CREDITON Town Council is a step nearer to owning and taking over maintenance and management of the Town Square from Mid Devon District Council.

At Tuesday's town council meeting, members agreed it should continue investigating, with the final draft of the legal agreement going before the council for approval or amendment.

Town Clerk, Mrs Clare Dalley, reported that the district council had agreed to transfer the Town Square at no cost.

She said the town council had budgeted for maintenance, for which she was getting quotations.

If the town council agreed, solicitors would be instructed with the final draft going before the town council for approval, before being signed.

She added that the district council had been charging non-profit making organisations to use the square, which the town council had felt was "inappropriate".

Last April it negotiated a dispensation for such groups and several months ago decided to pursue acquiring the square.

Cllr Nick Way, also a county and district councillor, commented that the square had a special surface which had to be treated every two years or so.

Mrs Dalley added that she was waiting for a quote for the public liability insurance, which the town council has on its other properties.

She felt it could generate more income and had already been approached by two businesses about setting out tables and chairs around its edge. She confirmed it would still be free to hire by non-profit making organisations.

QUESTIONS FOR

MEL STRIDE

Eleven questions for MP Mel Stride when he visits the town council's extraordinary meeting on Friday, March 7, were approved.

These included whether he could help "sort out the mess" of the town's dual use loading bays, pedestrian access for the Wellparks housing and comments on current farming practice which increases water run off from land.

Plastic recycling, wind turbines, building on flood plains and whether he would support any increase in license fees for late-night establishments to cover the cost of extra policing were among other questions.

ORGANIC GROWTH

Discussing the district council's Local Plan Review options consultation document, councillors felt this allowed the town to grow organically.

Cllr Martin Binks (district councillor for Crediton, invited to speak) said the general feeling at the district council had been that Crediton should not expand further, certainly after Wellparks was developed, apart from some other areas.

He said the emphasis was on the district council achieving its 15 per cent rise in new homes mainly in Tiverton and the Junction 27 plan.

He said "the heat was off" so far as Crediton was concerned.

Cllr John Downes (also a district member for Crediton) asked if there would be the support for Crediton to be a development centre, or would it prefer to be more local in its planning and to "grow organically"?

He felt it would prefer to grow more slowly, as shown in the Local Plan, rather than large scale.

Cllr Paul Vincent thought there was a need in Crediton for smaller workshop units to which Cllr Binks replied that 30 per cent of industrial units in Mid Devon were empty at present.

COMMUNITY

TRANSPORT

With the end of Crediton and District Community Transport Limited this month and the forming of Crediton and Tiverton Community Transport to take its place, the town council agreed to support a funding application from the latter.

The town council had received a request for a £2,000 Town And Parish (TAP) Fund grant from Crediton and Tiverton Community Transport.

It was said this organisation had negotiated a deal with the district council to use an office in the Market Street council building as from Monday (February 24).

Cllr Way pointed out that it served the whole of the Crediton area, not just the town, and so it could apply to the other parishes for help, as well.

Cllr Liz Brookes-Hocking added that the idea of the TAP Fund was for towns and parishes to work together for mutual benefit.

She suggested that, before the start of the next financial year, the town council invited local parish councils to discuss co-funding the organisation, which councillors agreed.

It was agreed to grant Crediton and Tiverton Community Transport £2,000.

Cllr Way had said this Fund would continue in the next financial year from April.

FLAG FUND

Councillors agreed to grant £1,000 to Crediton Arts Centre Flag Project.

Saying she felt the town council should support it, Cllr Brookes-Hocking said the Flag Project had kick-started the town's Christmas lights project.

Cllr Anne Hughes added that it was a small organisation which did "brilliant work" and made a concerted effort to raise money and Cllr Joyce Harris, chairman, added that if it was not for the Arts Centre, a lot of events would not happen.

PLANNING

There were no objections to the following planning applications: erection of an extension at 2 The Limes, East Street plus Listed Building application.

Erection of an extension including rooflights at 19 Lamejohn's Field, nor to an application to fell one sycamore tree and reduce the crown of a horse chestnut tree by 15 to 20 per cent, protected by a Tree Preservation Order, on Penton Lane at the rear of 10 Lamejohn's Field, so long as the arborculturalist approved.