MRS Rosemary Stephenson, chair, Crediton Town Team, has written to Mr Stephen Walford, chief executive of Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) , concerning Mid Devon District Council’s plan to sell the Council Offices it owns in Market Street to a private buyer rather than Crediton Town Council.

She writes: “I am writing on behalf of Crediton Town Team to express our grave concern about MDDC’s decision to sell off Crediton’s Town Council building. 

As you will know, the Town Team was set up by MDDC in 2014 with the aim of developing the town’s economic vibrancy and well-being.

Your decision to dispose of this historic building, which provides vital space to many community groups and services including the Town Team, seems to undermine everything we’ve been working towards.

Crediton already has a serious lack of meeting and office space. To lose this facility, with its ideal location at the heart of our town, will be a major blow not just to our Town Council, but to a range of key services supporting our most vulnerable residents. Moreover the building provides meeting and changing rooms, and crucially electrical supply, for the many events and festivities held in our town square which make Crediton such a lively and special place to live.

These include the annual Food Festival, Shakespeare in the Square, the Christmas in Crediton events and the biennial Crediton Festival. 

It is worth noting that when the town square was developed, an underground network of cables was laid linking electrical cabinets to the rear of the Town Council building to provide both power points and lighting for the square.

Should the sale go ahead, these cabinets would be in the ownership of a private individual and no longer accessible to the community. 

The Town Team fully recognises the financial pressures that have led MDDC to make this decision. But we urge you to consider the social and economic damage this short-term gain will cause to our community in the long-term.”

MID DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL’S REPLY

Andrew Busby, Group Manager for Corporate Property and Commercial Assets at Mid Devon District Council replied:

“Thank you for your email received on August 17 for the attention of the Chief Executive, regarding the sale of one of the District Council’s assets, the council office building in Crediton.

He has passed your e-mail to me, as the council’s Group Manager for Corporate Property and Commercial Assets.

As you will be aware, the Council stopped providing services from this building in 2016. In 2017, the Council decided to explore options for disposing of this building, and further to a decision taken on June 14, 2018 by the Council’s Cabinet, has resolved to sell it.

The decision went through Cabinet, was “called-in” via the Council’s official scrutiny process, and went back to Cabinet for a final decision. This was a decision made, appropriately and correctly, by the Council’s Cabinet. 

The operation of the town square will still be functioning with regards to the electricity supply for the Market Square, this source will not be impacted due to the sale and confirm that the dedicated power and lighting supplies to the Market Square will continue to operate under MDDC, the electricity usage for the Market Square has its own electricity meter and arrangement for payment will be made as part of the hire process.

I also confirm that users can still access the separate power/controls to the Market Square and that the Buyer is well aware that access is required to the yard area where the controls for the power and lighting are located.  

We are not aware of any plans to discontinue the services of the Citizens Advice and the Community Transport teams which are based in the building, the buyer wishes to see the existing tenants remain in occupation. 

I trust this addresses your concerns regarding the sale of the Crediton building and the future use of the Market Square.”