CREDITON COURIER readers may have noticed that the Devon and Cornwall Police have re-applied for planning consent to redevelop the Crediton Police station site at Churchill Drive.

The lapsed 2013 consent was for four houses and a modest Police Unit, with a total on-site parking provision of seven spaces (one each for the houses plus one visitor space and two spaces for the Police Unit).

Fortunately for the residents close by the Police Station site, the Mid Devon District Council parking requirements have been increased since 2013 and one parking space per dwelling is no longer acceptable.

It seems unlikely therefore that a further consent will be forthcoming for four dwellings and a Police Unit.

Parking proposals for the police unit will also come under scrutiny again, and are the Police seriously suggesting that the proposed two spaces will be sufficient?

There are habitually six vehicles including a transit-type vehicle parked in the car park (five can be seen on Google Earth).

The Police Development Manager told me there was “an operational requirement to operate with higher than anticipated levels of staff from the station” since the lapsed consent.

There are four desks in the proposed office and therefore the potential for four personnel in the building. Unless they are going to be forbidden to drive to work therefore, their parking demand coupled with Police vehicles that will need to be parked on site will result in six or more parking spaces being required.

There is already considerable pressure on the on-street parking availability in the area, so much so that when the site adjacent to the Police Station applied for planning permission for housing in 2014, Devon County Council observed: “…There is an identified parking issue at this location…” It will be interesting to see if they make the same comments about this application – by a public body!

Therefore, although there is scope to relax the amount of parking, because there is an acknowledged lack of on-street parking, the Police cannot rely on receiving a relaxation.

It appears to me that the Police are putting profit above the needs of local residents. They should withdraw this planning application and negotiate a reduced scheme that takes fully into account the application site’s parking demand and the shortage of on-street parking.

Keith Mortimer

Searle Street

Crediton