West Down Village Forum Notes

West Down Village Forum held on 14th October 2025 in West Down Parish Hall

Representatives from the following organisations attended: –
Art Group
Gardening Club
St Calixtus Church
The Crown
West Down Community Park and West Down Boules Club
West Down Community Shop
West Down Parish Council
West Down Parish Hall
West Down School
West Down Women’s Institute

Apologies – Sue Ayre, Andy Odell

Art Group
The group meets fortnightly on Wednesdays in the Parish Hall, from 10.30 to 12.30. They usually work in watercolour but experiment with a variety of media and techniques. There is no upfront fee, members pay by attendance and all abilities are welcome in this friendly group. New members should contact Avice Yeo on 07747 632342 and avice.yeo@btinternet.com.

Gardening Club
The 64 members have had a busy and eventful year. New members have included some from Braunton Bowls Club, via a Committee Member.  The long serving Treasurer retired and was made an Honorary Life Member in recognition of his services. As well as holding ten meetings/garden visits, members went to Powderham Castle Garden Festival in May, visited the Queen’s Theatre to see an evening with Adam Frost and had a five-night coach holiday based in Bournemouth. They are currently looking forward to their Christmas Lunch at Barnstaple Hotel.  In March 2026 they celebrate their 25th anniversary, unlike many other gardening clubs that disbanded after Covid. An achievement due to enthusiastic members and a dedicated committee. There is a full and exciting programme planned for 2026, including speakers, a Fred Olsen Cruise to Rotterdam and Amsterdam to see the bulb fields, a three night/four day coach holiday around the Home Counties and a visit to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Show, which will be held at Badminton in July. New members should contact Jan Oades on 01271 865554 and janet474@btinternet.com.

St Calixtus Church
St Calixtus Church has welcomed a new vicar, who has already brought fresh energy to the congregation. A pet service was held recently and future services are listed on the village website. The harvest supper proved to be a sell-out event, with everyone thoroughly enjoying the meal and the lively atmosphere. It was widely agreed that the evening was a great success, and the money raised was generously donated to the local food bank. It is hoped that the Gift Day can be held again to raise funds for the maintenance of the church.

The Crown
The Crown is run by a local couple and offers a range of activities. The Parish Lunch is open to all residents and has a set menu. The most recent lunch was well attended and provided an opportunity for everyone to share a meal in a friendly atmosphere. Below is the upcoming schedule of events at The Crown: –

  • October 25th: Bingo Night
  • November 8th: Sam Evans Band
  • November 12th: Christmas Market
  • November 13th: Parish Lunch
  • November 29th: Big Al and The Wild Strawberries
  • December 11th: Parish Christmas Lunch
  • December 20th Carols
  • December 27th: Quiz Night
  • February 5th–March 14th: Six Nations Rugby
  • February 7th: The Broken Aerials Band
  • March 7th: The Blue Shed Band

West Down Community Park
The Trustees continue to meet on the second Wednesday of each month at The Crown and are always looking for additional volunteers to join. The issue of dog mess in the park has improved considerably since the installation of poo bag dispensers around the park in April and May. Where previously 23 incidents were recorded each month, we are now seeing four or fewer cases reported. This positive change has greatly contributed to maintaining a cleaner and more pleasant environment for all park users and thanks are due to Amy Batstone, Tasha Hookway and Mark Kentell for their efforts. We have also invested in grant funded new cordless tools, enabling us to carry out significant maintenance work throughout the park. Wildflower and native hedging planting has been carried out by Trustees with Greening Funds secured by the Parish Council. The installation of new accessible picnic benches has meant that disabled people and others can easily join friends and family as they sit around the picnic table. The donated play equipment (ex Watermouth Castle via West Down School) is currently under review, with the possibility of converting some of it into a dog agility course being considered. The Boules Club meets on Monday evenings and has been doing well in village matches. A festive dog show featuring Santa Paws, with a variety of classes and stalls will take place in the Parish Hall on December 13th.  The traditional Boxing Day football match between East and West Down is expected to take place again this year. Work parties meet on some Sunday mornings, to join these and other fun stuff, contact Amy Batstone on Hello@westdowncommunitypark.org.

West Down Community Shop
The Community Shop is now in a healthier financial position following the success of the summer fête, for which sincere thanks are due to all who helped. The shop continues to depend on volunteers, and there are always gaps in the rota; this means the manager often has to step in, making it difficult to carry out their management duties. Although the management committee now boasts five members, further support is still needed. September proved challenging due to a shortage of volunteers, many being away on holiday, but with ongoing fundraising efforts, the shop is expected to break even by the end of the year. More custom is essential – if every household were to spend just £5 a week, the shop would be a viable enterprise.

