IN his letter last week, Mike Hooper expressed his concerns over the cost to Tavistock Town Council of the Car Club car being parked in the Guildhall Car Park.

He can relax a little because his worries seem to be based on two false assumptions. Firstly, let me assure him that there is absolutely no rent being paid by the town council for the car. Tavistock Car Club is independent of the town council, and is self-financing (though at present it is being subsidised by other car clubs).

Secondly, his assumptions about the revenue being lost assume 100% occupancy of the car park, six days a week, all the year round, for ten hours a day. The reality is, of course, a fraction of that figure, and the Car Club also contributes £432 a year in rental.

However, he is right on two counts. The town council does support this community-based co-operative scheme, and they are to be congratulated for it. They are helping to get a scheme off the ground which has the potential to enhance the quality of life of many of their constituents.

He is also right in saying that the car is not being used enough. This is a new idea, and new ideas take off slowly. However, as the word spreads the hope is that more people join the shared ownership scheme, so that it can become completely self-supporting, and perhaps a second car can be bought.

Mike, and anyone else can find out more information at

e-cocars.com

John Stuart

Down Road

Tavistock