WEST Devon Borough Council has made a proposal to increase car parking charges to plug a £180,000 gap in its budget.

But Tavistock’s Business Improvement District (BID), chamber of commerce and local shop owners are all objecting to the increase, saying that it would be detrimental to trade in the town.

The council has proposed to attempt to increase car parking income by £180,000 — and the West Devon Car Park Strategy Group has been tasked with coming up with tariffs which could achieve the target.

Lisa Piper, manager of Tavistock BID, said that the proposal was not welcome as it would affect revenue in the town: ‘The council wants to increase the car parking charges as it can use the money from car parks to go to their other services.

‘Other towns are are looking to reduce their car parking charges but West Devon is looking at putting them up! The council is treating this as a cash cow to prop up other services.

‘We will object to this and we would like support from our local businesses.’

Penny Samuels of independent shop Brocante of Devon, on Brook Street, said: ‘I have been speaking to my customers and most of them have come in from Plympton and Plymouth and have said that they would be put off from coming to Tavistock if there was an increase to the car parking charges.

‘Anything that damages trade means that there is a good possibility that more shops will close, making it a ghost town.’

‘It will inevitably affect revenue for the shops and cafes. Trade is tough enough at the moment and if the parking goes up then that will be another nail in the coffin for trade in Tavistock.’

Cllr Robert Sampson, lead member for commercial services for West Devon Borough Council, said: ‘Our strategy for parking is to deliver tariffs that are tailored for specific communities, while maintaining income streams.

‘The proposal to increase car parking income by £180,000 arose during the council’s budget setting process.

‘The West Devon Car Parking Strategy Group have been tasked with coming up with tariffs which would achieve this target, whilst considering the local areas they affect. As parking charges particularly affect the main towns in West Devon, as well as the wider borough, the group will make sure that a measured approach is taken to tariff setting and that community interests are considered and reflected in any tariffs set.’

Leader of the council Philip Sanders said at the end of last year that the authority would be undertaking an in-depth examination of the whole of its expenditure.

In light of a decision made last autumn not to form a single council with South Hams, West Devon is looking at ways it can generate income.

Despite current cost cutting measures, the councils are still facing a combined budget gap of £1.9-million each year after 2020 due to further government cuts.

• A closed meeting of the West Devon Car Park Strategy Group is being held on February 5 to discuss the car parking increase proposal.