DEVIZES Town Council has agreed to part-fund the salary of a town centre manager.

A full meeting of the town council agreed by 11 votes to four to pay £15,000 next year towards a town centre manager who would be employed by Devizes Development Partnership.

The council had originally wanted to spend a maximum of £10,000 a year but were told by DDP chairman Peter Lay it had to be £15,000.

Coun Margaret Taylor was the most outspoken against the idea.

She said: "There has not been enough financial support from the business community to support a town centre manager. We are being asked to pay £15,000 in wages for the next three years. It will fall on the precept in the next two years unless we are lucky."

Coun Ray Taylor, who sits on the DDP as the town council representative, was in support of a manager.

He said: "Retailers have contributed something like £9,000 for three years and the DDP will put in £2,000. I know there are risks. We had a town centre manager before and he did start to have an impact but he didn't have the time to see projects through to fruition."

Coun Peter Evans said: "The town needs somebody to motivate it. This is something we should be supporting."

The appointment of a town centre manager was the main recommendation in a retail revival strategy report on Devizes by Bournemouth University. The report was commissioned by Devizes Development Partnership and Peter Lay has made the town centre manager project a priority.

He said: "I am pleased the town council has come on board. The town council's working party recommended that they contribute £10,000 but I told them it was £15,000 or nothing.

"We can't pussyfoot around. We have to go for it and I told them that if we didn't get the money this year, we would abandon the project."

The final decision on funding rests with the Devizes Community Area Partnership, which has also been asked to contribute £15,000 a year towards the £40,000-plus cost of employing a town centre manager.

They are due to meet on December 15 to consider the request but Mr Lay is fairly confident of success. He said: "If that money comes through, we can start to recruit after Christmas."