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With thanks as ever to, Kelly Martin

Extracts from

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter June/ July 2008

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

The Council held its Annual General Meeting on 13 May and Dickie Deane was re-elected Chairman, Alistair Nethacott Vice Chairman and Vron Martin Responsible Financial Officer. Mr. K. Pickering continues as Safety Officer. The unaudited financial report for 2007/08 was approved and will be displayed at the Village Hall notice board in due course. A regular meeting of the Council followed the AGM and there was a further meeting on 17 April.

Aside from the Council's routine business there were a few matters of interest to parishioners arising out of these meetings. Firstly, a planning application for an agricultural dwelling at Galmington Barton Farm was considered favourably - subject to its being financially viable - as something that was economically and socially desirable for the parish. In the event the District Council's Planning Committee decided not to approve the application on the grounds that the case had not been made for its necessity, nor was it seen to be financially sound. Another application for renovation and repair works at Hembury Cottage was also considered favorably by the Parish Council and approved by the Planning Committee.

With the arrival of summer the hedgerows are growing fast and parishioners are asked to keep clear any warning posts which may become obscured by the growth of those hedges for which they are responsible. These posts are important to road safety and the Council was grateful to the Highways Department for having put more substantial ones at both ends of Horseshoe Bridge which made the bridge much more visible, particularly at night.

There have been reports of activity in the area by people professing to offer gardening services to vulnerable residents and then charging them excessive amounts for sub-standard work. Anyone receiving unsolicited approaches of this nature, or who has any other suspicious matter to report, is asked to contact the Police Community Beat Team at 08452 777 444. The team consists of PC Dick Rowlands, PCSO Sandra Brown and PCSO Melissa Baker.

The Annual Parish Meeting was held on 20 May at the Village Hall. Attendance was, to say the least, meager. The Chairman, Dickie Deane, gave a report on Parish matters, there were reports from the Parochial Church Council, the Village Hall Committee, Little Bears Pre-School and the Parish Plan Steering Group, District Councilor Philip Collins gave a summary of developments within the TDC and County Council, including of course the fact that the Boundary Committee is presently reviewing the system of District and County Councils in Devon and this is likely to be replaced by one or more unitary authorities. He agreed that the closure of the Shebbear Post Office was an appalling development and warned that there could be further closures in the future.

The next meeting of the Council will be on Tuesday, 8 July at 7:30 pm at the Village Hall.

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter April/ May 2008

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

The Parish Council had a regular meeting on Tuesday, 11 March at the Village Hall. One of the items on the agenda was the application by the Parish Plan Steering Group for a grant towards the cost of preparing the plan. The application was originally submitted for consideration at the Council's meeting in November 2007, but Councillors were unable to deal with it because four of them were also members of the Steering Group and therefore were deemed to have a prejudicial interest. It was therefore necessary to seek dispensation from the Standards Committee of Torridge District Council and this was not received until after the January meeting of the Parish Council, so the March meeting was their first opportunity to consider the application, which was duly approved.....

A planning application for two mobile free-range poultry units was considered favorably by the Council. Further details of this and all other planning applications can be viewed on the Torridge District Council website or at the Council offices in Bideford.

The Planning Department had, after being contacted by the Council, confirmed that none of the activity at the Buckland Filleigh Sawmills site was in contravention of the relevant planning consents. The Parish Plan questionnaires were distributed to all households and most of them have now been returned. Tracy Balsdon has been analysing the results and there will be another meeting of the Steering Group after Easter to review them and decide what comes next. A big thank you to all those who participated and took the trouble to give their views and make suggestions.

The neighbourhood Police Community Service Officer, Melissa Baker, attended the meeting. She reported that her group now has its own transport, namely a red Ford Fiesta, so she may be seen in the area from time to time. She agreed to follow up on the action taken by the police and the Highways Department in relation to the condition of the road from Sedgewell Cross to ensure that the matter was not allowed to drop. She also reported that there has been an increase in thefts, particularly of scrap metal, in the Holsworthy and Winkleigh areas, and the public were being urged to take special care and to report any suspicious activities in the parish.

