By Sue Read

PROVISION of somewhere to spend a penny, or even change a baby’s nappy in peace, is not a statutory demand of a council, but it is something people expect to find in a town.

Some time ago, the public toilets on The Green at Crediton were closed altogether, but new ones were opened underneath the new flats on Market Street and there are still the public toilets on Union Road, known as the Newcombes Meadow toilets and Market Street toilets underneath the flats.

Both are among five of the 11 toilets owned by Mid Devon District Council that are open for 24 hours.

The four toilet blocks in Tiverton are run by Tiverton Town Council. Crediton Town Council is looking to do the same in Crediton, with the addition of Morchard Road loos, as they are included in the same maintenance programme.

In 2015, Crediton Town Council agreed to pay the full maintenance costs for Newcombes Meadow and Market Street toilets to keep them open all year.

In June the town council accepted that ownership and management of Newcombes Meadow toilets be transferred to the town council for £1, so long as the town council gave the district council half of any profit that might be made should the building be sold.

But so far nothing has happened. Added to this, the town council found that the district council had made a mistake over the running costs and instead of the £12,000 a year that had been agreed, the costs have almost doubled.

Council chairman and town Mayor, Cllr Frank Letch, had inspected the Newcombes Meadow toilets that morning, found one was flooded and the lights in the other on all the time. He recommended a survey of the building be undertaken. It was resoved to progress the asset transfer of Newcombes Meadow toilets, for the Clerk to obtain a structural survey on the Newcombes Meadow toilet building and to continue to pay for the running costs of Market Street toilets in 2018-2019 up to a maximum cost of £8,000.

It was resolved that the council office on Market Street would be closed from 2pm on Friday, December 22 until 10am on Tuesday. January 2.

Cllr Bob Wright, also a district council member, reported that the district council had received £1.4 million from the sale of properties and was reinvesting this sum in commercial properties.

Cllr Letch reported that people were concerned about the For Sale notice on the council building, saying people had been telling him they were fed up with the fact Crediton seemed isolated from Tiverton, council tax was going up but people seemed to be getting less and less services.

He said the town council was still trying to take over the town square, owned by the district council.

He added that Tiverton Town Council’s bid for its Town Hall had been passed in January this year but the documents were still not signed.

It was reported that an e-bike scheme was being worked on for the town but that nothing would happen until Section 106 funds had accrued.

Saying this was “quite exciting”, Cllr Way added that they were looking at two pick up points for electric cars.

PLANNING

The council objected to an application from Reed Construction and Development Limited to build one bungalow and two houses with three parking spaces at Parliament House, Parliament Street. It was felt to be overdevelopment.

There was no objection to an application for a single storey extension to the back of 44 Beech Park.

Nor was there objection to a lower ground floor extension with a balcony at 19 Cockles Rise.

It was noted that Reed Construction and Development Limited had been given approval to convert the first floor and loft with other alterations plus demolition of a rear lean-to extension at 106 High Street, plus Listed Building Consent.

Crediton Arts Centre on East Street had been given Advertisement Consent to put up a non-illuminated pole-mounted sign.

Approval had been given to build two dwellings, following demolition of the one now there, at Kenwith, Peep Lane.

Approval had also been given to build two new steel fabricated dug-outs on the west side of the football pitch, following removal of those now there, for Crediton United AFC.