COLLEAGUES past and present gave a rousing send off to West Devon Borough Council?s David Inman recently, who has held most of the Council?s top jobs over his 31 years of service. Glowing tributes were paid to the officer who has played a central role in bringing about an impressive range of major projects in the borough over the years including Parklands Leisure Centre and the Waitrose development in Okehampton, and the Meadowlands swimming pool and The Quay complex in Tavistock. At a reception for David at the council?s Tavistock offices, chief executive David Incoll paid tribute to his colleague?s total loyalty to the borough council and his determination to deliver key public facilities to the area, despite the council?s lack of financial resources and the scattered nature of its population. Warm accolades also came from Mark Hall, chief executive of North Cornwall District Council, who worked with David at West Devon during the 1990s and former borough council chief executive Jeffrey Ligo. Joining them was another former borough council officer Elizabeth Prescott, who shortly starts work as the new chief executive for Torbay Council. David told the gathering: ?West Devon is a great team and good local government is all about teamwork. I?ve worked with some marvellous people over the years.? He also paid tribute to his wife Yvonne. He was presented with a limited edition solid Devon tin paperweight and garden vouchers by his colleagues. An ardent Torquay United fan, the council chamber was festooned in the colours of his team and he was presented with a Torquay United cake! David will now pursue consultancy work which includes promoting SPARSE, a national organisation supporting sparsely populated rural local authorities and gives such areas a voice in Westminster.
