PARKING chaos is being predicted in Tavistock with the absence of a dedicated traffic warden. Tavistock town councillor Iain Andrews has raised concerns over the fact that the town no longer has a traffic warden and the new police community support officers (PCSOs) will not have powers to issue parking tickets until April 1. But police say the remaining West Devon traffic warden, who covers the Okehampton area, will be assigned to both towns for the time being. Tavistock's former traffic warden David Chapple has become a PCSO for the town and will be forging links between the community and the police and supporting regular officers in their day to day roles. Cllr Andrews said if a traffic warden was not around, parking enforcement would fall to the regular police officers until April: 'The police are stretched as it is and what worries me is that we already have problems in places like West Street where people are parking on double yellow lines.' He said it would be a strain for one traffic warden to cover two areas 20 miles apart. 'The good thing about a traffic warden is they can give advice in a positive way and keep the traffic moving,' he said. 'The situation we have at the moment will give rise to problems for pedestrians and other road users.' Inspector Ian Milligan said it was right that PCSOs did not have the powers of traffic enforcement at the moment but he did not believe it was efficient to use these officers as 'more expensive traffic wardens' anyway. 'I do not think the public would be satisfied with police officers issuing parking tickets — in other areas local authorities have taken over parking enforcement and it is proving to be quite profitable.' He said the long plan of the police was to look to Devon County Council to take on the role and he hoped Tavistock Town Council would make contact with that authority to discuss it. In the meantime it would be managed in as effective a way as possible, said Inspector Milligan, who added he would welcome the opportunity to discuss it with the town council.
