A recent proposal from one of Totnes’s town councilors was to make access to the car parks through the Market Square.

Fore Street, High Street and The Narrows make up potentially one of the most attractive shopping areas in the country, but the traffic through them is damaging to the fabric of the buildings and impedes emergency vehicles. It is also detrimental to the health of pedestrians.

Surely we should aim to discourage vehicles through the town centre, not encourage them? Why not make the whole area unwelcoming to cars by encouraging people to take over the roads?

Having coffee outside, introducing large planters with trees, always walking in the middle of the road when going downhill would be a start and add to the attractive ambiance of the town.

Perhaps eventually we could have ‘Pedestrian Only’ signs at the foot of Fore Street.

Parking is still a problem and instead of another small supermarket on the old Co-op site it might be sensible to turn the whole area over to a new car park, with access from the roundabout not Fore Street.

Morrisons would benefit from some serious competition, but the area needed for a major rival is not going to be found in the town centre.

Keith and Gillian Barnes

Fairseat Close, Totnes