Okehampton Town Council has agreed to contact Devon Highways to discuss problem parking after a member of the public raised concerns over inconsiderate parking at Giblands.

At a council planning committee meeting on Monday (October 5), councillors considered a request by a member of the public that the council acts to prevent vehicles parking close to the entrance of the Giblands estate and blocking the line of sight for drivers turning in to the road.

The member of public wrote: “When you are first coming to turn in to Giblands on the left-hand side there is always a line of cars which makes it really hard to see around the corner and drive in. I have been in several near crashes. I know this parking isn’t illegal but it is very inconsiderate to both other drivers and pedestrians.”

As roads fall under county council responsibility, the town council has no authority to act but councillors still discussed the problem.

Cllr Terry Cummings pointed out that such parking problems were not unique to the Giblands estate but were part of a wider parking issue across the town that needed to be raised with Highways in order to prevent it becoming an ever larger problem.

Cllr Julie Yelland echoed Cllr Cummings thoughts and proposed that the council might invite the new Highways officer for the area to attend a meeting where parking issues throughout the town could be discussed.

All councillors approved of the proposal and agreed that Highways should be aware of the issue.