AN exciting project to spruce up the image of Tavistock was given the green light by councillors last week.
Banners, blue commemorative plaques and improved signage could all be in the pipeline for Tavistock, voted best market town in the country in a recent poll by the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).
Cllr Norma Woodcock told members at last week's meeting of the town council's finance committee that it was vital to capitalise on this accolade — and signs and banners were a simple, effective way ahead.
Cllr Woodcock said: 'If you look at the present town signs they are getting old and worn and they do now need replacing.
'There are much better signs about now — signage that could be changed would be a real advantage, for example, publicising the steam fair, the carnival, the food fair.'
Cllr Woodcock said improved signage had been flagged up as important during previous public consultations and now was the time to be seen to be doing something positive for the town.
She also felt horizontal banners, similar to the type used during the recent food fair held at the Dartmoor Inn at Lydford, would look attractive in the town centre.
Cllr Alison Clish-Green said: 'If we are going to drive this forward, we ought to be able to access some funding from organisations who might benefit in the long run. We need to tap into these organisations to help us.'
And Cllr Clish-Green added that toilet signage could also be updated, to make it clearer to visitors where public facilities were situated.
Mayor of Tavistock Cllr Jenny Metcalf suggested blue plaques on buildings of significance in Tavistock would be attractive and informative, particularly to visitors.
She suggested they could be the subject of an 'excellent' information leaflet once enough had been erected.
Town clerk Roger Howard said he already had a list of about 30 buildings and monuments in Tavistock which were worthy of a blue plaque.
The committee heard that local historian Gerry Woodcock had already written a series of descriptions which could be used on the plaques.
It was agreed that the clerk should investigate costings for signage, banners and plaques and report back to the council.