A town manager is needed to sell Dartmouth to new businesses as part of a vitally needed employment strategy – because town councillors are not up to it.

The expert would have the job of attracting new businesses to the town to fill the new employment units, which are expected to be built as part of the £80m West Dartmouth Millwood Homes development.

His job would also involve working out just what kind of jobs – and the kind of employment units – which the town wants to see set up.

The town councillors themselves have neither the time nor the expertise to do the job themselves, members of the town's general purposes committee were warned.

Cllr Bob Lyons said: 'We need to take on somebody as a town manager or employment manager to get businesses here.

'It could be a short-term post, possibly paid on results. Someone in marketing who knows business and can bring business to Dartmouth.

'That's what we need. It won't just happen because we want it to.'

He added: 'We have not got eight hours a day and five days a week to do this sort of thing – and that's what it needs.'

His comments came hard on the heels of serious concerns over whether the jobs will ever show up to go with the 400 new homes it is planned to build on the western edge of Dartmouth over the next 15 years.

More than four hectares of land is earmarked for employment use but it is still unclear what kind of units they should be, what kind of jobs will be housed in them, who will build them and whether anyone will want to fill them.

There are already major concerns over whether the jobs will ever turn up to go with the homes which it is hoped will regenerate the town.

The town councillors are recommending that a team of councillors meet to try to put together some sort of employment strategy for the town to look at what jobs the town wants and how they can be attracted to Dartmouth.

At the same time they plan to meet with Newton Abbot town manager as well as South Hams Council's business development manager.

Cllr Steve Smith added: 'It needs a commercial business manager to take a lead on this.

'None of us are fully qualified.

'We need someone to promote Dartmouth – to go out and sell Dartmouth.'

The recommendation came as councillors reported back on the latest West Dartmouth steering group meeting – part of the Millwood Homes consultation process designed to produce a masterplan for the huge 80 acre development site.

Mayor Paul Allen said that part of the latest talks had included shifting the town's park and ride site from is present position to the area of Venn Lane – which would cost £2m.

l See letters, page 10.