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Dear Councillors and Officers
I am writing on behalf of South Hams Chamber to formally object to the proposal to repurpose Whitestrand Car Park in Salcombe as a “community square” on a pilot basis during late July, August and early September.
While we recognise the intentions of the Community Economic Plan (CEP), there has been a delay of nearly two years since it was devised. During this time, the business landscape in Salcombe has evolved, and it is therefore necessary to question whether the original evidence and survey data still accurately reflect current conditions.
Whitestrand is critical town-centre infrastructure. It is a centrally located, short-stay car park providing 23 pay-and-display spaces with direct access to Fore Street, specifically designed to enable high turnover and support access to local businesses. This type of infrastructure underpins how residents, visitors, and boat users use the town on a day-to-day basis. Removing it during peak season will reduce accessibility, increase congestion, and risk deterring visitors. Park-and-ride provision cannot be considered a like-for-like replacement where convenience is fundamental to how people choose to visit and spend.
The proposal refers to “emphatic support” from survey responses; however, this is not reflected in the response from the business community. Over 30 business representatives attended the March Town Council meeting to raise concerns, indicating a clear disconnect between survey findings and current economic realities.
A central concern is the emphasis on markets. Salcombe is not a market town; it is built on its established independent businesses. Introducing markets during peak season risks creating direct – and effectively subsidised – competition at the very time those businesses rely on a short trading window to sustain themselves for the remainder of the year.
We would emphasise that the business community is not opposed to initiatives that enhance the town. However, these must be grounded in the realities of Salcombe’s infrastructure and seasonal economy.
If investment is available, there is a strong case for directing it towards infrastructure that benefits the whole town. This includes practical, shared resources such as power supply, lighting, event equipment, safety measures, and facilities that enable locally organised events. Such infrastructure can support activity across multiple seasons, generate ongoing value, and be used by a wide range of local stakeholders.
By contrast, subsidising external traders or temporary markets does not provide the same long-term benefit and risks displacing existing trade rather than strengthening it.
There are also a number of unresolved practical issues, including the loss of disabled and short-stay parking, impacts on residents and boat users, and wider operational and management challenges. In light of these concerns, it is difficult to justify trialling this proposal during the busiest period of the year.
Ultimately, any proposal of this scale must support the businesses that sustain Salcombe year-round and be developed in genuine partnership with them.
We therefore urge the SHDC to reconsider both the timing and location of this proposal and to prioritise investment in infrastructure that delivers long-term benefit to the town.
Yours faithfully,
Nicola Coulson
on behalf of the South Hams Chamber
