Cold-calling, potentially uninsured con men, claiming to be tree surgeons are operating in our district, targeting vulnerable (particularly elderly) residents and claiming to be fully qualified, fully insured tree surgeons. They offer to do tree and garden works for cash. They state that they can carry out works to protected trees legally and provide residents with a certificate to submit to the local council to avoid prosecution. No such certificate system exists. An application to West Devon Borough Council is always required prior to carrying out works to any trees that are subject to a Tree Protection Order or to any tree in a Conservation Area, such as in the middle of Brentor village.
Don’t let bogus tree surgeons trick you!
Brentor Parish Council Vacancy
NOTICE OF VACANCY
Following the resignation of Councillor Lin Bristow, there is one vacancy on Brentor Parish Council. A by-election to fill the vacancies will be held if within 14 days of the date of this Notice (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Bank Holidays) ten electors from the Parish give notice in writing to the Returning Officer requiring that such an election be held.
Where ten valid requests for a by-election are received by the Proper Officer then under the provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and The Local Government and Police and Crime Commissioner (Coronavirus)(Postponement of Elections and Referendums)(England and Wales) Regulations 2020 the by-election will not currently take place, and the vacancy will be held open until the by-election takes place. The 2020 regulations provide for the by-election to take place on the date for the Ordinary Election of Councillors due to be held on Thursday 6 May 2021. However, this date may be brought forward or deferred by the Government depending upon the circumstances. Any Election that is in due course called will be duly publicised as required by law.
The address of the Returning Officer is West Devon Borough Council, Kilworthy Park, Drake Road, Tavistock, Devon PL19 0BZ.
A request for an election can also be scanned and emailed to elections@westdevon.gov.uk ,and must contain a “wet ink” signature.
If no such notice is given, the Parish Council will fill the vacancy through co-option. For further information please contact the Clerk to the Parish Council.
Mrs Caroline Oxenham Clerk
Dated: 16th July 2020
Fibre broadband is coming to Brentor! Apply NOW
The Government has now introduced the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) scheme , offering a grant of up to £3,400 per household to pay for connection to a superfast broadband service. Anyone without a consistent broadband speed of 10mbs or more or a monthly bill in excess of £46.10 is eligible to apply. This is designed to help residents in areas that cannot reliably access existing superfast broadband systems such as Airband and 4G. West Blackdown in Brentor is one such area and properties there have already registered for connection to a new fibre network that will be built with funding from the USO scheme. Residents in the village centre who cannot access a reliable Airband signal due to trees etc have also been able to register.
After an initial problem when residents were being asked to each contribute £45,857.20 to be connected, those residents in the West Blackdown area of Brentor who have already registered their interest in the USO are now being offered free connection to a new fibre network that will be built within 18 months! This is largely down to the efforts of these residents, who complained to our local MP, Ofcom, and even the Communications Ombudsman. The Parish Council also supported them in this issue and raised it with West Devon BC and Devon CC. Apparently BT has now discovered that there are enough properties in Brentor that qualify for a USO grant to cover the cost of building the new fibre network. This network will involve the installation of a new fibre optic cable across the moor from the Mary Tavy telephone exchange to Brentor. Previously we had been told that this was prohibitively expensive, but the USO grants have changed this situation.
Many residents in Mary Tavy and in hamlets further from the Mary Tavy digital exchange than Brentor, such as Horndon, are already being given free connection to superfast broadband with no extra cost on their bills.
To get a Universal Service Obligation grant you must register interest. To do this you should call 0800 783 0223 – the USO helpdesk. The staff you will speak to are very helpful and sympathetic and will just require your name, postcode and address, email address and telephone number and will talk to you about your current broadband connection. It is free to do and there is of course no obligation to take part in the scheme, even if you go as far as asking for a firm quotation of the cost.
Local residents have produced an advice sheet to help you with the USO registration process – click here to see it.
Click here to see Ofcom’s USO factsheet
Click here to see BT’s information on the USO
If anyone in Brentor has further information please contact the website Editor, Colin Dawes, by email at brentorvillage@btinternet.com.
