TAVISTOCK BID has launched a petition and crowdfunding campaign to ‘Stop the Meters!’

It is calling on the Tavistock business community – and all who love the unique town centre shops – to defend the right to park for free on the street.

The organisation for town centre businesses is deeply worried about plans by highways authority Devon County Council to make people pay for one-hour parking in the town centre.

Currently, popping into shops is encouraged with an hour’s free parking in designated bays, which BID says allows a good turnover of shoppers.

BID manager Janna Sanders said: ‘This campaign is not just about the businesses of the town centre but also those who use it.

‘We need to defend the one hour free on-street parking so that people can continue to pop in for their daily needs.

‘The status quo works incredibly well for our town, allowing enough time for people to conduct their business, while ensuring a regular rotation of spaces throughout the day. Easy, accessible parking is key to the survival of the high street.’

She continued: ‘We would like to say a big thank you to all the people who have made contact about supporting the Stop the Meters campaign so far, this is all adding to our evidence base that the proposal would be extremely detrimental to the vitality of Tavistock town centre.

‘We cannot say it clearly enough – on street parking charges are the biggest threat to this town in many years and, in the current climate, could have a major impact on how the town centre looks moving forward.

‘We know that the people of Tavistock will get behind this campaign.’

Those wishing to show their support can now sign a petition, which can be found online on the Change.org website.

See www.change.org/p/stop-the-meters-protect-tavistock-town-centre-keep-parking-free

You can also find out more on Tavistock BID’s website, at [email protected] or visit www.tavistockbid.co.uk/stop-the-meters