Ashwater

Your New Parish Hall

During 1998/9 Jack Moon made a very generous offer to provide a piece of land in his field opposite the Church for a new Hall to be built. This was accepted by the Hall committee and the necessary work put in hand to transfer the site to the Hall ownership.

This proved to be a very torturous road, nothing to do with Jack but the fact that a covenant on the land had to be lifted by the Church Commissioners. Believe it or not the legal work took nearly 5 years to complete and incurred considerable Solicitor costs. The covenant was lifted around March 2004 and the transfer of land was finally completed on 14th May 2004. Part of the deal with Jack was to supply water to the field and another property, this proved like all other items not to be as simple as first thought but this was eventually completed including a mains supply for the new Hall. The costs associated with this part of the project, the securing of the land, amounted to £7357.50. This included £3762.04 for the Solicitor fees and £3595.46 for the water provision.

During this time Architects were appointed to design a hall, consultation with all in the Parish took place and then a Planning application was made to build the Hall on the proposed site. This was not without its difficulties but finally the Planning application was granted. In addition to the new Hall application one was submitted for planning to build a house on the old Hall site once the new hall was built. Torridge District Council insisted on a S106 Agreement before planning permission was granted in respect of this. It took nearly a year to get this document agreed and Solicitors costs mounted. The spend on the new Hall so far is £10070.52. This includes Architect fees of £7195.71, planning fees of £1080 and Solicitor fees of £176.25. In addition to this spend the S106 cost £1618.56.
In total then £17428.02 has been spent on the project resulting in considerable progress having been made on the project.

During these intervening years fund raising has been taking place on a very regular basis. We have also received £5000 from the Awards for All Scheme to help with the project plan submission. It has been a tremendous effort by all to raise the money to bring the project to this stage, but the new Hall still has to be built and there was no alternative but to seek additional funding from outside the community.

During the past 9 months we have succeeded in getting through the Stage One Application Process of The Big Lottery Fund, which has awarded a grant of up to £25000 to progress the project and prepare a Stage Two Application. It is hoped that this will be submitted by the end of November this year. We will then have to wait possibly until March/April 2008 to find out whether or not the BLF will fund the project. In addition funding grants are being sought from the Community Council of Devon, Torridge District Council and other potential funders. We also have the sale value of the Old Hall Site, which when realised, will add to the funds and the Parish Council has approved a grant of £5000 towards the project.

The first signs of work will take place in the near future with a ground survey being carried out as part of the Stage Two bid process, which involves the writing of a Business Plan and a Capital Project Delivery Plan, which are also integral to the bid process.

This is an update on the situation but the committee does need extra help, the provision of a new hall is their number one issue, but as they say many hands make light work. We have a particular need of someone who can keep and record the minutes of our meetings, but if you have any skills to offer or would like any more information on the project please come along to the next meeting on 5th September 2007. NO OFFERS WILL BE REJECTED.

Ashwater Torch Lit Lantern Parade - Saturday September 1st 2007

Why not brighten up this miserable summer and enjoy the fun? Assemble at the Parish Hall at 7.30pm with the parade starting at 8.00pm.
Join in the theme of "Reasons Not To Go Back to School" there will be a prize for the best visible excuse as well as prizes for the three most original lanterns. Lanterns are easy to make from card or paper and there are even instruction leaflets available at Ashwater Post Office if you need help.
Family entries cost £1.00 or individuals 50p each on the day. There will be light refreshments following the prize giving in the hall around 9pm. Proceeds to the New Parish Hall Fund.

Correspondent in the Local Paper

Carol Reid is no longer going to be our village correspondent for Ashwater in the Cornish & Devon Post. It is important for the Parish to continue to have an input to the paper so if you would like to take over this function for the Parish would you contact Carol for information on 221650.

THANK YOU

On 11th July I was taken ill at home in Ashwater and would like to say thanks to Jan and Peter Capron for their sound advice and assistance and to Margaret Edmunds for her excellent medical skills and to all our friends and neighbours in the village for their cards, good wishes and offers of help. I am well on my way to a full recovery and Jill and I are very grateful that we live in a community with so many caring people.
Brian Cox - Manor Cottage

Parish Council

Lucy McSherry replaced her colleague, Community Development Officer Malcolm Harris the advertrised speaker, to talk with us of the Ashwater Village Plan. She indicated sources of funding particularly for Parish Halls, which is useful, but leaves behind the problem of dealing with the mass of paperwork and being able to tick all the necessary boxes.

