NOT content with paving over Bedford Square with Portuguese granite, the Liberal Democrat-controlled county council have now wasted approximately £20,000 building earthwork embankments to the south of the town on Whitchurch Road.

Their latest offering has been to dig up the paving on the north side of West Street in the main conservation area and replace it with cheap tarmac.

None of this wasted expenditure appears to have been spent with any consultation with the resident ratepayers (who are actually paying for it through increased rates) and all these works are spoiling the character of this market town.

At the same time earlier this year, the county council were proposing that the fire brigade in Tavistock is reduced from two tenders to one because of lack of funds, until there were protests from the residents.

I agree with Ann Cartwright's letter last week and consider it time the Liberal Democrats, which includes Tavistock's representative on the county council, accounted to the ratepayers for the waste of money in this area which is ruining the town.

John G Taylor

7 Wessex Court

Tavistock

I HAVE today made my first journey through and along the so called rural gateway, between Whitchurch and Grenofen and was absolutely appalled at what has been done apparently to reduce speed on the urban Whitchurch Road.

I have never seen such desecration of a perfectly safe and attractive rural road . According to drivers who have used this road for 20 years or more, there has been no accident or delays on the road.

If a private person had done anything far less objectionable on their own property adjoining a public road the council would have been down on them like a ton of bricks. What makes it worse, ratepayers' money has been used and wasted.

Therefore I think the council should be prosecuted and made to restore the road to its original layout.

Our complaints about the speed of traffic, mainly from the school to Whitchurch cross roads, have been ignored, when restriction is urgently needed.

Those of us who live on the north side of the road have no footpath so when we come out of our gates we are at once on a very busy road and heaven help us if we ever forget to pause and pause again.

Mary P Williams

219 Whitchurch Road

Tavistock