A new visitor centre that will change the face of Tavistock is due to go under the spotlight at a public meeting in the town next month. Town mayor Cllr Caroline Keane has called the meeting to discuss the £1-million building, which would be sited on the banks of the River Tavy and involve the re-routing of Market Road. Cllr Keane told last week?s meeting of the town?s properties committee: ?I feel before any decisions are absolutely made we need a public meeting with regard to the future of the Guildhall and the new information centre, so the borough council and people who are involved are able to give information to the public, so they can let their feelings be known. ?It?s very important we carry the town with us, rather than storm ahead with plans that will change the look of the whole area tremendously.? Cllr Mandy Govier said the public had a right to know what was being considered for such an important site ? she felt there was ?a lot of unease? in the town regarding the scheme, which was complicated, due to uncertainty about funding. Planning consent for the centre is being considered by West Devon Borough Council ? the applications are currently out for public consultation. Tim Selman, manager of Tamar Valley AONB Service which is leading the project, confirmed two applications had been submitted. The first covered the £1-million visitor centre scheme ? a hi-tech orientation centre housing a new tourist information centre plus toilet facilities. The second was an application for a smaller scheme involving new toilets and an outdoor, covered orientation centre. This meant if funding bids were not successful for the larger scheme, they could go ahead with the smaller centre as a phase one, which could be enlarged when grants did become available. However, Mr Selman said he was ?very confident? the larger centre could be built: ?We have had in principle offers of funding of about £1-million to build the whole centre, but it hasn?t been confirmed in writing yet. ?Gaining World Heritage Status has unlocked the doors to get the money we need ? my feeling is we have to go for the bigger scheme whatever happens, even if we had to sacrifice something else, because it?s so important for Tavistock.? He said the project team was keen to see an iconic new building, providing services to complement existing facilities in the town. Mr Selman said a flood risk assessment had sparked some design changes. An archaeological assessment had also been carried out and the team was confident the original remains of Tavistock Abbey would be undisturbed by work on the new centre. He said several hundred people attended an exhibition regarding the visitor centre in the summer and the over-riding feeling was positive, though strong views were expressed for and against the scheme. ?One concern was the war memorial and whether it should be moved. The trees were another concern.? Mr Selman said the riverside trees would be kept, but trees around the existing Guildhall toilets would be felled. If planning permission is granted, work would start on the centre early in the new year. The proposal has come under fire from local historian and author Alex Mettler, who called it ?unnecessary, ill conceived and historically insensitive?. He said the proposed new building, which includes a toilet block, would be placed on the northern bank of the River Tavy ?presenting a clear face, including a view of the six toilet doors, to the historically most sensitive part of the town?. ?To do this Market Road would be diverted to the north, this needless diversion itself costing tens of thousands of pounds of public money,? Mr Mettler stated in a Times article last month. The public meeting regarding the new Tavistock visitor centre will take place in the town hall at 6.30pm on Monday October 2. All are welcome. The planning applications may be viewed at West Devon Borough Council?s offices at Kilworthy Park in Tavistock ? more detailed project plans may also be seen in Tavistock Library.
