IN response to Alan Turner’s letter last week ‘Town traders – think about parking elsewhere’,  I applaud him for saying publically what has been chatter among the community for months.

I recently had an early appointment in Tavistock, arriving at the Abbey Car Park at 8.30am. Whilst killing time prior to my appointment I recognised six people who trade/work in and around the market, parking their cars and heading off into town.

Other cars in the car park had tickets that were issued from as early as  7.30am, one had a parking permit and the others were cars of parents, who, I understand for safety’s sake, have a concession to park in the car park whilst taking their children to St Rumons’ school – together with the liveried van.

The problems with this car park came about in April last year with the introduction of the £2 all day fee. This car park is signed as short term and should be returned to this use at the end of the ‘trial period’. Other car parks where the £2 pound all day fee is continued should have the charge available only after 10am - the Bedford car park is mostly full of all day parkers as well.

It may be a loss of face for the council, but who do you want in these car parks – shoppers or traders? The supermarkets are a tempting prospect for shoppers who can’t park in town, with their large free car parks.

Jill White

Whitchurch

I REFER to the letter from Alan Turner published on January 7 regarding parking in the Abbey Car Park at the foot of the Whitchurch Road. On Friday, January 8, after reading the letter, we did a tour of the town car parks making a note of the spaces available. 

The resulting spaces available were as follows: Russell Street  at 10.30am — one space, Bedford at  10.35am — 41 spaces, The Wharf  at 10.35am —30 spaces, Town Square at 10.40am  —  two spaces, Brook Street  at 10.45am —  61 spaces, Abbey at  10.50am  — no spaces, Riverside at 10.55am —  55 spaces

As the Abbey and the Bedford car parks are both the same price and the distance to the centre of town around the same I cannot see the reason for a complaint.   

According to Mr Turner, all the traders are parking in the Abbey Car Park.  However, this leaves 61 spaces in the Brook Street multi-storey park and 55 in the Riverside park. The Riverside park may be another 200 yards or so further from the town centre but the Brook Street (multi-storey) car park is definitely around the same or less distance. 

I am quite amazed that Mr Turner thinks that the traders are either lazy, stupid or too tired to walk!  He also assumes that a person parking in the car park is the trader and not an employee.  

I think that we have all heard enough about the car park issues; how about just leaving it to the council to thoroughly examine the results and then act on them — that is their job after all. 

I remember the cost of parking in a multi-storey car park in Oxford 25 years ago was £12 a day and last year an open air car park in Oxford cost £9 for 3 hours! Tavistock is good value for money don`t you think?  Mr Turner and I are of a similar age and as far as I can see this has no relevance to car parking.

M A Clarke

Tavistock