Parents with young children and disabled people are being barred from popular gardens by expensive traffic barriers originally installed to keep overnight campers out.

Not only have the barriers failed to keep the camper vans out of the South Hams District Council car park at Follaton House, Totnes, they may also have been put in without the required planning permission, Totnes district councillor John Birch has warned.

Now the councillor has organised a petition calling for the barriers to be taken out as he warned: "This unsightly barrier in the grounds of a listed building has severely limited the parking and access to the Follaton Forest Garden, a popular park, especially for dog walkers.

"The restrictive access has particularly affected parents with young children in pushchairs and those people who use mobility scooters. Many find it impossible to overcome the difficulties caused by the barrier obstacle and as such are denied access to the park."

The district council spent £3,500 on installing the new barriers last November after it was discovered that people in camper vans were using the car parking area outside the public arboretum area for overnight parking as well as flytipping and dumping abandoned cars in other parts of the council HQ grounds.

The arboretum area overlooking the Grade I-listed Follaton House mansion house is popular with dog walkers and families.

The new barriers were installed alongside already existing barriers put in some years ago after thieves drove into the car park area and stripped lead off the 18th Century building’s roof.

Cllr Birch added: "There is now only limited parking at the weekends and this has resulted in parking difficulties for those wishing to visit the Follaton Forest Garden.

"What is disturbing about this decision to erect the barrier is that it was taken without reference or consultation with councillors and in particular local members.

"The reasons given for erecting the barrier do not stand up to scrutiny. There are still mobile homes being parked long term and the recent incident of the caravan setting up camp shows how ineffective the barrier is as far as stopping "illegal" parking.

"What is more the council has probably flouted its own planning laws by failing to make application for planning permission for this unsightly barrier in the grounds of a listed building.

"The petition will be presented to the council in the near future and it is hoped that common sense will prevail resulting in the barrier being removed so that once again all will be able to enjoy the Follaton Forest Garden."