‘An absolute waste of taxpayers’ money’: Tavistock parking row rumbles on

A row over double yellow lines has erupted in a small, tucked-away street in Tavistock.

No-waiting parking restrictions were initially proposed along The Nook and Laburnum Cottages after some residents said inconsiderate parking was preventing emergency vehicles from accessing properties, stopping people from leaving their homes and causing damage to walls and gardens.

They said many commercial vehicles found it impossible to turn around in the narrow cul-de-sac and had to reverse down a winding hill and onto the main road to get out.

This created safety concerns for pedestrians on a road without pavements.

But 81 people opposed the plans, highlighting the difficulties they could cause for residents without driveways and those with mobility problems.

They also argued the restrictions would make it harder for people to have visitors.

One opponent said there was so much ill feeling over the issue that he was considering moving house.

The controversial scheme remains on hold because members of the West Devon Highways and Traffic Orders Committee have been unable to reach a decision.

At a meeting this week, they agreed to look at it again, despite having already visited the site in the summer and considered a scaled-down revised scheme proposing restrictions around the most troublesome areas.

One councillor, who did not wish to be named, said there was “no easy answer to the problem”.

Malcolm Worth has criticised councillors over the delay, saying: “What an absolute waste of taxpayers’ money.”

He supports the parking restrictions, saying he had frequently witnessed inconsiderate parking and damage, including a gas pipe being repeatedly ruptured by drivers.

He recalled an incident in which an ambulance was unable to reach a stroke patient and had to use a carry chair to get them out of their home.

The driver then had to reverse down the hill, delaying the patient’s onward journey to hospital, he said.

Mr Worth claimed the amended double yellow lines plan would displace only around four residents’ cars, as many of the 14 households in The Nook had their own driveways.

“This is a common-sense proposal,” he said, adding that it would address “every single issue”.

“The free, safe movement of pedestrians and traffic is surely everyone’s priority, isn’t it?”

Another resident said: “The bottom line is an ambulance needs to be able to get up here.

“This has been an ongoing issue for a number of years. I just tell my visitors they have to park elsewhere.”

One opponent said the site was “awkward”, but had always been that way and she did not believe the restrictions would solve the problems.

“We have been managing it for years. I have never seen a case of someone not receiving medical care.”

She added that The Nook was at the top of the hill and it was difficult for people to walk up there, particularly those who were elderly or less mobile.

She questioned why the debate was continuing in the face of “so much opposition”.

Another resident, who has no off-street parking at his property, said the restrictions could devalue his home by tens of thousands of pounds if they went ahead.

He said the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust had not raised any concerns, only four people had supported the scheme during the consultation, and council officers had recommended that it should not proceed.

One committee member acknowledged there was a problem at The Nook but said the difficulty was finding a solution that kept everyone happy.

“It’s an emotive subject, but that little estate is purely bad design,” he said.

“Vehicles are getting much bigger, and that can’t cope with anything bigger than a Ford Anglia.”