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A town plan has
been developed by the town council through community consultation.
The plan contains policies on economy, the environment, development,
social provision and transport. Its purpose is to guide the town
council’s own decisions and its responses to  proposals
from higher authorities. The district and county councils’
development plans are all intended to support sustainability. However,
views on what ‘sustainable’ means vary widely. Consequently,
local aspirations for Crediton do not always match with decisions
made by the other authorities and, like many other towns, Crediton
faces the challenge of reconciling competing and sometimes conflicting
priorities in a fast-changing world.
The town centre is
keenly supported by the town council. The High Street is the main
shopping area but is a busy A-class road. The task of accommodating
the different needs of pedestrians, commercial and commuter traffic,
shoppers and visitors arriving by car and bus is complex. The council
supports initiatives that reduce vehicle use, improve public transport
services and make the town centre an attractive, practical and welcoming
place to shop and do business. With its independent shops run by
traders who live in the town and have a stake in its future, the
town council sees the centre as being key to the long term well-being
and sustainability of the community. Hundreds of local people are
engaged in action on sustainability and the council supports the
work of Sustainable Crediton.
Sustainable Crediton is
a growing network of local people working for an improved quality
of life for all in Crediton and the area. It formed as Crediton
Climate Action in 2007 and campaigns to raise awareness of the local,
regional, national and global implications that climate change is
bringing to everyday life. In 2008 the Climate Action group gained
Transition Town status for Crediton, and, to reflect the broader
remit, was renamed in 2010 as Sustainable Crediton.
Transition Towns such
as Crediton bring together people of all ages and with many different
skills, backgrounds and interests to work for a positive future.
The focus is on changing minds, expectations and daily lives to
help the community become truly self-supporting and resilient in
the face of the coming challenges of climate change, peak oil and
food insecurity.
Small steps can make a big difference
and Sustainable Crediton has active groups concentrating
on a number of areas such as energy, transport, waste management,
and food and farming (see following pages). Contact details for
Sustainable Crediton are on page 39.
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