For more information about how this issue has evolved in Brentor click here
You can check your broadband speed by clicking here. (Just click the button marked ‘Start Speed Test’ below the two dials).
New online-only bus timetable
This year, with so much disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Devon County Council has decided not to publish a paper timetable with a short shelf-life. Travellers will have to rely on an on-line version for the time being.
Most services are now operating normally but any exceptions to this are indicated in the timetable.
Any problems with Airband?
Our local MP, Geoffrey Cox, would be grateful to know of any residents who have had Airband installed and are experiencing difficulties.
Should constituents wish to contact Mr Cox regarding this matter, they should be aware that he will pass on their concerns and details to Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS), as they are keen to know of any issues in this respect. You can contact Geoffrey Cox by email at tellgeoffrey@geoffreycox.co.uk .
Highland cattle issues
The highland cattle are back on the moor at Gibbet Hill and are causing some concern for some local residents. Last year several people were involved in incidents with the cattle, so if you have any concerns, or wish to report an incident , please contact Parish Councillor Dave Williams by email at brentorpc4@gmail.com.
Important Covid-19 updates from W Devon BC – what we all need to know
Important new guidelines on social distancing, meeting outdoors in public and in you own gardens, day trips etc have been issued by the government. Here is a clear and concise guide to what they mean.
Coronavirus: Track and Trace – how it works
Brentor Village Hall will remain closed until September at the earliest
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Village Hall and Playing Field Committee have decided not to open the Village Hall until September. These are unprecedented times and this date is the earliest thought to be possible. The exact date will depend on government advice nearer the time.
In order for the Hall to reopen there are several guidelines that need to be met to ensure the safety of everyone. Unfortunately the Committee are currently unable to make the Hall meet those guidelines, including but not limited to, those relating to social distancing.
For more information you can contact the Village Hall and Playing Field Committee by email at brentorvillagehall@gmail.com.
Latest Government guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic
The Government’s guidelines on staying safe during the pandemic have been updated.
Click here to read the latest guidelines
Phone Hotline for Council coronavirus help now available
South Hams and West Devon Councils are now offering a hotline number for residents needing help and support during the Coronavirus outbreak – but please only use it if you don’t have access to a computer or smartphone.
The number, which will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, will be answered by the Community Co-ordination Team at the Council. Outside of these hours an answerphone service will be available.
The team can help people with a wide rangeBrentor Village – A Dartmoor Community of queries, such as where to get additional help and support, as well as putting residents in touch with their nearest community support group.
The hotline is intended for people who can’t access the information and support available through the council’s websites or social media.
Cllr Judy Pearce, Leader of South Hams District Council, said: “We’d urge you to keep this number free for those residents who don’t have a computer or a smartphone, and find it more difficult to access the help we can provide. I’m pleased that we’re able to offer our most vulnerable residents this extra service during this difficult time.”
Cllr Neil Jory, Leader of West Devon Borough Council agreed, saying: “It’s really important that we support our residents who are vulnerable and need help. Unfortunately these residents are often the most isolated members of our community without the benefits of technology. We want everyone to know that they aren’t alone and that if they have any questions they can pick up the phone and speak to us. If we can’t help there and then, we’ll know someone who can.”
The Community Support number in West Devon is 01822 813683. An answerphone service is available outside of working hours.
Brentor calendar 2021
Brentor News delivery suspended but you can still see the latest edition here
Brentor Community Trust, which publishes Brentor News, must of course suspend the delivery of printed copies of its news sheet during the coronavirus outbreak. However you can access the latest copy and future copies of Brentor News online on this website. You can also receive it by email if you are on the Brentor ‘E-Robin’ mailing list (see below)
Click here to go to the Brentor News page.
The Brentor ‘E-Robin’ mailing list is a free service run by Brentor Community Trust. About 90 households are already on this list and receive the latest information about events in the village. During the coronavirus outbreak this system also provides a way to disseminate useful information quickly throughout the parish.
