A REQUEST to West Devon Borough Council to fund a new town council office in North Tawton with money made from the sale of land at Barton Hill has been described as ?opportunism?.
In a letter to the authority, North Tawton Town Council said the £95,000 realised from the sale of the land to a developer should be used to supply ?a valuable community asset?.
The money was originally earmarked for a town car park in North Tawton but this facility is about to be provided free of charge to the borough council by the company building homes on the site of Bloggs? Garage where the car park will be incorporated.
Chairman of North Tawton Town Council Ron Iles said that since the car park had been secured through other means, the money should still be available to fund a project in the town.
?We feel the money should be returned to North Tawton to help fund a new town council office premises which will benefit the whole community,? he said.
The council has been looking for a prominent new premises for some time after meeting upstairs in the Vestry Rooms in Market Street for more than 100 years. It is keen on purchasing a new unit currently being constructed in The Square to give it more profile and make it accessible to the public.
Internet facilities, an information point and a police surgery are some of the initiatives being suggested. North Tawton wants to provide this without increasing the burden on council tax payers.
But at a meeting of the borough council?s policy and resources committee this week, the request was denied.
Cllr Roger Mathew said: ?This is a piece of opportunism on the part of North Tawton Town Council. A car park in the town has always been the main priority and in the end it was achieved in a different way.?