On 8 May we mark the historic 80th anniversary of VE Day and there will be celebrations taking place all over the country. Beacons are being lit for the occasion and Alwington Parish is no exception.

Please join us at 8:00pm in the Old School Room bringing something to drink, a torch and a chair. 1940s dress is optional but worth the effort. The beacon will be in the Beresfords’ field and will be lit with thousands of others at 9:30pm.

This information is being circulated via local WhatsApp groups and you are asked to indicate via WhatsApp whether you are interested.

The April/ May edition of Alwington News has been published: click here: Alwington News

On 16 December 2024 the Government published its English Devolution White Paper, which gave details of its plans to transfer power and spending from Central Government to local Government.

Local Government Reorganisation

Alongside this the Government wants to reorganise local Government structure. This will involve changing the structure and responsibilities of local authorities.

Under the Government proposals the current two-tier structure of district and county councils would be combined to become a new single tier. The Government recommends that the new single councils would serve a population of 500,000 or more. Currently Torridge District Council serves a population of 68,100 (2021 Census).

The leaders of East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon Councils issued a statement in February 2025 that stated they were ‘united in our belief that the interests of the nearly 1 million people of Devon and Torbay will not best be served by a single 'mega' Council covering the entirety of this area. As districts, we have therefore reached initial agreement to work towards the formation of two new Councils that combine our existing areas as follows;

● A Unitary combining the South Hams, Teignbridge and West Devon areas with Torbay

● A Unitary including East, Mid and North Devon alongside Torridge District and the City of Exeter.

The new organisations are expected to take power from April 2028.

Parish Councils

The Government white paper included no plans to alter the structure of Parish Councils. It did however state that ‘the relationship between town and parish councils and principal Local Authorities would be ‘re-wired’, strengthening expectations on engagement and community voice.’

It might be that the new council would ask the local parish councils to undertake more work on their behalf, but this is not directly included within Government plans.

The minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 25 March are now available. Click here: Minutes 25 March 2025

Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) has produced a list of frequently asked questions about the scaling back of Airband's contracts. Click here: Airband FAQs

Network companies are responsible for maintaining supply on the grid and fixing power cuts.

You may be entitled to compensation if your electricity or gas supply goes off. The amount you can claim depends on whether the cut was planned, how long it lasted, or if it was the network company’s fault.

For more details click here: compensation

Devon County Council is considering proposals to amend the admission arrangements for Bideford College and Atlantic Academy for the 2026-27 academic year.

 Currently, the catchment area for Bideford College extends from the town itself along the north Devon coast to include Parkham, Woolsery and Hartland. Atlantic Academy does not have a catchment area with priority for admission for its residents or linked primary schools.

 Athena Learning Trust, the admission authority for both Atlantic Academy and Bideford College, proposes to introduce a catchment area for Atlantic and reduce the catchment for Bideford accordingly. This would mean that the primary school catchments for Hartland, Woolsery and part of Parkham would be in the Atlantic catchment and not the Bideford catchment. Priority for secondary transfer would switch from Bideford to Atlantic for pupils at those primary schools.

From 2026-27 the feeder primary schools for Atlantic would be:

• Hartland Primary School

• Parkham Primary School

• Woolsery Primary School

From 2026-27 the feeder primary schools for Bideford would be:

• Appledore Community Primary School

• East-the-Water Community Primary School

• Instow Community Primary School

• St Helen’s Church of England Primary School

• St Margaret’s Church of England Junior School

• St Mary’s Church of England Primary School

• West Croft School

For more information please see https://www.devon.gov.uk/educationandfamilies/school-information/apply-for-a-school-place/arrangements-and-policies/

Comments on any of the proposals can be made:

• To the schools themselves

• By emailing schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk

• By writing to Admissions Policy Consultation, Room L60, County Hall, Exeter EX2 4QG

Devon Communities Together (DCT), an independent charity, has presented what it describes as “eye-opening results” of an audit of 80% of Devon’s Village Halls. The report is entitled “A Key Moment in the Future of Devon’s Village Halls” and can be found by clicking here: Devon’s Village Halls.

