PLANS to move Tavistock's war memorial to a position in front of the town's taxi rank were kicked into touch during a meeting last week. Members of the town council's properties committee last month viewed architect's drawings commissioned by the council, which showed the memorial as it would look if it were moved to the churchyard, opposite the town hall. The memorial move follows a public referendum held several years ago in the town, which revealed overwhelming support for the removal of the memorial from its present site outside the Guildhall toilets to a position in the churchyard. But at last week's full council meeting, Cllr Norma Woodcock said she was concerned when she saw the architect's drawings, drawn up at a cost of £1,700. Cllr Woodcock said: 'I have never heard any suggestion from any quarter that the memorial was going to be anywhere other than in the corner of the churchyard. Where did this direction come from?' Town clerk Roger Howard said a meeting had been held between some members of the council, himself and the parochial church council before the architect had drawn up the recent plans. Col Howard said that at the time, the removal of the memorial had been included in a scheme to build a visitor centre near Guildhall Square and because of funding requirements by the Heritage Lottery Fund, there was an urgent need to get plans agreed and drawn up. But because a funding bid for the visitor centre had since failed, there was now no urgency regarding the move. Cllr Robin Pike said it was not appropriate for a member of the council to make a decision about placing the war memorial in a new position, without first debating it with other members. Cllr Pike said: 'We have to abide by the referendum result, that's what we are duty bound to do.' Cllr Caroline Keane asked who had made the decision for the memorial to be moved away from the corner of the churchyard. Cllr David Best, who is also a member of Tavistock PCC, said: 'I think it was me who suggested it might be better — I was making a general decision because it was a general conversation.' Cllr Alison Clish-Green said she was concerned at the sum of money spent on the drawings. 'How much does it cost to draw a plan? It did seem rather a lot to me, for drawing a mock up,' said Cllr Clish-Green, who saw no point in asking for further drawings showing the memorial in the corner of the churchyard. 'We just need to decide where we want it and that's where it goes,' she said. The council resolved the memorial should be re-positioned in the corner of the churchyard, without steps up to it, in accordance with the results of the public referendum.
