A SHAKE-UP of the parking controls in operation in and around Tavistock Pannier Market has been proposed by the market reeve, who said the present system was dangerous and open to abuse.

Market reeve John Brady said the abuse of the present policy was apparent on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday market days, when the public take up spaces, leaving little room to allow emergency vehicles to access the pannier market precinct.

He said parking problems had caused a 'situation where lives could be at risk should there be an incident'.

Mr Brady said car parking around the pannier market was an emotive issue which had led to 'some extremely heated arguments over spaces'.

'It has also led to traders, who indeed have to trade from their vans, going home because there has been no space to unload or work from their vans.'

Mr Brady said he was also concerned about the number of 'permanent parking permits' issued to shopkeepers, which they felt gave them the right to park around the market perimeter, although their lease did not give parking rights. He said there was no complete record of payment for spaces, but apparently shopkeepers with permits had been charged £2 a week.

After a risk assessment of the pannier market with Station Officer Pascoe and consultation with the Devon and Cornwall Police traffic warden and town clerk, Mr Brady put forward proposals for revised parking controls.

He is proposing to reverse the existing situation, with traffic entering the precinct by the existing exit route and leave via the existing 'in' entrance. This one-way route follows the one-way system at present in Market Road.

By altering the flow of traffic, Mr Brady said an emergency-vehicle-only area at the new toilet end of the market could be created. It would also allow the creation of a loading-and-unloading-area-only space at the doors leading to the toilets from Duke Street.

Under the proposals, car and van spaces for market traders would be marked out, and on the shop side of the market, spaces for shopkeepers on a permanent basis would be allocated.

All remaining areas would be double-yellow lined and new signage displayed to indicate the requirements of the Traffic Order.

Mr Brady suggested every trader could pay a nominal fee for a pass, similar to a tax disc, which would have to be displayed in the vehicle window whenever they attended the pannier market. Anyone in a designated space — whether permit space, market stall space or emergency space without an authorised pass between 9am and 4pm — would be liable for a fine issued by the traffic warden.

Mr Brady proposed the following charges: market traders — £1.50-£2 per day, permit holders — £110-£600 per year.

Those traders unable to get a space in the market precinct would then unload and move to either the Riverside or other car parks or to Market Road. This would mean the change of the present enforcement time in Market Road, from 9am to 10am.

A best value review of the pannier market undertaken last year proposed examining the idea of removing cars from the market perimeter area altogether. However, consultation with 150 traders in January this year found that only eight per cent were in favour of removing parked cars or using the perimeter for any other purpose than parking their cars.

The parking control proposals were put before the council at a recent properties committee meeting.

Cllr Judith Williams said although there were a lot of good ideas in the reeve's proposal there were some that appeared to conflict with existing traffic orders, and needed more consideration.

Cllr Marjorie Corner said she was 'perturbed' by the idea of changing enforcement hours on Market Road because she believed the council had previously felt strongly about sticking to 10am.

Town councillors received the proposal at a full council meeting on Tuesday and decided to establish a working party to clarify parking policy around the market.