by Sue Read

AT A cost of £1, Crediton Town Council has agreed to take over ownership and management of the Newcombes Meadow toilets, those facing Union Road, but would not be interested in those on The Green.

Earlier this month the council’s Policy and Forward Planning Committee had looked again at the future of both public toilets.

Mid Devon District Council had given a wrong estimate for the annual costs of the toilets. Although the town council will pay the £12,000 agreed for 2016-2017, future costs would be approximately £16,000 a year.

The town council was told that the district council was willing to offer both Newcombes Meadow and The Green toilets to the town council for £1, so long as if the town council sold them, half of any uplift would be payable to the district council.

It was acknowledged that public toilets were very important to residents and visitors.

However, those on St Lawrence Green did not comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and would require a significant investment to bring it to a modern standard for use by all ages and abilities.

Other ways of using the building were considered and it was felt that work to change its use would cost too much, nor did the town council wish to provide a service that could conflict with local businesses.

It was felt that the best place for public toilets were in, or next to, public car parks and so the town council felt that St Saviour’s Way car park would be the best place and it could be cheaper to build new there than renovate and remodel those on The Green.

The town council agreed that thought needed to be given to future provision of public toilets, the town council did not want to buy or asset transfer those on The Green and it would support the district council in an alternative use for the building or its demolition.

The district council was looking into whether ownership of the Market Street toilets could be transferred because they were part of the Parliament Square flats.

It was recognised that by taking over management and ownership of the Newcombes Meadow toilets there could be possible cost savings and improvements.

BRAINSTORM

Sometime early next year Crediton Town Councillors will get together, possibly over a cuppa and some biscuits, to toss around ideas for the future of the town.

At this week’s meeting of the council members agreed that a brainstorming session could be “A Good Idea” when the town clerk, Mrs Clare Dalley, suggested this could be a time when councillors could put forward any ideas, things the council might need to be aware of, what was evolving, nothing formal, but a chance to talk about ideas, thoughts, things they might not ordinarily raise at a council meeting.

The council also agreed to hang a portrait of the Mayor, Cllr Frank Letch, in the council chamber.

Cllr Letch said it would be on permanent loan to the council, to return to his family in the event of his death.

One of the town council’s special cards is to be sent to Mr Dennis Turner of Longmeadows for his work in refurbishing the Union Road sign. Cllr Mike Szabo said it now looked really good.

PLANNING

Councillors had no objections to the following planning applications:

Erection of two-storey extension with a double garage and alterations to the driveway at 17 Lamejohns Field.

Erection of a single-storey extension at the back of 3 Walnut Drive.

Erection of an extension at 8 Glen Creedy Court.

Mid Devon District Council determines planning applications. It was noted that it had approved an application to fell a group of beech trees and reduce 14 Leylandii by 5-6 metres within the Conservation Area at Fairpark, Exeter Road.

Approval had also been given to a Listed Building Consent application to put a public access defibrillator at the Council Offices on Market Street.