NIGEL Eadie's enthusiasm and commitment as chairman of the Tavistock Chamber of Commerce was praised this week, as he stepped down from the role after five years. The owner of the Original Pasty House said he was no longer able to attribute sufficient time to adequately fulfil the role of chairman into the future due to increased business commitments. Nominations for the role are being sought from the chamber's 91 members and a new chairman will be chosen at the organisation's meeting in July. Mr Eadie, who will continue to be a member of the chamber, has been involved with the organisation for eight years. Chamber treasurer Graham Skedgell said there was an extensive list of achievements to the chairman's name during his time in office. They included building relationships with Tavistock Town Council and West Devon Borough Council, participating in multi-agency groups concerning the town heritage and car parking, achieving the introduction of the Tavistock Business Improvement District (BID), raising substantial amounts of money for projects and campaigns, improving services to members and the dissemination of information and collecting money for Dickensian Evening and the Christmas lights, Tavistock in Bloom, the Tavistock Guide, membership subscriptions and other projects. 'Nigel has championed a more professional approach to everything the chamber does and his ability to think outside the box has been a great asset,' he said. 'He has kept the chamber afloat when it was close to going under, he has been the face and voice of the chamber when it comes to the media and he has been a very good colleague to work with.' Mr Eadie was chairman when the chamber fought a successful campaign against a Sainsbury's supermarket coming to an edge of town site several years ago to preserve the vitality of the town centre. The chamber also objected to the Tesco development for Plymouth Road, but the planning application was approved by West Devon Borough Council earlier this year. However, views within the chamber were mixed and discussions were controversial, as businesses on the Plymouth Road Industrial and Retail Park could see the benefit of a supermarket boosting that part of the town. Mr Eadie, who has held the positions of chamber secretary and treasurer in the past, expressed his thanks to all the many chamber members for the dedicated support they had shown him throughout this chairmanship. 'Equally I would also like to thank all of the other business organisations, including the town council and West Devon Borough Council who have worked so collaboratively with the chamber throughout my years of involvement,' he said. 'Tavistock chamber now stands with its highest level of membership, and with its greatest diversification of members in the last decade — with new members joining on a monthly basis. 'I will continue to be a dedicated advocate of the chamber as I feel its role is vitally important to the future success and viability of the town centre and the surrounding business district.' Chamber member Peter Harding, who has been quoted in the Times over the past 18 months about sometimes fractious chamber matters, said: 'While Nigel and I sometimes had very different views on chamber issues, he has served as chairman with enthusiasm and vigour for the past five years through difficult economic times and I would like to put on record my sincere thanks to him. 'I am sure that moving forward, Nigel will continue to have a voice in the chamber in Tavistock and that the organisation will go from strength to strength. 'It must seek to ensure that it embraces all aspects of the business community in the wider Tavistock area to promote, encourage and support all forms of new investment to create much needed employment and a vibrant economy.' Nominations for the role of chairman have to be in by Monday, June 2.