THE consultation on controversial proposals for parking meters in Okehampton has been extended by two weeks — but town councillors are pushing for more time to find a traffic management solution for the town.

Devon County Council's cabinet member for highways and transportation Cllr Stuart Hughes has announced that people in many of the towns, including Okehampton, will now have until Christmas Eve to comment on the plans.

Tavistock residents will have until January 7 as Cllr Hughes has offered to meet with the town council at the start of the New Year to discuss the scheme.

Okehampton town councillor Kay Bickley said at the very least all the towns should be given the same deadline for the consultation period.

'Nobody is happy about these proposals and extending the deadline to December 24 does not cut the mustard. What we should be doing is going back to square one,' she said.

'I think the county council should scrap its current consultation period and go back to the drawing board. The proposals need to be shaped with each town and then go out to the public.

'Abandoning these traffic orders is the only answer. If Cllr Hughes has the power to extend the consultation time then surely he can abandon these proposals if he wants to?'

Mrs Bickley said she still believed introducing parking meters was all about reducing the deficit in the county council's parking budget. But the county denied this, saying it was about traffic management.

'Well if it is about traffic management, we should be given proper time to think of solutions on a town by town basis,' she said.

Both Okehampton Town Council and the chamber of trade has opposed the move for parking meters, saying it will drive shoppers away and make matters worse for residents who would not be able to park near their houses due to visitors using residential parking to avoid paying fees.

In a statement this week Cllr Hughes said he wanted to ensure that residents, businesses and town councils have additional time to consider the proposals.

He said: 'I've already visited several towns, including Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth, and had a meeting with Mid Devon District Council, to listen to what they have to say.

'These proposals aren't a case of one size fits all, so I've always been very clear that I want to work with and listen to communities in order to take on board their views and concerns.

'The extension of the consultation will give me the opportunity to speak to other towns that have expressed an interest in discussing the issue with me.'

Devon county councillor for Okehampton Christine Marsh, who as chairman of the council has remained neutral on the subject, said she welcomed a longer consultation period to listen to the public, but it was important that alternative solutions were put forward by townspeople.