There has been one reported incident of fly tipping in the parish. If anyone has been the victim of fly-tipping, or has seen evidence of it happening, please report it to the police. Please put in your diaries the Annual Parish Meeting. This will be held on 20 May at 7:00 pm. Last year it was held on a Saturday afternoon and was not well attended, so the hope is that an evening meeting will attract more parishioners. The Chairman, Dickie Deane, will be presenting his annual report on the parish and the Parish Plan Steering Group will be giving an update on progress with the Plan and answering any questions. The annual accounts will be on view and representatives of local groups which have received grants from the Council will have the chance to make their own presentations. All parishioners are urged to attend. Tea and coffee will be served following the meeting.

The next meeting of the Council will be its Annual General Meeting, on 13 May at 7:30 pm at the Village Hall. This will be followed by an Ordinary Council meeting.

Martin Fowler

PARISH COUNCIL
Your Councilors are:
Dickie Deane (Chairman) 281372
Alistair Nethacott (Vice-Chairman) 281614
Jane Cox 281731
David Balsdon 281444
Vron Martin 281535

Philip Collins, Clinton Ward Councillor Work Tel: 01805 603 443 Home Tel: 01085 603 656 Email: prc@barometerworld.co.uk Mowhay, Merton, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 3DS

Parish Clerk Tel: 231587

Parish Councillor Profile

My name is Jane Cox and I have been a parish councillor for 5 years. We moved to Buckland House Lodge 11 years ago when my husband Jim and I retired from farming in Northumberland. I have enjoyed being part of Buckland Filleigh Parish and like to feel that I am helping to keep this a very pleasant place to live.

Did you know that, among the responses to the Parish Plan Questionnaire were many demands by parishioners for a speed-dating evening to be held at the Village Hall. I understand that the VH Committee is arranging an event in the spring and that it will be hosted by Bruce Forsyth. Anyone interested in looking for a new partner should call any of the committee members to reserve a place.

Who Lived Here?

Recently I have sorted and collated the information I have on the 19C Censuses of Buckland Filleigh. I now have all the entries for the seven Censuses 1841 to 1901 in Chart form. If anyone who lives in a dwelling built before 1841 would like a print out of these Charts showing the occupiers during this period, I can send the charts as an e-mail attachment, or send a printout by ordinary mail. In 1841 the population of Buckland Filleigh was 275. Fifty years later in 1891 the population had fallen to 151. In 1841 many of the dwellings were very crowded to modern views, though not unusual then. On census night 13 people were at Bradleigh, 13 at the old Grascott farmhouse, and 11 at Hembury before Hembury was extended! janeanddavetaylor@hotmail.com

Extracts from
Buckland Filleigh Newsletter December 07/January 08

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

The Parish Council meeting on Tuesday, 13 November. This is the time of year when the budget has to be dealt with and it was decided at the meeting to keep the precept for 2008/09 at the same level as the current year.

Amongst the other items discussed was the approval of a grant to the Little Bears Pre-school to help tide them over a short term cash flow shortage. The Council also considered a request for a grant from the parish plan steering group to meet the cost of preparing and distributing the questionnaire. Unfortunately, as all of the Councilors were either members of the steering group themselves, or had a close connection to a member, they all had to declare a prejudicial interest in the request and so it proved impossible to finalise the approval. I have written to the local Monitoring Officer to request a dispensation so that the Councilors can deal with this request without delay. Such is the way in which standards must be kept up in this day and age......

On the subject of the questionnaire, this is to remind that - funds permitting - it will be delivered to each household in January by a group of volunteers who will be happy to explain exactly what it is for and how it will be used in the development of the Parish Plan and to help you complete if necessary. The group hopes that as many households in the parish will participate in order that the resulting body of information will be truly representative of the parish as a whole.

The matter of heavy goods vehicles using the parish roads has taken another step forward. There was a good response to the flyer that went to most of you in November, requesting reports of encounters with clay lorries. A meeting of all parties concerned is to be held in Merton in early December, coordinated by our District Councilor, Philip Collins, at which there will be representatives of the clay company, the Devon County Council, the police and other parishes affected. As far as other heavy vehicles are concerned, the Council has taken up the matter with the County Council in the hope that one perhaps some warning signs can be erected at strategic points on the access roads. In the meantime we are still awaiting a response from the County Council regarding warning signs on the road near West Heanton Residential Home.

