A Devolution Deal for Devon
Kingsbridge Town Council has responded to the public consultation on proposals for a Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority:
Kingsbridge Town Council has responded to the public consultation on proposals for a Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority:
New Kingsbridge Skatepark Opens
A new skatepark in Kingsbridge has been given a green light for community use, now that fencing has been removed.
Built during winter 2023, extra fencing was the last item to be completed to make sure the skatepark was completely safe for the park’s users. With this now carefully in place, the Council would like to thank the community’s skaters who have patiently waited for the opening. They will now reap the full benefits of the park with the better weather as we head towards the spring and lighter evenings.
The skatepark was only realised thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Kingsbridge residents earlier this year and the tireless leadership of the project by local volunteers.
A Crowdfunder scheme raised more than £38,000 over just a couple of months, with Sport England reacting to this overwhelming local support by contributing £100,000. Kingsbridge Town Council provided further funding of £50,000 and South Hams District Council gave £30,000 with a further £25,000 of Section 106 Developer’s (S106) Funding. To complete the huge funding contributions, the Gibbons Trust provided £5,000 and the Norman Family Trust gave £5,000.
Adam Sherring, of the Kingsbridge Skatepark Community Group, said: “This has been a passion project, in response to seeing skaters daily desperate for a quality park. The ongoing support of people in and around Kingsbridge has been humbling, and the skatepark will bring real and long lasting improvement to the quality of life of young people in the town. I couldn’t be prouder of the way Kingsbridge has pulled together to deliver this.”
Cllr Victor Abbott, South Hams Executive Member for Community Services and Leisure, said: “The local community raised funds to deliver this skatepark in super quick time, through their local Crowdfunder which in turn attracted interest and secured funding from Sport England. This is testament to the importance Kingsbridge residents place on improving facilities for their young people. We are thrilled to have played our part in delivering a skatepark that responds to community need, and it has been a pleasure working with the local community and the Town Council to deliver this project.”
Philip Cole, Chairman of Kingsbridge Town Council, said: “We are over the moon to see the opening of the skatepark. Local young people have been extremely patient awaiting the opening, and we can’t wait to see them enjoying the new ramps.”
The construction of the project was carried out by Wheelscape, an experienced skatepark construction design and build company. They have worked closely with the skating community to design a skatepark that the local community really wants, and to respond when changes and updates to design were needed.
Elliot Hamilton, project manager at Wheelscape said: “This has been a complicated project to deliver, and we are thrilled to now see the opening of a quality skatepark.
“During the build, we were overwhelmed by the interest from local skaters and riders, and it is clear that this is going to be a popular and well used park. We are delighted to be helping to improve the health of future generations to come and we couldn’t have achieved this project in such good time without the support of the community – well done Kingsbridge!”
With drier and warmer weather in the spring, there will be a formal opening of the park, at which we can expect music, freebies, and some expert display of skating and riding, so watch this space!
Kingsbridge Town Council award small cash grants to local clubs, groups and organisations which are actively involved in recreational, social or cultural pursuits within the community.
Bids are now invited for the awards in financial year 2024-25. Application forms, alongside the necessary conditions for an award, can be obtained from the Council Offices at Quay House, by downloading it from below, or by phoning 01548.853296.
Please be aware that there will only be one round of awards and so it is essential to get the completed forms, with supporting documents, into the Council Offices by 12 noon on Friday 12th April 2024.
Successful grants will be distributed mid-May 2024.
Get bidding – don’t put it off until tomorrow!
Do you know someone who has served the town of Kingsbridge in a unique way and deserves recognition? Who in the community made a difference to you in the past year?
Kingsbridge Town Council is asking you to nominate an individual and/or community group that you feel should be recognised for their good works. Those people who give their time freely to enrich the lives of their community and whose initiatives or fundraising activities have made a positive difference to our town. We are talking about all activity, big or small, from all kinds of people: a friend, work colleague, neighbour, or volunteer.
We do not wish to limit the scope; the concept is for the Kingsbridge community to elect their own Champions with as few rules and conditions involved as possible. All you need to do is to complete a nomination form which can be downloaded below.
Alternatively, pick one up from the Council Offices at Quay House, call 01548.853296, or email reception@kingsbridge.gov.uk. Nomination forms will also be available from the Library, Kingsbridge Information Centre, and a few shops in Fore Street.
It will only take you a few minutes to submit your nomination. It’s easy, so let’s give local people the credit they deserve!
Deadline for applications is Friday 15th March 2024.
We are seeking around 10 Kingsbridge residents who are willing to volunteer to take part in a flood forecasting project.
It will be managed by Devon County Council and it’s called the Devon Resilience Innovation Project (DRIP). What’s it all about?? Kingsbridge is one of 5 communities across the county to be chosen as a pilot to develop and test technology to increase our resilience to surface water flooding which is not covered by the current Environment Agency warning service. When heavy and intense rainfall is anticipated our volunteers will receive alert messages on their mobile phones and will be requested to feedback whether there has been flooding and its severity. A remote workshop via Zoom will be arranged to explain the system. The time commitment will be from 6 to 12 months. The ambition here is to improve the forecasting of flooding in town. So we really do need you and it doesn’t matter whereabouts you live in Kingsbridge. If you are up for it? and wish to help your local community? then please let us know by Wednesday 7th February via email: reception@kingsbridge.gov.uk and please type in DRIP as the subject. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks ever so much.
Young people and over 65s are expected to welcome the reopening of Devon and Cornwall Police’s enquiry office in Kingsbridge the most.
It is the latest front office to open in one of the biggest campaigns in the country to improve police contact.
From Monday 22nd January, people in Kingsbridge will be able to report a crime in person or just ask for help at the newly opened office.
Members of the public will have access to the walk-in service where they can speak to trained staff who can help with crime reporting, crime prevention advice and help with accessing victim services.
The Police Enquiry Office will be open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm and follows the successful opening of several front desks across the region.
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Alison Hernandez, said: “The community of Kingsbridge will now be able to access policing closer to home when needing to report a crime or ask for advice.
“This forms part of the most ambitious programme of Police Enquiry Office reopening in the country and my vision is for face-to face contact with the force to be an option for everyone in our force area. This will ensure that wherever you live in Devon and Cornwall – including rural, coastal and urban areas – you will be able to access a Police Enquiry Office.”
Police enquiry offices in Ilfracombe and Honiton are scheduled to open before the end of March.
It will bring the total number of police station front desks open to the public across Devon and Cornwall to 27 by 2025.
Analysis by Devon and Cornwall Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner suggests most residents of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly support more investment in this project and an accessible face-to-face policing service delivered through enquiry offices.
A recent survey revealed 16- to 24-year-olds were the most likely to think opening enquiry offices would significantly increase public confidence in the police and over a quarter of people aged over 65 agreed.
Following the opening of Newquay in 2020, a total of 17 front desks are scheduled to be created under the plans, taking the total number of front offices across the force area to 27.
Four more stations will be opened in the coming financial year.