MY suggestion that Okehampton Town Council could make monies available from the recent Waitrose windfall towards some canopies for the farmers? market obviously fell on deaf ears as one sees that they are intent on relocating the monthly ?Local Food? Initiative to the Market Hall.
Unfortunately, an earlier attempt to do that failed but perhaps it is pertinent to ask what happened to the money awarded to the effort from Leader II, a European scheme but never surely spent on some fancy banners, a few pots of paint and three sinks, as the total claimed was a massive £42,000.
The information came to the farmers? market because we too were seeking funds from that source for our shopping bags and so got a copy of the whole proposal, which to our amazement clearly stated the purpose.
That ?the promotion and encouragement of the farmers? market? was the primary purpose. We chose not to ?rock the boat? and it is not the new team?s intention now to do that, but if that figure was not spent and if the canopies cannot come from the Waitrose monies then they should from these promotional funds applied for on the market?s behalf.
Claims that other personnel made the bid are not acceptable because it was the council that received the monies.
It will not have escaped readers? attention that Tavistock recently held a very successful two-day event and Plymouth similarly with the ?Flavour Fest? but this council in the centre of the worst agricultural disaster seems totally disinterested in the well-being of the local food scene.
Derek Godfrey-Brown
Larkbeare
Okehampton