Roy White, of Naseby Drive, Heathfield, writes:

We have many layers of government: the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Devon County, the Teignbridge district and last, but not least, Bovey Tracey Town Council.

All these seem to think it is their undeniable, God-given right to waste public money. At the top we have the most outrageous and expensive folly of them all: the Euro currency. Then we have the Millennium Dome, the Olympics, bailing out the banks, High Speed Rail 2 and, from the sublime to the ridiculous, the Old Thatched Inn.

The fact that the precept has remained at the same level for four years, while worthy of praise in these otherwise wasteful times, does not justify an increase of 27 per cent in the precept on such a folly as purchasing and developing a burnt-out ruin. Improving the view of the water wheel at the craft centre does not justify the removal of the public toilets and the cost of doing it.

This project is a complete and utter waste of tax payers' money. The fact that members of the council were urged to do something about the eyesore that the Thatch undoubtedly is in its present state, does not justify the town council in taking on such a large debt for the foreseeable future. The Old Thatched Inn was and should have remained a private sector problem, to be solved in the private sector, by a development adhering to all the relevant planning laws.

The reason we are told for all the cloak and dagger stuff was to head off a third party at the pass and prevent them buying it. Why prevent them? They should have been welcomed with open arms, watched like hawks and kicked where it hurts if they did anything out of order.

Taking on a debt which will be at least £500,000, nearly three and a half times the precept seems remarkably unwise at any time, especially so at this time.

Perhaps the councillors who promoted or allowed this folly to occur should realise the honourable thing to do would be to take on the burden of this debt from their own resources, and perhaps sell the Old Thatch to that third or some other interested party.

In all sincerity I would hope they get their money back.THIS AND OTHER LETTERS IN OUR DIGITAL EDITION