FOR a very long time there has been the need for a pavement along the west side of Mill Street from the supermarket to its junction with Blagdon.

Crediton Town Council is not going to let go of any chance of this being done. Now that Mole Avon's plans of moving are public, the council is reminding Devon County Council of its hopes about a pavement.

Cllr Nick Way (also a county and district councillor) commented that he had been talking to the county council constantly about what was desirable for Crediton, the pavement being one.

The town council is therefore writing to Mid Devon District Council, as planning authority, to ask for a footway to be a condition of any development that might go there. The council will also remind the county council of its hopes.

EXETER ROAD

Reporting on progress of the hopes for a cycle route along Belle Parade and for a dropped kerb at Exeter Road for pedestrians, Cllr Way said the Belle Parade scheme was still being checked with the county solicitors.

Requests for the dropped kerb would be going to the Mid Devon HATOC (Highways and Traffic Orders Committee) in March.

Cllr John Downes (also a district councillor) commented that the dropped kerb was needed as a "bare minimum" for Exeter Road pedestrians. He wondered if enough had been done to push for this?

Cllr Way commented that the link road would result in less traffic there which could mean a pedestrian crossing on Exeter Road being a condition of development off that road.

The town council is writing to HATOC and county council highways.

COMMERCIAL ROAD

The town council had received Devon County Council's proposals for changing parking restrictions on parts of the Lords Meadow Industrial Estate as a result of the link road.

This had included no waiting at any time along parts of Commercial Road, which had brought a query from an estate trader.

Saying he had a meeting two weeks previously with county council officers, Cllr Way said the complaint had been about the way the new traffic orders had been advertised.

He had also been concerned at the prospect of Marsh Lane having no waiting at all, plus no deliveries, which would affect businesses.

"The county council needed to do more," he said. "It has agreed to a consultation with those businesses and any members of the public who want to talk about it, rather than sealing the orders, so there will be extra work on this," he said.

The town council would also like to be able to comment.

LOOKING FOR HELP

The chairman, Cllr Frank Letch, said the town council was looking for volunteers to work on the wild life area at one side of People's Park.

"I am prepared to do some digging, but we need people to come along on specific days. This will be part of a 'star' in our town," he said.

CREDITON CHAMBER EMAIL

A four-page letter from Crediton Chamber of Commerce co- chairman, Dimitri Coryton, was received by email during the meeting.

He explained that he had wanted to make it clear the Chamber had remained active throughout the economic crisis but no longer employs any staff, meaning less time for volunteer work.