HIGH business rates, policing and the future of Tavistock Hospital were among the hot topics at a ‘Question Time’ session in Tavistock Town Hall on Friday night.

Around 40 people turned out to Tavistock Town Hall to grill a panel of experts on a wide range of issues.

Questions about the Princetown distillery quickly turned into debate about how to preserve and aid Tavistock’s range of boutique shops and unique stores while balancing the introduction of larger nation-wide stores.

Leader of West Devon Borough Council, Cllr Philip Sanders, said: ‘It is a very difficult question. When Waitrose came to Okehampton it definitely brought in more trade. They looked at the site eventually taken over by Tesco in Tavistock but decided it was not economically viable.

‘If people want small shops, we need to patronise them. These things operate on cash I’m afraid. If you want Crebers, or Howells, or any of our other unique smaller traders to remain, we need to use them.

‘Small businesses are suffering from high rents, high business rates and other things. There is very little local authorities can do. We can give small business relief.

‘Another problem is that all registered charities get 80 per cent of business rates relieved by statute. If a charity shop is able to only have to pay 20 per cent, it allows owners of these properties to keep rent high, stopping other businesses moving in. There is nothing we can do to stop that.

‘I am not being critical of charity shops but this does have a significant impact on the town.’

Cllr Robert Oxborough of West Devon Borough Council said: ‘In Tavistock, a business can move from a prominent high street position to a side street and still have very high business rates. The whole situation for businesses is made much more difficult by this punitive level of business rate. We need sensible landlords for our businesses to thrive.’

Members of the audience also raised questions about local policing, including how reductions in funding are affecting front line policing and whether Tavistock may ever again have a public enquiry desk.

Tavistock police sergeant Dave Anning said: ‘We would love to have an enquiry office but we just don’t have the money. It is a choice of having people, or things. The new police office we have is constructed in such a way that if it becomes possible in the future, we can reinstate the enquiry desk.

‘If you want to see local police face to face, you have to book an appointment. That is so far from what we would want but that’s the situation we have. There is no easy or soft answer I can offer, I am afraid.’

Devon’s police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez had been due to attend but missed the event through illness. In her absence, Sgt Anning discussed the commissioner’s first Police and Crime Plan, which is looking to invest in 100 extra officers but remove up to 190 police community support officers. The plan has been created following a public consultation.

He said: ‘The PCSOs are extremely useful and have taken over the role of “beat bobbies”. With the bobbies on the beat rarely having to use their sworn powers, the PCSOs idea was created. Their job is to be the liaison with the community.

‘It is very rare the PCSOs have to use their detaining powers, which means they can work in communities at a significantly lower cost. The value they provide is that “beat bobby” cover.

‘I bumped into a gentleman recently while with one of our PCSOs. He said to me it was “nice to see a real copper, shame about the plastic policemen” with me. That is very disrespectful. I know that when we see the reduction in PCSOs they will be keenly missed.’

One resident also asked whether the current Tavistock Hospital building was fit for purpose and whether the town could expect a new hospital in the future.

Lorna Collingwood-Burke, chief nurse NHS Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) said: ‘There are lots of hospitals that are quite old, and we need to keep them fit for purpose. But it would be wrong for me to make promises we can’t keep. Everyone is aware of the financial challenges we face as an NHS.

‘We have to weigh up a new hospital and the costing of it. It is just not an affordable option at this time.’

The ‘Question Time’ panel consisted of sergeant Dave Anning, Cllr Philip Sanders, Lorna Collingwood-Burke, Craig McArdle, director for integrated commissioning for the western locality of the NEW Devon CCG, Dr Shelagh McCormick of NEW Devon CCG, and Tavistock College students Alice Kodritsch and Cyrus Larcombe-Moore. The event was organised by West Devon Borough Councillor and Devon County Councillorl for Tavistock, Debo Sellis.