THE results of the ?referendum? on the reopening of the public toilets in Bere Alston, announced at a well attended public meeting on Thursday, was both a surprise and a rebuke to my pessimism. I had accepted that an offer to reduce council tax, by however small a margin, would understandably be seized with enthusiasm. The results: 407 households voting of the 1,270 circularised, with a ?Yes? vote of 258 against a ?No? vote of 142 with only 7 spoilt papers, is remarkable and a credit both to the village and its parish council. The provision of public toilets is a universal provision where those of us who travel to other parts of the county expect to find such facilities provided by other equally over-burdened council tax payers. Out of consideration for those who voted ?No?, I would only say that if West Devon Borough Council takes this result as an indication that we are a ?soft touch? for further additional charges, think again. In my opinion, Bere Alston showed its civic pride in this matter. But I and many others will continue to fight for a fairer means of local taxation and continue to examine the expenditures and priorities of our councils. The choice of toilet closures in the name of economy by West Devon Borough Council was a desperate and demeaning measure of which the originators should be ashamed! Now that the principle of local referenda seems to be accepted may I recommend to other council tax payers in the borough a multi-choice referendum based on an audited statement of services provided by West Devon Borough Council with all associated staff costings, whereby it will be the council tax payers of West Devon who decide the services they are, or are not prepared to pay for! Desperate measures, perhaps and sad for the council staff involved, but a council reduced to closing public lavatories must be desperate indeed! B Martin Bere Alston
