TAVISTOCK?s Victorian police station could take on a ?fantastic? new lease of life as a major visitor centre and museum.

The idea has come from the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative, set up to boost the local economy.

A £5,000 feasibility study into the need and benefit of establishing the visitor centre and museum is to get underway ? one of a series of projects to receive cash backing from the South West Regional Development Agency.

Gretta Madigan, chairman of Tavistock Market and Coastal Towns Initiativesteering group, said: ?I think it?s an excellent idea, it?s in such a prominent position and it?s such a lovely building, it?s well worth looking into the possibilities there.?

Vice-chair John Taylor said: ?I think it?s fantastic. It?s a wonderful opportunity to bring together all Tavistock?s heritage, ranging from the Abbey to Drake and mining, and to promote the town.?

The police station and redundant magistrates? court are both owned by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.

But the police force is looking to move from the listed building, which, although ideally situated in the town centre, is now too small and not suitable for modern policing requirements.

Mr Taylor said the court and police station could be linked to create a major visitor centre which would do real justice to Tavistock?s fantastic heritage.

The latest feasibility study comes almost a year after a police estates officer said the age of the historic building would make it unsuitable as a site for a museum.

But Chief Inspector Mike Brooks, West Devon district commander, said this week: ?I can see it would be an excellent idea, but at the moment there are no plans for the police to move out of this building.?

Chief Insp Brooks said there was a ?strong likelihood? the police in Tavistock would be moving in with West Devon Borough Council at some time, but any relocation would be at least 18 months to two years in the future.

The RDA recently approved a £57,500 grant to Tavistock Market and Coastal Towns Initiative, enabling the feasibility study and other ?quick win? projects to get off the ground.

A grant of £3,300 has also been made to set up a business plan for a youth café, which will be undertaken by Tavistock and District Youth Council.

A youth appraisal, undertaken by the council earlier this year, identified an overwhelming need for such a centre within the town.

Anne Johnson, district youth support worker who helped with the appraisal, said the young people had worked ?very hard? ? the next challenge was to identify where a youth centre could be situated, its format and how it could be structured long-term.

?The whole thing needs to be done properly, so it becomes secure and keeps going,? said Mrs Johnson.

Other ?early win? projects to attract funding include £3,770 towards a feasibility study into setting up craft workshops, offices and a sales outlet at Princetown, to be run on a not-for-profit basis to boost tourism in the village.

A Friday and Saturday hoppa bus running between out-of-town stores, the town centre and main car parks in Tavistock gets under way next month for a five-month trial period, thanks to a £4,400 grant.

And a series of arts and crafts events giving exposure to local talent and boosting the tourist trade attracted a £4,000 grant, to pay for venue hire, publicity and performers? fees.

The balance of the grant money, boosted by £5,700 from West Devon Borough Council, will help develop the 20-year action plan currently being drawn up by the Tavistock MCTI group.

Next year, applications to fund long-term projects identified in the plan will be put forward to a ?brokering table? of funding organisations.

Mr Taylor said ?serious money? could be attracted to Tavistock in the future.

?It?s going to be exciting,? he said.