WEST Devon Borough Council could close its Tavistock reception after members agreed to review the use of its customer services across the borough.

At a meeting of the full council on Tuesday, members considered a recommendation to review the use of the Tavistock reception and make a decision as to its future.

The decision came after the borough’s northern outreach service in Okehampton was agreed to be scrapped, but the decision was ‘called in’ by opposing councillors to be reviewed by the borough council’s overview and scrutiny committee.

The councillors who called in the decision sited that the closure of the outreach service hadn’t had sufficient consultation prior to making the decision and there was a lack of engagement with stakeholders.

They asked the committee to recommend referring the decision to full council to consider a borough-wide review of how the authority enables access to services and to delay the closure of the northern outreach until it had been properly debated.

The full council agreed for the hub committee, in November, to consider the borough-wide accessibility of council services and make a recommendation to the full council at its meeting in December.

Concerns were raised as to whether November 5 was too soon to be able to properly conduct the review, but council chief executive Sophie Hosking assured members that the review would be carried out ‘properly and satisfactorily’ and said if they deferred the decision any longer any cost implications may ‘muddle’ the budget setting process in December.

The service will continue as it is with Monday to Friday opening until a decision is made.