PARKING provision in Tavistock came under the spotlight last week when a debate sparked the controversial idea to tarmac part of the Meadows and use it as a car park. Members of Tavistock Town Council were asked to consider the parking situation by town resident Graham Kirkpatrick. He said: ?Do members not think West Devon Borough Council much at fault in taking almost a quarter of a million pounds annually from users of car parking facilities in the town ? a disproportionate contribution to the borough coffers and for which the car users do not get adequate parking spaces?? He also asked if opening hours of the toilets in the Bedford and Guildhall car parks were to be extended for the holiday season, if the Goose Fair fairground could be restricted to one day only and that the town council should take over management of car parking in Tavistock. The revenue from this source should be directed into a ?public works account? for the improvement of parking and other facilities in Tavistock, said Mr Kirkpatrick. Cllr Brian Trew said with limited parking provision, for which drivers were charged ?exorbitant rates?, perhaps the council should start to ?think the unthinkable?. He said: ?We want our open spaces, we want car parking, we want cheap car parking ? perhaps it?s about time we should start considering certain open spaces. ?If we were to have part of the Meadows turned into a car park, horror of horrors, we would be in a position to influence parking fees, we would be in a position to allow more parking and therefore more trade. ?We would solve to a great extent a lot of the car parking problems. If we want more parking, there?s a price to be paid and perhaps that price is one we should at least consider.? Cllr Peter Jones said he ?didn?t believe for one minute? that every car parking space in the town was used. ?There?s the huge Bedford car park, the Somerfield car park is mainly used by parents dropping their kids off at St Rumon?s and the car park on the far side of the river isn?t adequately signposted or lit. Probably the reason we have a car parking problem is people can?t be bothered to walk. ?The car parks are not being utilised properly and to talk about more spaces, I find totally beyond belief,? he said. Cllr Caroline Keane said she did not believe parking had been properly assessed or organised, and Cllr Jane Ramsey believed poor signage was the biggest problem. Cllr Ted Sherrell said: ?I agree there is adequate parking ? the reason it isn?t used is very simple ? it costs too much and people rightly or wrongly won?t pay.? Cllr Maxine Gibson, a member of the town?s parking focus group, said the group had tried ?just about everything? to solve Tavistock?s parking problems. ?We thought about building up, we thought about building down, we thought of every which way,? she said. The group?s solution was to investigate building a car park on town council-owned land in Pixon Lane, she added. Cllr Alison Clish-Green said the only way forward was for the councils to work together on the problem ? and Cllr Mandy Govier urged ideas to be forwarded to the parking focus group. The council agreed Mr Kirkpatrick?s comments should be considered by a future meeting of the finance and general purposes committee.
