I TOTALLY agree with the letters last week about the so called 'independent survey' as to whether the residents of Tavistock want another supermarket or not.

The council should have the guts to poll the 15,000 residents of the area rather than be persuaded by the influential five to 20 food related business in the town centre of what is good for the people of Tavistock.

Morrisons' service has got so bad over the last year, the queues are dreadful and the poor staff get dragged from stocking duties by the continuous call for 'all till-trained staff to checkouts'. This results in empty shelves as your letters said last week as the staff get torn away from their duties to man tills.

I suggest you visit Tesco at Launceston to see this does not happen. No queues, nearly immediate check out and shelves full of products even though they are in the process of a major refurbishment. Tavistock needs supermarket competition.

While we are in Launceston we visit the town centre buy meat from town centre butchers, browse the shops and buy other local produce.

Also they have a vibrant retail park – why have the Tavistock councillors allowed our sites to rot! I think the town centre trade protectionism organisations have too much say in this town and do not think widely enough for what might add to their footfall for all businesses.

If the councillors disagree with this then just put it to the vote and stop the mistrust — there is no more democratic process.

D Shea

via email