IN response to the letter from Mr Mathis in last week?s edition. Tavistock Town Council has a large property portfolio and with that comes the responsibility of maintaining it to an acceptable standard. The council has decided that the repair of the town hall ceiling should be carried out during this financial year. In applying for planning permission to repair the ceiling using modern materials we were looking at the most economic way of doing this. Unfortunately, this was not acceptable to English Heritage or West Devon Borough Council. The council tax for 05/06 has not risen at all in real terms. Within this years budget we have planned not only to repair the town hall ceiling but also to undertake fire precautions in the Duke Street shops, start converting the old mortuary into a flat, upgrade the Guildhall toilets and start repairing the Pannier Market roof. Councillors took the setting of the budget very seriously, balancing a budget with the needs of the beautiful town in which we live. Councillor Anne Johnson Chair, finance and general purposes committee Tavistock Town Council
