West Devon Council, which wants a 30-space car park on the current ATS site in Parkwood Road, revealed this week that the tyre company had yet to give the go-ahead for the £200,000 scheme.

The council wants the firm to move to new premises on a larger, council-owned site in Plymouth Road. In July, the council announced that work on the car park would start in the early months of next year.

But borough chief executive David Incoll said this week that ATS was 'rethinking its strategy' and the council could not yet move forward with its plans.

He said: 'It certainly won't be available at the beginning of 2000. When we gave that out in a press release in July we expected the owners to have signed the papers by now.

'We were never given any indication there was going to be any delay.'

Mr Incoll said further delays would be incurred because the borough has to tender for the work, and planning applications by local authorities take longer to process than those from a private individual.

'It's certainly not going to be in January,' he said.

Borough councillor Dick Eberlie said it was a 'desperate shame' the scheme had been delayed.

'We would very much like the car park to go ahead just as soon as possible.

'It is sad it wasn't sorted out and done before Bedford Square was done — we will never have enough parking to satisfy everyone and the traders have been suffering a great deal,' he said.

Cllr Eberlie was also concerned for the residents of Dolvin Road, affected when the Stannary Bridge relief road was built, and who were promised parking permits for a car park on the ATS site.

'They were promised space in the ATS car park and that promise is still not fulfilled,' said Cllr Eberlie.

Cllr Caroline Keane, who lives in Parkwood Road, said: 'From local residents' point of view we had hoped we would get parking facilities there and it's another blow for the retailers if it doesn't work out.'

Graeme Barclay who lives with his wife and three young children in Dolvin Road was 'very disappointed' to hear of the delay.

He said: 'Life is very difficult here because of the parking, it's a real nuisance.'

Reaction from traders in Brook Street was mixed.

Frank and Margaret Lawrence, who own the kitchen shop, felt it would be 'disastrous' if the car park did not go ahead, while Chris Locke from Rhyme-in-Tyme felt ATS itself brought customers into town.

'Extra parking is very welcome, but I think it's quite good to have certain businesses in the town which are not retail,' he said.

David Langley, managing director of ATS Western, did not wish to comment.

The car park proposal is part of borough plans to boost the eastern end of the town. A similar scheme at the other end of the town centre, in Russell Street, opened two years ago.