CALLS by townspeople to stop work on an enhancement scheme in Okehampton have been rejected.

At a meeting of the Okehampton Traffic and Enhancement Working Group on Monday members voted by nine to two in favour of pressing on with the scheme around St James Chapel.

Trustees of the chapel called for the work to be stopped in the wake of a decision by West Devon Borough Council's planning committee to refuse the relocation of the telephone kiosk which lies in the middle of the enhancement area.

The decision has meant further changes to the scheme but the chapel trustees want more consultation before the work is carried out.

A petition of 571 names to stop the work was presented to the working group by the mayor of Okehampton Christine Marsh who said in an article in the Okehampton Times last week that she was deeply disappointed with the work on the scheme so far.

This is the latest rumpus to hit the £130,000 enhancement scheme which has been dogged by disagreements between West Devon Borough Council and the chapel trustees.

In a statement to the Times this week the trustees of St James Chapel said: 'We are extremely disappointed at the unwillingness of the traffic and enhancement group to stop work on a scheme that has gone badly wrong.

'This scheme is a focal point — the first impression of the centre of an ancient Devon town and the scheme does Okehampton no credit.'

They said the trustees' original plan was drawn up by local architect Peter Woodgate at a fraction of the cost and pains had been taken to reflect the beauty of Okehampton's Dartmoor setting.

'Having been told that our plan would not be permitted we reluctantly agreed to a compromise drawn by the artist commissioned by West Devon Borough Council Ray Smith which has now collapsed.'

The trustees claimed that the work now taking place was being 'concocted' on site.

Chairman of the trustees the Rev Russell Chamberlain said the scheme was now a 'total farce' but if the work was stopped an 'honourable solution' could be found.

But chairman of the working group Cllr Coleen Herriman said it was only minor adjustments that had to be made to the plan and it would still be a scheme Okehampton could be proud of.

Members of the group were concerned about the financial implications if contracts were delayed at this stage.

'It is important to get the work finished — we could end up with a site of debris for goodness knows how long until this matter is resolved,' she said.

'The levels may change but the footprint is the same and the overall scheme will not be affected by the fact that we cannot move the telephone kiosk or the post box.'

She said the whole plan had come about after two years of consultation and people could not keep changing their minds.

'People have to remember that this was not some idea we came up with but has been developed from the Atlantic Consultants' report on the regeneration of Okehampton.

'The townspeople wanted more pedestrianisation, separation of cars and pedestrians and a more user-friendly town and that is what we are trying to do.'