Cllr Melvyn Stone, South Hams councillor for Dartmouth and Kingswear, writes:

At this meeting of Dartmouth Town Council, it was said Devon County Council was surprised by the lack of attendance at its recent parking exhibition held at the Guildhall.

The exhibtion was open from 1pm to 7pm which was absolutely ridiculous. What about those who work?

I wanted the exhibtion to run until 9.30pm, so that everyone could have a chance to go along and ask questions.

This to me would have been the only way to resolve the prob lem once and for all and to settle what residents want to adopt – and as per 1,200 letters and emails sent to the council's highways department.

The county council sent two officers to South Hams Council for a meeting and requested my attendance. This I gladly accepted. It was a very good meeting but, at its close, the officers asked me how could the problems be resolved.

I quickly replied: 'You will never resolve this problem until you have an open meeting from 7pm-10pm, when questions can be asked and answers given.

It has been suggested 20 more roads in Dartmouth will get double yellow lines. Are these 20 roads in Dartmouth or Townstal?

Once again it appears Townstal has been neglected like it does not exist.

I can inform you all, Britannia Avenue was quoted to my dismay.

Townstal was built in 1938 when most of the transport was was donkey or horse – hardly any cars at all and those tha were around were chauffeur driven, so no garages were needed.

Now the residents park their cars outside their homes.

Their question to me is where will they be able to park when they arrive home from work if double yellows lines are imposed. Those that do still have space outside their homes, will soon find someone else parked there. This will be a nightmare to resolve and cause ongoing problems.

To finalise, Dartmouth residents have clearly said they do not want changes to parking, so the proposals looked like they were going to be dropped.

However, the county's plans for many more yellow lines are still included in its plans, along with suggestions that loading bays should be sited next to the market opposite Boots. These plans were also part of a consultation process.

But once again there is still a question mark there – if the town really doesn't want it, they won't have it, said county council.

I must add the people of our town have told me 'we do not want to lose any parking spaces on market days, farmers market weekends, music festivals etc'.

With regards to a loading bay outside Boots, in one of the narrowest areas in our town, won't this impede emergency vehicles travelling fast, trying to save lives?

What about the buses, coaches, delivery vans down Spithead turning into the Quay, pedestrians, the new Gold bus on the hour.

Duke Street is narrow as is Victoria Road – more congestion?

Better left alone.

A copy of this letter will go to the Prime Minister and Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary.

Dartmouth is a place to live in and enjoy not to be pushed into oblivion.