MORE than 6,000 consultation papers have been dropping on doormats throughout the Tavistock area this week, as residents' views are sought on moving the town's war memorial.

The memorial, erected after the Great War, stands in the Guildhall car park next to the public toilets.

Following requests and a straw poll at the town annual meeting in March, a working group was set up to investigate the possibility of moving it to another site.

The churchyard of St Eustachius has been suggested as a possible new site, or on the new paved area of Bedford Square.

However, some members of the Royal British Legion are strongly opposed to moving the memorial and wish it to stay where it is.

Town clerk Roger Howard said around 6,700 consultation papers, drawn up by the working group and agreed by all interested parties, are being delivered by the Post Office from Monday of this week.

Col Howard said: 'One is going to every residential address in the PL19 area — those people that feel they need more than one paper can pick spare copies up from various places in the town.'

Extra questionnaires can be obtained from the library, the town council offices and the Royal British Legion.

The questionnaires include a brief history of the siting of the war memorial and how the money was raised to erect it in the first place. There is also a computer-generated picture showing what the memorial would look like if it were re-positioned in the churchyard.

Residents are being asked where the memorial should be and if they want it to remain where it is, how they would like to see the area enhanced.

Cllr Judith Williams, chairman of the working group, said: 'A public consultation is only as good as the public replies, so please, will as many people as possible reply so we have a feeling from the town as to what people would actually like to see achieved.

'This is important for everybody, the future generation as well as the older one.'

Cllr Williams said if the consultation revealed a clear indication in favour of moving the memorial, investigations to access funding and costing of the project would follow.

'There is Lottery funding for work on war memorials,' she added.