I WAS very surprised and disappointed to read Cllr Trew's letter in the Times as it misrepresents the true situation.

As part of the Townscape Heritage Initiative, consultants have come up with a number of alternative ideas to improve the public spaces around the Guildhall, Pannier Market, Market Street and Bank Square. We are the only town in the South West to have been offered this funding in 2013 and have a golden opportunity to use Heritage Lottery funds to improve our historic centre for the benefit of the whole town.

No decision, or even recommendation, has yet been made on any of these ideas and as far as the Guildhall car park is concerned, two of the proposals show plans with the car park retained in a setting that enhances the Guildhall — so to state that we intend to abolish it is untrue!

The existing Guildhall car park is badly laid out and does not comply with current standards (including health and safety) and is difficult to access at the rear, as regular users will be aware.

My personal preference for an enhanced Guildhall Square is the scheme which retains the same number of public car parking spaces that existed when the police occupied the Police Station/Guildhall.

However the whole partnership, which includes representatives of the business organisations, community groups etc, as well as the local authorities, will make recommendations once we have consulted widely.

As for the income of the car park this is a matter for the town council but I do not believe the loss of net income figure Cllr Trew quotes, once you have allowed for overheads, including maintenance, traffic wardens etc., and of course the ability of town councillors to park there for free.

Finally Cllr Trew states that our suggestions will be a nail in the coffin and make the town centre dead. Clearly he has not noticed that the Guildhall complex is already dead and has been empty for some time!

Our proposals to inject £2 million into the town's historic buildings is designed to specifically bring areas like this back to life and regenerate the whole town centre for the benefit of the whole community, so I do not understand his negativity.

The alternative ideas are available at http://www.westdevon.gov.uk">www.westdevon.gov.uk and we would ask all your readers to please let us know their views — like Simon Dell's letter — by January 17, 2014, as this is an important matter for the town that everyone should be able to comment on.

John G Taylor

Chairman

Tavistock Townscape Heritage Partnership

CARS are the life blood of Tavistock. Councillor Brian Trew clearly understands this (Letters November 28).

THE Townscape Heritage Trust and West Devon planners seem oblivious of all the supporting evidence of the situations — full car parks, residential streets near the town centre string with long term kerb parking vehicles.

As the town expands the situation gets worse but the trust and the planners want to reduce the car parking spaces. It is tempting to cite ostriches and sand in this context.

In the past the planners have rejected suggestions that the Superwinch site be made a car park and that the multi-level car park in Brook Street be extended over the service yard of the now Co-op Store.

Simon Dell has voiced the concerns of many people regarding the location of the war memorial, but just as many people regard it as a substitute gravestone and find it a spiritual reflection on bereaved relations and friends.

A tranquil place for such reflection would be the Meadows where the simple dignity of the memorial would be better seen.

Perhaps funds will at last be found for both the car park and war memorial projects.

G Kirkpatrick

Tavistock