A TRAFFIC order for a busy residential area in Tavistock was once again brought before members of Tavistock Town Council.

In February this year the controversial order by Devon County Council’s Highways and Transport Orders Committee (HATOC) for double yellow lines along one side of Grenville Drive was supported by Tavistock town councillors.

The order was advertised in 2017 by HATOC after it had received requests from a number of organisations, including the fire service, that it struggled to gain access to the estate off Plymouth Road.

Previously, Tavistock council members felt that in the interests of safety, reducing pavement parking and ensuring access by emergency vehicles, that ‘implementation of the traffic order be supported’.

But the traffic order was brought back to the Development Management and Licensing Committee on July 10 by Cllr Lesley Crawford as she wanted to raise concerns given to her from local residents.

‘Following the decision to limit parking in Grenville Drive it has come to my attention that there has been a systematic erosion of parking spaces in the locality of Westbridge Cottages. Over the past 20 years this has resulted in 46 properties along this stretch of road no longer having suitable parking.

‘It has also been contended that access by emergency vehicles is an issue although residents have assessed that there has been no problem of access by emergency vehicles.’

At the meeting, deputy mayor, Cllr Anne Johnson, explained that she had witnessed an occasion where a fire engine was unable to gain access past the parked cars on both sides of Grenville Drive which meant that firefighters had to knock on people’s doors to get them to move their vehicles.

Councillors expressed their sympathies with residents on Grenville Drive and at Westbridge Cottages for the loss of parking but said that safety for residents was paramount and for emergency services to be able to access people in need.

Councillors recommended and supported that the previous traffic order was upheld.

In a letter to HATOC, Cllr Crawford stated that if it was to impose further restrictions on parking in Grenville Drive then it should see fit to offer ‘sensible alternatives’: ‘Requests for alternative parking to be provided for residents seems to have gone largely unheeded and residents now feel alienated and depressed.

‘Such alternatives should not require extensive walks to parked cars, given that many older residents might have mobility or other health problems. I urge Devon County Council to give this matter serious consideration.’