The next Council meeting will be on Tuesday, 8 January 2008 at 6:30 pm at the Village Hall

Martin Fowler Parish Clerk Tel: 231587

Parish Councillor Profile

My name is Vron Martin and live at Lower West Heanton Farm with my husband Pete and three daughters, Kelly who is currently the editor of the Buckland Filleigh newsletter, Bird and Rosie. We have farmed here for 25years farming dairy and beef.

I have been on the Parish Council for several years and feel I am doing my part as a local person. I am also a member of the Village Hall Committee. Please feel free to call me if there are any concerns. (01409) 281535

Hiring the Village Hall
The committee room upstairs is just £5 per evening and the hall itself can be booked from £8 per evening (heating extra). Call 281372 for more details.

Two Parishes Festival

Thank you so much to everyone who supported the festival this year. There have been so many positive comments, and we now look forward to 2009!

After a very successful Farmers' Market we enjoyed the Village Harvest Supper and were entertained by the Folk Orchestra of North Devon. We hear that they have been inspired to work out some dances after our efforts of 'Heel and Toe'.

The concert at Lake once again brought to our attention the range of talents hidden away in our villages, reading Winnie the Pooh will never be the same again, Dr Miller!

The scarecrows brought a smile to everyone's faces but I am not sure what they got up to once the sun had set. Once again creative talents were in evidence at the Wellie Walk, congratulations to Marion Andrew for winning the 'Best decorated Wellies' competition. Our brain cells were challenged at the Wine and Wisdom evening, it took some time before the contestants realised that all the questions and answers related to Food and Farming. Food was very much in evidence at the two breakfasts, the Church room was bursting at the seams as 30 Ladies enjoyed a sumptuous feast, and it was a treat to have it cooked for us. It was good to have had the opportunity to see the film 'An Inconvenient Truth' especially as there was so much discussion in the press about the issues that it raised.

The Harvest celebrations in our churches and chapels enabled us to bring our praise and thanksgiving to God for his bountiful gifts to us and the evening of reflective words and music quietened our hearts and minds.

Because of people's generosity we have been able to send £300 to Farm Crisis Network, £250 to Farms for City Children and Farm Africa and £50 each to Lake Chapel, Rowden Chapel, St Mary's and St Michael's.

If anyone would like to organise another Farmer's Market I have all the contact details of stall holders, do get in touch.

The next Ladies breakfast will be held on 19th January 2008, booking with Pat Kirby; tel: 01409 281 148.

Film Nights

Nobody has com forward to help with projecting the DVD films for Buckland Filleigh Film Nights. Does this mean these have to stop? People enjoyed them- good social meeting point for villagers and further afield Much needed INCOME for the Village Hall funds!

Contact Vron Martin 281 535 if you can help in anyway please

Extracts from
Buckland Filleigh Newsletter August/September 07

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

At the Parish Council meeting on 10 July, the following matters were dealt with:

1. A complaint about the condition of the road between Sedgewell Cross and Battledown Cross due to farm debris had been made to the Area Highway Engineer in May and, as yet, no action had been taken. A follow-up letter was sent following the meeting and the Engineer has since confirmed that an enforcement notice has been issued to the person concerned.

2. A further complaint regarding the presence of high-sided and heavy goods vehicles using the lanes in the parish as a throughway - one result of which has been further damage to the parapet of Horseshoe Bridge - had so far not been responded to, except that reflective marker posts have been placed on each side of the bridge. A follow-up letter has since been sent.

3. The parish lengthsman will be making his regular visits in August and October to deal with blocked drains and carry out other work to keep the roads clear of water. If anyone has any particular problems with road drainage that they would like him to deal with, please call Jane Cox, who has volunteered to be the Council's roads liaison officer, telephone number 281731.

4. The Devon & Cornwall Police Authority is calling for volunteers to attend Liaison meetings which are held from time to time. The last meeting was held on 5 July in Torrington. If any parishioners are interested in representing the parish at future meetings would they please contact the Parish Clerk (details below).

5. There will be a meeting of Parish Plan volunteers on Monday, 13 August at 7:30 pm at the Village Hall. Anyone who would like to join in will be welcome. One of the purposes of the meeting will be to agree on a plan of action and to set a timetable and allocate responsibilities. We currently have a list of about ten people who want to get involved, but more would be better, so please come along if you have an interest in what should be a valuable and rewarding project.

