A FURTHER request to turn the listed Court Gate Cottage in Tavistock over to community use was made at last week?s annual town meeting. Dick Eberlie, borough councillor for Tavistock and chairman of Tavistock Museum Trustees, asked the council to consider a community role for the empty cottage, as opposed to letting the building out for residential or commercial use. Cllr Eberlie, whose mother-in-law lived in Court Gate many years ago, said: ?I would like to think the town council would agree it should be dedicated to the community. ?It would provide a link between the subscription library and the existing museum, plus the Guildhall and police station, which will, in due course, be used for community purposes.? Cllr Eberlie?s request follows a similar plea to the town council?s full meeting earlier this month. The secretary of the museum had asked if it would be possible to extend the museum premises into Court Gate Cottage. Roderick Martin told councillors that the museum would be able to secure substantial grant funding if it could provide disabled access ? but that could only be obtained with the extra space provided by the cottage. During the meeting, Tavistock resident Alex Mettler requested the council take steps to remedy a persistently blocked drain outside the subscription library, plus carry out work to ensure a corner of the town hall was not constantly running with water. Mr Mettler also had a word about the proposal to erect plaques on buildings of historical interest throughout the town. He said: ?It really is good news ? but could I be assured they will not be tacky-placcy but high quality ones?? Yvonne and Maurice Haggard, who live off Down Road, requested information about the proliferation of cars which parked in the road during the week. Mrs Haggard said she appreciated the livestock market was the ?lifeblood of Tavistock? but more and more cars were using the road as a car park. And Tavistock resident Graham Kirkpatrick was also concerned with car parking in the town. He claimed the borough council controlled most of the car parks but had ?no interest? in them, apart from their ability to make money. ?We must get control of the car parks into the town and not the borough,? said Mr Kirkpatrick. ?If we had control, we could reduce the car parking fees and at the same time have have sufficient money to increase car parking facilities.? Town mayor Jenny Metcalf assured Cllr Eberlie that many councillors were ?sympathetic? to the requests put forward by Tavistock Museum and the issue would be considered at a future meeting of the council. She said the plaques would be of high quality and would be very attractive and informative for residents and visitors to the town. The problem with the blocked drain and damp town hall corner would be addressed by council works staff. The parking issues raised by Mr Kirkpatrick would also be considered by the council ? but car parking in Down Road was a matter which needed to be taken up with the county council. Cllr Metcalf said it had been a ?great privilege? to represent Tavistock as its mayor during the last year. She said: ?This is a town of very special people with great and varied talents.? Cllr Metcalf said the whole town could look forward to a very exciting year of celebrations regarding the 900th anniversary of the granting of Tavistock?s market charter and the 700th anniversary of its acquiring stannary status. ?It?s going to be a year full of fun, excitement and history,? predicted the mayor.
