TONY Whitehead, owner of Mayflower Galleries, has been elected as the new chair on the board of Tavistock BID.

Adam Fleet, BID manager, said with both old and new faces around the table, the first board meeting of 2013 captured the passion of the recent annual meeting, heralding a 'fantastic' start to the new year.

The four hour meeting on Thursday evening addressed many of the concerns raised at the annual meeting and looked at the key delivery areas for 2013.

Car parking, an ever present issue for businesses in Tavistock, is to become a fixed agenda item thus ensuring the views of the BID members are strongly represented.

The hard voluntary work of the directors will continue through the working groups focused on marketing and promotion, events, signage, communication and business support, all components of the business plan.

The first of the much called for quarterly forums is to be held at the Bedford Hotel on the March 7 at 6.30pm. This will be a great opportunity to connect with BID businesses to share news and views.

Tony said:?'The year ahead will no doubt be as challenging as the last, but the board looks forward to engaging with our BID partners through either the discussion area on our web site or at the forthcoming quarterly forums in order to promote our joint interest in keeping Tavistock a vibrant and viable place for businesses to trade as well as a unique and interesting place for people to shop and visit.'

Adam Fleet said:?'2012 was all about laying the foundation for a successful BID. 2013 is about delivery!'