NEW documents concerning Tavistock's conservation area were last week given the thumbs down by the town council.

The character appraisal and conservation management plan were drawn up by the Tavistock Townscape Heritage Partnership — a multi-agency group consisting of representatives from the borough and town council and other local organisations.

The documents may be used in connection with planning decisions in future and have implications for residents living within the conservation area.

The partnership has also asked the town council to budget for £500,000, which could be used as matched funding against a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The town council was asked to back the two documents — and respond to the financial request.

Cllr Harry Smith said: 'I have particular concerns about the management plan — as a document it fails dismally in the area of informing members of the public about the major difficulties they could face.

'The wholesale changes in this document would make a lot of difference to many of our residents, particularly ones who would normally be able to carry out work on their homes under permitted development.

'I don't think this is acceptable, the document should be open and honest.'

Cllr Smith said the proposed management plan meant in future, anyone living within the conservation area would have to 'jump through a load more hoops' if they wanted to make any changes to their homes.

The committee agreed by four votes to two that the documents should not be endorsed.

Regarding the request for matched funding, Cllr Philip Sanders explained that the partnership hoped to 'lever' in funding for the town to help with the conservation of its historic buildings and features.

The £500,000 requested was a 'notional' figure which the council would have used in any case over the next five years, to maintain its Listed and historic building portfolio, said Cllr Sanders.

But many members felt the funding issue was not clear enough — they were also concerned that if funds were to be forthcoming from the HLF, the partnership could end up controlling how money was spent on town council-owned buildings. The committee agreed to request a further meeting with the borough council's regeneration officer, at which their questions regarding the documents and financial issues could be answered.