GOOD news about broadband provision in Crediton and area and support for a railway through Crediton to Okehampton, Tavistock and Plymouth were welcomed by Crediton Town Council at its meeting on Tuesday.

There was a presentation by Mrs Sofie Francis, Team Leader, Economic Analysis, Funding and Partnership at Devon County Council and Mr Dan Piper from British Telecom about fibre optic broadband provision - Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS).

Mrs Francis said that phase one was now completed and live, serving more than 4,200 premises in Crediton, Upton Hellions, Shobrooke, Sandford, Stockleigh English and Crediton Hamlets.

Other parts of Shobrooke with Stockleigh Pomeroy, Thorverton, Brampford Speke, Pathfinder and Whitestone are among areas to go live in July. Survey work is at present being done at Cheriton Fitzpaine and Copplestone.

Last summer, high-speed fibre optic broadband started to become available in parts of Devon and Somerset including Moretonhampstead and Holsworthy.

High-speed technology should, by now, be available to at least 15,000 homes and businesses in these areas with an estimated 70,000 premises able to benefit in Devon and Somerset by the end of July.

Mrs Francis said that workshops and events would be held to help businesses and residents, hoping that some would be held soon in the Crediton area.

The CDS scheme is costing £94 million of which £32 million comes from the Government, £21 million from local authorities and £41 million from BT.

By the end of December 2016 there should be 360,000 premises covered of which 26,000 are businesses.

This is the largest programme of its kind in this country with 400,000 km of optical fibre to be laid, using BT ducts as much as possible.

All premises in the CDS area should have 100 per cent coverage of at least 2Mbps with 90 per cent of premises covered by Superfast broadband.

CDS is working across 13 different planning authorities. Once an area goes live, its parish council would be contacted and people would receive leaflets telling them how to access the service.

Mr Piper added that because someone does not now get ADSL, that would not mean they would not be able to in the future.

He said that a property needed to be within a 1.2km radius of a fibre optic cabinet for the best service after which it would begin to degrade.

RAILWAY DELIGHT

"Brilliant" were comments from two or three councillors when Cllr Nick Way spoke about the possibility of the railway serving Crediton extending through Okehampton to Plymouth

He added that there had been talk before the Dawlish rail problems of the rail service between Okehampton and Meldon being extended to Yeoford Junction or Exeter which could mean, at certain times, two trains an hour for Crediton.

Cllr Way said that Network Rail had now been instructed to look at three different alternative routes with one being a rail link between Okehampton and Tavistock to Plymouth.

He said there seemed to be "quite a good chance" for this line," with possible support from the south of the county. "HS3" he joked.

The town council agreed it would support any such move and would seek the support of Tavistock and Okehampton Town Councils to petition MPs and others for their support.

TRAFFIC DELAYS

Councillors agreed to write to the relevant authority to ask that any temporary traffic lights on the A377 would be staffed from 7.30am.

Chairman Cllr Frank Letch wondered if, in the case of non-emergency road works, lights could only be used after 9am.

Cllr Way said one problem was that the lights were often not staffed by the contractors doing the road work but by a sub contractor.

It was agreed that long delays in the morning affected people getting to work and could even mean some losing wages.

COUNTY CUTS

The town council will have the future of the stroke unit at Crediton Hospital on its agenda at a future meeting.

It will also be looking at the town's public toilet provision in the view of potential closures by Mid Devon District Council.

In April the town council will be looking at the planned closure of facilities at St Lawrence Care Home and youth service cuts.

Councillors liked the offer from Crediton Arts Centre to make a town council flag as part of the Crediton Flag Project, suggesting a simplified version of the town crest.

TAP IS EMPTY

There were three TAP (Town And Parish) Fund applications, but the town council's TAP fund had all been used for this financial year.

Cllr Way commented that it was "perfectly all right" for organisations to apply to parish councils outside Crediton for TAP funding.

As Crediton Town Council should receive more TAP funds after April, it was agreed to defer the applications until the new financial year.

Cllr Letch was nominated as Mayor Elect for 2014-2015 with Cllr Joyce Harris nominated as Deputy Mayor Elect.

PLANNING

Councillors recommended approval for the following planning applications:

Variation of a previous planning approval condition to allow Crediton Rugby Football Club's floodlights on the Sports Field (NGR 284557 101047) to have a galvanised finish.

To vary a previous planning approval condition from office or light industrial to storage and distribution with ancillary retail sales for Unit 2 at Tolleys Units, Commonmarsh Lane, Lords Meadow Industrial Estate.

Councillors had no objection to: Variation of Condition 2 (roof covering) of planning permission 13/00915/MARM for Trenavin, George Hill.

Erection of a dwelling and garage and alterations to the vehicle access at Longfleet, Old Tiverton Road.

Planning applications are determined by Mid Devon District Council.