MR BRANDON-King slightly misses the point (Letters, February 3). It is all about making money. West Devon Borough Council introduced parking charges in Hatherleigh, where the car park has always been free. The residents of the district naturally refused to use it thereafter, depriving the council of much needed funds to do things that nobody wants. Not satisfied with massive council tax increases since its inception (98% with police funding increasing by 161%) these people are insensitive to the economic damage done to the district from the 2001 foot and mouth disaster. The town has still not recovered fully from this. Using that old chestnut, ?health and safety? the yellow lines are to drive the naughty motorists into the pay and display car park. Proposed parking bays on the market approach (a no-through road anyway) will become safer because people will have to pay to use them. I fail to see the difference apart from filling council coffers. May I point out that the character of the medieval market town was greatly damaged when the town was ?enhanced? by West Devon Borough Council some years ago. This consisted mainly of reducing road width for traffic calming. The town already had a completed bypass to remove the majority of this traffic. This enhancement was carried out on the grounds of ?health and safety? despite a 680-name petition against the plan. After a protest meeting at the time in the town hall, one officer said they would have to carry out this ?enhancement? as the funds had already been allocated. Why couldn?t they just hand it back from whence it came? Why are these people allowed to sit in Tavistock making these decisions? Where is the control over them in our so-called democratic society? Barry Downton Hatherleigh parish resident