Finally, just by way of a reminder, anyone who wants to attend a Council meeting may do so as an observer. A timetable of meetings for the rest of the year is posted on the Village Hall notice board. The next meeting is to be held on 11 September.

Martin Fowler Parish Clerk Tel: 231587

PARISH COUNCIL Your Councilors are:
Dickie Deane (Chairman) 281372
Alistair Nethacott (Vice-Chairman) 281614
Jane Cox 281731
David Balsdon 281444
Vron Martin 281535

Philip Collins, Clinton Ward Councillor Work
Tel: 01805 603 443 Home Tel: 01085 603 656
Email: prc@barometerworld.co.uk
Mowhay, Merton, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 3DS

Parish Councillor Profile
Richard "Dickie" Deane
The Old School House, Buckland Filleigh, Beaworthy, Devon. EX21 5PQ
01409 281 372

Self-employed pensioner- mostly garden maintenance

Now over 65, I arrived in this part of Devon in 1966, with my wife Sheila and infant daughter Sarah. We were initially dairy farming with some agricultural contracting at Hook, Petrockstowe before moving to the School House in 1979, with the addition of daughters Vicki, Bridget and Gillian plus assorted livestock and equipment. This is a registered Smallholding. At this time the agricultural emphasis began to dwindle and work altered to include Forestry and building. Much of the work undertaken was within the parish or within a 10mile radius of the School House. Latterly we purchased 18 and ¼ acre Stoneridge Wood from Buckland Filleigh Woodland Estate. I count myself fortunate to have been able to spend much of my working life in the parish.

Since moving here I have, at different times been associated with St. Mary's Church, The Village Hall and most recently the Parish Council. I was a member of the latter for a spell up to 2003 and was for a while Roads Liaison officer. Ultimately I was elected Chairman and was honoured to be re-elected Chairman when I rejoined the council this year.

Over the years we have witnessed gross bureaucratic interference diminishing the quality of life in the country side as a whole. Old proven systems have been discarded and replaced with ineffectual alternatives. Until recently all our basic community services have been affected in some way or other. It would seem that the tide is, at least, beginning to turn. Parish councils are being given more powers and opportunities to have a proper say in the administration of parishes.

As parish councillors we are here to assimilate the views of all parishioners on a range of topics and represent them, as appropriate, for the benefit of the parish as a whole.

Please do try and keep 'tabs' on what is happening with parish council matters and feed in or back reactions as appropriate. Everyone has a part to play towards the long term welfare of the parish; please demonstrate your solidarity with it when the opportunities arise with practical participation.

Church News

Sheila Deane's Cream Tea in the churchyard on June 3rd was another huge success this year, made even more delightful by Nigel Taylor's playing of the organ throughout most of the afternoon. His choice of music was wide and his musicianship and versatility was commented on by many. The afternoon raised £443.70 for church funds. Half a dozen cyclists from Torquay happened upon the church and were delighted to find cream teas served to help them on their way.

On June 28th Erica and Andy Tod had their usual Coffee and Buns Morning at their new home in Aish Park. Because of the unseasonable weather the event was held indoors but we were all able to see the miracles they had wrought in the garden in the short time since they moved in. As always this was a happy and successful event raising £216.00

Brenda Hulm

Services at St. Mary's Church, Buckland Filleigh

Aug 5th 9.30am Family Service
Aug 12th 11.00am at Shebbear
Aug 19th 9.30am Holy Communion
Aug 26th 6.30pm Evening Prayer
Sep 2nd 9.30am Family Service
Sep 9th 11.00am at Shebbear
Sep 16th 11.00am Holy Communion
Sep 23rd 6.30pm Evening Prayer
Sep 30th 11.00am Holy Communion (at Shebbear) 6.30pm Taize service (with a Harvest feel)
Oct 7th 6.00pm Harvest Celebration

From the Registers Celebration of Marriage:
Congratulations June 30th Christian Ardron and Hannah Cains
July 7th Ian Tucker and Paula Gliddon
July 14th Matthew Grey and Alison Chappell