Brian Parker, of Crossparks, Dartmouth, writes:

What were they thinking?  Such a crackpot scheme!  What a waste of time and money which completely misunderstands the underlying elements of the situation they are trying to deal with and produces a solution which is worse than the problem.

There are several schemes currently reported by the Chronicle which could well be so described.  But the one I wish to refer to today is the plan to place parking restrictions in Crossparks.

The letter to the residents states that 'due to the proposed expansion of Dartmouth Community College, it has been brought to our attention that some residents are concerned that the volume of cars parked on-street will increase dramatically'.

There are mistakes in this sentence that make it difficult to have confidence in any of it.  The community college is Dartmouth Academy, it is not expanding but rebuilding, it is not proposed but approved and being implemented later this year.

Devon Highways' management obviously accepts that a dramatic increase in illegal parking in Crossparks is to be expected and they have therefore concocted this nonsensical parking scheme, whose faults are so self-evident that I do not need to list them here.

Such acceptance of a likely increase is quite wrong. 

Perhaps management has not informed itself about what is actually planned for the academy site?

The academy rebuild should eliminate entirely the need to park off-site.  The primary school buildings are to be replaced by a large car park.

Parking requirements will have been assessed and accepted before planning approval was granted.

We are entitled to expect that the planning authority has done its job properly and ensured adequate provision for both parking and pick up/drop off. Perhaps it has not? 

Perhaps Devon Highways should use its expertise to look into these arrangements and while there is still time to insist on changes, rather than design a faulty scheme for parking in Crossparks that makes Crossparks cross.