Shebbear & Buckland Filleigh Villages, building supplies

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter October/November 2010

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
The last Parish Council meeting was held on Tuesday, 14 September at the Village Hall. District Councillor Philip Collins was in attendance.

The Council approved the payment of the audit fee of £50.00 for the year 2009/10 to the Audit Commission. The Commission is to be disbanded by the government later this year and it is not yet clear who will carry out future audits of the Parish Council accounts, nor at what cost.

Two community organisations had submitted applications for grants under S.137 of the Local Government Act. The Council approved a grant of £200.00 for the Village Hall, as a contribution to the cost of redecorating the kitchen and buying a new hob. A request from Little Bears Pre-School was also considered and it was suggested that the Council donate an item of equipment to the school for its proposed new outdoor classroom. The Clerk was asked to write to the school with this suggestion and ask for further details.

The District Council's emergency planning officer, Ruth Staddon, will attend the next meeting of the Council in November to discuss measures to deal with winter emergencies. If anyone has anything they would like to say on the matter, please contact one of the Parish Councillors, or feel free to come along to the meeting to hear what Ms. Staddon has to say.

Chairman Dickie Deane has written to the leader of Torridge District Council expressing the Parish Council's dissatisfaction with the standard of documents submitted in support of planning applications. This has been a continuing problem for some years and shows no sign of improvement. He is also setting up a meeting with the local Highways Engineer to discuss the condition of the road west of Filleighmoor Gate, and the road near Battledown Farm, and the potholes and puddles in the dip outside Buckland House. All matters that have been on previous agendas and never seem to achieve final settlement......

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 9 November 2010 at 6:30 pm at the Village Hall. Martin Fowler, Parish Clerk Tel: 231587 E-mail: martinfowler205@btinternet.com

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter June/July 2010

Village Hall News
Wellie Walk A big thank you to all of those that took part in the Wellie Walk, what a great turnout, we had 70+ walkers. Thank you to all the landowners that let us walk their land especially to Peter and Sarah at Hembury for providing the mid snack and then back to the Village Hall for refreshments, thank you ladies that did all the hard work in the kitchen We raised a sum of £471 which was shared between the Hall and Friends of St. Mary's. Watch this space 'another one will have to be done!'

Annual Parish Meeting:
Unfortunately because of a conflicting urgent engagement I was not able to attend this meeting; neither, it seems, was anyone else in the Parish, apart from members of the Parish Council. Whilst such a lack of interest might be regarded as a vote of confidence in the way that the Parish Council looks after Parish matters, others might see it differently. The Parish Council is statutorily obliged to hold this meeting to fulfil the obligations detailed on the invitation that was sent out. As a Parish Council we have a duty of care in the way in which we conduct council matters and are accountable for the way we distribute grants and deal with other financial matters. This is, however, a two way process and those benefitting from the Council's purse are expected to give some account of themselves at this time. Lastly, this Meeting provides an opportunity for the Parish to raise matters of concern in an open forum. Such a lack of interest frustrates the working of this Council and must inevitably into question the basis on which we allot grants in the future. I say no more.

Buckland Filleigh Annual Parish Meeting 11-5-2010
Chairman's Report (As read by the Vice-Chairman, Mr. Alistair Nethercott.)

The membership of the Parish Council remained unchanged over the past year. There were six meetings during the year (one after postponement) and one Special Planning Meeting.

The following matters were considered during the year:

The Parish Plan: This was finalised, printed, and awaits the start of distribution after this meeting.

Roads and Footpaths: The quarterly meetings with Highways lapsed after the first meeting (which had proved constructive), and communication reverted to its former chaotic status. This was highlighted when an oak tree fell across the road on the Buckland Hill side of Horseshoe Bridge on 14th of November, and at the time of the freezing conditions before and after Christmas. Highways were completely inadequate in their response but the Parish pulled together with self-help and alleviated the situations, for which congratulations are due. In the aftermath County organised "self-help emergency planning meetings" to encourage Parish Councils to formulate their own plans. A further incident occurred when a lorry blocked the road on Buckland Hill at the entrance to Grascott Lane - February 19th. No response from Highways or Torridge District Council. Road closed for the best part of five hours. On a more positive note, the signpost at Horseshoe Bridge was replaced with an accurate three-fingered post. The culvert at Duckpool was repaired and drainage work carried out at Lower West Heanton. Nevertheless, potholes still remain evident and articulated bulk tipper lorries are still being witnessed in the Parish. The proposed Grascott bridleway initiative seems to have stalled for the time being.

