A PROPOSAL for a new cycle hire hub in front of Okehampton Youth Hostel where it will be more visible to people looking to hire bikes to explore the Granite Way on two wheels has been submitted to West Devon Borough Council.

The application (3708/21/FUL) made by John Elson of Dartmoor Active Leisure Ltd, which runs the activity centre at YHA Okehampton, comes as the passenger railway service to Exeter is set to launch on November 20. With it, everyone in town hopes, will come a greater number of visitors to explore the moor.

The youth hostel is located in the Old Goods Shed on Klondyke Road beside the railway station.

The proposal is to relocate the current cycle hire facility from where it is at present at the back of the youth hostel, so that members of the public wanting to hire bikes do not have to walk through the youth hostel to reach it.

This would be an improvement from a child safeguarding point of view and also would allow people to access the cycle hire facility independently of the youth hostel. In future, the applicant writes, it is hoped to provide cycle racks for local commuters to leave bikes as they travel daily to Exeter by train.

The applicant states: ’This will make it more visible to train arrivals and more accessible from the railway station for those wishing to hire cycles for the Granite Way.’Comments on the application are invited via the planning section on WDBC’s website by November 28.

Also being put forward this week is a proposal for a bat roost at the derelict Old Mill on Mill Road, Okehampton, in advance of proposals to demolish all the buildings on the site except the listed factory chimney (app 1861/21/ CAC).

This is with the intention of developing the site for housing with the proceeds to be used by the Okehampton Skills and Sports Trust to fund its charitable proposals for the Okehampton community.

This application for planning permission, 3815/21/FUL is accompanied by an an application for Listed Building Consent.

It is being put forward by hoteliers Joan and Simon Essex, who have gifted the Old Mill site to the trust.

It is proposed to create a bat roost to reaccommodate bats currently roosting in the derelict 19th century vitriol and manure works which have lain empty for more than 20 years.

Comments are invited by November 25, again via the WDBC website.

Other recent planning applications to WDBC include:

Fifteen light industrial units on land north of Jethro’s, Lewdown –http://apps.westdevon.gov.uk/PlanningSearchMVC/Home/Details/213210

Householder application for a single storey rear/side extension, The Willows, Burdon Lane, Highampton – http://apps.westdevon.gov.uk/PlanningSearchMVC/Home/Details/213947

Householder application for garage conversion and associated alterations, 1 Oke Tor Close, Okehampton – http://apps.westdevon.gov.uk/PlanningSearchMVC/Home/Details/213602

Change of use of annexe to a dwelling, Holly House, Northlew – http://apps.westdevon.gov.uk/PlanningSearchMVC/Home/Details/213658