TAVISTOCK Town Council has agreed to support a group with an interest in resurrecting rail services to the West Devon area.

At the full council meeting last Tuesday (October 21), members discussed a request by Destination Okehampton to contribute towards funding an experienced rail consultant to examine the feasibility of reinstating the former London and South Western Railway route from Exeter to Plymouth, via Okehampton and Tavistock.

Destination Okehampton, a working group of Okehampton Town Council, is made up of a consortium of councils, and brings together towns and parishes from West Devon, North Devon and Torridge, and Cornwall, with an interest in a rail service.

Okehampton Town Council agreed 1% of its precept — £1,800 — towards Destination Okehampton, and requested that Tavistock Town Council put forward 1% of its precept, which equates to £4,600. The question raised to councillors was what sum, if any, they wished to add to the fund.

Cllr John Sheldon proposed that Tavistock Town Council match fund Okehampton's agreed donation of £1,800, which was carried.

Chairperson of Destination Okehampton, Dr Michael Ireland, said: 'I am pleased that Tavistock Town Council has match funded us — this is excellent news.

'I'm working closely with Cllr Brian Trew and the mayor Harry Smith and I feel this is a very good gesture and I'm very pleased. We hope to get similar gestures from other towns and parishes.'

In the past few months, Destination Okehampton has met with representatives from numerous communities, including from Okehampton Hamlets, Tavistock, Sampford Courtenay, North Tawton, Bow, Stowford, Bideford, Launceston and Buckland Monachorum in an effort to form a united front advocating the return of the railway.

It is hoped that having councils, organisations and representatives from across the region advocating the return of the Okehampton line will add weight to the argument that the return of the line could bring huge economic benefits to West Devon, Torridge, North Devon and parts of Cornwall.