PETER Boyce, in his letter (September 16), makes a valid point about the need for a comprehensive review of traffic in Tavistock and a long term plan to deal with it.
Unfortunately, all he gets in the reply from Cllr. Connelly (September 23) is a load of waffle and buck passing! However, this is not surprising, in view of a number of important decisions made by Cllr Connelly, and his Lib Dem colleagues, which have contributed to the current traffic problems:-
1. Car parking charges ? by voting through huge increases in car parking charges at West Devon Borough Council (against the wishes of businesses and the local community, and making it the most expensive parking in small market towns in Devon), this has forced people to park in unsuitable areas, such as Ford Street, to avoid the increased charges.
2. Whitchurch Rural Gateway ? despite both the town and West Devon Borough councils resolving that this disastrous experiment should be scrapped, Cllrs Connelly and Madigan voted to keep it, in defiance of the local community?s wishes, ensuring it was retained on the narrow margin of one vote.
3. Town centre congestion ? by driving through the restriction in traffic to one lane each way in Bedford Square (again against strong local opposition) this has resulted in the congestion of Plymouth Road which at times causes gridlock in West Street and Russell Street and other areas.
Devon County Council is currently reviewing their next five-year transport plan and I would suggest that interested readers complete the questionnaire at http://www.devon.gov.uk">www.devon.gov.uk to notify the authority direct.
John G Taylor
7 Wessex Court
Tavistock