AS an occasional visitor to Mid Devon and Crediton during the past 20 years or so may I add my two penneth to the debate on Crediton expansion (’Crediton Courier", December 22).

The initial impression of Mid Devon is that all the money is being spent in Tiverton and Crediton is neglected by comparison.

The final part of the journey is over a road which might be classed as an A road because it is comparatively good by Devon standards, but would barely be rated as a B road elsewhere in the country.

One could almost say the same about the main Exeter - Barnstaple road which is Crediton’s primary link to the outside world.

Crediton, however, is a delightful little town and well worth a visit or longer stay.

Nationally, the present housing shortage goes back many years, but has been exacerbated during the last 20 years, along with the pressure on services, by uncontrolled immigration.

This may also be the case locally but in any case the only immediate remedy would appear to be building more houses and it looks like Crediton is going to bear its share of the burden.

This leads back to the question of who is going to pay for the overdue infrastructure improvements.

Unless Mid Devon is proposing to use Crediton as a dumping ground for the unemployed then all the new residents in Crediton will need to travel to work, which in practice means Exeter.

I can’t really complain about public transport into the centre of Exeter, particularly if they improve the railway, which will be necessary anyway if the Okehampton line is reopened, but the roads will present a major problem as the main industrial estates are on the opposite side of the city to Crediton.

My Satnav’s solution is to send me up Five Mile Hill, which it thinks is about a minute quicker than going along the main road, but it only takes one experience to avoid it thereafter.

Since they are talking about closing the Barnstaple road north of Crediton for some comparatively minor road repairs can you imagine what it would be like if they were serious about improving the main road into Exeter, which is barely adequate for the traffic it carries at present.

These questions should be addressed BEFORE they start granting planning permission for new hosing in the area.

Andrew Airey

Newcastle Avenue

Worksop

Notts