The battle between Okehampton Town Council and Devon County Council over the possible introduction of pay and display on-street parking restrictions is raging on as the county council continues to push for the changes.

Following a meeting with the county council last Thursday (August 17), at which the reasoning behind pay and display parking was discussed, town councillors met this week (August 21) to discuss their continued opposition to the proposal and organise a plan of action, including a possible public meeting.

Okehampton Town Councillor Bob Tolley, said: “[The county council] gave three reasons as to why they wanted to develop the on-street parking - improve turnover, improve congestion and enforcement.

“The only congestion in the town at the moment is four o’clock on a school day down Market Street or when the town is bypassed from the A30. Neither of these issues are caused by lack of parking in the town centre or will be cured by the imposition of such on-street parking. In fact it will push the congestion out to residential areas. As far as the turnover is concerned, the BID is a better way to deal with that. Unless DCC (Devon County Council) provide a dedicated warden to Okehampton I can’t see any improvement on the enforcement side of things.

“Our current system runs well and any parking restrictions are, in the main, adhered to by the community and that same system is available to people who do not have smartphones or do not have bank accounts.

“So, as others have said, although there may be global benefits to Devon, we have been elected to best represent the town and townspeople not the rest of Devon. I feel this is a money-making exercise on the part of DCC.”

Other councillors echoed Cllr Tolley’s thoughts with Cllr Richard Colman describing the proposal as a “revenue grab” and Cllr Lynne Rogers calling it “environmentally ridiculous.”

Councillors agreed to call a public meeting as part of the consultation process at which it is hoped county council representatives will attend to explain the proposal to residents in greater detail.

At the meeting, it was also decided that Okehampton Town Council would contact the other councils which were facing the same proposals with a view to banding together to oppose the schemes.

Under the proposed plans, George Street, St James Street, Mill Road, Kempley Road and Park Row would see the introduction of a maximum one-hour-stay pay and display system between 10am and 5pm. Small sections of Kempley Road and Park Row would see a maximum one-hour-stay pay and display system between 9am and 6pm.

Okehampton residents have already voiced their opposition suggesting that such a move would ‘kill the town’ as it would dissuade people from visiting and create more traffic problems.

Tavistock is also facing the imposition of pay and display parking in the town centre and in response, has launched ‘Stop the Meters!’- a petition and crowdfunding campaign to defend the right to park for free on the street.

The county council is also investigating the possibility of introducing pay and display parking meters in Braunton, Crediton, Dartmouth, Honiton, Salcombe and Sidmouth.