TAVISTOCK Town Council has 'achieved a great deal' over the past year — but the 'greatest effort lies ahead', said mayor Cllr Harry Smith last week.

Members of the public and councillors were welcomed to the town's annual meeting at Tavistock Town Hall last Tuesday (March 17) with a speech summarising the council's civic year.

In his speech, Cllr Smith said: 'We have achieved a great deal over the past year and throughout this council term, but the greatest effort lies ahead.

'To deliver the ambitious programme in support of our great town, it is clear, will be a challenging time and there will be difficulties along the way.

'But if Tavistock Town Council holds to its commitment to people, place and partnership, it will have a real opportunity to achieve lasting benefit for the citizens of Tavistock.'

He said how proud he was of the council for delivering a successful Goose Fair, garden festival and for the part it played in the delivery of the town's Christmas lights.

Key actions undertaken included improving play for the young in the community, and through the Townscape Heritage Scheme, the town council can now draw on Heritage Lottery Funds to provide a regeneration package for the town centre, worth £2-million.

'In the last civic year our achievements have been many,' said Cllr Smith.

'We do, however, have opportunities going forward, inevitably these come with significant challenges.

'Having successfully purchased the Guildhall complex we have put together a plan and business case to allow us to bring it back into use.

'Working with partners we aim for this iconic building to once again be open to the public.

'We have applied for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and there will be a considerable amount of work to be done on what will be the largest capital project undertaken by the council.'

Cllr Smith thanked councillors, staff and partners who had supported both himself and the council during the last civic year.

In the statement on the council's financial affairs, chairman of the finance and general purposes Committee Cllr Anne Johnson told the public that over the past 12 months, the council had awarded approximately £25,000 in grants to support local community activities, taken out a public works loan to fund the regeneration of the town centre and key council-owned properties, and agreed to work with English Heritage to access up to a potential £100,000 grant for works to Betsy Grimbal's Tower.

Going forward, the council said it was looking to continue a plan to extend the cemetery, replace the lighting in the town hall and introduce a rolling maintenance plan for council properties, including Abbey Walk and repointing the Duke Street properties, organise and deliver the 2015 Goose Fair and the Garden Festival, and refurbish both Drake's Statue and the Duke of Bedford statue.

Cllr Johnson said: 'Tavistock Town Council continues to be one of the few councils in the country which successfully subsidises services to the local tax payer.

'It raises more than half of its income from commercial activities and continues to work hard to maximise this income.

'Looking ahead, the next few years are likely to continue to be financially difficult and the council will be faced with challenges both in terms of demands on the capital programme, the vulnerability of income and the increasing importance of working with others to achieve common goals.

'However, we remain committed to doing the best we can for Tavistock, both now and for the long term and providing relevant and value for money council services.'