Report by Sue Read

CREDITON’S traders are protesting against Bank Holiday visits by Devon County Council’s civil enforcement officers (traffic wardens).

Many people had complained about their cars being booked when parked on Crediton High Street over the Christmas Bank Holiday. Crediton Chamber of Commerce asked what was the job of the traffic wardens - keep traffic moving or make money for the county council?

Discussing this at last week’s Chamber meeting, it was commented that unlimited parking on the street was permitted in the evening, when shops were closed - it should be the same for Bank Holidays.

Cllr Nick Way, a town, district and council councillor, told the meeting that the argument was always that if restrictions were relaxed for one town, it had to be the same everywhere in Devon.

He would like to see Bank Holidays excluded in all market towns. Chamber chairman, Mrs Tara Conabeare, commented that with 45 minutes limit for parking on the High Street, people were more likely to drive on to a supermarket if they thought the traffic wardens were on patrol.

Cllr Way said he had persuaded the county council to hold “road surgeries” at Crediton on the first and third Thursday of each month when people could talk with a Highways representative. To make an appointment, see the town clerk in the town council office.

Richard Adams pointed out that car parks were the responsibility of the district council, on-street parking came under the county council.

Cllr Way agreed this seemed “quite crazy”, each could work against the other. Traffic wardens were employed by the county council but the people who checked parking in the car parks were employed by the district council. So two different authorities had separate staff watching car parking.

Mrs Conabeare suggested that the Chamber ask the county council, on behalf of everyone, if the Bank Holidays could be excluded from the on-street parking restrictions and, as a separate issue, asked the district council if the St Saviours Way car park (called High Street by the district council) could be returned to five hours parking for £1.

Cllr Way told the meeting that there are now about 30 traffic wardens who patrol Devon for the county council, including the part-timers.

He wondered if Crediton was visited more often by traffic wardens than most other places because it was close to Exeter where they were based. Did they visit Crediton on the way to somewhere else?

Cllr Way said the car parking had “become even more of a hot topic” since Christmas because of the traffic warden’s actions on the one Bank Holiday.

Most people assume it is safe to leave a vehicle on the road on a Bank Holiday, that traffic wardens would not be working.

He added that the four Crediton district councillors were unhappy that their hope to overturn the £2 parking charge increase did not work.

Talking to the county Highways staff he was told it was legal for a traffic warden to book a vehicle on a Bank Holiday. He had asked if they could have a lighter touch so far as Bank Holidays were concerned.

“Apparently on all Bank Holidays there is a skeleton staff, they do spot checks at different places,” he said.

The Chamber of Commerce intends to write a letter of protest and to try to encourage the council to be fair on parking issues in the future - small towns are struggling and this is not helpful.

CHRISTMAS

FESTIVITIES

What sort of festivities would people like to see in the lead-up to Christmas. The Chamber wants to know if people would like the sort of thing the town council, Arts Centre and Chamber have provided over the past three years with the big parade leading into the lights switch-on, or something smaller.

As always, the big problem is finance and lack of it and the difficulty in finding enough people to be marshals and help run the event.

Chamber secretary, David Oliver, reported that the train was a great success, the number of children taking part in the fancy dress competition seemed to grow every year, as did the number of people attending.

He runs Oliver’s Bakery and said they had people in from other parts of Devon who had never been to Crediton before - but had said they would again.

Apart from one group of Scouts, it had been a struggle to get people to help. “It is a community event,” he added.

More than 70 businesses had trees but to date only 27 had paid the £50 contribution which included the trees, checking the lights, storage, and putting them up and taking them down.

“The businesses who paid included those who helped with the tree putting up and taking down.

“We had six collecting buckets around the crowd that evening - they raised £6.25,” she said.

Asked to contribute, Cllr Frank Letch, chairman Crediton Town Council, said the Christmas in Crediton evening was one the town council felt should have value, should have impact and be about children and families and it hoped High Street businesses would see some benefit.

He said the parade had cost the town council “a lot of money and effort”. A total of £67 was paid by the people who rode on the train. It cost the town council “at least five times as much”.

“Organising the parade was not as easy as it should have been. Our town clerk gave up 62 hours which amounts to nearly two weeks’ work as well as getting 32 stewards and marshals.

“We have agreed the lights and fireworks were wonderful. Some people said the parade dragged on,” he commented.

Cllr Letch would rather the town council did not organise the parade any more, perhaps the Chamber would take that over?

However, the Chamber felt it was making its own contribution and also did not have the manpower nor the finances to manage it.

He suggested perhaps focusing on the town square, have an event there from 5-7pm, the children’s fancy dress using the town council offices and have stands such as hot chestnut sellers and hot dogs.

“We had a meeting for Christmas in Crediton every month except August, each two hours long.

“The trees cost the town council money. We had hoped those who wanted a tree would put their hands in their pockets, it is something for the shops and the community.

“Closing the road for the parade cost us about £1,800 and if you do not have enough marshals you are breaking the rules for a road closure.

Mr Oliver added that the Arts Centre would not be able to contribute more than it had. Four volunteers had done the tree work plus three people given by Tesco.

Mrs Conabeare added: “It does not happen on its own, it is physical effort needed as well as money. “ It was said the whole evening could be in jeopardy if people and funding was not found.

It was suggested a questionnaire be circulated. Cllr Letch said he would be suggesting the town council went ahead with events around the town square but not the big parade from The Green.

It was felt holding the parade, fancy dress and lights switch-on events was better on the Saturday for a number of reasons, including that the fancy dress was earlier which was better for children.

The Chamber is hoping to get some feedback to the Christmas in Crediton committee.