LOCAL historian Alex Mettler will criticise councils at a meeting on November 21 for their failure to prevent the demolition of old buildings.

Regulations that cover 348 structures in the parish of Tavistock have done much to protect the architectural heritage, he will argue at the Yelverton and District Local History Society meeting.

But councils 'find ways around' the rules or interpret them in ways that allow wholesale alterations or demolition of buildings which ought to be preserved, in his view.

'There has got to be statutory regulation for the important buildings, because there is so much pressure for development,' he said.

'Fortunately, the Georgian-Victorian heritage of Tavistock is quite well covered.'

The meeting is at the Yelverton Rock Methodist Hall at 7.30pm.