A TOWN council is being urged to prepare itself to look at taking on responsibility for more county-run services in the wake of budget cuts.

With Devon County Council forced to make savings of more than £100-million in the next five years, Barry Parsons, county and Torridge councillor for Holsworthy Rural, told Holsworthy Town Councillors there would be 'some very big hits' to services, likely to be noticed in the town.

Councillors last week pressed Torridge councillor Michael Footitt and Cllr Parsons for information on which services would be affected.

Although Cllr Parsons could not confirm which non-statutory services would be hit as the budget was yet to be set, he urged councillors to take an 'interest' in the youth centre and library buildings 'in terms of community interest'.

Devon County Council has already launched a consultation for the town's youth centre and is welcoming interested parties to come forward —as reported in last week's Post.

Cllr Parsons said: "We are at a very difficult point in time and I can't see things getting much brighter in the next couple of years.

"Holsworthy has a wonderful community and can take on these challenges.

"We are going to have to work together more than ever and we need to work together for the people of Holsworthy and our surrounding parishes."

For the full report, and a round up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.