Roy Phillips, of St Joseph's Court, Carlton Place, Teignmouth, writes:

The article entitled Centre given a new blue hue on page 12 of last week's Post states the 'centre has been going on since l995'.

The fact is that the West Teignmouth Community Centre was opened by the then Chief Constable of Devon, John Alderson, in l983. It was years later that the building was inexplicably renamed the Meadow Centre, and the plaque commemorating the official opening by the chief constable removed and disposed of.

While it is good that some residents have helped with repainting the centre, the building has been the property of Teignbridge Council since it was given to it by two Teignbridge councillors who failed in maintaining its daily function.

Surely, therefore, it is up to Teignbridge to keep the centre building in good repair?

Residents and, indeed, councillors need to remember that the actual building is there primarily through the many financial gifts given by the late Jean Harley and her husband Ken, their daughter Janet and her late husband Tom. Without them, it would have been a children's play area, which was its original concept by the late Cynthia Holmes and her husband Tony.

Devon County Council gave us the old classroom building and Teignmouth town Council granted us £3,000 but it was the Harleys who ensured that the building constructed was far more substantial than the wooden one. We were, however, able to use the roof, windows and doors etc from the old classroom.

Teignbridge Council's contribution was less than £1,000, although they were well represented at the official opening.

The plans for a youth centre building alongside the community centre had to be abandoned when Teignmouth Town Council's vote for a £3,000 grant for the youth building was tied, and it was the chairman's vote which supported the objectors. Most of the councillors objecting to the grant were the same ones who opposed the initial grant for the community centre.

Simply stated, without the Harley family's continuing financial input, there would have been no community centre in west Teignmouth.

Ironic, really, considering the tens of millions of pounds that Teignbridge itself has extracted from Teignmouth over the years, not only in its annual tax gathering but from the sales of what were previously Teignmouth-owned assets.

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