A new bench, kindly donated in memory of Peter Knowles, now allows customers to enjoy a peaceful moment outside with a cup of coffee and the shop is most grateful for this generous gift. Fewer tourists visited this season, partly because a caravan park was closed, which led to reduced takings. There was a suggestion to form an overarching village authority to bring together all village activities; however, it was noted that villages with such arrangements tend to have much smaller populations and/or different facilities, like car parks, toilets, and cafés.

The Women’s Institute have been busy crafting cards, which have sold well and they plan to make Easter chicks for cream eggs nearer the time. Plans are also underway to place tables by the window so customers can enjoy cake and a cup of coffee. Forthcoming fund-raising events are Quiz on 15th November in the Parish Hall and Santa Run on 14th December starting at 10.30 in the Community Park.

West Down Parish Council
The Parish Council now has a full complement of eight councillors and John Barnett is the new Clerk. The Community Emergency Response Team is led by Andy Odell and the Community Emergency Plan was published in September 2024. The team received grant funding of £2,053 for equipment and set up costs.  The Parish Council now has responsibility for the Air Ambulance landing lights and a Memorandum of Understanding is now in place. The lights are tested monthly by a Community Park Trustee.

The Parish Council has successfully secured £2640 grant funding for hedging and wild flowers and £5,270 for a storage battery for the electricity generated by the solar panels on the Parish Hall and £2730 for planting in the Community Park. Thorne Park car park is now leased from NDC for £1 a year rent. Business rates are £1,035 a year. Reactive speed signs are ready to be installed and should be running within a month, with data capture on speeding. This will be particularly welcome on Ilfracombe Road. The Parish Council have funded two new litter bins at Foxhunters bus shelters and a replacement of the wooden shelter is proposed which would be 50% grant funded by Devon CC. The new Road Warden councillor and a small number of volunteers are to undergo training. The Parish Council also pays to empty the dog bins, maintains the grit bins and monitors/helps maintain approximately six miles of 14 footpaths. The two village defibrillators are also routinely checked and maintained. The Parish Council was praised for securing £37,374 in grant income over the last 3 years. Local Government is undergoing re-organization over the next two or three years, with the county’s eleven councils possibly being reduced to three large Unitary Authorities. There is still considerable discussion on how this will be implemented. This could mean more delays to the Tarka Trail. The Parish Council meets on the first Wednesday of the month in the Parish Hall and residents are always welcome to attend.

West Down Parish Hall
The West Down Parish Hall is in good shape, with a lively committee who meet monthly. However, some younger members would be welcome! Some business and local authorities have been using the hall for training sessions with the available parking and technology proving useful. Sadly, the Quilting Club have disbanded but other users, such as yoga, continue. However, the hall is underused.  Overheads are around £8,000 and income from bookings is around £4,000, however the solar storage battery is now reducing fuel bills and supporting the hall’s commitment to sustainability. A defibrillator has been installed outside Room 2000 thanks to a donation of £990 from Ilfracombe Round Table against the cost of £1,247. ‘Chatty Café’ coffee mornings are held on the first Thursday of each month, when residents are invited to enjoy unlimited tea, coffee and biscuits for £3.50 (This includes a raffle ticket!). The one in December will feature wreath making.  Forthcoming fund-raising events include the popular Ferret Race with free entry on 1st November and the Christmas Fayre on 29th November. There will also be an evening of drama in April, when Mark Carey will perform the play “Into the Breach”.

Looking ahead, there are plans to extend the hall to provide extra storage and improve stage access, once the builders have quoted there will be a clearer idea of the finance needed. The hall is also part of the Hall Share initiative, allowing committee members to collaborate and learn from other village halls across North Devon. During discussions on hall charges, it has been found that the Parish Hall charges are in line with others as other halls have additional fees for the use of kitchen facilities etc.

West Down School
The school has recently become part of the Harbour Partnership. There are fewer children on the school roll. It is benefitting from the Tesco blue tokens initiative and may be applying to the Parish Council for a grant. PTFA volunteers were down last year as many experienced members had moved on as their children are now in secondary school and with such busy lives these days, recruitment is tricky. Without people power it is not easy to co-ordinate the organization of PTFA events. They are hopeful for more volunteers this school year.  Oak Class will be joining the WI on 11th November for Remembrance and there will be a Nativity on 10th December. There is ‘Stay and Play’ for the younger children.

