SOME months ago the Times published a number of letters concerning the proposed wedding venue at Lower Grenofen. West Devon Borough Council had turned down the application and the applicants subsequently appealed to the Secretary of State. This week we learned the appeal has been granted. The council had asked that in the event of a grant of permission it would be on a three year trial basis to see if local fears about traffic congestion and noise would be borne out. Even this was rejected by the inspector. At the time of the original application there were five letters of support for the proposal and 61 against from the local area (Tavistock, Yelverton and Crapstone) and the locally elected members of West Devon Borough Council refused the application. The overwhelming local feeling was against this proposal. In the case of a large infrastructure project, I can understand the need for central government to be able to step in and over-rule local sentiment for the greater, national good. However, this was not such a case; this was a purely local matter. That the will of the locals can be overturned by some bureaucrat based hundreds of miles away makes a nonsense of the idea of local democracy. We can now 'look forward' to up to 56 weddings from April to September in a much loved, local beauty spot. Jonny Kurzman Tavistock