Planning Matters: Applications considered included: - an application for an agricultural worker's dwelling at Galmington Barton; a request for an agricultural building at Higher Bradley; change of use for part of Grascott; provision of housing for sheep at Haddiport.

An initiative has been launched by the Community Planning & Development Service with regard to Affordable Housing. At present a survey is about to be carried out across this parish, Petrockstowe and Petersmarland to determine need and potential sites for development.

Police Matters: Some contact was lost during the year with our PSCO's, but hopefully this has been restored. No "Neighbourhood Watch" enquiries came to fruition. An incident involving boys from Marland School at West Heanton was reported.

Administration: The Boundary Commission decision to recommend Exeter as a Unitary Authority was put on hold, pending a judicial review, prior to the General Election. The outcome will not be known until after a new Government is formed.

Parish Council Website: It was agreed to set up a basic package with 'The Local Channel', with the assistance of our District Councillor, Phil Collins. This, it was felt, would be of particular use in 'Emergency Situations'. All in all the Parish seems to have held its own in the difficult situations now prevailing over the past year - a little self-congratulation is certainly in order as we move forward in time.

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter April/May 2010

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

At their last meeting on 9 March 2010 Councillors welcomed County Councillor Adrian Boyd as a guest, in addition to the regular attendance of District Councillor Philip Collins. Councillors approved a schedule of meetings for the forthcoming year starting on 1 April 2010. The schedule is posted on the Village Hall notice board.

The next ordinary meeting, which is on Tuesday, 11 May, will be preceded by the Council's Annual General Meeting,6.30pm at which a Chairman and Vice Chairman for the ensuing year will be elected, together with other officers. Following the ordinary meeting, at 8:00 pm will be the Annual Parish Meeting, convened by the Chairman of the Council. This is not a Council meeting, but a meeting of all residents of the parish, at which any matter relevant to parishioners may be discussed and, if necessary, voted on. The Parish Plan Steering Group will be using it as an opportunity to launch the Parish Plan, now completed and printed and awaiting distribution. A notice of this meeting will be posted on the Village Hall notice board, but please put it in your diaries now and come along to hear what your parish organizations, such as the Parochial Church Council and the Village Hall Committee have been doing during the year and to receive your copy of the Parish Plan. Tea, coffee and biscuits will, as usual, be served. Attendance at these meetings has been poor, to say the least, in previous years; now is the time to change this…..

The website: the Council approved The Local Channel as its service provider for its proposed website. Cllr. Collins offered to help with the website design. The purpose of the website will be to provide better communication between the Council and parishioners, allowing for statutory matters, such as notices of meetings, minutes, accounts and so on, to be published in a timely way. It will also be a means of communicating more immediate matters that might affect parishioners, such as police alerts, road closures or repairs and other things of interest, and provide a means of publicizing events taking place in the parish. Watch this space…..

The roads. County Councillor Boyd was not optimistic when it came to the condition of the parish roads. He told Parish Councillors that the County Council has provided additional resources for repairing damage to the county's roads caused by the winter conditions, but these are being used on major highways and there is unlikely to be enough left over for rural lanes. The only hope is to keep putting pressure on the Highways Department by reporting what they call "defects" whenever you spot them. There are two ways of doing this by using the internet: firstly the County Council's own reporting centre at www.devon.gov.uk/pothole and follow the links to road services - fault report (or call telephone number 0845 155 1004) or a national reporting centre at www.fillthathole.org.uk and follow the links to report a pothole that you have identified. Good luck!

Martin Fowler Parish Clerk Tel: 231587 E-mail: martinfowler205@btinternet.com

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter Feb/March 2010

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

The meeting of the Parish Council which was due to be held on 12 January 2010 was cancelled due to the bad weather and the difficult road conditions. It was rescheduled for 26 January and an item added to the agenda regarding the condition of the roads both during and following the recent extreme weather. A report on the rescheduled meeting will appear in the next newsletter......

You may have seen in the news reports lately that the idea of a unitary authority for Devon is progressing. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has asked for the results of the latest consultation by 19 January and Torridge District Council and Devon County Council will have made their representations before that date. This matter has been dragging on for far longer than was originally envisaged, and its future - with a General Election intervening - now looks decidedly uncertain.

For those interested in local government plans for the area, the District Council has published its draft core strategy development plan document which makes enthralling reading. It can be accessed via the internet on www.northdevon.gov.uk/corestrategy. While it is easy to be cynical about this kind of thing, it does in fact provide a valuable insight into how your local government views the future of the area, the number of houses it expects to be built, the way in which it will promote employment and retail development, and so on.