West Down WI
They meet on Thursday afternoons and have a full programme of speakers and outings. They have recently produced a recipe book which is on sale for £3.00 and contains a variety of tried and tested recipes. As a member of a nationwide organization, they vote on resolutions that are put before Parliament. On the fourth Thursday of each month, they hold a craft meeting and this month will be making trauma teddy bears for the blue light services, using wool that was kindly donated by a resident. They have also offered to teach anyone who wishes to learn to knit. Anyone wishing to join should contact Ruth Verney at cheglinch@yahoo.co.uk.

West Down Village Forum held on 25th July 2024 in West Down Parish Hall

Present:  Carole King (Chair), Gaynor Isaac, Keith Oades, Terry King, Ian Davies, John Stainer, Jan Oades, Ness Hunt, Mike Reeves, David Ayres, Gill Livings and Susi Batstone.  

Organisations represented by the above were:  Parish Hall, Village Park, Parish Council, Community Shop, Gardening Club and Women’s Institute.  

Apologies from:  School (PTA); St Calixtus Church; Sue Ayre (Chair Parish Council), Catherine Williams (President Women’s Institute), John Whitby (Chair Community Shop).  

For Parish Hall:  David Ayre handed out the Autumn/Winter programme.  There will be Coffee Mornings on the first Thursday of the month over the winter, (except December).  The Hall now has a TV Licence to enable big screen showings of sports matches etc.  The old upholstered chairs are in storage in Terry King’s barn – they need to be disposed of if there are not any takers.  The shop and the Hall are participating in the Community Lottery, and proceeds are coming through.  Dave and Ronnie Maidment are maintaining the village website, so please send information about events and news.  

Terry King mentioned that fund raising had become more difficult as the Crown now offers regular entertainment events.  The extension project to increase the stage space and access, and provide more storage and changing areas for productions is moving forward – the plans are drawn up and planning permission has been granted, so funding is the next hurdle.  Regular groups include the Art group, Quilting, WI, Karate and the Gardening Club.  The hire charge for this Hall includes costs that other halls add on top.  John Stainer said that the cleaning charges will reduce following the reduction in bookings due to Covid.  The cleaner also carries out H&S checks after each hire.   David Ayre mentioned that the running costs are difficult to reduce significantly – for example the electrical distribution needed upgrading and re-certifying recently.  

For West Down Community Park:  John Stainer is working with other park Trustees and John Whitby and the shop committee to plan the Village Fete, Dog Show and Fun Run on the 25th August.  Gaynor Isaac wanted to know if stalls would be available to vendors or organisations outside the Parish – she thought it was for locals only and Tasha Hookway is publicising the event.  Mike Reeves clarified that the policy had been revised, that village organisations could have a free stall, but other stallholders would be charged £10.  The availability and cost of tables was discussed.  The application forms are being prepared by John Whitby who is currently away.  

Financial responsibility for the Air Ambulance Light has been accepted by the Parish Council and a new agreement will be put in place between the PC, the Park and Air Ambulance charity to clarify maintenance.  The replacement of the second bank of lights is being undertaken, but the site is still usable with one or no lights.  

The Park is still short of Trustees, but the maintenance Team has some new faces who are getting to grips with the machinery and the cutting regimes.  John feels that there is a lack of awareness by users of the fact that the community is responsible for keeping the area usable.  Improvements to the entrance signs are needed and the display of a QR code to link to Park news or notices is being implemented.  

Keith Oades advised that there is one vacant allotment and the current plot holders have set up a WhatsApp group which is fostering more co-operation between them.  

For the Parish Council:  Mike Reeves explained work being carried out by the Emergency Planning team, who have published their draft on the Parish Council and Village websites.  CERT (the Community Emergency Response Team) has Andy Odell and Nigel Tinsley-Such heading it up – both are ex Police Officers.  A Desktop exercise was carried out in March to practice scenarios and the proposals are now nearly ready for circulation.  The PC has been awarded £1400 for items like High Vis vests, road signs and cones.   A live exercise is being planned and an ‘out of village’ shelter premises may need to be designated.  Carole and Terry King offered their storage barns for consideration if needed.  Carole also offered some mobility equipment, which could be useful.   

Mike explained that the PC are taking over the lease of the Thorne Park car park from the District Council once outstanding maintenance matters have been resolved.  The PC maintains 14 registered Footpaths, receiving some funding from PROW. 

The installation of a moveable reactive speed sign is being pursued – the reduction of the speed limit to 20 mph would not be possible under the current points system.  It will be battery operated and be able to be deployed in three different locations.  JS asked if the promised rumble strips (part of the Acorn agreement) at Farriel Lane junction with Ilfracombe Hill would ever materialise – Mike explained that the Planning Department had omitted to specify this on the planning permission and therefore it was not going to happen, along with the two width reductions of the road which would have slowed traffic down. 

