WEST Devon councillors will be asked to choose one of two proposals next week to re-develop the derelict old mill site in the centre of Okehampton. Both options are for a vocational training centre at the site, one by Okehampton College and one by a private company. But borough councillor for Okehampton West John Young believes this is a missed opportunity for the town. He said: ?This is a valuable space which has a covenant on it for community use. ?There is a chance here to really give a heart to Okehampton if we can all achieve something together.? The central site was purchased from local hotelier Simon Essex several years ago and various uses have been looked at, from a transport museum to a new premises for the Wren Trust community folk arts organisation, but these have not been pursued. Cllr Young said the site would be ideal as a community centre in the centre of the town which could be used by everybody. ?We do have the Ockment Centre which is valuable in its own way, the Octagon Theatre and the Charter Hall, but none of them are as accessible as this site would be and it would give the town a focus. ?There is a splendid opportunity here for a very great resource for the community but it could be lost. ?I fear that if we do not discuss this now we may find ourselves discussing it after the event.? The councillor said the community centre in Hatherleigh had been a great success and the same thing could work in Okehampton. He is urging the public to come forward with their thoughts and ideas before it is too late. Cllr Christine Marsh, who also represents Okehampton on the borough council, said the site was now a ?derelict eyesore?. ?There have been consultations on what should be done with the site and an agent was even commissioned by the borough council to go nationwide and come up with ideas,? she said. ?I would like to see something moving forward there fairly quickly. I don?t mind what goes there as long as it is something for the community.? Corporate director for West Devon borough council Nick Payne said part of the aspiration for the site was to provide a vocational training centre for the locality, and the borough was also in discussions with the county council about the possibility of incorporating a new library. ?We went through a process of inviting applications from organisations for a use for that site in 2006 and we have ended up with two proposals which are being put to councillors for determination on their preferred option. ?There has been talk about a community centre but we have not had a proposal from anyone about that sort of use.? Members of the borough council?s environment and community committee will discuss the old mill site on Tuesday (October 9).