If you would like to be added to the free ‘E-Robin’ mailing list please email a request to brentorinfo@btinternet.com .
Brentorians postpone their next production
The Brentorians drama group has decided, taking into account the temporary closure of the Village Hall and the developing situation concerning the Coronavirus epidemic, that it is necessary to postpone the Brentorians production due to be performed at the end of March. They now expect to mount their production on 19, 20 and 21 November and hope to restart their rehearsals in September.
Sign up to receive Brentor event reminders by email!
How often do you think ‘I wish I had remembered to go to that!’?If you sign up for the free village event reminder service that won’t happen again.
For many special village events or activities you will receive an email reminder during the week before the event. Occasionally events are put on at short notice and may only be advertised by this service.
So why not join over 80 households who have already signed up!
To take advantage of this free service just send your email to brentorinfo@btinternet.com.
Colin Dawes
Back numbers of Brentor News now available online
Almost all the back issues of Brentor News are now available to view on this website. Take a nostalgic look at how life was from November 1987 to the present day! It’s been a mammoth task to scan all the copies and post them online, but it’s now complete! 481 copies are online but you will see that four are missing from the Brentor Living Archive’s collection. Perhaps you might have copies of the elusive ones somewhere at the back of a cupboard – if you do please contact Colin Dawes on 811079!
Click here to go to the Brentor News page.
Drainage Maintenance Responsibilities
The February storms have brought the issue of drainage into sharp focus. Drain and ditch clearance has always been important in Brentor, but the effect of climate change, bringing heavier and more frequent rain and storms, is now making this even more vital.
At a recent Town and Parish Conference a great deal of interest was shown in who is responsible for maintaining and clearing drainage systems on and around Devon’s highways. Significant public funds have been invested by Devon County Council in a programme of ditch clearance to drain the water from the highway. However, in the majority of cases, the responsibility for ditch maintenance rests with the adjacent landowner, even if the ditches take water from the highway. Therefore local authority funding is being used to undertake works which are, in part, the responsibility of the landowners! This is reducing the funds available to undertake works which really are the authority’s responsibility.
Also landowners and occupiers are required by law to trim any hedge next to the public highway where the growth is preventing the passage, or affecting the safety, of the highway user.
It’s worth taking a look at the following documents if you own property by a road:
• A factsheet titled Roads and farmers produced by Devon County Council.
• Information regarding overgrown vegetation is available on the Devon County Council website here by clicking here.
Village Hall Open Meeting suggests rebuilding the Hall
Bre
ntor’s Village Hall and Playing Field Committee has been looking for ideas on how to move forward with the Village Hall. They are a registered charity, whose duty is to run the Village Hall and Playing Field for the benefit of our community.
Although the Hall was improved with a new kitchen, toilets and store in 2010, the old part of the building, dating from 1912, has significant problems with its fabric. About 20 villagers (including most of the Parish Council) went to the meeting about future plans for the Hall and heard from Sheryl Burroughs, the Chair of the Committee, that a structural survey of the hall has revealed that the Hall’s outer cladding will need complete replacement. This could apparently cost up to £30,000, and the Committee asked for suggestions on how the money could be raised. Click here to read the full Village Hall Structural survey.
However, members of the audience questioned the sense of spending so much money, only to end up with a building with the same problems as at present. As well as the issues with the cladding, they pointed out that there are problems with the floor structure, which will probably soon need replacing at considerable cost. Also the completely uninsulated nature of the building leads to condensation and mould growth on the inside walls. Due to the timber-frame construction of the building it is not possible to insulate the walls and roof within the structure, and the roof would not be strong enought to be insulated internally. A representative of Brentor Parish Council said that the Parish Council had discussed the issues of the Hall and would not support any proposals just to maintain the Hall as it is. It was said that Government regulations relating to the declared Climate Emergency would necessitate improving the environmental sustainability of the Hall if it is to remain open in the future. It was also pointed out that most grant-giving bodies these days rightly insist on building work improving the sustainability of the building being funded, so the likelihood of funds being available to maintain the status quo were therefore reduced.