PLANNING

Approval recommended for Priestacott Farm extension and a garage for Southcott. Approved: Lower Priestacott Farm holiday cottage; also the demolition of the Parish Hall.

Quotes are being collected for a new Parish Notice board and the swings on the Green have been checked. Lawrence attended a meeting on affordable housing. There are many ways of attempting this provision, but without a site we can get no further. This, together with the Village Hall are the two most important issues in the view of the Council.

NEXT TIME

R.D & E. Hospital are planning to run as an NHS Foundation Trust. The speaker at the Public Participation time of the next Parish Council meeting on September 12th. at 7.30p.m. will be: LIZ DAVENPORT, a senior member of the Trust Staff. Please come and hear what she has to say about an organisation which may affect all of us at sometime.

Horticultural Society

This year’s show went ahead on 18th August despite the weather and the sad news that the Agricultural Show had to be cancelled. A great range of exhibits was on display and all enjoyed the day on the Village Green. Even though the year has not been that good for growing the exhibits were of a high standard and plentiful. Thanks to all those who put on, and helped in any way, the show and a particular thanks to the exhibitors who entered, without them there would have been no show.
The next meeting of the Society will be on 17th September, which will be the AGM. The Secretary has indicated that she will not be seeking reelection and therefore the Society will have to elect a new Secretary at the meeting. The following three months events have already been arranged, so come along and get involved if you like or are interested in garden related issues, ALL are welcome.

From Our District Councilor

It was disappointing that the agricultural show had to be cancelled this year. But nothing could detract from superb entries on the horticultural side. Despite the weather there were some beautiful exhibits on show, and, I have say that the marquee looked magnificent on the village green yet again in the midst of some wonderful organization.

The visit of Torridge District Council to our parish council meeting last week was appreciated and gave some indication of the areas in which TDC is (and will continue to be) reminded to support us. This month’s governmental allocation to TDC of a £180,000 award to the planning department in recognition of its improvements continues to encourage the council in its pursuit of excellence.

Our Conservative MP, Geoffrey Cox QC will - by the time this newsletter is read - have visited us here in Ashwater and I’m sure that we will have given him the warmest of rural receptions! Things are happening and TDC should be congratulated on its initiative to include public participation at future planning committees. Even the new Code of Conduct to be embraced by TDC from 10 September 2007 allows for councillors to, at least, and even with prejudicial interest partake in committee meetings inclusive of public participation.
Thank you to those who attended the first of my surgeries at The Village Hall. I have been given plenty of food for thought and look forward to the next meeting - the date of which will be advertised shortly.
Times are changing! Barry Parsons

Church News

October 7th - The Harvest Festival service will take place
October 8th - there will be another service, which will be followed by the Harvest Festival Supper.

Torridge Accessibility Project

As you may be aware, the Volunteer Ambulance Car service has come to an end. It is realised that with the cessation of this service some parishioners might be finding it difficult to get to North Devon District Hospital for appointments, physio etc. To that end the group responsible for this project has prepared the travel information below for the parish.

A registered charity that arranges volunteer drivers to take people, who do not have access to their own transport and/or find it difficult or impossible to use public transport, to dental/doctor/hospital appointments, shopping or social calls. This is charged at 40p a mile from drivers door back to drivers door. Under certain circumstances hospitals might reimburse some of the travel costs. Contact the hospital for details.
They also run a Ring and Ride wheelchair accessible mini bus service for shopping in local towns.
NTCTA are based in Holsworthy and have drivers in most areas. Contact telephone for details, bookings and to register is 01409259001. Internet address is www.holsworthycommunitytransport.org.uk

Ashwater Parish Hall News

New Hall

Old Hall

Legal work to register the title of the Old Hall is well under way.

Fund Raising

Ashwater Parish Calendar

Below is a list of events that are taking or scheduled to take place in the parish so that all involved have knowledge of the dates already booked. Please let me have the dates of your event/meeting and I will include them in the calendar.

My thanks to those who provide articles for the newsletters. Copies will as always be available at the Post Office and in the Village Inn. Any information for inclusion in or offers to help please contact Peter Capron, my e-mail address is newsletter@ashwaterparish.org.uk.

Website designed by Anthony Williams and Henriette North.
Comments and Submissions to webmaster@ashwaterparish.org.uk
Last modified: Wednesday October 03, 2007