Town Council Meeting on 11th October 2017 – Key Messages


  1. Cycle South Dartmoor Update – thanked the Town Council for their contribution of £500 towards the cost of the SUSTRANS feasibility study for a proposed new cycle route connecting communities adjacent to the A38 from Plymouth to Ashburton. The SUSTRANS report will be available soon and presented to Devon Highways.
  2. Whitecleave Quarry – Further errors by Devon County Council Planning Department mean that the recent planning application has now been withdrawn. The Town Council voted unanimously to go to stage 2 of the complaint process against Devon County Council’s failure to follow the proper process and serve the correct notices.
  3. Devon Air Ambulance – everything is now in place to start work on the new floodlights at the football pitch which will enable the Air Ambulance helicopter to safely land at any time of the day or night to assist critically ill patients. We hope that work will be completed before Christmas. Hello Summer 2017 – over 400 children attended our programme of free activities and workshops during the school summer holidays.  We plan to commission more free activities during 2017 (a free Halloween event and more bouncy castle/soft play sessions) and, with the support of an Awards for All grant, we plan to develop a more comprehensive youth programme for 2018.    Solar panels will be installed at the swimming pool over winter.    The new programme of free community training sessions is now up and running with the next session on Thursday 2 Nov at 6.45pm focusing on ‘planning for the future’ – identifying community need and developing a business plan/strategy.   Matt McLeod, the Town Ranger, is looking for groups willing to help plant hundreds of purple crocus around town in support the Rotary Club Purple4Polio Campaign.  Please email Ranger@nullBuckfastleigh.gov.uk if you can help.    Cllr Linus McCloskey reminded us about the CAB service at the Medical Centre each Friday morning and asked people to cancel their appointments if no longer able to attend so that as many people as possible can be seen.
  4. Teignbridge District Council have proposed the creation of a Town Centre manager for Buckfastleigh, Ashburton, Bovey Tracey, Chudleigh and Moretonhampstead. We agreed to explore this further.

Full minutes will be available on the website after the next Town Council Meeting.