Many attendees at the meeting expressed a great love for the Hall in its present form, but the meeting overwhelmingly came to the conclusion that it would be far wiser to attempt to rebuild the Hall, enabling it to be properly insulated and to improve the quality of its provision for our village. When the Hall was refurbished in 2010 with a new kitchen, toilets, store and disabled persons’ facilities, the grant applications were made on the understanding that this was phase 1 of the project, with the replacement of the main hall as a phase 2 for the future. The new build was constructed so that this could happen, and therefore only the hall would need to be replaced completely. It was suggested that, with careful design from a sympathetic architect, the new Hall would be able to preserve its current welcoming atmosphere and character.
There was also concern about closing the Hall for up to a year during the rebuilding period. However, when the Hall was closed in 2009/10 for the phase 1 rebuild, events such as the Mistletoe Fair were successfully held elsewhere in the village and the Brentorians created a film rather than a play. When the improved Hall reopened in 2010 there was a marked surge in bookings due to its much improved facilities. Now that the Hall owns a marquee this could be used on the playing field for larger events during the closure period.
A number of attendees at the meeting volunteered to help with fundraising for a hall rebuild, and at the end of the evening the Village Hall and Playing Field Committee agreed to discuss this matter at their next meeting and to progress this issue further in the near future – watch this space!
Community Housing latest
There has been very little obvious progress since July 2019. There is still no sign of a planning application, but it is understood that the scheme’s plans have been amended by the architects to reflect the views given at the open days.
Brentor Parish Council released the following statement on 18th July 2019:
PROPOSED HOUSING
Figures have now been collated from the Housing Needs Survey conducted in July 2018 and the 2 public presentation days.
The presentations were very well attended and figures show that the development is oversubscribed by local people who will be eligible to live there.
The latest data indicates a need for 11 affordable homes and 6 open market homes, which meet the criteria for an affordable development as required by WDBC and DNPA. The planned development remains fixed at 12 properties.
Further progress has been slightly delayed due to the recent elections, but it is understood that the plans will be submitted to DNPA shortly with a planning decision expected in September. Construction should then commence late Autumn or early next year.
Further information will be published as and when it is received.
A Brentor Inn memory
In response to this website’s request for memories of the Brentor Inn during its heyday, (scroll down the page to see this), Francesca Bell has sent this photo.
She writes: “Just having a lovely read of your Brentor Village page and thought you may like this photo. It’s at the then Brentor Inn the day of my younger brother’s christening about 1968. My dad in the background, Eric Doidge, farmer at Cross Trees Farm South Brentor, my Mum Celia (a Brentorian, I’ve memorabilia from then – original programmes and photographs), then there is my sister Beverley, my brother Ashley, myself Francesca and my grandmother Ethel May Scott (formerly of the Fox and Hounds).
Many a cherryade had on that day by the look of it!
Regards Francesca Bell (nee Doidge) “
If you also have any memories of the Brentor Inn we would be pleased to hear from you.
We need your contributions!
Do you have an interesting photo, an informative item about the village or an event that you need to promote?
We want to keep this website topical, local and up-to-date, so please send your potential contributions to the Editor at brentorvillage@btinternet.com .
Ongoing community issues
This section of the website sets out to provide a source of information about issues which are of ongoing concern to our village. Often these issues first appear on this home page, but require additional space to do them justice.
Click here for information about Broadband provision for Brentor
Click here for information about Local Needs Housing provision in Brentor
We want your recipes!
This website now has a recipes page, but there’s only a few recipes on it!
As we all know, lot of Brentor’s social life revolves around cooking and eating with family and friends. The recipes on the new page have been provided by Brentor residents past and present. No doubt some have been adapted and improved as the years pass – and they are reminders of residents past and present and of many good times around the table, as well as being household favourites.
WE NEED LOTS MORE RECIPES! So please email your contributions – a recipe with a small introductory text – to the editor, Colin Dawes, at brentorvillage@btinternet.com .