THE IMPORTANCE of the Old Folks? Rest Room in Tavistock was stressed by a borough councillor last week who said there was major concern about the threat of closure.
Speaking during public question time at a meeting of Tavistock Town Council West Devon Cllr Dick Eberlie asked whether the authority had considered raising money to buy the building.
The town council rents the building in Duke Street from Hunstrete Estates for just £5 a year, but the renewal of the lease is under question.
Negotiations are currently taking place between the council?s and the company?s solicitors after it emerged last summer that Hunstrete lawyers were claiming a list of dilapidations at the town centre site had invalidated the option to renew the 50-year lease for a further 25 years.
Cllr Eberlie said: ?We all know that the town council negotiations about the rest room must remain confidential but we also know that its future remains in the balance. To many residents it is a very important feature of the town centre.
?I cannot stress strongly enough how very concerned some of our elderly residents are about the threat of closure.?
He said a large sum of money would be needed to buy the building but grants were still available from the lottery fund and other funding bodies supporting community life.
?It might even seem desirable for the town council to sell some other less useful property in the town for this important purpose,? he added.
Town councillors agreed to put the item on the agenda for next month?s meeting.