by Alan Quick

MID Devon District Council chief executive Kevin Finan painted a gloomy picture regarding the prospects of its council office staying open in the future when he spoke at the November meeting of Crediton Hamlets Parish Council.

MDDC is looking to close its Crediton Area Office in Market Street with effect from April 1, 2016, due to budget restrictions.

He told the meeting about the £2.5 million cuts the council had to make in the next four years and said that despite cuts elsewhere and efficiency savings, there was still a £508,000 shortfall, which resulted in the need to look at other options.

He said one of these was the closure of the Crediton Area Office and to this effect, the two members of staff had been placed “at risk” of redundancy.

He outlined other staff redundancies which would also be taking place.

He said MDDC had started consulting with Crediton Town Council and was made aware of concerns about the office closure.

He said discussions looked at the other services offered by other organisations, Citizens Advice Bureau, Crediton Town Council, Community Transport, from the same building and how the community would be provided for in the future.

He said about 1,500 transactions took place in the MDDC Crediton Area Office each month and explained that most could be carried out at the nearby Post Office.

Other enquiries, he added, could be sorted on-line.

He understood the office closure could be “an inconvenience” for some people.

One councillor suggested that if the office could not be retained, that training sessions be run to assist those who need to learn how to use a new system.

Another councillor questioned if Crediton Hamlets council would be charged for future use of the council chamber for meetings and Mr Finan said it was a possibility.

Discussion on capping and recycling charges followed, as well as mention of toilet closures and grass cutting charges.

The possibility of a satellite office being run by MDDC in the town or perhaps Yeoford once a month was suggested.

Mr Finan, who is to retire next year, said that there would be a case for looking at the need of such a service.

There were many questions about whether MDDC understood the consequences if the office closure went ahead.

The problems of accessing the internet locally was highlighted, transport issues were raised and members praised the work of the staff who work from the Crediton office.

Cllr Nick Way (Devon County Council) said the Crediton Office staff gave an extremely good service, said the town council would be very affected by any closure and Crediton Town Council was very much against the office closing.

Mr Finan said the budget would need to be set by February 24 and a report would be produced in early January for members to decide upon. He emphasised that MDDC’s share of Council Tax had not been increased for six years.

MALCOLM THANKED

During the meeting, the chairman, Cllr Peregrine Leigh, thanked Malcolm Vallance for his services as clerk to the council for the past five years and welcomed the new clerk, Diane Shepherd.

He thanked Malcolm for his professionalism and said he hoped there had not been too many potholes along the way.

Members commented on a range of planning applications, supporting a Listed application for the installation of garage doors, a wall etc at The Barton, Neopardy and formation of residential vehicular access at Elston Meadows, Westwood.

It raised no objections to a Listed and full plan for the erection of an extension at East Church Farm, Hittisleigh.

It objected to a plan to convert a garage to habitable accommodation at 20 Yeoford Meadows, Yeoford and supported a plan for a single storey extension at Furze Park, Station Road, Yeoford.

Flooding issues on roads at Stockey Down, potholes at Blackdown Cross and Posbury, road hedges which need trimming on the Hittisleigh to Yeoford road, broken down road surfaces, a pothole at Westernlea and other areas which needed grass cut or hedges trimmed were reported by councillors.

A vehicle parked in a dangerous location at High View Farm, Woodland Head, was noted.