by Alan Quick

THE Mayor of Crediton, Crediton Town Council Chairman Mr Frank Letch, who is also a Mid Devon District Councillor for Crediton, says he is thrilled that his attempt to save Mid Devon District Council’s Crediton council offices from being sold on the open market has received the backing of a majority of Mid Devon District councillors.

At a meeting of MDDC’s full council meeting on Wednesday, February 21, Cllr Letch submitted a motion which stated: “I ask Council to urge Cabinet to agree to the sale of the Crediton Council Office Building to Crediton Town Council on the same basis as the sale of Tiverton Town Hall to Tiverton Town Council, where precedent has already been set, which is 50 per cent of the buildings restricted value.”

Mr Letch told the "Courier" on Thursday, February 22: "My motion was carried by three votes against to 23 for the motion, a thumping majority of 20!

"In total 11 abstained. Of those 11, six were Cabinet members who were advised to abstain by the monitoring officer because if they did vote, it could set a precedent."

AMAZING SUPPORT

Mr Letch said he received "amazing support" from colleagues across the district, including not only other Crediton area councillors Nick Way, John Downes and John Daw but many others, including Tiverton and Cullompton councillors and many former MDDC chairmen.

He added: "I am really pleased with the vote of confidence. The Cabinet members will now have to take note.

"There was some fantastic support from Councillor Neil Davey who said that Crediton should be treated the same as the rest of the district, and Neil is a former Cabinet member.

"My motion also received the support of Frank Rosamund who was formerly chair of Scrutiny.

"To achieve the support of 23 councillors out of 42 is more than half, but in effect only 38 members were present.

"To not listen to this decision could really mean the council would have egg on its face if it didn’t allow Crediton Town Council to purchase the building for half the market value as it has done for Tiverton Town Hall.

"If they did it would go against what the people of Crediton and the whole area want and fly in the face of the full council."

PETITION

Prior to the meeting, Mr Letch submitted a petition of almost 650 signatures of support for Crediton Town Council to purchase the Crediton Council offices at the 50 per cent rate.

Mr Letch praised Crediton resident Linda Jones, who launched the petition.

He said he submitted the petition electronically, which was then sent to all the councillors before the meeting.

He said this added weight to his motion, adding that it had been signed by not only people from Crediton but also many villages in the district.

"It added some weight and was like a double whammy to have that as well," he added.

Mr Letch says he will now push for Crediton Town Council to be allowed to purchase the building at the MDDC Cabinet meeting on May 10.

Mr Letch added that the decision cannot be made before that date because the Right to Bid moratorium imposed on such a decision does not end until the end of April.

FLATS PLAN

MDDC recently advertised the sale of the Crediton Council Offices on the open market as suitable for conversion to three flats.

It currently rents the building to Crediton Town Council, Citizens Advice and Tiverton and District Community Transport.

Crediton Town Council has been in detailed discussions with Mid Devon District Council about the prospective purchase of the building.

The Town Council has had offices in the building since the early 1970’s, when MDDC acquired the building, and the town council currently leases the downstairs office.

Surgeries are also held at the offices for CHAT, the Churches Housing Advice Team and Insight, the charity which provides help and advice to people with sight loss.

The upstairs Council Chamber within the building is used for meetings and sub-committee meetings for both Crediton Town Council and Crediton Hamlets Parish Council. The room is also used for planning consultation exhibitions and for other town and district meetings.

A market value guide price of £250,000 has been stated for the Grade II Listed office building, which was formerly Crediton’s Police Station.

MDDC withdrew its service from the building on April 1, 2016.

Andrew Jarrett, Director of Finance, Assets and Resources at Mid Devon District Council, told the “Courier” in November that: “The Cabinet will ultimately resolve what offer for the building is accepted.”