THE future of Tavistock's Christmas lights and the town's popular Dickensian evening are hanging in the balance, due to a cash crisis.

The Christmas events are both organised by Tavistock Chamber of Commerce, which has applied to the town council for more funds — despite a substantial injection of cash last year.

The chamber has asked the council for £6,743 to cover a shortfall it is facing.

In the chamber's grant application, administrator Graham Skedgell said: 'In recent years, it has been proving more and more difficult to fund both the Christmas lights and Dickensian evening.

'The chamber has now reached a point where it is no longer able to fund both events. This is evidenced by the fact that last year, an advance of £5,000 was required from the town council, to enable the chamber to clear a deficit in that amount.'

Councillors heard that the chamber last year drew down £5,000 of a £10,000 allocation for Christmas light replacements, plus £1,500 towards general light expenses.

Cllr Brian Trew was opposed to giving the chamber any more money.

He said: 'This council is doing better and better at the way it operates — why don't we take it on? We seem to be funding most of it anyway.'

Cllr Anne Johnson said she had looked at the chamber's accounts and thought there were areas that could be 'pruned considerably'.

Cllr Robin Pike said: 'We can't keep bailing them out year after year, but I wouldn't like to throw it out straight away. I propose we send a delegation to meet with them and go through it .'

Town mayor Cllr David Whitcomb said: 'I think they do a splendid job and the lights and Dickensian are very good ambassadors for the town.

'I am a bit hesitant to say we don't help them. They need some kind of assistance and I am quite happy a delegation of councillors talk to the chamber. If we reject it outright, we may have no Christmas lights.'

Cllr Harry Smith, chairman of the council's finance committee, said: 'With the messages coming out from the Government that everybody needs to be looking at what they are spending, we need to make sure that our money is being well spent.

'I know people want to see Christmas lights, but financially, it doesn't seem to be doing that well — perhaps we could do it better if we wanted to.'

Cllr Philip Sanders said West Devon Borough Council had 'bailed out the chamber considerably' in the past — and this year, further funds may not be forthcoming, which would exacerbate the problem even further.

The council agreed to contact the chamber to request a meeting regarding the application for funding.

The council delegates would also discuss the chamber's application for £7,000 towards the setting up of a Business Improvement District (BID) system for Tavistock.

Chamber chairman Nigel Eadie said he hoped the council would ultimately be able to approve the grant application for the lights and Dickensian Evening.

He said: 'They want more financial information and I would say that's a really good thing. We can provide as much financial information as they want on the event.

'We are more than happy to do that and we very much hope the town council will be able to support the events by granting us the extra money we need.'