THE COUNCILLOR spearheading plans to bring parking meters to Okehampton will visit the town on January 6 and says he is keen to listen to comments from residents.

Devon County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation Cllr Stuart Hughes will attend an extraordinary meeting of the town council's planning committee and hear objections and issues of contention over the controversial consultation period.

Town councillor and former mayor Kay Bickley has been leading Okehampton's battle against the meters and will chair the meeting to be held in the town hall.

The town council has invited Cllr Hughes to visit Okehampton earlier in the day in order to walk around the town and see some of the streets which will be affected by the proposals.

Cllr Hughes said: 'I am consulting with people in Okehampton on proposals for on-street pay and display in the town and hope to take up the invite to look at the town centre ahead of the town council meeting.

'I am keen to listen to people's views and comments and that will be fed back to the county council cabinet at its meeting on January 12.'

The meeting will look at the potential economic and visual impact of the meters on Okehampton, as well as discussing the potential affect on residents living in nearby streets.

The meeting will also see town councillors propose a number of potential ways forward on the issue of traffic management in the town.

Suggestions will include reducing the cost of off-street parking to make it more attractive, increasing the use of yellow line parking restrictions, and the possibility of a relief road. Local residents have also asked the town council to raise the issue of residential parking permits to alleviate the number of commuters parking in residential roads all day.

Cllr Bickley said: 'We need an integrated traffic management plan for the town. We need to take a holistic view and not pretend that parking meters are a "one size fits all" solution to our problems.'

Local residents, as well as town and borough councillors, have been angered by the 'streamlined' consultation process employed by the county council, and concerns have also been raised after it was revealed that 100 meters had been purchased at a cost of £290,000, although Cllr Hughes stated that 'a lot' of the meters were to replace old machines.

A final decision on the meters will be made at the council's cabinet meeting on January 12.