FOUR requests for grants have sparked the introduction of a new application policy, following a meeting in Tavistock recently. Members of the town council's finance committee were due to consider grant requests from the Tavistock Ladies Friendship Group, Tavistock Access Group, Tavistock Community Transport Association and Riverside Creative Projects during their meeting at the end of March. Cllr Jenny Metcalf suggested the friendship group be given a £50 grant towards its 50th birthday celebrations. Cllr Alison Clish-Green said: 'I've never heard of this group. Is it open to anyone? Is it attached to the church? Who are they? Who is the chairman? Do they have a constitution? I don't want to sound flippant but we don't know anything about this group and we could be setting a dangerous precedent.' Cllr Anne Johnson, deputy mayor, said in the past, it had been suggested the council had a grant application form drawn up but the idea had never been followed. 'We are still getting letters from people which are very carefully put together but sometimes they just don't hit the points we are looking for,' she said, suggesting an application form be created to help assess requests for grant funding. Cllr Martin Taylor said it would be a good idea to have an application day once or twice a year when organisations could put in their requests. The committee agreed both proposals and asked the town clerk to write to the four organisations, deferring their requests pending the preparation of a dedicated grant application form.
