CALSTOCK Parish Council is about to consult the public on what it wants the authority to spend its money on over the next few years as the parish plan enters a new phase.

Five years after a parish plan was devised for Calstock, the council is gauging the views of residents to see if their priorities have changed.

As the Times went to press, the council's parish plan working party was seeking approval from the full council for its questionnaire entitled 'Where Do We Go From Here?', which it hopes to distribute to every household in the summer.

A local employment surgery, bus shelters and new play equipment are some of the ideas suggested on which the council wants views.

There is also a section where people can enter their own suggestions of what they would like to see.

Chairman of the group Jerome Irons said: 'It's been a few years since we asked the public what they wanted and put together the plan. We want to see if the priorities are the same or if there are any new priorities.

'There are also several things which the council would like to see but it will be up to people to decide.'

Mr Irons said contrary to what people might think, the parish council could not achieve things on its own: 'We can put up a bus shelter or cut the grass more often on the playing fields but we cannot build a sports centre.

'We have limited responsibility but what we can do is campaign and influence. If we know what people want it gives us the ammunition to fight for things and seek help from somewhere to get things done.'

Over the last five years the car park has been extended at Gunnislake, the Tamar Valley Centre built at Drakewalls, the Delaware Learning Centre opened, public transport improvements with additional train services from Gunnislake to Plymouth, two affordable housing developments built and schemes to reduce speeding and anti-social behaviour implemented by the police together with local authorities and the community.

Play areas have also been opened at Woodland Way in Gunnislake and Harrowbarrow and Metherell.

Calstock Parish Council has had an input into the majority of these enhancements. Its one regret since 2005 is that the Oasis Centre at Gunnislake closed through lack of funding, meaning people have to travel to Plymouth to access a job centre.

The centre had also provided computer training, links into learning courses, help with CVs and computer access for children who did not have facilities at home so they could do their school work.

Despite financial help from the parish council and the hard work of volunteers, the Oasis Centre closed last year.

Mr Irons added: 'Last time 47% of the population filled in the questionnaires. This is one of the few ways we can find out the views of local people so we hope as many people as possible take part to make our community better.'