AFTER almost one and a half hours, mostly talking with members of the public, Crediton Town Council has asked top Devon County Council members to talk to the town about roads, emphasising, once more, its wish for the valley route to be included in the September consultation.

On a warm, close evening, the temperature began to rise as more than 50 people sat and stood in Crediton Council Chamber trying to understand the workings of its town council.

Cllr John Downes said the energy in the room, so many people wanting the same thing, was "fantastic", all wanting planning for the town that was "cohesive and logical and making sense".

But he was frustrated that he and other district councillors go to council meetings in Tiverton, make their objections where necessary and are over-ruled because planning decisions were made on criteria, on planning regulations at the time. "It is frustrating to make a case for Crediton and then be over-ruled," he said. "If we had the power, Crediton would be a better place.

"People must realise we might get something if you, as individuals, work together but the people who decide are the county and district councils," he said.

The town council has asked county council to include the valley route in its September consultation. Last year it had been told this was in a flood plain and too expensive to build.

'Improper'

Asked what would happen if county said "no", council chairman and town Mayor, Cllr Frank Letch, felt the only option was to protest at County Hall. He was loudly clapped by the public.

Cllr Liz Brookes-Hocking was fully supported when she proposed the town council asks for a public meeting, not a formal town council meeting, with the county council Portfolio Holder for Transport and the Leader of the council, the meeting to be chaired by the Mayor.

Councillors also agreed that, should the town council receive a negative reply from the county council to its letter asking for the valley route to be included in the consultation, the Mayor be authorised to make the most strenuous representations to the county council to reconsider this decision.

Cllr Walter Brown felt there was "something improper" with the county council consulting the town previously on "routes A and B and then saying it had an even better route, route C".

"I think the county council must realise it must go back to square one," he added. Cllr Way said he had been told the consultation would be at the end of September with a report being available for the town council before then.

When Cllr Anne Hughes asked if a route for a link road "could be imposed on Crediton", Cllr Way said this was "something we are all concerned about."

Census sums soon

Cllr Liz Brookes-Hocking observed that if the valley route was not included in the consultation "we shall not be shooting ourselves in the foot, we shall be shooting ourselves in the head."

Urging caution in its response, Cllr Way said the plan could still go to public inquiry. "It began when the county council said it wanted an exhibition on the roads, myself and others said we wanted a consultation.

"But at this stage the county council has only included the hillside and the western routes. We feel this consultation should be on the full three routes," he said.

Bill Dixon, chairman of Crediton Traffic Action Group (CTAG) said its traffic census last month of all vehicles travelling through Crediton would be available shortly.

He wanted the town council to remember that in 2008 the county council had said the hillside route was the preferred route for many agencies and then, in February 2009, introduced the western route.

Cllr Letch said that only a few weeks previously he had been urged to write to the county council to express the town council's concern and that it would only accept a consultation on all three routes - western, hillside and valley.

A member of the public queried the number of pedestrian and cycle trips Tesco had forecast would be undertaken from the town every day (925 cyclists, 3,079 pedestrians).

'Torrent of

humanaity'

He said 3,079 pedestrians represented 22 per cent of the entire population of the town being expected to walk to the store and back every day. These figures were "in wonderland", he said, and asked what facilities were being put in place "to cope with this torrent of humanity?"

Cllr David Nation shared his concern and had taken up with the district council that there had been a firm undertaking by Tesco to improve pedestrian and cycling facilities on Four Mills Lane. "I have not yet seen any proposal," he said.

When it was wondered whether people in Crediton were aware of the pollution and traffic implications of the Tesco approval, Cllr Brown felt that most people had no idea what the overall effect of the large store would be.

Other members of the public spoke of their concern over the speed and number of vehicles using Four Mills Lane, now slightly reduced since the roundabout on the main road became fully open, but they wondered if, when Tesco was open, this use would increase again.

Assuring people that the town council looked at planning applications carefully, Cllr Letch said it had objected in the past to "several quite big plans" but had been ignored by the district council.

Council has plan

When the town council was asked to "take a more holistic view" and to think 25 years ahead rather than five years, Cllr Letch said that members of the council had been working on a town plan, and had set up the two-day exhibition prior to the annual town meeting in April.

"We need to know what people think," said Cllr Brookes-Hocking. "We need them to send us e-mails, you will find our addresses in the town council newsletters."

Other members said it helped if the public also checked things such as planning applications and told town councillors their views before rather than after any decisions were made.

It was also pointed out that the town council agendas were always posted on the notice board outside the council offices and would be on the website as soon as it was operational again.

A Mill Street resident said they already had noise from the SWW work, a road would be far worse. There were queries as to why the town council had chosen the hillside route last autumn.

Cllr Brown recollected there being no strong feeling against either the valley or the hillside route. "If we had the very strong public feeling then that there is now, it might have been different," he commented. He also said the town council had been given the impression the valley route would never be built.

'Oppose tooth and nail'

All councillors disapproved of Devon County Council's idea to look at introducing parking meters on Crediton High Street.

Cllr Way thought this had been done at nine of the 28 market towns in Devon. It was a scheme to bring more income for the county council and, he understood, would be over a four year period.

He said he had made the point as strongly as he could that Crediton would soon have a Tesco opening with free parking. For the county council to propose to introduce on street parking charges was "quite unacceptable."

"We should oppose this tooth and nail," he said.

Cllr Brown was "appalled". Even if the first 20 minutes was free, instead of vehicles being allowed to park for 45 minutes as now, the scheme was "plain stupid".

"If you are trying to kill the shops, this is the way to do it," he said. Cllr Richard Adams added that there were now empty shops in many country towns.

He had visited a town in Suffolk where there was four hours free parking in the town car park. That town had a really busy High Street. There were spaces for about 40 cars in the free car park and there was a quick turn over.

Councillors all agreed parking meters was "a ridiculous idea."

Sunday bus and shelter

Cllr Way reported being asked if the Town Bus would be able to run a Sunday service for people such as those who wanted to visit the town Hospital.

However, it was felt the cost could be "astronomical", the service would not be used enough and there were other buses that served the area.

Cllr Way had also been asked about the possibility of a bus shelter on Bramble Lane. It was agreed this would be taken up with the county council.

Council wants your ideas

A teen shelter, landscaping the area around the town entrance floral display on the western side, or work on Peoples Park, were among ideas put forward to use the £5,000 being given to the town by Tesco.

Cllr Nation was grieved that little was done in the town for teenagers. A teen shelter gave them a place under cover where they could meet and chat but designed so "there could be no illicit goings-on."

Deputy town clerk Mr Martin Ashley said Crediton Climate Action Group's tree group had offered to give four wild cherry saplings if the landscaping scheme was chosen.

An idea had been put forward to use some of the money to develop the resource centre with Crediton Community Transport, offering shared accommodation to various organisations in the town.

There was a suggestion from a councillor that Tesco might like to use the money for a sign at the roundabout on the Exeter road listing the town's shops and urging people to "shop locally".

To make comments or give a choice for spending the Tesco money, please e-mail the council at [email protected]">[email protected] or write to: Crediton Town Council, Market Street, Crediton EX17 2BN

The council's next general purposes committee meeting is on September 8, the town council meeting on September 22.