IT'S hard to work out what on earth is going on with a Devon County Council planning application to build a £3 million new library in Cullompton.

This county council project must be one of the biggest developments in Mid Devon for years, and should be a very positive step forward for Cullompton.

So why has it degenerated into an apparent three-way spat between members of Cullompton Town Council, Mid Devon District Council and Devon County Council?

It all seems to stem from concerns raised by Mid Devon's planning department, which is being consulted by the county council. Mid Devon says it cannot properly give its views on the new library as it does not have enough information on the materials being used in the building. It is also concerned that nearby buildings will be overlooked.

Mid Devon chief executive Gerald Hirsch says the council raised the issues in February, but was ignored. "These are not late objections... but were made months ago to Devon County Council. Why weren't they taken account of then?" he wrote in a letter printed in last week's Gazette.

Mid Devon wants to know the colour of certain finishes, what the solar panels will look like, what kind of bricks are being used etc.

Since raising the questions, some of its planning officers have been in regular communication with the people managing the project for the county council.

But Mid Devon says it has still not had the information it needs, and in the end lost patience and sent a formal letter at the end of July objecting to the planning application.

So is Mid Devon nit-picking, or is Devon County Council to blame for not providing the information? Who knows? But really, who cares? What strikes me is how strange it is that these organisations can't work together to find a solution.

We have well-paid professionals on both sides, working in offices less than 20 miles apart, who have had months to sort out their differences and work out a plan to keep everyone happy.

Couldn't they have sat down together and sorted it out?

After all, it's in both their interests to turn a paper plan for a long-awaited wonderful new library for the people of Cullompton into bricks and mortar, or slab plinths and fibre cement panels, or whatever it is they're arguing about.

If two councils are this frustrated by the planning process, they might wish to reflect on what it's like for we ordinary mortals, whether we're attempting to build an extension on our house, or trying to find out about someone else's plans to do something we don't like the sound of.

It also strikes me as ironic that Mid Devon District Council now finds itself in a situation where the boot is on the other foot.

Which is to say that Mid Devon is usually the one asking lesser bodies, like parish councils, for their views on planning applications, and then — if you listen to some parish councils — ignoring their views.