Alison Browning, chair of Alwington Village Hall, states: We are delighted that the team at Devon Communities Together has produced such a positive report about Village Halls in Devon and the beneficial impact they have on their local community. We are very proud of our Village Hall and the role it plays in the life of our community. We work hard to ensure the hall is well maintained and have just had solar panels with battery storage installed to reduce our environmental impact. A huge thank you has to go to all those involved in seeing that this is the case.

Concern has been expressed locally about road traffic accidents that have taken place recently at the bus stops in Fairy Cross. The Parish Council has been concerned for many years about the speeds at which cars and lorries drive along the A39 at Fairy Cross and has made enquiries of Devon County Council (DCC) about traffic calming measures ranging from speed limits to light-controlled pedestrian crossings.

The current advice is that 40/50 mph speed limits can be put in place outside 30 mph limits where there is a speed-related casualty accident history; requests which do not meet these criteria may be considered through the departure from policy procedure. Transitional speed limits may be considered where communities are located closely together (less than 800 metres). 

However, DCC has said that “whilst there is collision data recorded for this location it would not qualify as a cluster site to support a departure from policy”.

The most up-to-date collision data can be views on this website: https://vzsw.traffweb.app/traffweb/1/PublicMap. This includes only collisions recorded by the Police that occurred on a highway, involved one or more vehicles and human death or personal injury and which were were notified to the Police within 30 days of occurrence.

The Parish Council will continue to make representation to DCC as well as considering other options available to us locally.

Devon & Cornwall Police have produced a helpful page on their website entitled “Personal fraud and how to prevent it.” It describes ten golden rules and other helpful information including a downloadable booklet entitled “The Little Book of Big Scams.” The web page can be found by clicking here: Personal fraud and how to prevent it

A vacancy has arisen for a Councillor to sit on Alwington Parish Council. Councillors work together to serve the community and help the Council to make decisions on behalf of the local community.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and be an elector of the local council; or in the past 12 months occupied land or other premises in the area the local council serves (as owner or tenant); or work in the area local council serves (as your principal or only place of work); or live within three miles of the local council boundary.

For more information please contact the Clerk by email at parish.clerk@alwingtonparish.org or in writing at Alwington Parish Council, Withy Barn, Fairy Cross, Bideford EX39 5DW

Note:

A by-election will be held to fill this vacancy if at least ten electors request it within 14 days (not including weekends and public holidays). If there is no demand for a by-election, the council will fill the vacancy by co-option.

Torridge District Council is able to provide support for those most impacted by the rising cost of living. As well as details of food banks and warm rooms there is also a Household Support Fund that can provide help, primarily with energy bills but also water bills and food vouchers.

For details click here: Cost of Living Help

Torridge District Council offers a loan scheme ranging from £1,000 up to £20,000 with a 4% fixed interest rate, regardless of the amount you borrow. This initiative aims to provide homeowners with accessible financing solutions for essential property improvements and renewable energy measures.

Torridge District Council works closely with Lendology CIC, who understand the challenges homeowners face when funding property repairs and adaptations.

For more information click here: Lendology or telephone 01823 461099

The terms of reference of the sub-committee formed by the Parish Council to develop the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Gardens can be seen under “Governance” in the “Governance and Planning” drop down menu under “Parish Council” or by clicking here

The Parish Council regularly reports the existence of potholes in the parish to Devon County Council and updates are provided at each Parish Council Meeting. DCC will only repair potholes that have a 40 mm (4 cm) vertical edge and are 300 mm (30 cm) wide.

Our local policing team is based at Bideford Police Station. The team is committed to working with local people and partner agencies to tackle key priorities for the neighbourhood. More details can be found on this flyer which is also on the parish noticeboards: click here Bideford Neighbourhood Police

Further information about the local policing teams can be found on their website: click here Local Policing Teams