The PC small grants submissions will be open soon, details on the PC website.  

There will be a ‘village Tidy up’ between the 5th and 11th August – tackling weeds, litter, signage etc – please take photos for publication as there may be prizes! 

The Parish Clerk is retiring at the end of September, the position will be advertised shortly – 26 hrs a month, working from home with meeting attendance.  There is still one Councillor vacancy and the precept is now levied on approx. 350 households.  

For the Community Shop:  Ness Hunt reported that the shop would still like more volunteers and is advertising for a weekend assistant as the current ones are off to University.  The yellow newsletter for July is nearly ready to go out.  Cost of stock is still rising, the shop is running at a loss and overheads are being tackled – Ness is now part time.  Please support the shop!  CK complimented the window displays, which Ness explained were the work of one of the volunteers.  

For the Gardening Club:  Jan Oades spoke – there are 60 members and the club now gets a mention in the Braunton Clubs and Communities directory which is produced every six months.  Recently a trip to Clovelly Court garden was enjoyed and 39 have already signed up for the 2025 holiday to Bournemouth Area.  

For the WI:  Gill Livings invited ladies to meetings which are held at the Hall on the second Thursday of the month, 2-4 pm.  Guest speakers are usually present.  On the fourth Thursday there is a Craft group which meets, some of their greetings cards will be on sale in the shop.  

To close, Carole thanked all the attendees for their public spirited contributions to village life and thanked Susi Batstone for taking notes.  

West Down Village Forum held on 15th November 2023 in West Down Parish Hall

A Village Forum was held on 15th November in the Parish Hall, the representatives from the following organisations attended: –

Community Park
West Down Parish Hall
West Down Women’s Institute
Community Shop
St. Calixtus Church
Parish Council
Gardening Club
Emergency Planning

The following topics were discussed.

Community Park
The representative from the Community Park thanked the Parish Council for the funding that had enabled the establishment of a useful diversity of planting, the trees and wetland area greatly enhanced the facilities of the Park. The Parish Hall was also thanked for helping with the re-location of the Fair that took place in May, providing the facilities enabling the Women’s Football Final to be enjoyed. It was stressed that the Community Park was owned by the village and, consequently, all maintenance etc. was the responsibility of the village. Two new volunteers with the necessary skills and experience had been recruited and given the training needed to help with the maintenance.

Work to remove and re-connect the overhead cables was nearly completed. This ensured that the hazards previously presented by the overhead cables for kites etc., were removed and an electricity supply to the container was established to assist with field maintenance. It was hoped that liaison with other organisations could be further established to assist with event planning. The Community Park owns marquees, gazebos, chairs and tables that can be made available for loan/hire.

New goalposts had been provided, replacing the smaller ones. It was gratifying to note that they are in constant use, even in adverse weather conditions and a football team is being organised. There was some discussion about the traditional Boxing Day football match. The issue of dog fouling was raised and it was noted that most dog owners are responsible, but closer monitoring is needed to identify the others. This is particularly important in the children’s play area due to the health hazards that dog excrement poses.

The allotments were popular and two that had been neglected were to be cleared and re-allocated. It was noted that surplus produce from the allotments was routinely given to the Community Shop. This was much appreciated.

West Down Parish Hall
The Parish Hall was said to be in good shape, with an excellent and enthusiastic committee. Additional members are always welcome. Latest improvements include led lighting inside and out, enhanced Wi-Fi and a new path leading to the kitchen area. New plans include a hedge bordering the car park and a wildflower area. An extension to the back of the hall is also planned, this will increase the much needed storage area and will allow access to the stage from both sides. Grants are continually sought to fund improvements. Owing to a traffic accident involving the promoter, the ferret race has had to be postponed. A Christmas Fair will be held on 2nd December in the Parish Hall. Attractions will include refreshments, games, an elf on the shelf and a huge raffle, with prizes including £100 worth of alcohol. All the prizes have been generously donated to support the hall. Pre-event raffle tickets will be sold in the Community Shop. An offer to organise a visit from Father Christmas was made and gratefully accepted. Events in the New Year will include the re-scheduled Ferret Race and a quiz.

It was stressed that all the improvements to the hall have been paid for by obtaining grants and fund raising. The rise in hall charges was due to the increase in costs, such as energy and wages and contributed to the running of the hall and not to improvements. ‘Start-up’ organisation are offered reduced rates to help them into viability.

Committee members attend ‘Hall Share’ meetings, visiting halls in other villages and sharing best practice. It was noted that the West Down Hall offered competitive rates and organisations from other areas such as Braunton, used it, appreciating the ease of parking and the facilities.

