WEST Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox visited West Devon Borough?s offices in Tavistock recently where he was given a presentation on the work of the council. Mr Cox spent time talking to staff in many departments, including planning and environmental health and discussed waste management and recycling with the council?s client services team. He met the housing team who were recently assessed by independent watchdog, the Audit Commission, as providing a ?good? service with ?promising prospects for improvement?. Mr Cox also visited the council?s Tavy Business Centre at Pitts Cleave in Tavistock where building work on 15 small business starter units is due to be completed shortly. Mr Cox said: ?West Devon Borough Council is consistently rated as a very good council with some conspicuous successes such as waste recycling, recent praise for its housing department and the development of the Pitts Cleave Industrial Estate. ?I was delighted to be briefed on the council?s activities and to see the commitment to the sustained improvement of services in the borough during my visit. ?That does not mean there are not constant challenges, but the current strong teamwork between councillors and officers is the surest means of overcoming them.? Mr Cox is pictured with, from left, Lesley Halton, council corporate director; Marion Playle, head of housing; Alex Everett, senior housing adviser; Stephen Gill, borough planning officer and Nick Payne, corporate director.
