PROPOSALS by Devon County Council to cut down the public availability of the registrar services in Okehampton have met opposition from town councillors. The county council wrote to Okehampton town clerk Don Bent last week informing the town council that the services of the registrar in Okehampton should be reduced from three days to two days while — much to the local council's indignation — the service would be available in Tavistock five days a week. At a meeting of the council's policy committee last week, councillors said the measure might be cost-effective for the county council but it was not for the benefit of the consumer in Okehampton and district. A letter to the town council on behalf of Roger Gash, for the county, said that 'the presence of a registrar at Okehampton for three set sessions per week, irrespective of appointments made, is simply not a cost-effective use of limited resources.' Mr Gash wrote that 'the slight change in service available at Okehampton is very definitely not a reflection on the status of the town'. He stressed that as local government policy was that district offices were located in the same town as the 'head office' for the local district or borough council it was considered 'more important and cost-effective' for the district office in Tavistock to be open to the public Monday to Friday. The changes would come into effect from April 1 when it is envisaged Devon will operate as one district rather than its current eight. These sentiments did not impress members of the town council. Cllr Christine Marsh told the committee: 'This will cause the bereaved and the most vulnerable more unnecessary grief at a time when they are already distressed.' She was concerned about the distress of those whose loved ones died, especially at the weekend, who could not get access to proper administrative services and the relevant paperwork. Cllr Kay Bickley added: In some cases people will have to pay for bodies to be kept in the chapel of rest for an extra week. 'People will have to travel to Exeter or Tavistock for a registrar when we should have those services here. This may be cost-effective for them (the county council) but it certainly is not for the consumer.' The committee voted to ask the town clerk to state their concerns over the registrar proposals to the county council.
