THE BATTLE over parking meters continues tonight (Thursday) as the councillor in charge of the scheme visits Okehampton to consult with local people.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation, has been invited to attend a meeting of the town council's planning committee in the town hall at 7pm. The public are being encouraged to attend.

Cllr Hughes said: 'I am keen to listen to people's views and comments and that will be fed back to the county council cabinet at its meeting on January 12.' A decision on whether the proposals for up to 12 parking meters in Okehampton town centre will go ahead is expected at the meeting.

Town councillor and former mayor Kay Bickley, who has been heading the campaign against the meters, told town councillors on Tuesday: 'We do not want to slate Cllr Hughes, we want a productive meeting where we can put across our ideas and solutions to Okehampton's traffic management issues.'

The town council had invited Cllr Hughes to visit Okehampton earlier in the day to see for himself some of the affected roads and discuss potential problems with the scheme. He did not respond to the invitation.