FENCING will not be introduced in the Meadows, Tavistock councillors decided last week, despite safety issues raised by two separate incidents.

The Times recently highlighted complaints about dog fouling near the play equipment in the Meadows, and an incident where an elderly lady fell into the River Tavy from Abbey Walk at the Jubilee Arch. It led to the issue of fencing in the Meadows being put on the town council?s agenda.

On previous occasions, councillors have decided not to fence the play park, saying it would interfere with the visual amenity of the Meadows.

Cllr Norma Woodcock said: ?I am totally and absolutely opposed to the idea of fencing around the play park.

?If we put up a small amount of fencing around the play equipment, dog owners will think the rest of the area is for dogs, and that is not the purpose of the Meadows.?

Cllr Ted Sherrell said the message had to be conveyed to people that dog fouling was ?anti-social and indeed criminal?.

He said the problem of dog fouling had to be policed more thoroughly with cases being taken to court, to make people aware how seriously the authority treated the problem.

Cllr Roy Connelly agreed: ?If we have to make examples of people, let?s make examples. That is the best prevention.?

Worries have also been expressed about the safety of small children running loose so near to the canal and river. But councillors did not feel fencing in the Meadows was an appropriate solution.

Cllr Judith Williams said the town council had to be ?sensible?.

?It is up to parents to be responsible, and watch where their children are playing in the Meadows,? she said.

Councillors also discussed the need for fencing along Abbey Walk at the properties committee meeting last Tuesday week.

Health and safety advice to the council was that now all vegetation has been cleared from that part of the riverbank, there was a small risk to the public.

However, Cllr Betty Batchelor said it was difficult to determine which parts of the path alongside the river should be fenced.

?I would be vary wary of fencing a particular stretch. Once we started fencing one bit of Abbey Walk, we don?t know where we will end up,? she said.

Councillors said although they had every sympathy with the woman awho had fallen into the River Tavy, this had been an isolated incident and they did not support the introduction of fencing along Abbey Walk.

Members passed a resolution to take no further action on fencing in either part of the Meadows but to monitor the situation.