CREDITON Town Council is to object to the plan for a Lidl store off Commercial Road in the town.

The plan (planning application 21/00222/MFUL) was discussed in detail at the May 4 meeting of Crediton Town Council’s Strategy Committee.

The meeting chairman, Cllr Liz Brookes-Hocking said that she noted that there were technical issues with the plan, issues about flooding, landscaping and boundary concerns.

Others she commented on related to lighting, explaining that she did not want to see light spillage as had occurred with the Mole Avon site.

She said that the main issues she had concerns with related to highways concerns.

She noted that Devon County Council did not have an issue with parking on the site but said that DCC had not mentioned the provision of a crossing for Footpath 24, which was in the Neighbourhood Plan.

She explained that the road was “very well used” by pedestrians, adding that pedestrians were not accommodated for at all in the plan.

She explained that councillors who had volunteered at the Vaccination Centre had a good view of how poor the traffic and pedestrian situation was there.

Cllr Brookes-Hocking said: “I am convinced that a crossing is totally necessary.

“We have raised this crossing point with Devon County Council for 10 years and twice DCC has said it can’t provide a safe crossing point there.

“Devon County Council has said it would be good to have a wider road in which to install a crossing.

“Without a crossing I don’t feel this application should be approved.”

The next point was regarding the loss of the rugby pitch for the store and car park and Mrs Brookes-Hocking quoted Sport England, that there should be no loss of a pitch until a replacement has been found.

She commented: “I have not seen how the proposed Pedlarspool site plans for pitches on flood land.

“I have seen how the plan for the biomass plant is going to have a concrete platform on which to work just further along.

“I wonder how they are going to construct the pitches.

“I feel that we could end up with no pitch, just a supermarket.

“There are too many outstanding issues and I propose that this council objects.”

Cllr Guy Cochran suggested the redevelopment of the roundabout to a traffic light system might encourage people to cross at that location.

Cllr Brookes-Hocking added that there would be an increase in traffic from the store and she said she thought DCC would not want to change a roundabout she believed was working well.

Cllr Jim Cairney suggested a roundabout with a traffic light system at the leisure centre, sorting office junction.

Cllr Brookes-Hocking said that land availability would prevent this and added that DCC had said previously that some of the rugby pitch land would be needed to accommodate such a proposal.

Cllr John Ross asked: “Is an underpass out of the question?”

The chairman said she believed it would be out of the question.

The proposal to object was seconded by Cllr Joyce Harris and the vote was five in favour with an abstention from Cllr Cairney and two not voting (the town councillors who are also Mid Devon District Councillors).

The recommendation, after ratification at the full Town Council meeting, will be submitted to MDDC, the planning authority.

The Lidl plan is for a store on one of the rugby pitches at The Rec, land owned by Queen Elizabeth Education Foundation and currently leased by Crediton Rugby Club.

Working closely with the rugby club and the Education Foundation, Lidl has proposed a contribution of £400,000 to the Rugby Club.

The new supermarket forms part of the company’s £1.3bn investment plans across Great Britain in 2021 and 2022.

It will feature a sales area of 1,256m², an instore bakery, customer toilets as well as 114 car parking spaces and 10 bicycle spaces.

Once opened, it says it will create up to 40 new jobs for the local economy.

The public is currently able to comment on the planning application with the planning authority, Mid Devon District Council.

View the application and comment via the website: www.middevon.gov.uk .

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