A WISH-LIST of road improvements in the area is to be submitted by councillors in Tavistock by September ? but the removal of the controversial Whitchurch rural gateway is not likely to get a thumbs up.

The county?s local service officer Brian George told members of Tavistock Town Council last week that he wanted to hear their views about improvements in the area, so possible schemes could be worked up for the community travel plan for the five-year period starting 2006.

But he admitted the single-track rural gateway, which town and borough councillors have tried to have removed, would probably stay put ? although there was nothing to stop councillors putting it on their wish-list.

Mr George said: ?I drive it on a regular basis and I have to say, I find it works. My perception is that the rural gateway is unlikely to be removed ? it has been debated ? it has functioned well.?

Mr George accepted that if there was an accident on the A386, log-jam problems could occur, but said they were no more severe than any caused by any other pinch-point.

He said the county had approximately £75,000 which could be spent on improvements in the Tavistock area. Officers wanted to hear of any particular schemes or ideas which would fit in with the county?s transport plans, particularly in terms of sustainability, and which could link with existing schemes with the emphasis on walking and cycling.

Mr George said: ?This is the first time we have made this type of approach on a formal basis.

?In the round, one might expect Tavistock to have around £20,000 of that £75,000 to be focussed in to the town ? what I don?t want to suggest is that we can get another £600,000 for another subway scheme.?

Any ideas put forward by the council would be considered along with other schemes for areas like Okehampton ? their success would depend on how they ?stacked up?, given the limited transport budget.

Cllr Peter Jones, chairman of the finance committee, said the council ?disagreed wholeheartedly? with the county?s view about the rural gateway.

He said from his point of view, if the county was to reject the views of the borough and town councils in this respect, would they be likely to listen to any other ideas put forward?

Cllr Caroline Keane said parking, and in particular, residents? parking, was one of the biggest issues facing the town.

She said: ?It?s a huge problem, it?s chronic, and I see little point in encouraging people into Tavistock if there?s nowhere to park their cars.?

Cllr Norma Woodcock questioned whether another bridge across the Tavy, to link the cycle route from Crowndale to the Safeway side of the river, was still in the pipeline.

The council was told the project was still dependent on negotiations with landowners but it was still intended to install a new bridge.

Cllr Iain Andrews said he felt safety and sustainability would be the two most important elements of any project the council put forward.

And Cllr Alison Clish-Green pointed out that whatever projects did finally get accepted by officers, they would still need to be passed by West Devon?s highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC).

?At the end of the day, it?s councillors that make the decisions ? not officers,? she said.

The council agreed to consider the community travel plan and put forward suggestions by the beginning of September.