TAVISTOCK people need to fight now to save our town. We?ve hardly come to terms with the building of massive new estates in Tavistock. Now we learn planners propose the rest of the Tiddy Brook valley be built over during the next two decades. We will have a swathe of densley packed housing stretching from Plymouth Road Industrial Estate to Anderton Lane and from the A386 to Whitchurch Road. That?s not all. The steeply sloping hillside opposite Tiddy Brook Meadows is to be designated ?employment land? ? much potential here for an eyesore on this prominent, highly visible site currently grazed by ponies. Does nobody see a limit to the amount of development Tavistock can absorb? The programme now under way will stretch the elastic to breaking point, without extra strain from additional development. Planners recognise there are hardly any remaining options for development in Tavistock. They acknowledge their preferred option, the Tiddy Brook valley, has problems over flooding, access and visual impact. Why has Tavistock to bear such a large burden of development? Why not think of finding ten or 15 of the smaller villages and hamlets in West Devon and building up to 20 extra houses at each location? Many people want to live in a village. Many young people who want to remain in the countryside can?t find affordable houses. Many small villages would benefit from the vitality and viability brought by a few more residents. Many farmers might be happy to sell a field or two. We used to have a Tavistock Civic Society. It died through lack of support. Similar apathy will ensure that we, our children and grandchildren will get the kind of town most of us don?t want. The documents ?Core Strategy Revised Preferred Option and Site Allocations?, etc, may be inspected at the council offices and the public library. We have only until September 6 to submit comments. Dr Ian Goodfellow Crosslea, Whitchurch WHATEVER has happened to the planners? minds of Tavistock? Why did they plan the two terrible monstrosities we now have for ever? One behind the Ordulph pub which from different places in town seems to be as high as the viaduct, and then the horrible building by the river. Now talk of Sainsbury?s. Tavistock is a nice market town ? what a joke ? it will be a ghost town. Mr and Mrs Bishop Tavistock TAVISTOCK appears to be in the grip of a development frenzy and as a result is rapidly losing its character as a delightful market town. One feels that the changes are being driven entirely by developers and that local planners perhaps have no option but to allow ruination of a previously delightful town. Of particular concern are the sprawl of new housing estates on the outskirts of town, the construction of town centre apartments without residents? parking and applications for a supermarket and pub chain development. Correspondents to this publication have previously commented on the problems caused by out-of-town supermarkets, particularly if located together on the same side of town. Rather than favouring these big chainstores I believe that incentives should be provided to specialist local food producers and retailers to take town centre outlets, which would enhance and promote the town?s character. This would also be an improvement on the current proliferation of gift shops and boutiques. As far as Tavistock?s new residential developments are concerned, I am horrified at the unit density of some of the housing under construction; it is all too easy to picture the social problems which are likely to arise from over-crowding, over-borrowing and traffic congestion resulting from their construction. This paper reported interest from J D Wetherspoon in opening an outlet in Tavistock; the town already suffers from excessive noise and alcohol related problems around certain clubs and pubs in the town. Permitting another licensed premises to open will not improve the situation. Please, planners, remember that Tavistock has something special and put an end to unsuitable development here, before this quality is entirely lost. Mrs J Etherington Station Road, Bere Ferrers
