By Sue Read

BOTH times the unanimous vote gained loud applause from the audience when Crediton Hamlets Parish Council objected to two planning applications involving the Mare and Foal pub at Yeoford.

The monthly parish council meeting, held in Yeoford Community Hall, attracted almost 50 people because of the two planning applications concerning the village pub.

One was to turn it into a private house which has gathered, to-date, 255 public comments of which 243 are objecting. That application was lodged in June with Mid Devon District Council, which makes the final decision.

This second application went in to the district council in September. People have until October 18 to comment.

This is for erection of a dwelling and construction of new vehicle access following demolition of the skittle alley, a garage and store. The dwelling is described as a “modest three bedroom house”.

A new access between the pub and The Threshing Barn has been agreed in principle with County Highways. The statement with the application says: “The new access, following demolition of existing buildings which abut the highway, will materially improve visibility along the nearside carriageway edge just to the north of the pub.”

It goes on to says that a sense of enclosure will be retained by building two metre high boundary walls and a high pair of timber gates.

Parking and manoeuvring space for two cars would be provided on the south site of the drive and abutting what would be the new rear wall of the pub.

It states that there would be a “material improvement in built form” to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area which covers that part of the village through “removal of unsightly structures and their replacement by more appropriately designed buildings.”

Access would be directly onto the existing village street through a pair of gates set back between the pub and the neighbouring Threshing Barn.

The statement says this would “achieve a significant improvement in terms of forward visibility for vehicles travelling westwards along the village street.”

At the Crediton Hamlets Parish Council meeting there was much concern from members of the public about the access, safety for children walking to school or to catch the school bus and for other road users when cars were parked along there.

Dealing with the first application, to turn the whole pub into a private house, councillors felt that because one person found it was not viable did not mean another person would find the same.

It was thought more use could be made of its assets and the public response to the application showed how important people felt the pub to be to the village and area.

Turning to the later application to knock down the skittle alley and other buildings to make way for a house, councillors queried the safety of the access for road users and the effect on the pub of the loss of its skittle alley.

One comment was: “If you are trying to make it viable, why take away part of what would make it viable?”

It was felt the access was unacceptable, it was an inappropriate development in the Conservation Area, and would impact on the viability of the pub.

Both applications and the accompanying documents can be seen on the district council website - change of use for the whole building is 17/00932/FULL, the other to knock down the skittle alley to build a house is: 17/01504/FULL.

There was a full complement of councillors. Cllr Derek Coren is not a member of Hamlets but attends as the local member of Mid Devon District Council, the deciding authority for planning.

The Mare and Foal is still for sale.

CHAPEL DOWNS

Councillors then looked at the outline application to build up to 120 dwellings with a public open space, vehicle access and other works at Chapel Downes Farm for Barrett Homes.

The council agreed it was neutral over this but expressed concerns if the application did go ahead.

These included the fact there was only one entry and exit for vehicles, light pollution and a need for “dark skies” as well as concerns about the increased amount of traffic particularly on a road where some parts needed to be widened.

There was a need for more bungalows in the area plus pressure already on local services such as school and doctors, the need for a safe play area and better public transport.

The council supported an application from G Mortimer to convert barns at Spencecombe to two dwellings. Cllr Mortimer, chairman of the council, left the room during this discussion.

ROADS AND GRIT

Roads in a poor state were reported and the clerk was asked to check whether the road between Yeoford and Crediton was going to be gritted this winter.

She was asked to tell Devon County Council about the state of the Salmonhutch railway crossing where a drain is blocked; the Yeo View/Station Road junction where a drain is blocked.

Also about numerous potholes on the road between Trobridge Cross and Oldridge and Chapel Road to North Down Cross where the road drains need to be exposed.

It was reported that work to replace the damaged parish council noticeboard at Hookway was under way and an incident of fly tipping was also reported.

The next Hamlets meeting will be on Monday, November 6, at Crediton Town Council Chamber in Market Street, Crediton.