CHARLES and Georgina Edwards from Crediton have written an open letter to all “Crediton Courier” readers, planners and councillors about the proposal to build about 75 new houses adjoining Higher Road, Crediton.

They write: “We recently visited ‘Place Land’s show.

They are proposing to build about 75 new houses between Higher Road and Long Plantation on Crediton’s northern edge and, like Pedlarspool, in the parish of Sandford.

We believe this project to be for Crediton both unsuitable and unnecessary, but not because we’re Higher Road NIMBY residents.

In fact, this project would be good for us, since at least two of Place Land’s four options would divert the “Rat Run” through traffic from passing our gate, making us safer and quieter.

Our objection to this small development is connected to all the other residential extensions being considered for Crediton, which collectively will bring unacceptable higher levels of traffic, especially at the many pinch points in the town.

Pedlarspool-Creedy Bridge, 326 proposed houses, totally unsuitable, even with Mid Devon District Council’s 200 limit; Red Hill Cross, 135, to be built later; Tarka View, 174, on the Exeter end, it’s as suitable as it gets; Threshers - Brookdale, 60, unsuitable; Cromwell’s Meadow, 54; Chapel Downs, 120, very unsuitable - see below; Higher Road, 75, without Higher Road as our unofficial Northern Bypass where speed limit exceeders are common, and with Chapel Downs, there will be yet more High Street and inner neighbourhood traffic.

This adds up to 944 new houses, and estimating another hundred or so “brownfield” fill-ins all over town, we have a grand total of 1,044 possible new homes for Crediton town.

Can we cope with that many? That’s probably close to another 2,000 people straining health and education services and many needing public transport, and with an estimated 1.7 cars per dwelling, another 1,774 cars in the way and further harming some areas air quality. (We won’t all be electric tomorrow!)

All of this is a real headache for everybody, especially planners and councillors, and I haven’t even mentioned the people of Newton St Cyres who have to endure most of Crediton’s traffic.

I wish I had a magic wand to solve this problem.

Many people desperately need housing, and it may be that Central Government on down to the local level with have to do some fresh thinking and wallet searching.

Georgina and Charles Edwards

The Peak

Crediton