John Smith, of First Drive, Dawlish Road, Teignmouth, writes:

As chairman of the newly formed Teignmouth Eastcliff Community Company now responsible for the Eastcliff Centre, I want to give my support to the message in mayoress Eileen Parkes' recent letter last week with regard to the Meadow Centre and youth facilities, both in Kingsway and in Teignmouth generally.

The points she makes with regard to the need for investment in Kingsway are valid. Cllr David Cox and Tracy Scranage have done much – alongside some excellent people at the Meadow Centre – to get it in use again.

I believe that there would still be a chronic shortage of youth facilities in Teignmouth, even with both centres up and running and while I know that Devon County Council's Youth Service team have exciting plans for youth facilities in Teignmouth, I will wait to see what can actually be developed with the current level of government cutbacks.

To put the record straight, there has actually been little in the way of public investment in the Eastcliff Centre. Following the demise of the Teignmouth Community Association, Eastcliff reverted to Teignbridge Council and was not used for some time. Cllr Terry Falcao secured the building for community use, negotiated a very favourable lease with a generous Teignbridge, and had the legal work done at his own cost in respect of the lease and the formation of the responsible company. The aim is to ensure that The Pulse, in the lower floor, can again be used as a band practice area and that the first floor can be used again for a range of youth and community activities.

Cllr Falcao's community leadership group, Teignmouth First, has been active in fund raising and getting the building into use and one of its members, Jacqui Orme, has worked particularly hard – all in her own time. 

Teignbridge has been kind in letting us have the building for community use, but the work to keep it going is in the hands of the community and run by volunteers and the hard working directors of TECC. We are very grateful to all those who have given so much support, free of charge.

The truth is that Teignmouth needs investment in both the Eastcliff and also the Meadow centre ­– they complement, rather than compete, with one another.OTHER LETTERS ONLINE