CREDITON sorting office moved from a single-storey building next to the Post Office on Market Street to a new sorting office on Lords Meadow in April 1986.
The Market Street building was demolished, and plans to build a church on the site fell through.
The site has been bought by Reed Development and Construction, based in Bow.
Chris Reed has plans to put up a four-storey building containing 10 flats and two shops. No planning application has yet been made, but he told Crediton Town Council's general purposes committee this month that if an application was made in the next few weeks and all went smoothly, work could begin before the end of this year with completion 10-12 months later.
Mr Edward Holden, architect to Reed Development and Construction, put their ideas to councillors as neighbours, users of the council offices next door. The town council will be formally consulted when the planning application goes in to Mid Devon District Council.
Outlining the four ideas, Mr Holden said they had been working with the district council's planning and conservation officers.
He and Mr Reed wanted a traditional style "largely fired by the disaster" at the bottom of Market Street. "If we had a very, very traditional design that tied in with the rest of the town square, we could hopefully create a place where the other building is sublimated and has less impact," he said.
The company went first for a traditional Georgian building with no space between the site and the council offices, but then felt the council building "would become lost", so there is now to be a gap between the two, with the developer and council looking at three possible options for the gap.
These were: toughened green glass, a recessed brick archway or, their own preference, an arch with a glazed doorway, picking up the style of the windows of the council offices.
"We have a developer who wants the building to look right," said Mr Holden. He said the plan was for approximately 10 flats. Parking would not be provided, in accordance with the district council's policy for town centres. Access to the flats would be through Francis Court.
A chartered architect, Mr Holden has worked in Crediton for 30 years, Chris Reed has been building houses and flats in the area for 15 years.
Planning perplex
Reading that a planning application to convert one flat at 20 High Street into three and change the former shop to a cafe had been refused by Mid Devon District Council, town councillors were a little perplexed to find the application for Listed Building Consent had been granted.
The district council gave its reason for refusal "that it would result in an increase in demand for public open space and play area and an increase in traffic."
Councillors knew that applicants for such developments would be asked to contribute financially to a link road and Cllr Walter Brown was one who felt this was a sad situation.
Committee chairman Cllr Joyce Harris was another who was concerned this could deter people from opening businesses in the town. "The last thing we need is people saying they will not come if they have to make this contribution", she said, urging: "We need to regenerate the town."
Members asked for a deferral on a revised application to build a garage and concrete block wall following demolition of a cob wall for 6 St Lawrence Green so they could look at the site.
The town council has a policy to protect cob walls to which this would be contrary. The wall is along the path known as the Dung Track between properties on the High Street and Greenway.
It was felt that if the town council put in a "no objection" to the district council it could, eventually, find there were no cob walls left in the town. Cllr Peter Finnegan wondered if the wall could be rebuilt using cob blocks.
There was no objection to an application for Conservation Area Consent to demolish three garages on Waresfoot Drive. However, councillors would like the district council to be satisfied that the bungalow, understood to be planned to replace them was suitable for the area.
Cyclists could be riding at 50mph!
Today Friday, September 18, sees a leg of the Tour of Britain 2009 cycle race coming through Crediton at around 11am.
Pol Sgt Gareth Twigg said the county council was contacting councils, businesses and schools along the route. On September 18 the race begins in Hatherleigh, goes to Okehampton, then through Bow and Copplestone, with a sprint section along Western Road at Crediton, past QECC, along the High Street, into Mill Street to Tiverton and then back into Somerset where it had begun the previous day.
Traffic would be stopped along the route in Crediton until about 11-11.30am. It was hoped lots of people would turn out to watch, but they would be strongly advised to stay on the pavements because the cyclists would be travelling at about 50 mph!
They would be preceded by 56 motorcycle police and marshals an an entourage of vehicles for such as the Press, support vehicles, physiotherapists and doctors.
Sgt Twigg said it was "a big thing to host such an event, it should be exciting." It was a prestigious event for any area.
The A377 through the town would be closed for a time. There would be an officer at the Pelican crossings on the High Street and Western Road. Copplestone traffic lights could be another problem.
Those parking
meters ...
Letters from members of the public protesting against Devon County Council's plans to introduce parking meters in market towns, of which Crediton would be one, had been received.
Cllr Way said that, so far as he was aware, no decision had yet been made and the district and town councils would be consulted.
Committee members felt that, if introduced, people would be less inclined to use towns where there were parking meters in place of previously free parking on the streets and opt for the free parking at supermarkets, which would not be good for towns such as Crediton.
Allotments
The assistant town clerk, Mr Martin Ashley, reported that two vacancies were likely on the town council's allotments, one being filled already.
Some amendments to the allotment tenancy agreement were agreed. These included council approval being needed for any structures to be built on an allotment.
This was primarily to be sure there was nothing likely to pose a danger such as glass, using toughened glass or a plastic material instead.
It was reported that the tap at the Barnfield allotments, removed for repair, would be replaced.
Mayor's surgery
Cllr Letch reported that he and a police office would be at the next Mayor's Surgery, to be on October 5, at the council offices on Market Street, from 1-1.30pm instead of the usual hour.
Devon Car Free Day would be on September 22.
Floral prizes
Thanking everyone who took part in this year's Floral Crediton competition, run by the town council, it was announced that the presentation evening would be Tuesday, September 29, at 7pm at the council offices on Market Street.