HOW many more articles will this newspaper run on the local car park charges before West Devon Borough Council realise the simplicity of its solution?
The real car parking problem in Okehampton is not that visitors and shoppers are forced away by the high prices, but that residential streets are filled during the day by employees of businesses in the town.
Many of those who live outside the town will park in roads such as Northfield Road and Station Road during the day to avoid car parking charges.
A simple residents' parking scheme for areas such as these would force these people back into the car parks, creating the revenue the borough council is trying to find. The car parking charges could then be lowered for employees, shoppers and visitors alike. Furthermore, to set up this whole scheme would cost a great deal less that £25,000.
Perhaps if a residents' parking scheme was implemented the borough council could turn its attention to more pressing matters.
Miss Hayley M Mills
32 Northfield Road
Okehampton