A FORMER deputy mayor has resigned from the town council's Guildhall working group.

Cllr Dave Cawley believes that without an agreed business plan, the town council should not be spending large sums of money – possibly in the region of £400,000 – on the listed building.

'I have chaired and sat on many Guildhall working groups and originally voted to keep the Guild­hall,' he said. 'Recent events are changing my view.

'Without a business plan, a forward vision or a cohesive marketing strategy, we should not be spending any money. And that is why I did not vote for the 10 per cent increase in the precept this month.'

Cllr Cawley said that for six months he had asked the mayor Cllr Rob Lyon for photographs of events held in the building to take the project forward, but they were not forthcoming. He said that, along with the town clerk Tracy Rowe, he had met two marketing companies to discuss future plans for the Guildhall.

'One said without photographs there was nothing they could do. The other said that we needed to decide what we wanted to do, and we would still make a huge loss whatever,' he said. 'Hence the need for a business plan before we go any further.'

Cllr Cawley, who was one of the driving forces behind the market facelift three year's ago, added: 'Before we spent money on the market, we got a proper external feasibility study from a professional firm that specialises in this sort of redevelopment.

'And then there are the costs. As a seasoned and successful property developer, I had estimated £200,000 but at a recent council meeting £400,000 was mentioned, twice the price. Is it worth that? Also a member of the group is adamant that a domestic kitchen is all that is required. This will come back to bite us in just a few months after its installation.'

Cllr Cawley said costs were a worry for the council. He said: 'Earlier this year, because of in my view a poor tender request was sent out, we had quotes of up to £8,000 to refurbish the Gem Shop [in the Old Market]. I took it upon myself to get the job done for £2,400 – about half the cost of the next nearest.

'Only this week at corporate property it was announced that the contractor recommended by the mayor was twice the price of the next nearest to repair the orchard wall.

'My conscience for the people of Dartmouth now precludes me from sitting on the Guildhall management group as I am so at odds with them.

'I will though remain a councillor. I will stand for election next year and I will continue my efforts to keep Dartmouth special.'

Town clerk Tracy Rowe said photographs of many of the Guildhall events could now be viewed on the town council's website.