AN air of optimism for foot and mouth recovery followed a meeting of councillors, tourism leaders and NFU representatives with the Government's Rural Task Force in Westminster on Tuesday.
With 173 cases of foot and mouth, Devon is one of the worst hit areas in the country, but a vision for the future of the area was presented at the meeting.
The delegates briefed Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael and Task Force members on the 10-point Devon foot and mouth Recovery Plan and the Devon is Open — All Year Round tourism promotion campaign.
The delegation is pushing the Government for £180-million worth of funding to implement recovery initiatives.
David Incoll, chief executive of West Devon Borough Council, who attended the meeting, said: 'I think it went quite positively.
'Alun Michael said he would be very happy for the Government to look at the possibility of Devon and Cornwall being used as areas where projects could be tried out.'
Environmental stewardship schemes could be looked at and sections of the Rural White Paper which have not been implemented yet could be applicable, said Mr Incoll.
'We are saying to the Government, "Try them out here, see how they work and help people have more confidence in the future".'
Mr Incoll said he was 'as optimistic as he could be in the circumstances' that the Government would view funding pleas favourably. He said it was important the delegation represented a range of commercial areas and were being positive about the future.
'It's no good just whingeing,' he said.
Mr Michael said he was impressed by the positive attitude to recovery within Devon and pledged to work with the county to move the plan forward.
Brian Greenslade, chief executive of Devon County Council, said: 'We feel we have taken a giant leap forward in putting Devon's case for urgent action.
'We look forward to talking in detail to identify the resources we need to put us on the road to recovery.'
West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett will meet cabinet minister Stephen Byers next week with other Devon and Cornwall MPs to put the case for the £180-million needed.
'Time is of the essence,' he said. 'We have to staunch this huge economic wound that has affected our businesses so badly.'
Mr Burnett welcomed the fact the Rural Development Agency has now endorsed county council figures over the impact of foot and mouth — initially their own statistics showed there would be less impact economically due to the crisis.
He said: 'It would have been hopeless for us as MPs to go to ministers with two sets of figures — it is essential we have co-ordination and an agreed approach — that we now have.'