I attended a packed public meeting in Okehampton called by the town council to discuss Devon County Council’s proposed plan for new paid parking zones in the town.

Devon County has apparently just discovered many traffic ‘problems’ in eight towns across Devon (Braunton, Crediton, Dartmouth, Honiton, Okehampton, Salcombe, Sidmouth and Tavistock) that can only be fixed by paid for parking. It is just a coincidence that they’ve discovered these as they need to raise £ millions to plug huge holes in their budget.

As a central Devon resident, I use both Crediton and Okehampton high streets on a regular basis. Both for short-term parking (for example getting a haircut in Crediton) and long-term parking (such as visiting the cinema in Okehampton). A combination of short-term free parking and longer-term paid parking in both towns covers all of my needs. Here’s the thing, I’ve never encountered any of the issues these proposed paid parking zones are designed to ‘fix’.

It may just be that central Devon is home to a huge number of sceptics, but I’m with those residents who suspect that Conservative controlled Devon County’s plan is more to do with fundraising than traffic control. It really is a solution looking for a problem, unless of course the problem is really years of cuts to Devon County’s budgets from central Government. Cuts by a Conservative Government that Devon’s Conservative councillors did not speak against.

Let’s call this for what it is. It’s another ‘tax’ just as we face the highest rates of tax since WW2. For those who say “yes but where’s the money to come from?” I say what about the £36 billion uncollected tax (HMRC’s own estimate – others put it at £100bn+) or the £ billions of windfall (unearned) profits currently being made by banks and oil companies?

The Okehampton meeting was nearly unanimous in its opposition to the proposed plan.

I say to Devon County, scrap these plans; residents don’t want them; they will adversely affect high street trade; and they will raise minimal amounts of income. I say to Devon’s Conservative councillors it’s time for you to oppose your colleagues in Westminster not heap stealth taxes on your residents.

Mark Wooding

Liberal Democrat 

parliamentary candidate for Central Devon