West Down Primary School
Raffle tickets are currently on sale at the school and at Jewsons. The draw will be held on 5th December. A Christmas Fair will be held in the Parish Hall on Saturday, November 25th. There will be music, stalls and a grotto. Everyone is welcome.

West Down Women’s Institute
The Institute meets monthly in the Parish Hall and has 23 members. New members are always welcome and can attend as guests initially. There is a varied programme of speakers, covering topics such as nature, local history and health. A craft group also meets monthly, sharing expertise and learning new skills. It is a national organisation and as such has an important role in bringing issues to the attention of the public and government. Recent resolutions have included, clean rivers, microplastics, violence against women and modern slavery. A birthday party to celebrate the 75th year of the West Down institute was held recently, with guests from other institutes and music provided by Maggie Foster and Graham Ramsden. Everyone enjoyed this immensely.

Community Shop
A new manager has been appointed after the previous manager left to take over The Crown. A new weekend assistant has also been appointed. The Committee is working to reduce overheads and an Extraordinary Meeting of shareholders is planned. Volunteers are needed for a variety of roles and it was stressed that the community needs to use the shop if it is to survive. Just a few purchases every week would enable this important community asset to continue serving the community. Recent fund-raising initiatives have included – ‘guessing the weight of the pumpkin’ and making bats for Halloween. More fund- raising events are planned. It was noted that the shop helps local organisations by selling tickets for functions, producing a newsletter and sharing important information on services.

St Calixtus Church
The church is currently without a vicar and it was explained that interviews for this position are currently ongoing. The new vicar will be based at Heanton and will be responsible for three churches. There is a full Christmas programme, including Carol Service, a Crib, and services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Full details of these are on the church pages of the West Down website. Although attendance was good at the recent Service of Remembrance, numbers are low and parishioners are urged to ‘use it or lose it’. The state of the grass was a cause of concern, this was due to a gap between contracts and the wet weather. It was explained that the church is financed by parishioners and recent problems with the ceiling have not helped the financial situation. The Gift Day will be reinstated in the summer. It was noted that there are vacancies on the PCC and church wardens are also needed. The church is available to be used for functions as long as these are respectful and suitable.

The Iron Room has had to increase the cost of hire due to rises in fuel etc. Due to dry rot, it will be necessary to put a temporary floor in the kitchen. The ‘Warm Space’ initiative had been very successful last year and it was hoped that it would be possible to provide this again in the early months of next year.

Parish Council
There is currently a vacancy on the Parish Council, it is important that there is a full complement of Councillors to enable effective operating. Parish Council meetings are attended by County and District Councillors on a regular basis. It was explained that the Parish Council is responsible for 14 footpaths and also provides the village with the defibrillator; dog excrement bins and grit bins; salt and grit distribution; maintenance of bus shelters and the provision of small grants to local groups and organisations. Financial support is also currently provided to subsidise room hire charges for the Outreach Post Office at the Parish Hall.

Over the last two years 20k has been obtained in grants mainly from our District and County Councils enabling benches to be given to the community, planting to be undertaken in the Community Park, support to assist the West Down Community Land Trust and for substantial repairs and maintenance of local footpaths. To celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, a tree with a plaque was donated to the Community Park. The Parish Council has a comprehensive website which includes the minutes of meetings.

Gardening Club
Has been going for twenty-three years now and has around sixty members coming from various local areas. They have a variety of speakers at their meetings but it is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to find speakers willing to travel to North Devon due to fuel costs. Holidays have also been arranged for members and in future this will done using the holiday services provided by Filers. The programme for next year will be available on the West Down website. A Christmas lunch has been arranged at the Imperial Hotel in Barnstaple.

Other organisations are also finding the provision of speakers a problem and it was suggested that information was shared on this.

Emergency Planning
Delegates are currently meeting to finalise the Emergency Plan. A letter is to be sent out to the community very shortly seeking information on what expertise, equipment and facilities are available. Volunteers will be recruited to facilitate incident control and evacuation in the event of an emergency incident. There will be a Community Meeting on 15th January to provide information on this and a Table Top exercise is planned for 9th March. This will provide a variety of scenarios in order to investigate problems and possibilities arising from such incidents. It will also be necessary to discover the location and needs of vulnerable people in the community, this will need to be done in a way that is sensitive and confidential. These measures were considered necessary in view of the recent unforeseen pandemic.

Summary
The various organisations agreed to continue to share information on events and resources and were reminded that the West Down website contains a ‘Forthcoming Events’ section. It was important that this was used and its existence publicised.