CONTROVERSIAL plans to introduce a residents? parking scheme in Tavistock have been shelved for at least two years. The decision came at a meeting of West Devon?s highways committee on Friday. Members also voted to wait for further feedback from Tavistock businesses before considering whether to introduce town centre on-street pay and display parking. The proposed scheme followed concerns by residents in Bannawell Street, Chapel Street, Fitzford Cottages and Parkwood Road last year about the difficulty ofparking near their homes. And traders, anxious to attract short visit shoppers to park near their shops, wanted a higher turnover of parking spaces. Brian George, the local service officer, told the committee that following a request from the Tavistock Parking Focus Group, there had been two surveys and an exhibition to measure the reaction of residents and traders. But he said that in May 2006 a postal questionnaire to 1,047 in the draft residents? parking scheme ? and another 290 to businesses in the town centre ? showed that only one in ten households supported a residents? parking scheme and ?that was not enough support to introduce a scheme at this time?. The questionnaire suggested a cost of £100 to £200 for parking permits for all-day parking or about £30 for a scheme between 10am and noon. Only 267 replies were received and less than half supported the scheme. Of the 290 postal questionnaires distributed to town centre businesses there were only 76 responses and 63% were against on-street pay and display ? even if the charge for the first 30 minutes was cheaper than car park charges. However, Mr George said that since these results Tavistock traders and the chamber of commerce had reported to parking focus group ? which includes county, borough and town council members ? saying that most of their members did support on-street pay and display. Traders, he added, urged the committee to delay a decision and wait for more feedback. But Cllr Roger Mathew, the member for Tavistock South, who at a previous meeting had compared parking meters with ?daleks? which would litter the streets of Tavistock, saw no point in delaying any further since the results of the surveys had already shown the general feeling over the issue. He said: ?I would have a problem if this was driven by the business community, not that I am anti the business community. I think we should kick it into touch and I recommend we leave it in abeyance.? Cllr Roy Connelly, county councillor and borough member for Tavistock North, said: ?I thank the parties who arranged this census and the recommendation which is supported by the evidence. I support the recommendation as it stands.? A copy of the report will be sent to the Tavistock Focus Parking Group. The lukewarm response concerning residential and street pay and display will be welcomed by many such as Tim Baxter of Tavistock, who wrote to the Times in June: ?From my discussions with the county?s representatives it is plain to me that they have had little regard for the impact on trade within the town. ?If visitors, shoppers and traders are further discouraged from coming to Tavistock then the town has little future.?
