Brian Parker, of Victoria Road, Dartmouth, writes:

Yuletide is a time of fable and fantasy, with tales of Good King Wenceslas, Rudolf the reindeer and the deliberations of Dartmouth Town Council's finance committee.

Over the past few weeks reports in the Chronicle of this committee's business have seemed increasingly bizarre, tales of fantasy indeed.

First is The Tale of the Invisible Support for the Swimming Pool. 

Past finance committees appear to have taken the view that it was proper to agree to support the project but, since it won't happen, there was no need to set aside any funding. 

But it is happening and the town's commitment is reported to be £250,000 with a set aside of nil. 

We now have the make-believe situation of the present committee having to cobble together a part sum as a token and going cap in hand to the swimming pool committee to see whether the construction programme allows the bulk of the town's payment to be deferred to later financial years.

Second is The Tale of the Spend on the Butterwalk Flat. 

The committee wishes to spend £60,000 for 'repairs'. 

When I first heard of this it was referred to as a project to 'do up' the empty flat above the museum to allow it to be re-let.  Is this deliberate or accidental re-wording? 

Reference to repairs, rather than renovations suggests work of a more immediate and essential nature that has to be carried out.

However, it may be that the works are not essential for the integrity of the building and can be deferred. If so, they should be deferred. 

There is no sense at all in spending money we cannot afford on a project likely to cost more than expected (look at the overrun on the market project, which is only a Grade II listed building whereas the Butterwalk is Grade I listed) and whose payback time, even assuming a tenant can be found to pay the projected rental of £1,000 a month, is likely to be nearer 10 years than five.

It would make better sense to leave the flat empty at this time but there is the option of leasing it to the museum, which would bring in an immediate modest rental without any outlay by the council.

My third fable is the Tale of the Increased Burial Fees.

This is the proposal to raise fees for burials, market stalls and Boatfloat use by 10 per cent, and 20 per cent for 'outsiders' in the Boatfloat. 

This is a desperate proposal that gives out several very bad messages, the most obvious of which is that the committee appears to be admitting losing the plot on managing the town's finances and is scratching around in a panic to find some money. 

The income that these measures would bring in is trivial, but the damage is immense.

So much for fable and fantasy, the time for realism approaches. 

We have been able to draw amusement from the pantomime activities of the finance committee in this festive season, secure in the knowledge that the full town council will apply common sense and throw out the proposals when it meets to discuss them. 

Or will it?