NEWTON Abbot is hoping to be one of 10 towns in the south west to qualify for funding from the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative. The initiative involves a community planning programme supporting residents to design the future of their towns and surrounding area. Town councillors at the finance and general purposes committee heard on Wednesday last week that the regional programme was developed to address the needs of the market and coastal towns affected by changes to their traditional role, including the decline of agriculture and fishing, the lack of affordable housing and changes in tourism. Newton Abbot had been hit by the foot and mouth crisis and the Wednesday livestock market has slowly recovered, though on a smaller scale. The town will hear in December whether it has been successful. Those selected to join the initiative will receive up to £20,000 funding, the dedicated support from a community facilitator, and professional assistance from consultants. p THE council's budget for photocopying is already nearly £500 over the top. Town clerk Rod Tuck said he was concerned about the number of coloured photocopies. 'We are taking steps to reduce this. The main problem was last year's Cheese and Onion, Garden, Arts and Crafts event, though colour photocopying of programmes for it is not being repeated this year. 'We have already sailed past the budget,' said Mr Tuck. From November 1 to August 3, there had been 24,395 copies in colour, while from mid-May to the end of September last year it had been 5,437, bringing the total to 29,832. The council had budgeted £3,250 and at August 23 had shelled out £3,731. Mr Tuck said the cost of the colour photocopies was almost 7p a copy as against slightly more than half-a-penny per black and white copy. The use of colour photocopies included the weekly sheet, some agenda attachments, programmes for the town criers competition, the Cheese and Onion Fair, posters for the Barham Cup, band concerts, Victorian Evening, Newton in Bloom, the mayor's charity concert and carol service, two services at the war memorial and the twice yearly museum newsletter. Cllr Ken Lewis said he was not unduly worried. 'The whole point of having a coloured photocopier is to use one. If we want colour photocopies there is no point in not using it,' he said. p THE committee agreed it would apply for a grant from the Teignbridge Urban Aid Fund, possibly for Christmas light infrastructure or illuminations, or towards the town's rose garden. There is £23,000 in the new fund which has been set aside by Teignbridge Council to aid projects that would benefit the communities of Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Dawlish, Newton Abbot and Teignmouth. Members also decided to leave the door open for any suggestions from the community. For many years Teignbridge has given thousands of pounds through its Rural Aid Fund which has successfully helped numerous projects. p MEMBERS decided that the licensing sub-committee should be asked to look at the Gambling Act 2005 and report to the next finance and general purposes committee meeting.
