Alan Langmaid, of Hilldown, Totnes, writes:

I have good news for Tina Ryder, who could not park her moped in the motorcycling bay in her favourite car park, Gazette, March 25.

Here in Totnes a couple of South Hams Council Totnes councillors held a public open meeting to ask Totnes citizens and businesses how they would like to shape parking policy in the town.

The result was a small and dynamic group representing residents and businesses ­working together with officers from the local authority to agree revenue-neutral changes that met our needs.

As a motorcyclist myself, I formulated a method of accommodating our needs within this happy arrangement and the result was notices going up in all of the Totnes car parks that read as follows:

‘MOTORCYCLE PARKING.

Some car parks have ­dedicated free spaces marked for motorcycles.

Where there is no dedicated motorcycle parking, free parking for motorcycles is permitted in hatched areas, or areas not marked out for cars where you can park WITHOUT causing an obstruction.

If a space marked out for cars is used you must pay the rate for a car and carry the ticket with you.

Any queries, please call the Car Parks Team on 01803 861234, or email carparks. [email protected].’

So, Tina, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Just contact South Hams Council and ask it to copy this policy with the notices across to South Hams Council car parks in Kingsbridge.

Salcombe and Dartmouth while they are at it as well, if you feel inclined to ask.

There were other changes made other than motorcycling clarification – these were ­discussed and put to Totnes Town Council first before ­presenting them to South Hams Council as a joint ­resident, business and council officer set of proposals, so the whole affair was conducted amicably and within the democratic ­confines of two ­levels of local authority.

It is amazing what you can achieve by working with people like this; and for me, part of the satisfaction comes from achieving a level of success so easily without even complaining.

The main praise goes to those residents who and businesses that took time out to take part and the genuine patience and cooperation demonstrated by South Hams Council car parking officers and the democratic process that followed.

See, sometimes the system does work.