A DEVICE for scooping leaves and debris from the River Tavy, as part of an environmental scheme at the historical Abbey Weir in Tavistock, has been slammed as a 'monstrosity'. The prominent structure, at one of the town's most photographed beauty spots, was recently added following the installation of the Abbey Weir fish screen to help boost fish stocks and other improvements to the riverbank. But while the view from Abbey Bridge has been enhanced by the clearance of vegetation on both sides of the river, opening up a vista not seen for 50 years, the addition of the extending mechanical arm has proved extremely controversial. 'It is preposterous — I am surprised that it was approved by West Devon planners,' said local historian Alex Mettler. 'I don't think councillors could have been looking at it. It is awful, and talk about overkill. It is completely overdesigned for what it is trying to do. 'If you look down the river from the bridge that is what sticks in your vision and your mind. It is probably one of the best known views in Tavistock and now we have this preposterous thing in it which probably cost a fortune.' Town and borough Cllr Ted Sherrell said the device, which he described as a 'monstrosity', should be taken away. 'If we have to have something it should be more in keeping with the area. This is a very beautiful spot. The river is so shallow there, could we not have a chap in waders, raking out the leaves instead?' Other residents and visitors described the arm as 'ugly' but some said it was fascinating to watch as it moved along the river on a timer system, scooping out leaves. The Environment Agency and South West Water carried out the scheme at Abbey Weir to improve the migration of salmon and trout and prevent smaller fish escaping into the leat system that serves Mary Tavy and Morwellham hydro power stations. Areas of overgrown vegetation have also been cleared, opening up a walkway and making the riverbank more attractive. There are plans to put benches and tables in place so people can sit and watch the river. Tavistock resident Susan Johnston was full of praise for what had been done: 'The water is much cleaner and clearer and anything that helps with the migration of salmon is a good thing. My view is that the mechanical arm has been put there for a reason and I am sure people will get used to seeing it there in time.' Paul Gainey, communications officers for the Environment Agency, said the arm was specially made by a firm in Sweden. 'We were faced with some real difficulties with the location because it is quite a narrow canal, quite a small water inlet and we had to use a very fine screen to protect the fish,' he said. 'Without an electronic arm, it would have blocked easily with leaves and debris.' He said a lot of time and effort had gone into making sure the arm was 'as sympathetic as possible' so it did not encroach on the rest of the river and the original design was adjusted after feedback from consultees. 'All the hydraulics are hidden so the arm is really quiet and it is fantastic protection for young fish which is the main reason why we built it,' he said. 'At the moment it is a bit shiny but it will weather in time.' Planning officer Ed Persse said the application was highly scrutinised and conservation officer the late Roger Duce had been involved in the discussions. As there were no objections to the scheme and English Heritage was happy with the final design, it was approved under delegated powers. The Abbey Weir project will be officially opened by Tavistock mayor Anne Johnson tomorrow (Friday) at 11am.