COUNCILLORS have voted against borrowing millions of pounds of public money to build a ‘retail pod’ in Okehampton and a hotel on Abbey Rise Car Park in the centre of Tavistock and following a huge public outcry.

It was standing room only in the West Devon Borough Council chamber at Kilworthy Park on Tuesday afternoon, as opponents crammed into hear the council debate the scheme to build a hotel and lease it back to a budget hotel chain, believed to be Premier Inn, over 25 years

All 27 members of the council present voted aainst borrowing the money for the proposal, including leader Cllr Philip Sanders who spearheaded the idea in the first place.

Councillors also unanimously rejected borrowing public money to finance another plan to demolish the public toilets in Market Street, Okehampton, move the taxi rank beside them and build a retail pod/ coffee takeaway franchise in their place.

The retail pod plan for Okehampton was rejected by the Okehampton’s borough councillors as likely to harm the community.

Okehampton Town Council offered to take on the Market Street toilets from the start of April but was overruled by WDBC, who instead propose demolishing them and moving the taxi rank to build premises for a regional coffee franchsise.

Okehampton’s Cllr Julie Yelland said: ‘In Okehampton town centre there is a huge amount of congestion and to find another place for the taxi rank that is viable would be impossible.

‘I’m also concerned about the wisdom of this council looking to find something that even though it will fund itself, in that it won’t require council tax, would be in direct competition with existing businesses in the town.’

Cllr Kevin Ball said he was concerned about moving the taxi rank from outside the supermarkets, which is currently relied on by shoppers without cars.

The council went on to vote unanimously to borrow money to build ten flats as temporary accommodation for homeless people in Tavistock and to release additional funding for this from council reserves and Section 106 money from developers.

Cllr Sellis said: ‘I wholeheartedly support borrowing for this as there is severe deprivation in Tavistock. If we can effectively accommodate some very vulnerable people that is excellent.’

The council came up with the controverial scheme for the hotel as part of efforts to plug a massive budget shortfall caused by the withdrawal of Government funding from local authorities

Opponents of the hotel scheme were jubilant after the meeting.

‘I’m delighted they have voted it down,’ said Emma Taynton-Young. ‘I’m glad they have seen sense.’