THE campaign in the Crediton area to stop Mid Devon District Council selling off the building which has been devoted to local government and serving the local community for more than 150 years continues.

Members of Mid Devon District Council Cabinet have decided to sell the building, the Council Offices it owns in Market Street, Crediton, to the highest commercial bidder, despite the full council (42 members) having decided in February that they should sell the building to Crediton Town Council at half the value, in the same way it sold the town hall to Tiverton Town Council (the major town in the district) a few years ago.

Official complaints have been made by members of the public to MDDC about the proposed sale and currently Mr Stephen Walford, the council’s chief executive, is investigating the complaints, under the terms of the council’s complaints procedure.

As well as Crediton Town Council, Crediton Hamlets Parish Council meets there and the building accommodates the offices of Citizens Advice and the local Community Transport group.

More than 20 local voluntary groups, use the facilities offered by the building. They will probably be required to find alternative accommodation.

At this 11th hour a petition urging the District Council to reverse the decision is gaining hundreds of signatures and several local residents have lodged formal complaints to the District Council about the undemocratic way in which it has handled the affair.

A Mid Devon Alderman, David Nation, is one of the complainants and in his letter of complaint to the Chief Executive Stephen Walford, he described the decision as an “affront to democracy” and accuses the Council of maladministration.

Mr Nation, at the time of going to press on Wednesday evening (August 29), said he hoped to present a petition of more than 600 signatures to MDDC at its full council meeting.

Mr Nation and other representatives from the town intended to speak at the full council meeting at Phoenix House, Tiverton.

"Former Conservative Mid Devon District Council chairman and lifelong Conservative, Michael Lee - who is also a Mid Devon District Council and Devon County Council Honarary Alderman, has also supported Crediton Town Council’s efforts to buy the Crediton Council building and to stop MDDC selling it to a private buyer.

Mr Lee commented that the sale was "an insult to democracy."