TOO bright ATM lights, lack of a post box as well as puzzlement as to why small industrial units were said to be unlettable were among topics raised by members of Crediton Town Council this week.

Noting that Mid Devon District Council, which decides planning applications, had approved installation of an ATM at Crediton Post Office on Market Street with internally illuminated lettering, councillors said they had asked for this to be put in only after the post box was replaced and had objected to the illumination.

They had not wanted the lighting to be as bright as it is and were annoyed at the lack of a post box, especially for such a long time.

Looking at a planning application for change of use from industrial unit (Class B8) to Assembly and Leisure (Class D2) at 2 Westward Business Centre, Mill Street brought the puzzlement.

One councillor wondered why the supporting plan was so out of date that it did not show the 12 neighbouring properties.

Cllr Liz Brookes-Hocking commented that this was employment land and had been so “for decades”. When the council had discussed an application to use an open space at Fordton for industrial units, similar to those at the Business Centre part of the reasoning had been the need in Crediton for small industrial units.

But in the application for change of use it was said that it had been hard to find tenants, which was a contradiction of the other.

like more proof

“I would like more proof that the units are unlettable, given that those at Fordton were approved,” she said.

The council recommended objecting to this application on the grounds of loss of employment land.

The council also objected to a time limited premises licence application for this year’s Enchanted Garden Ball at Shobrooke Park in June for Exeter University students.

Opening at 6pm, it was proposed for performances to end at 2am, closing at 3am to allow people to disperse.

In previous years the town council has received many complaints about the lateness of noise from the annual ball and the disturbance. It felt it was finishing too late at night.

CYCLE RACE

Crediton is to be part of Stage 6 of the Tour of Britain cycle race on Friday, September 9. Welcoming its return, the council agreed to write to the town schools hoping their pupils would turn out for the race.

Reporting on that morning’s meeting in Tiverton of Mid Devon HATOC (Highways and Traffic Orders Committee), Cllr Nick Way (also district and county councillor for the town), said that the local highways team would, at some time, be tidying the station car park at Fordton. He hoped the town council would be told how this would be done.

GULLY CLEANING

Still at HATOC, Cllr Way said gullies were now only cleared once in three years. “This is quite a big change,” he observed.

However, he added that there was a reactive drainage budget which meant that if there was a big problem with a particular gulley, then the council could insist on it being cleared.

As for pavements, he said there was a move to put money in the system for repairs but Crediton had the small paving stones, probably more than 20 years old, which were inspected every month, but might not receive anything else.

While he was not saying this might be the case for Crediton, the HATOC was considering what to do for towns with pavements such as Crediton’s.

Councillors hoped any repairs or replacements at Crediton would not be with Tarmac and that before anything was done, especially if major work, the town council would be consulted.

Cllr Way wanted councillors to know that there was an Investment in Devon fund with £10,000 for groups looking for funding. The Locality Fund would still be available and Cllr Way would like to hear from groups, especially those who have not applied in the past.

Cllr Way can be contacted via: [email protected] or check the county council website.

TWINNERS VISIT

Council chairman, Cllr Frank Letch, reported that next week a party of young people from Crediton’s French twin town of Avranches would be visiting Crediton, staying with Queen Elizabeth’s School students.

As Mayor of Crediton, he would be holding a reception for 20 of them in the Council Chamber in the Council offices on Market Street after they have had a walk around the town. He had been invited to Avranches in July.

It was hoped the new district council chief executive, Stephen Walford, would come over to talk to the town council early in the summer, once the new office arrangements were running smoothly, to show him what the impact had been of the district council office closing in Crediton.

STREET CLEANING

Cllr Dan Webb asked how often did any form of street cleaner visit Crediton, including the town square area?

He and other traders around the square have been sweeping the parking bays, filling a whole bin bag on one occasion.

Cllr Letch (also a district councillor) offered to make a Freedom of Information request to the district council for this. Cllr Joyce Harris said she had done so some time ago.

Cllr Letch said he would ask for a street cleaning time table. However, other members said there was a time table, but it “did not mean anything” and the High Street was supposed to be done every day.

PLANNING

The town council had no objections to the following planning applications:

Revised scheme for the erection of four dwellings and formation of a new access at 25 Exeter Road following demolition of sheds and outbuildings.

Erection of an extension and alterations, including change use of a study (Class C3) to office (Class B1(a)) at 8 Chestnut Close.

Replacing five windows on the first floor of 2 Bank Place Chambers, Market Street (Mid Devon Fulfilling Lives) with Upvc double glazed units.

A revised scheme for the erection of a two-storey extension and balcony at Arlington House, Ash Court.

Erection of a replacement conservatory at 14 Creedy Road.

A recommendation for an application for a new dwelling and access at Old Orchard, Threshers, was deferred for members to look at the site.

Councillors objected on grounds of lack of parking for an application for four dwellings and one police unit at the Devon and Cornwall Police Station on Churchill Drive.

Members lamented the loss of the police station, wondering whether the police unit would be a house and whether the police “were heading towards” using part of the district council building on Market Street.

It was noted that there was only provision for parking police vehicles on the site; councillors could not see any other allocation for parking.

The council also objected to an application for two semi-detached dwellings Parliament House, Parliament Street on the grounds of lack of parking spaces.