TAVISTOCK'S Abbey Garage site, one of the most important in the town, is likely to be sold off to housing developers.

But West Devon councillors at a meeting this week baulked at a suggestion of having to pay outside consultants to help dispose of it.

The Abbey Garage site in Whitchurch Road was bought by West Devon Council in the 1980s to protect a vital part of the relief road for the town. Some of it was sold off to the county council to form part of the Abbey roundabout. Now the rest of the site is no longer needed as a depot for workmen and their machinery.

Deputy chief executive David Inman told members of the strategic development committee on Tuesday that there had been some interest in the site over the past three years but nothing had come of it.

'One of these, from the police authority and possibly involving new courts for the town, was of particular interest but it now appears to have dimmed.' he said.

'Scenically, it is a very important site — looking down on the square. The site was floated as a hotel with no success and there is the question of offices which must be checked out.'

Mr Inman said the most likely use for the site was residential and emphasised that a balance must be achieved between design considerations and financial receipt.

He recommended a firm of consultants be brought in to advise the council and said tendering would be necessary if the consultancy contract exceeded £10,000 but 'this appears unlikely in this instance'.

But a number of councillors disagreed saying it was unnecessary to bring in outside help at this stage.

'It is obvious to the man in the street what we need, we have our own experts in the field,' said Independent Cllr Pat Warne.

And Independent Cllr Roger Mathew said: 'I should think it is appropriate for our own planners to take a look at what is needed here. I don't see that we have to farm it out to outside consultants.'

Liberal Democrat Cllr David Stapleton suggested a 'step by step process to identify uses'.

'We need to advertise nationally and then decide whether or not we need consultants,' he said.

Independent Cllr Robin Pike said the sale had been on the cards for many years.

'Let's just market the site for housing and see what comes up. I don't see the need for consultants — let's go to an estate agent.'

It was agreed the borough council had dual involvement — as a local planning authority and as landowner, and the two interests must be kept separate.

Councillors asked the borough's head of planning and development, Stephen Gill, to draw up a planning brief for the site on its possible uses and how it could be developed purely from a planning viewpoint.

'This will not take into account any commerical interests which the council may have as landlords,' said Mr Gill after the meeting.

Once the brief is considered and adopted, the committee will then decide whether a separate brief is required to look at the council's interests as a landlord.

'It will also consder at that time, and that time only, whether any external consultants should be involved to assist the council in the process,' said Mr Gill.