Residents and Parish Councillors gathered in West Hill’s village hall on Monday 23rd April for the Annual Parish Meeting. Councillors were keen to tell residents about the Council’s achievements during its first year of operation.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of grants to West Hill village organisations and each recipient gave a short presentation on what the grant would be used for. The largest grant of £1000 was awarded to West Hill Primary School’s Parent, Teacher and Friends Association, to be used for upgrades to the school’s Mediterranean garden and forest school. Smaller awards were made to the village hall, Royal British Legion West Hill Club, the Short Mat Bowling Club, West Hill Pre-School and the “Wasps” Junior Football Club.
Parish Council Chairman Margaret Hall was ably assisted by other Councillors who each reported on a different aspect of the Council’s work. Ranging from practical ideas to slightly grander long-term aspirations, things to look out for include:
- The Neighbourhood Plan – West Hill and Ottery residents will be asked to vote on it soon.
- Woodland Trust land – improvements to make Broadoak Plantation a nicer place to walk – maybe even create a space for people to sit and think.
- Improvements to open spaces in the village to make it easier for people to walk around and connect with each other.
Guests included Devon County Councillor Claire Wright and PCSO Jonathan Sims. Claire gave an update on her work on the Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee, outlining her concerns about bed closures and other cuts to NHS services in Devon. Jonathan has recently joined the neighbourhood policing team based in Ottery and is West Hill’s police liaison person.
Residents were invited to stay after the meeting to chat to Councillors over a glass of wine.
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