The text of the parish plan has been finalised and it will soon be printed and circulated. This will give everyone the opportunity to compare how the residents of Buckland Filleigh view their own future with what is in the local government core strategy (see above). There may soon be further developments on the parish council website to report. More in the next newsletter.

The regular meeting scheduled for January 12th was cancelled because of the snow and ice and will now be held on Tuesday 26th January weather permitting.

Chairman’s items-
Salt/ grit: having obtained supplies of bags for School Hill during the snow and ice period from Highways, and distributing some up the length of the hill and further two bags out the St. Clair area; it was disappointing to find that at one time of need, at the Stoneridge/ Skinners Wood crossing, that someone had removed a complete bag. The bags were strategically placed for use on the public highway, to aid the passage of vehicles and pedestrians in a particular location and not for removal for private usage.

The P.C at its next meeting will look at ways of co-ordinating with Highways to respond promptly to these conditions should they occur again. Spare bags are held at present at West Heanton Residential Home and the Old School House for deployment, if necessary.

Should the snow and ice return and you require assistance in dealing with it in relation to Highways- try to contact me on 281372 in the first instance.

Affordable Housing: on Tuesday 19th January I attended a meeting of Petrockstowe P.C to introduce Parish Councils to this subject. Petrockstowe P.C provided the venue and representatives of Buckland Filleigh P.C and Peters Marland P.C were invited and a presentation was given by Darren Sussex, the Affordable Housing Officer for T.D.C.

It was acknowledged that the process to achieving affordable housing (rented most probably) is likely to be long and tortuous. The prelude to the being stared is to carry out Parish Housing Needs Survey. In this respect our parishes will be looked at together.

Before this can happen there is a need to acquaint the parishes with what constitutes a qualification as a local prospective occupant.

At this preliminary stage we are asking you out in the parish to give some thought to this topic; that not only will the survey be conducted in the knowledge that a potential need exists (or not as the case maybe) but may also be possible to identify low cost locations where such housing might be built when the time comes.

Petrockstowe P.C has offered to host a formal open meeting on this topic at their Annual Parish Meeting in April as a prelude to the conduct of the survey. More details in due course.

R. N. Deane

Definition of local connection
To qualify as a local, prospective occupant households must satisfy at least one of the following tests:
(i)At least one adult in the household was resident continuously in the Parish for a minimum of 5 years immediately prior to the identification of need (ii)At least one member of the household was resident in the Parish for five years within the previous 10 years immediately prior to the identification of need
(iii)At least one parent or guardian of at least one adult in the household was resident in the Parish for a minimum of 10 years prior to the determination of the planning application
(iv)At least one adult ha been in continuous employment in the Parish over 5 years immediately prior to the identification of need.

The next meeting of the Council will be on Tuesday, 9 March 2010 at 6:30 pm at the Village Hall. All parishioners are welcome to attend.

Martin Fowler Parish Clerk Tel: 231587 E-mail: martinfowler205@btinternet.com

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter Dec 09/January 2010

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

There was a meeting of the Parish Council on Tuesday, 10 November at the Village Hall. Apologies were received from Councillors Jane Cox and David Balsdon. District Councillor Phil Collins was in attendance.

The Council approved a budget for the financial year 2010/11 and fixed the precept for that year at £1,800.

The Council also adopted a set of financial regulations which had been circulated for discussion prior to the meeting.

There was some concern expressed at the lack of progress on the proposed Parish Council website. No-one had responded to the appeal for a volunteer to manage or co-ordinate the website, so the Council decided to repeat the appeal, with the additional attraction of an appropriate honorarium - to be negotiated with the successful applicant - for a two-year trial period. The website itself would be set up with the help of a professional organisation such as The Local Network, and the manager would simply be required to keep it updated with reports of Parish Council activities and use it to disseminate news and matters of interest to parishioners. The long term objective is to be able to communicate with parishioners quickly and effectively. If anybody is interested in getting more information about this or applying for the position, would they please get in touch with any councillor or the undersigned.

There have been reports of fraudsters operating in the area who have been leaving flyers in mailboxes which indicate that the householder is eligible for a reduction in council tax. The catch is that, upon dialling the telephone number given in the leaflet, the caller incurs an immediate charge of several pounds. The reduction in tax is, of course, entirely bogus. There are also a number of other telephone scams which are in operation. The golden rule is, never give information about your bank account to anyone who cold calls you, and, never reveal your passwords or PIN's to a third parth under any circumstances.

