CREDITON Rugby Football Club - probably the largest sporting organisation in Mid Devon - says its future is under threat because of proposals by Mid Devon District Council.

Crediton RFC Committee has, over the past few years, been looking to relocate from its Blagdon, Crediton site to a larger site and provide new, expanded facilities.

Unfortunately, to date, no suitable site has been found.

The funding for such a move would have been provided by the sale of the existing ground for residential development.

Until recently, the Club grounds, which are owned by the membership, was designated in the Mid Devon District Council Town Plan for residential development.

Club officers were therefore surprised to see a small sign headed "Planning Notice" placed at the entrance to their Club facilities a few weeks ago.

This to the officers' surprise, had been placed there by Mid Devon District Council.

It effectively stated that the Club grounds were no longer designated as residential but would now be purchased "at some time in the future" under a Compulsory Purchase Order, to be used for a proposed new single site for Queen Elizabeth's Community College, together with the sports field opposite known as The Rec.

Most of the Crediton Rugby Football Club members, spoken to before a recent match, said the first they heard of the plan was when they read about it in a recent issue of the "Crediton Country Courier."

The Crediton Rugby Club proposal is one of many changes to future planning policy, to the year 2026, contained in the Mid Devon Local Development Framework called "Allocations and Infrastructure Development Plan Document."

Mid Devon's proposed submission development plan, which was published last month, includes suggestions to meet government requirement objectives.