THE first step towards Tavistock's involvement in the Market and Coastal Town Initiative takes place with a meeting in Tavistock Methodist Church on September 3.

Tavistock was selected as one of seven towns in Devon to benefit from the initiative as a result of the foot and mouth crisis.

The meeting, with invited heads and chairs of voluntary and community groups in Tavistock and the hinterland, has been organised by the South West of England Regional Development Agency in order to select a local partnership group to represent the area.

The group is envisaged as having approximately 18 members of which one-third will be from local authorities and two-thirds from members of the local community. Their first task, together with a consultant, will be to organise a strategic planning event for the whole community to enable them to put draft plans together for the regeneration of the town.

If any heads of local organisations have not received an invitation to the 7.15pm meeting but would like to attend, they are asked to contact Judith Gray on 01752 234829 or e-mail her at [email protected]">[email protected]