Planning: the Council approved an application by Mr. T. Petherick of Higher Bradley for an agricultural building.

Footpaths: The footpath in the churchyard needs repairing, and this will be put in hand as soon as possible. The annual survey of footpaths in the parish will be undertaken by councillors during the next couple of months. If anyone has any comments about the state of the footpaths, would they please let the undersigned know.

Roads: A large pothole opened appeared in the dip outside Buckland House a few days ago and was reported to the Highways Department. The dip also floods regularly with the heavy rain we have been having, and this both blocks the drains there with road debris and conceals the pothole, making the situation potentially dangerous to passing traffic. Your Council has been sending regular complaints to the relevant authorities and is hopeful that, at some point, the necessary action will be taken. In the meantime, do not hesitate to call the County Council to report potholes and other defects. The number to call is 0845 155 1004.

The next meeting of the Council will be on Tuesday, 12 January 2010 at 6:30 pm at the Village Hall.

Martin Fowler Parish Clerk Tel: 231587 E-mail: martinfowler205@btinternet.com

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter June/July 2009

There were three meetings at the Village Hall on Tuesday, 12 May: the Council's Annual General Meeting; the Council's regular meeting; and, finally, the Annual Parish Meeting.

At the Council's AGM, Dickie Deane was re-elected Chairman of the Council and Alistair Nethacott Vice- Chairman, and the unaudited annual accounts for the year ended 31 March 2009 were approved.

At the regular meeting, which followed the AGM, the Council approved payment of the insurance premium for the year commencing on 1 June. The annual return for the year to 31 March 2009 was also approved and signed by the Chairman. The Clerk was also authorised to buy a new filing cabinet, for safe storage of the Parish records.

PCSO Melissa Baker gave a short talk on Neighbourhood Watch and its benefits to the community. There are several Watch schemes in place in neighboring parishes, providing a valuable link between those communities and the police. The Council agreed that such a scheme could be good for Buckland Filleigh and, by way of this Newsletter, are asking for volunteers to act as coordinators to make themselves known to the local police authorities. Further details can be found by going to the website www.neighbourhoodwatch.net where it is a simple matter to register, or by telephoning Melissa or her colleague Sandra Brown at 08452 777 444. She also circulated the latest Police Newsletter which contained details of the new neighbourhood policing website at: www.devon-cornwall.police.uk where there is a search engine which can be accessed for a particular area by inputting a postcode.

The Annual Parish Meeting was, as usual, attended by only a small number of parishioners. The latest draft of the Parish Plan was presented to those attending, and a gallery of photographs to be included in the final printed version was on display. Chairman Dickie Deane gave an overview of the work of the Parish Council during the year, and District Councillor Philip Collins summarised the latest position regarding the future of Devon as a Unitary Authority, where two options are still on the table, both of which would see the end to the District Councils and an uncertain future for the grass roots machinery of local government. Ian Goose gave a report on the Village Hall and Jane Cox summarised the activities of the Parochial Church Council during the past year. District Councillor Philip Collins talked about affordable housing needs and how they could be addressed. (Action to commission an affordable housing needs survey is included in the Parish Plan.) Other matters relating to parish affairs were also discussed over tea, coffee and biscuits.

The Parish Plan is, as mentioned above, now in its final stages of development. When it is complete, it will be registered with the appropriate authorities and then will be distributed to all households in the parish. It will also be available on the internet and details of how to access it will be included in a future Newsletter.

The next regular meeting of the Parish Council will be on Tuesday, 14 July, at the Village Hall at 7:30 pm.

Roads: On 29 April, Dickie Deane and the undersigned had a meeting with the Area Manager (North) of the Highways Department of Devon County Council. This meeting, which included a tour of the parish potholes, arose out of a series of complaints made by the Parish Council about the condition of the roads and verges in the parish. As a result of that meeting, an inspection was carried out by the department and they have undertaken to deal with the situation in the very near future. A programme of quarterly meetings between the local officials of the Highways Department and your Chairman has been agreed to keep the situation under review and ensure that the roads are not allowed to deteriorate. If you have any specific complaints about the roads, or if you see new potholes, collapsing verges, damaged culverts or blocked or damaged drains, please bring them to the Council's attention so that the Highways Department are informed as soon as possible. Martin Fowler Parish Clerk Tel: 231587

