REPRESENTATIVES from dozens of organisations and members from parish, town and county councils packed into Tavistock Town Hall last week to hear more about the latest step on the road to a community action plan packed with ideas.
The presentation by TAVI (Tavistock and Villages Initiative) was to launch the consultation draft of its Markets, Moors and Meadows action plan ? a blueprint document, including projects for the area over the next 20 years.
Christopher Kirwin, chairman of TAVI, said since its inception last autumn, the group, formerly known as the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative Steering Group, had drawn up the action plan after a series of consultation events, with the help of a funding package of around £37,500 from the South West Regional Development Agency.
A further £20,000 had been won to ?kick- off? some initial projects, such as a feasibility study into a youth café for Tavistock and the highly successful music festival in the town earlier this summer.
Mr Kirwin said an important aspect of the evening was to exchange views and ideas.
He said: ?We do need ideas from people who are going to make them happen. The steering group has produced the draft plan, but we want your involvement to make it a complete plan which we will publish early next year.
?It suggests some of the strengths and weaknesses of Tavistock today, and suggests the kind of place we think we want for the future ? and with your help, we will deliver the strategies and projects to take us there.?
Andrew Young, the Market Towns development co-ordinator for TAVI, said community development was all about working in partnership to achieve aims to benefit the area.
He said once the Markets, Moors and Meadows action plan had finally been agreed as the blueprint for Tavistock?s future, strategies would be worked up for specific projects which would then be put forward to a brokering table for funding consideration.
Mr Young said: ?Brokering is intended to give us a better route towards funding than has been around in the past. This is not the steering group?s journey ? it?s yours, the community?s, in turning these projects into reality.?
Following the presentation, delegates at the meeting were able to look through the Markets, Moors and Meadows document and discuss it in groups with members of TAVI.
After the meeting, Mr Young said responses to the action plan and the ideas behind it were ?very positive?.
?There are some tweaks to get issues right, but it?s generally 90% there ? and we had lots of people who said ?Please can we help turn these ideas into strategies?? ? we will get these groups formed in the next couple of weeks.?
Mr Young said with the hard work and support of the community, projects will be put forward for funding next year.