REFERENCE proposed developments at no 1 Duke Street. I never thought I would hear myself saying this in the public domain but ?Bravo, West Devon planners? for refusing a totally inappropriate and unnecessary alteration to the front of this imposing building.

Nobody seems to have mentioned that this building is one focal point for the beginning of the Duke of Bedford?s huge town centre redevelopment of the 1850s-60s, a development which co-ordinated pleasing visual appearance with practical commercial premises.

No 1 Duke Street is also a Listed Building and, as such, should not be altered unless ?essentiality? can be shown for any alterations ? even then essentiality would not permit developers to install any old poor quality shop fronts.

My heart bleeds for the developers who cannot get their way. After all, they do not, or did not, have to buy this building which for almost 150 years has served the town well as commercial premises without altering a grand facade into a visually poor front in the grandest area of our town.

The arguments for development of the property into viable commercial premises should not be allowed to enable those who have only commercial return as their objective to alter this lovely town into a piecemeal, downmarket shopping area, which has happened in so many other towns because planners have not insisted on quality developments appropriate to the standing of the area itself.

So, planners, please continue to refuse any application which materially alters this building, especially the imposing current facade.

A E Mettler

Courtenay Road

Tavistock

WEST Devon?s planners have been taking some stick recently, both in the letters columns and in your excellently researched and meticulously written front page lead story (February 13), which was let down only by a yawnworthily cliched headline. I thought it deserved better.

I?ll spare your readers the tedium of trying to justify the ludicrous.

Given the arcane nature of the planning system, with all its potential for the kind of legal gridlock in which Mr Williams and the council find themselves, it is perhaps surprising how often we manage to avoid it. Of course, it only happened at all because Mr Williams built his garage without consent. He must now wait for his appeal to be heard.

All I shall say about the peace window saga is that I have put up a web page at http://www.willowby.win-uk.net/current2.htm">www.willowby.win-uk.net/current2.htm

The issues are complicated, so I hope your readers will take the opportunity to look them over before lambasting our planning officers and committee for applying policies intended to preserve an architectural heritage that most of us care about.

The TSB building is also a case where we have to balance conservation with progress. The betting shop issue has not been a helpful intervention: it has distracted attention from the planning issues.

Because the TSB building is listed, the council can see to it that it will not be inappropriately ?decorated?, whatever its use.

Mr Thompson?s planning application, like his letter, is motivated by commercial interest towards getting the best rent from the site. That?s his job. Ours is to look after the interesting and varied architectural heritage in Tavistock and West Devon.

Cllr Roger Mathew

Chairman

planning

committee

West Devon

Borough Council

AFTER reading the splendid story in the February 13 edition of the Times ? ?Bureaucracy gone mad? ? and seeing the absolute madness that must clog the works in the West Devon Council planner?s offices, I very much would like to see a copy of the minutes of the planning meeting that finally turned down Mr William?s application.

How on earth could a committee come to the conclusion

they did?

Taking everything into consideration, the committee had no option but to approve Mark?s building and to allow his appeal.

Being a retired builder myself I understand fully the frustrations of planning and regulations, but surely our highly paid local government officers are there to assist not to hinder the building process.

Roy Williams

21 Amble Road, Callington

THE headline last week read ?Bureaucracy gone mad?. This referred to a local man building a garage without bothering to apply for planning permission.

When the planners have the willpower to enforce the rules they should be applauded; not mocked.

Many of us have seen and lived with the ghastly result of the actions of people who just do as they please.

The person who acted as an agent should know better than to describe the situation.as a ?farce?. He must know that any weakness on the part of the authorities will certainly be taken advantage of.

Douglas C Richards

78 Whitchurch Road

Tavistock