OVER the last six months Crediton Traffic Action Group (CTAG) has been re-constituted and now has a small committee of seven.

This committee has taken as its main task to keep the people of Crediton and the surrounding communities informed as to the intentions of Our District and County councils. Then, where necessary to alert us all to the possible results of those intentions.

On visiting last September's "consultation" arranged by the County Council (DCC) some of us were aware of the transparently biased display in favour of the Hillside route in preference to the Valley route.

In February, this year, without consultation with anyone in Crediton our County councillors agreed that even this route be dropped in favour of the now notorious Western route, with permission for the officers to proceed with a compulsory purchase order if necessary.

When the news got to CTAG it became very important that all of Crediton be made aware of what was being planned. For more than 60 years we have had promises, we have voted our preferences for routes (those of us old enough), we have been assured of Government approval and yet we have nothing.

Nothing to relieve the pollution by diesel and petrol fumes or the noise and danger of traffic passing through our town.

This letter is written in order to explain to your readers that CTAG is not some bunch of protesting anarchists but a group of non-party political people who feel they are representing the whole of Crediton and also the surrounding villages.

So we would like to thank those same people who have worked on behalf of Crediton to get leaflets delivered all over the town, who have taken on our petition to rid our streets of the incessant pollution, who have carefully taken a current and detailed census of the vehicles driving into or through our town and finally those of you that have attended our meetings and then contributed to our funds.

Because of those funds we have been able to produce quality leaflets, in colour, (a second leaflet will be circulated in the middle of this month), we have plenty of the petition forms left which can be collected from the Crediton Courier offices in the High Street - we have more than 1,000 signatures now so we're looking for a total of 2,000.

The mission is not yet complete - but with your support and those extra signatures and not forgetting the individual letters to our District and County councillors, the Departments of Health, Transport Planning and English Heritage we are making good progress.

Those readers who like to take part should get in touch with any member of CTAG.

Were it not for the Courier you would not be reading this letter (obviously), but more importantly you would not be aware of the seriousness of this issue so our thanks are due to this newspaper as well.

Bill Dixon

Chairman

Crediton Traffic Action Group

Hawthorn Road

Crediton