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter December/January 2008/9

Roads

At the moment not only are our vehicles liberally coated with mud but the roads are too, when they are not running with water. If the weather stays in the same vein for the rest of the autumn and winter there is a lot more to come. This means that negotiating our lanes will continue to demand our accustomed careful expertise. Unfortunately it is those passing through, ‘from away’ our parish, who have not all acquired the necessary ‘country driving skills’ who compromise the safety of our highways and byways. Not only are people put at risk but their vehicles and the infrastructure of the roads themselves. Our roads contain stretches that are definitely ‘single track’ that is they are only able to accommodate one vehicle width, about 12’ the ‘Dip’ is a good example. There is not enough room for two vehicles to pass, leaving the ‘sealed’/ tarmac surface of a road, except at passing places and refuges and ending up on or in the verge (illegal) or gutter (damaging drainage) is fraught with danger. Country driving requires continual monitoring of the road ahead, not just ¼ of a mile but ½ and a mile if possible: and moving between passing places and refuges at speeds that will allow for the unknown and the unexpected to be recognised and accommodated. If you have a chance to spread the word amongst the inexperienced and unpracticed please do so.

Safe driving!
Observer

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PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

The Council had its regular meeting on 11 November at the Village Hall. Please bear in mind that members of the public are welcome to attend the Council's regular meetings which are held every two months. There is also provision for time to be set aside for parishioners to speak on any of the matters on the agenda, in accordance with standing orders. If anyone wishes to do so they simply need to let the undersigned know in advance.

The Council has received some publicity material from Torridge District Council concerning Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit. The District Council (which administers these benefits) is concerned that many people who qualify for these benefits do not claim them, either because they don't know that they qualify or because they are reluctant to apply. The TDC wants to improve communication to the general public in order to increase the take-up of these means-tested benefits. There is a poster on the Village Hall notice board, which has some details about Council Tax Benefit, but the number to call if you have any questions about them is 01237 428700, which is the benefits teams at Torridge District Council.

The Police Community Beat Team's Newsletter for November reported that there were two crimes in Buckland Filleigh in the last 60 days, one of which involved damage to private property. Melissa Baker, the PCSO responsible for the area distributed the bi-monthly newsletter which contained information about what to do if you see an emergency vehicle responding to an emergency call.

The Council's budget for 2009/10 was approved at the meeting and the precept for next year was set at £1,700, an increase of £100 or 6.25% over the previous year.

The Highways Department of Devon County Council has still not dealt with the issues regarding signage and the condition of the roads and verges that have been the subject of correspondence over the past few months. Your Council is trying to get some action and will continue to press these matters.

I have received a package of information about the forthcoming switchover of television broadcasting from analogue to digital, which will begin in April 2009. There is help available to people aged over 75, those who have lived in a care home for over six months, and those who are receiving certain disability benefits or are registered blind or partially sighted. If anyone would like to receive more information on this I should be happy to send them copies of the leaflets and factsheets I have been given. Or you can call the free helpline on 0800 40 85 900.

Torridge District Council has just published its schedule of waste and recycling collections for the Christmas period. There will be normal collections on 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 December, but no collections on 25 and 26 December or 1 January.

The Parish Plan Steering Group will meet on 1 December at 7:00pm at Lower West Heanton. Anyone who is interested in taking part in the development of the plan is welcome to attend. Please contact either the undersigned or Vron Martin on 281535.

The Council's next meeting will be at the Village Hall on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 at 6:30 pm. Martin Fowler Parish Clerk Tel: 231587

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter October/November 2008

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

The Council had its regular meeting on 9 September at the Village Hall.

You should have received an electoral registration form from Torridge District Council during the past few weeks, requiring you to complete and return it either by post or by telephone or online. It is on the basis of these forms that the electoral register is compiled. The District Council is obliged by law to follow up cases where forms have not been returned and, to do this, it employs canvassers to make personal visits to premises where it believes there are residents who are eligible to appear on the register but have not returned the forms. If anyone is interested in working as a canvasser, would they please let the undersigned know, as the Electoral Registration Officer of the District Council will be looking for volunteers in the next few weeks. Volunteers are paid for each visit that they make and also a mileage allowance for the use of their car.

The Police Community Beat Team's Newsletter for September reported that there were no crimes in Buckland Filleigh in the last 60 days. Another reminder of one of the benefits of living in a peaceful rural community.....There was, however, a warning about the increasing incidence of fuel theft from vehicles and storage tanks by the use of siphoning equipment ranging from the basic tube to more sophisticated arrangements involving pumps. There is obviously a need to be more vigilant in these times of high fuel prices and to take a common sense approach towards the matter.

