A TAVISTOCK woman this week slammed the actions of the town council, following a series of letters sent by its solicitors. Debbie Jones, who lives on Whitchurch Road, has been driving across the cattle market car park in Pixon Lane to gain access to the rear of her house for the last 19 years. But now, solicitors acting on behalf of the town council which owns the Pixon Lane land, claim they are going to charge her with trespass ? and fence in her garden. Ms Jones is horrified by the council?s actions ? and says she could even be forced to move house if it carries out its threats. In 1987 she queried the rear access to her home with the council, and received a letter confirming she had right of way across the car park. She has driven across it ever since to gain access to the car port on her land. But two weeks ago she received a letter from the town council?s solicitors, claiming she was going to be prosecuted for ?retrospective trespass? spanning the last 19 years. Moreover, she has now received a further letter from the solicitors, saying the council intended to fence its boundaries on Wednesday ? between Ms Jones?s gate-posts. She said: ?It was a total bolt from the blue. I am absolutely astonished ? if they block me in I shall be forced to move house. It?s a bit like the Israelis putting a wall up. I can get into my house at the front ? but I won?t have any access at the back.? Ms Jones said she has had no communication with the council at all, apart from a phone call she made to the town clerk two months ago, because she had heard rumours a pay and display car park was going to be constructed on the land. She said: ?When I spoke to the clerk he at no point gave me any reason to believe I could expect this type of reaction. ?My solicitor has told me this type of letter is what is known as a pre-emptive strike. Most people who didn?t know their rights would be frightened off. ?To be honest it is a frightening letter, to be threatened with charges for 19 years? worth of trespass. ?I am outraged that a democratically elected body can behave like this towards its electors. And I can?t understand the huge hurry, the over reaction. I am staggered by it and everyone who has seen the letter can?t believe it. ?Do they intend to retrospectively charge all my friends who have visited me over the last 19 years with trespass? It?s unbelievable. ?I can understand they want to put in a pay and display car park, but the correct way to go about it would be to contact me and say. ?Let?s discuss this?. This is utterly unacceptable. ?I shall pursue this as far as I can but I can?t afford to spend thousands on legal fees ? but the council can and it?s yours and my money they are using.? Town clerk Roger Howard said he sympathised with Ms Jones ? but said she had no right of access across the land. He said: ?We have taken legal advice and we have served the appropriate notice to stop her using it. The letter would have been standard legal-speak ? it has to be written in a certain way because if it ever came to court you have to prove you have taken attempts to safeguard your property. ?I am very sorry for the lady, she has been enjoying a freebie for many years, but the land is going to be turned into a car park for the good of the town.? Col Howard said the council would not fence in her home ? but the access she had been using would have to stop. The council recently commissioned a survey of the Pixon Lane site which revealed the land, above old mine workings, was safe to use as a car park. Almost £144,000 has been earmarked to turn the site into a formal pay and display car park next year.
