Here are the big stories in this week’s Tavistock Times.

• Almost 150 much-needed ‘affordable’ homes are due to be built in Tavistock in the near future and this month West Devon Borough Council will be highlighting housing opportunities at a drop-in event as it puts ‘local homes for local people’ at the top of its agenda.

• Tavistock received ‘fantastic’ news this week — it has regained its status as a Fairtrade town.

• A committee is due to be set up by Tavistock Town Council to oversee the transfer of two of the town’s public conveniences.

• A Tavistock youngster has been busy in the greenhouse after coming up with an inventive fundraising strategy for a volunteering trip to Peru.

• Whitchurch residents Julie Williams and Graham Parker have successfully competed a skydive raising money for charity.

• A CLIMATE and ecological emergency was declared by members of the Dartmoor National Park Authority last Friday — and agreed to work towards being a carbon neutral authority by 2025, subject to a detailed action plan being drawn up.

• Staff and children at Princetown Primary School are celebrating after receiving a ‘Good’ inspection report from Ofsted — a rise from its previous ‘Requires Improvement’ grade in 2017.

• Polzeath is a regular destination for beach-going Tavistock folk but there is a very special connection between the resort and the town’s longest-established estate agents.

• A father and son champion sheep shearing team were ‘over the moon’ to be placed third in the recent world sheep shearing championships.

• NINE pages of local sport including coverage of Tavistock Football Club’spre-season draw against Plymouth Argyle.