The Boundary Committee's review of Devon's future arrangements regarding local government took up a considerable amount of time at the Parish Council meeting. District Councilor Philip Collins had participated in the District Council's consideration of the Committee's draft proposals at its meeting on 1 September and gave Parish Councilors a summary of the proceedings. I must say that I also attended that meeting and was impressed by the quality of the debate and the commitment shown by District Councilors to the interests of their constituents in this difficult situation where the national government is putting tremendous pressure on local administrations in order to further its own political interests. The District Council resolved - by a substantial majority - that it was unable to support the Boundary Committee's proposals.

The Parish Council resolved to write to the Boundary Committee expressing its support for the District Council's position and expressing its concern about the lack of information in the draft proposals regarding the future of Parish Councils in the democratic process and the uncertainty over the functions of the proposed Community Boards. Although this seems to be another example of bureaucracy gone mad it will have an effect on every one of us in the not too distant future, and the local government scene is going to see some major changes.

Work on the Parish Plan is proceeding. The Steering Group met on 4 August and the drafting of the body of the plan and an introduction were assigned to members.

The Highways Department of Devon County Council has responded to some of the Council's concerns about the state of the roads and road signs in the parish, but there are still a number of outstanding issues to be dealt with.

The Council's next meeting will be at the Village Hall on Tuesday, 11 November at 6:30 pm.

Martin Fowler Parish Clerk Tel: 231587

Buckland Filleigh Newsletter August/September 2008

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

At the Parish Council meeting on 8 July the following matters were dealt with: Grants for the current year were made to:

Parochial Church Council £60
Village Hall £60
Shebbear Community School £25
History Society £15
Parish Newsletter £40

The annual return for 2007/08 was also considered and approved and submitted to the Audit Commission. There have been further developments on the Boundary Committee's review of the county's administration structure and a draft proposal for a single unitary authority based on Exeter, leaving the existing authorities of Torbay and Plymouth unchanged, has been issued for consultation. Also under consideration is a two-authority structure, with Exeter and Exmouth as one unit, with the rest of Devon as another. The proposal for one authority is preferred by the existing County Council which believes that it will be the best arrangement for the people of Devon. They are intending to consult with town and parish councils over the next twelve weeks to develop the proposal to ensure that a future unitary authority provides good value council services and responds to the needs of local communities. These are important developments in the local democratic system and interested parties can make their views known on the website

There will be a meeting of the Parish Plan Steering Group on Monday, 4 August at 7:00pm at Lower West Heanton. Anyone who is interested in participating in the further development of the plan is welcome to attend.

The Council has requested the Highways Department to put warning signs at points where the ditches represent a hazard to traffic and to make sure that the drains are kept clear by the parish lengthsman. The Department has advised that the road between Filleighmoor Gate and Patchill will be closed on 22 October for drainage works between Way Farm and St. Clair. The work is expected to be completed by 26 October.

A free composter has been offered by Torridge District Council and this will be given to the Village Hall to use.

The Council's next meeting will be at the Village Hall on Tuesday, 9 September at 7:30 pm.

Martin Fowler Parish Clerk Tel: 231587

Village Hall News
The annual dog show organised by the Dartmoor Dog Agility Club will be held on the bank holiday Monday 25th August at the hall. We will be providing refreshments for competitors and visitors throughout the day and will be running our now famous raffle! Any donations for the raffle, cakes for refreshments and help on the day will be very gratefully received. In the afternoon, Nancy Thurley is also running the family dog show, more details below. We will have craft stalls in the hall so come along and enjoy your bank holiday as well.

Theft of metal has been rising within North and East Devon with various sites being targeted. The premises vary from domestic buildings to industrial locations. The most common metal to be stolen currently is copper in the form of copper wiring, sometimes encased in plastic, which is stripped off at the scene or elsewhere. Electricity substations have been targeted for their high value storage of copper. Catalytic converters are also easy pickings for persons. Converters contain copper, palladium, rhodium, iron, cerium and nickel, all valuable metals for scrap. Also, with the current increase in oil prices, diesel and fuel have become easy targets for criminals. Thefts vary from lorry fuel tanks to large industrial storage tanks on business premises.

If you witness any unusual activity or see any suspicious vehicles please take the details and contact us. All information is important and however irrelevant the details may appear could be the missing piece in a larger picture.

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 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.

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Hiring the Buckland Filleigh Village Hall The committee room upstairs is just and the hall itself can be booked seperately per evening (heating extra). Call 01409-281535 for more details.
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