AN emphatic thumbs-up to moving Tavistock's war memorial has been given by the town's residents.

A public consultation shows 78 per cent of respondees are in favour of moving the memorial from its present position in the Guildhall car park to the grounds of Tavistock Parish Church.

Thirty-three per cent of residents returned the circulars,

The consultation was run by a working group formed earlier this year, after a straw poll at the town's annual meeting revealed a strong desire to see the memorial moved.

Cllr Judith Williams, chairman of the group, said: 'I am pleased people made the effort to respond — 33 per cent is very good for a local consultation.'

Cllr Williams said the results would be put to the town council. As the war memorial was paid for by public subscription, the council is responsible for its future.

'A very big majority of people wanted to see the memorial in the churchyard, but there is still a lot of work to be done,' said Cllr Williams.

'I do take the comment one or two people made, that they would like to see the Guildhall car park improved in some way. We need to look at how we can not just have it as a car park — we need to have some character there.'

Some 7,000 consultation papers were sent out to addresses in the PL19 area.

The results revealed that 1,748 people — 78 per cent of those responding — wanted to see the memorial moved to the churchyard.

Hilary Johnson, a member of the working group, said: 'I'm very happy that the consultation has gone ahead and that people took part.

'I hope now there has been a clear majority, everybody will feel the process of democracy has taken place and that they will feel comfortable with the decision.

'I'm sure it's going to be done with care and thought for the people who died. It's very poignant, particularly at this worrying time.'

Mrs Johnson's uncle, Leslie Holwill, died during the second world war. His name is among those inscribed on the memorial.

Tavistock resident Glenda Harvey said she was delighted with the outcome of the consultation.

'It should have been done a long time ago,' she said.

Her uncle, Robert Roberts, died in 1918, just before the end of world war one. His name is on the memorial.

George Forbes, of the Royal British Legion in Tavistock, opposed the memorial move when the idea was brought up at the town meeting in March.

But he said he would accept the results of the consultation.

Mr Forbes said: 'It's a town memorial and if that's what the town wants, all well and good.

'The legion didn't put the memorial there, the town did, and if this is what people want, so be it, we have no axe to grind.'

Yorkie Malone, secretary of the Tavistock branch of the Royal Marines' Association, said he was 'extremely pleased' with the result of the consultation.

'It's a pity it wasn't put in the churchyard when it was first erected. It was the wish of the people in those days, and it's the wish of the people now — it's the best place for it,' he added.

Prebendary John Rawlings, vicar of Tavistock, said it would be some time before the memorial could be moved, but as the majority of people in the town were in favour, he would do what he could to 'set the wheels in motion'.

He said: 'We have to have a plan which will have to go before the diocesan advisory committee of adjudicators. Notices will have to be displayed for three weeks, asking if anyone has any objections — it's a complicated process and there's a long way to go.'

The war memorial was first unveiled in the Guildhall car park in 1921. The original intention had been to place it in the churchyard, but not enough money was collected to do so.

It was decided to use the Guildhall area instead — a position which was felt 'second best' at the time, according to local historian Gerry Woodcock.

The working group will meet on October 22 to discuss the next move on the road to relocating the memorial.