OYEZ, Oyez applicants are now being sought for the post of Town Crier for Crediton.

It is possible potential Town Criers would demonstrate their powers at some time during the Crediton Festival being held in June and July.

At its meeting this month, Crediton Town Council approved the idea to re-introduce a Town Crier, setting aside £200 for robe, lace cravat, hat and bell plus recommending a £200 annual honorarium.

The hat would need plumes, the feathers showing that the Town Crier was able to read and write, something not everyone was able to do back down the centuries.

It was town clerk, Clare Dalley's, idea. A while back she was given approval to do some investigating.

At this meeting she reported that the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers, which represent the Town Criers of Great Britain and helps organise national and international competitions, had recommended that the town council should put together a job description and application form.

A trial Cry would be needed of between 75 and 100 words which the potential Crier would need to put together.

This should end with the words God Save The Queen. The post would be honorary but the Town Crier might wish to hire themselves out for weddings and other events.

Asked if the town council wanted a Junior Town Crier, town councillors at first thought it should get one stage sorted before embarking on another, but this cautious approach failed and a junior was approved.

As for a bell, Mrs Dalley reported that Crediton Area History and Museum Society had offered the original Town Crier's bell, but would like it back sometimes to put in the museum.

One thought was that this could be used for the initial Cries, with a bell being bought by the town council.

JOINING FORCES

Bus service cuts have drawn a number of Devon town councils together with a meeting to be held in Crediton in June.

The town council had written to Devon County Council saying it had been disgusted at the way proposals to withdraw bus services had been handled with no consultation beforehand.

The town clerk had contacted 25 other town councils, seven of whom had so far replied, with the meeting being organised to put together a plan to change how they work with the county council.

If the councils had known of the county council's intentions earlier, they could have begun to work out something for the future of services such as buses.

100 YEARS OF UPPER DECK

Cllr Mike Szabo pointed out that Upper Deck was completed in August 1915 as a place of recreation for soldiers during World War One. Did the town ought to mark this in some way?

He wondered if this could be part of one of the final festival events. Members liked the idea and have referred it to the town council's property and allotments committee.

WE'LL BUY THE BOOKS

Crediton Rugby Club had put in a request for funding of £1,125 to buy 500 copies of the children's book "My First Rugby Ball" it would like to distribute free of charge to children at Hayward's and Landscore Primary Schools.

But there was a problem. Grant applications need to be made with proper forms.

Because the club wanted to be able to link this with the visit to the club of the Webb Ellis Trophy July, the town council decided it could buy the books instead, which would mean the same outlay and the rugby club would still be able to give out the books.

The town council is trying to encourage organisations seeking a grant to apply in September with decisions being made in November, in time for the council's budget meeting.

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

A number of points were put forward by the town council's Neighbourhood Steering Group in response to Mid Devon District Council's Local Plan Review Proposed Submission.

Looking at sustainable development priorities, the group would like to see more emphasis on walking integrating with public transport and cycle routes in housing development and design; that pathways and cycle ways needed to be part of the infrastructure as much as roads.

It cited Wellparks estate which had been planned without adequate pedestrian links to local and town centre facilities and the Trenavin development where pedestrian links had been built with steps.

On housing, the group found through its household survey that solar energy was the most supported form of renewable energy, especially by younger people.

It had felt that new developments should offer the chance to include renewable energy rather than it being added afterwards; it would be better to use the right materials in the first place.

The group supported a new primary school in relation to new housing developments and a new cultural and activity centre.

More than half of those who responded to the household survey put community spirit or feeling and friendliness among their first three responses to what they liked about living in Crediton. A cinema was the third most mentioned amenity that Crediton lacks after a hospital and more shops.

The Town Team had identified 14 cultural groups whose needs were not met by the current facilities in the town.

As for development of employment land, the group would like to see proposal which develop allocated commercial land for small businesses and workshops and that, over the period of the Plan, lack of more employment land for small business development was detrimental to the town's self sufficiency.

More than half of those who responded to the household survey chose local jobs and businesses as a benefit that development could bring to Crediton.

While there were, so far, only small sites, it was noted that the land south of the Tesco superstore development, shown in the store's planning application as being employment land for small businesses, has not been released for development.

Turning to the policy for town centre development, the group would like to see a minimum of 70 per cent A1 retail use, shops, at ground floor level in the primary shopping area.

This had been 70 per cent until some five years ago when it was dropped by the district council to 65 per cent which, in the past, has allowed key retail premises to change from retail to professional to the detriment of the main shopping area.

The household survey had shown that 91 per cent of respondents use the town centre at least once a week, choosing shops and retail as the most important element in the town centre.

There had been no long standing history of empty shops at Crediton, as opposed to other town centres in Mid Devon.

The town council accepted the recommendations of its Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group.

TOWN SQUARE

Mrs Dalley reported receipt of a draft licence from the district council which would grant the town council the ability to grant licences for seating on the town square.

She said it needs "a few tweaks" before it was issued. She hoped to have more information for the town council's May meeting.

PLANNING

There were no objections to the following planning applications:

Erection of extension to form garage and lounge following removal of existing garage at 2 Victoria Crescent.

Application to crown lift two red cedar trees and remove one red cedar tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order on land adjacent to 16 Jocelyn Mead. Application to carry out works to trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order at Southfield, Southfield Drive.

Variation of a condition of planning permission for changes to the north and west elevation of a dwelling at St Saviours Way, so long as the applicant adhered to the planning officer's recommendations.

Erection of two storey extension with balcony at first floor level at 2 Meadowside, Fordton.

Approval was recommended for: Advertisement consent for one externally illuminated fascia sign and one externally illuminated heritage projecting sign at 135 High Street for the Co-operative Food Group.

Also at 135 High Street for installation of new air-conditioning acoustic screens and doors.

Because no reason had been given for the application to fell one ash tree, a pine and a beech tree in the Conservation Area at 2 The Maltings, members objected and would like to see a report from the district council's Conservation Officer.

An outline application to build a dwelling at Orchard Villa, 4 Threshers, was deferred for a site visit.

It was noted that the district council had approved an application from Mole Avon Trading Limited to build new head offices, warehouse, country store, external stooge area with parking and a new access on land off Joseph Locke Way (near the railway station) at Crediton.

Also that Reed Construction and Developments Limited had been granted permission for 10 flats at 47 Mill Street, a revised scheme, following demolition of the existing building.

THANKS

Everyone who had taken part in the planting session at the wildlife area on Peoples Park was thanked by the chairman, Cllr Frank Letch.

There would be another planting session on May 9 for which plants would be welcome.

At the end of the meeting Cllr Frank Letch thanked Cllr Richard Adams for his work for the town council over many years as this was Cllr Adams' last meeting as a town councillor.