THE next exciting step in a blueprint to enhance the prosperity of Tavistock and surrounding areas during the next 20 years is due to lift off at an event in the town next week.

The result of 18 months? hard work by the town?s Market and Coastal Towns Initiative group will be presented to more than 200 representatives of organisations from in and around Tavistock next Wednesday, July 9.

Markets, Moors and Meadows, a consultation draft comprising ideas and plans for community-based projects and initiatives, has just been published by the group ? which is also to be known by a new name ? TAVI (Tavistock and Villages Initiative).

Andrew Young, the Tavistock-based co-ordinator of the group, said an ?enormous? amount of work has already been undertaken to identify a broad vision for the future of the area, plus specific projects and activities.

Andrew said: ?We are not trying to impose pre-determined solutions ? we are inviting people to bring their own ideas forward and see where they fit into this long term vision.

?We are hoping to have over 200 people there. It?s going to be very much a sociable evening. It will be all about offering views and asking questions.

?We don?t have all the answers ? what we are doing is offering a framework to help community groups bring their ideas to fruition rather more easily than they might have done in the past.?

Andrew said it was crucial that people got involved with the process for it to work properly and effectively.

?What we are asking for particularly is for people to volunteer to join study groups and project boards, because we want to really shape up a programme of work,? he said.

He said there was potentially ?a lot of money? available from the government ? the idea was to taylor projects to known areas, which he described as a ?bottom up, top down? approach.

He said the final version of the Markets, Moors and Meadows action plan should be published around March next year ? schemes will then be put forward to ?brokering tables? to be considered for funding.

?We very much see it as a rolling programme, we are going to keep on going back to them,? said Andrew.

?We are trying to articulate local needs in the way that government agencies can respond, but it is a long-term process ? we?re talking about a period of perhaps 20 years here.?

Andrew said they wanted people to ?raise their sights high? ? but keep their feet firmly grounded.

The group has already succeeded in attracting money from the South West Regional Development Agency for a variety of feasibility studies for Tavistock and the surrounding area ? for example, investigations are continuing into a youth cafe for Tavistock and into the future use of the magistrates court.

The recent and very successful Tavistock Sings! music festival was also funded by SWRDA and money has also been obtained for the bicentenary celebrations of Tavistock Canal this summer.

Christopher Kerwin, chairman of TAVI, said: ?Community-based development is still quite new and we are learning all the time.

?We feel the best outcomes for the Tavistock area will come from involving as many people as possible, across a wide range of roles and topics.?

The Markets, Moors and Meadows presentation evening will be held in Tavistock Town Hall at 7pm, for a 7.30pm start. Organisations and individuals who have not already been contacted by TAVI, but would be interested in attending, should contact Andrew Young on 01822 618692 or e-mail