Aveton Gifford Parish Council are politely asking people to move their boat from Timbers Car Park, which has become an “embarrassment”.

Various pieces of South Hams District Council-owned land are currently being transferred back to the parish. Once this process is completed, the parish council will take over management of them, including the two car parks at Timbers roundabout.

Cllr Ros Brousson, AG Parish Council, said: “Everybody has noticed what a mess Timbers car park and the foreshore by the river has become, and there have been a growing amount of complaints from residents and visitors alike about the increase in fly-tipping and boats abandoned over the last few years.

“It’s become an embarrassment, and as this is one of the first sights that visitors and tourists see when arriving, once the car parks and foreshore have come into AG ownership, we are going to have to do something about it ourselves.

“First of all the boats, trailers and assorted junk will have to be cleared. The majority will never float again and are nothing to do with anyone here, they’ve just been dumped. A few more have been left here as the boat spaces here have been considered a place for free storage.

“That’s all going to change now, and there will be a big clear out to reclaim the spaces. The clear up will also include the foreshore as well, as that has also become a dumping ground for old canoes and abandoned boats.

“However to get these plans started we do need your help please. We’ll be starting the clean up here in September once the land is back in parish ownership, so we do need to identify what’s what.

“If you are the owner of a boat or trailer in Timbers or on the foreshore please can you take it away or find somewhere else to store it. We have had other clear-ups of abandoned boats in the past, and this one will be exactly the same - notices will be pasted on all the boats and trailers giving due warning with a date to remove them by.

“And once that date has passed everything will be considered as fly-tipping, and will be removed and disposed of.”

Cllr Brousson explained that there would be “arrangements made” for Aveton Gifford residents to keep their dinghies there, but there would “no longer be a boat park” at Timbers car park.

She added: “There will be arrangements for parishioners’ moorings but there just isn’t space here for other boats. We need parking spaces here in the village so badly that all the boat spaces here will go – that way we will regain over 25 spaces.”

You can contact Aveton Gifford Parish Council through the community website: www.aveton-gifford.co.uk, or contact the clerk Peter Javes on 01548 559283 or email: [email protected]