I TAKE strong exception to the comments of Mr Alex Wood (Letters March 13). He writes, and I quote, ?At Tavistock Town Council, they attempted to muffle the voice of those who are fighting for peace?.

He refers. of course, to the well publicised situation recently when Tavistock Peace Action Group were refused the use of a pannier market stall on a certain day as council officers deemed they were political, and thus were not permitted by law to have a stall in a commercial market.

The first time this issue came before elected councillors was some ten days later at the monthly meeting of the properties committee; Mr Wood was in attendance.

At this meeting councillors felt the officers had acted correctly in accordance with a reasonable Interpretation of a somewhat ambiguous law, but also felt that as the Tavistock Peace Action Group was not party political, they should be permitted to hire a stall in the market ? as they had on occasions in the past ? as long as it was not required by a market trader. This would apply to all community groups of a non party political nature.

There was general consensus in support of this policy amongst councillors. Furthermore, these proposals received support from Tavistock Peace Action Group in a letter delivered to all town councillors on the day of the monthly meeting of the full council the following Tuesday. There were three signatories to this letter, one of which was that of Mr Wood.

On that Tuesday evening, the council ratified the policy. As Mr Wood was again in attendance, he will be aware that not a single councillor spoke or voted against these proposals ? hardly the actions of a body out to ?muffle? anyone?s voice.

Finally, he exhorts members of the Town and West Devon Borough Councils to voice views on the present Iraqi situation. Now, whilst as citizens of this country we have the right, individually, to express our feelings on this or any other national and international crisis, we have, as councillors, no mandate from the local electorate to spend public funds on matters well beyond our responsibility, our powers and our sphere of influence.

Still, in reality, Mr Wood does not want our views unless they accord with his own, a fact made apparent in the final sentence of his letter, where he encourages folk to confront councillors and ?get them to speak out against the coming war?.

Ted Sherrell

Tavistock Town and West Devon Borough Councillor