SALCOMBE councillors have reacted with disbelief to news that tradesmen may soon be given 'carte blanche' to park in residents' only spaces in the town – thanks to a new annual permit scheme from Devon County Council.

In exchange for a yearly payment of £45, under the scheme workers would be able to park vans in residents' and limited waiting spaces anywhere in Devon.

Before coming into effect, the decision by the county council's cabinet, must be ratified with a traffic regulation order.

Asking town councillors not to 'shoot the messenger', DCC member for Salcombe, Thurlestone and Allington Cllr Rufus Gilbert said he had come to their meeting specifically to brief them on the decision. Cllr Gilbert said tradesmen applying for the permits would be vetted, and added that there was still the possibility of fighting the new scheme at the TRO stage.

But he felt the new rules would be 'far from ideal for Salcombe', where pressure on the number of parking spaces remains a thorny issue.

The mayor of Salcombe Cllr Mike Fice described the changes as 'disturbing', and added that DCC had obviously not taken a letter he had written them into account.

For more on this story, see this week's Kingsbridge & Salcombe Gazette