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Shaugh Prior Parish Council

Latest Parish News

Casual Vacancy

Local Government Act 1972 Section 87(2)


NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a vacancy exists in the office of Parish Councillor for the Parish of Shaugh Prior.


Unless, ten or more electors of the Parish of Shaugh Prior, on or before 15th October 2026, submit a request in writing for an election to be held, the Parish Council will take steps to fill the vacancy by co-option.


Requests must be sent to the The Proper Officer, Electoral Services Officer, South Hams District Council, Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, TQ9 5NE.


Nigel Doran

Clerk

28 September 2026

Neighbourhood Plan

There is significant progress to report on the Shaugh Prior, Lee Moor & Wotter Neighbourhood Plan.

The draft Neighbourhood Plan has now been submitted to SHDC, which has confirmed that it can proceed to the formal six-week consultation.

SHDC congratulated the Steering Group on reaching this stage, recognising the considerable time, effort and energy that has gone into developing the plan and translating the community's aims and objectives into policies.

The formal consultation will run from 7 September to 18 October 2026.

A summary of the plan will be included in your parish magazine. Display boards and a full reference copy of the plan will also be available at the Moorland Hotel in Wotter. Please follow the signs when you arrive. Copies will be available during both daytime and evening periods.

You will be able to leave comments using the forms and post box provided or submit your comments online through the Council website.

Neighbourhood Plan presentations

There will be three identical presentations and discussion sessions. Please choose whichever is most convenient for you:

If you would prefer a one-to-one discussion, members of the Neighbourhood Plan team will also be available at the Moorland Hotel at the following times:

September

October

All comments received through the presentations, online consultation, discussions and the post box will help inform the Final Neighbourhood Plan.

Subject to the necessary stages being completed, we expect a local referendum in early 2027. If the plan is supported by the required majority of residents voting in the referendum, it will become part of the statutory planning framework and can then be used to help shape future planning decisions in our parish.

Keep up to date

Please continue to look out for updates on the Parish Council website, Facebook page and village noticeboards.

If you have any questions, comments or would like to request a home visit, please contact:

Tim Clewer

07701 053491

tim.clewer@shaughpriorparish.gov.uk


The draft Neighbourhood Plan can be downloaded by clicking here (pdf).

A 2 page summary of the draft Neighbourhood Plan can be downloaded by clicking here (pdf).

The online consultation form can be accessed here (please note the consultation period runs from 7 September to 18 October).



Shaugh Prior and Sparkwell - Proposed 40mph Order 6342 (B3417)

Devon County Council have produced a Speed Limits Order for the B3417.

Whilst the consultation period for this runs from 3 September to 24 September the documents are available for download here.

Download Draft Order 6342

Download Plan 6342

Advert & Reasons 6342

If you object or have any other comments in relation to the proposal, please use the form that will be on All proposed traffic schemes - Roads and transport (devon.gov.uk) from 3 September to 24 September.

This has been an ongoing discussion between the Parish and DCC for some time over concerns about the unusually high accident rate. I would encourage your support for the speed limit. If you have any questions please contact the Chairman of the Parish Council, Cllr T Clewer (tim.clewer@shaughpriorparish.gov.uk or 07701 053491).

Traffic order affecting Lee Moor Hill, Lee Moor

Details of a forthcoming traffic order affecting Lee Moor Hill, Lee Moor have been received.

This can be see by clicking here (pdf).

Entry for October 2026 Parish Magazine by Parish Council Chairman


Parish Council news:


The rate of change seems ever quicker: 

Last month we shared the LGR news from the Government that we & 12 other parishes were to be in a new Unitary Authority along with Plymouth. This month we can tell you that decision has now been suspended; so, for the time being we continue as part of South Hams. 😂 

Highways: Last month we said that we were awaiting dates for the consultation re the B3417. That consultation is in fact happening as I write this (15 Sept) but will close before you receive this magazine. So hopefully you will have seen this information via the Parish Council website or FB page. The consultation will be considered & the final decision taken at HATOC on 3rd Nov. With a 40mph speed limit in place we would then be allowed to undertake ‘community speedwatch’. Please let me know if you could be part of a speed watch team for a couple of hours in a month.  (Full training & support will be given.) 

Also, the north end of the B3417 road will be closed from 28th Sept with a plan to reopen by 16th Oct. This is to rebuild the section of road that is collapsing above Imerys. 

I am pleased to say that we now have 2 volunteers for the pothole repair scheme, I believe we need a couple more to meet the scheme safety requirements. You will be pleased to know that this is gender inclusive, so anyone may apply! 🙂 

As our council now has full membership, we are in the process of populating the various committees. This should give rise to further volunteering opportunities. More on this shortly. 

A question was asked at the Sept meeting concerning information about Wotter Surgery that appeared in last month's magazine. The surgery has assured me that there is no reduction in their service & I am expecting a clarifying comment in this month's magazine. 

The 6-week review of our draft Neighbourhood Plan is currently underway. All the information is available on the council website with links on FB. We are running a consultation event in each village & the display boards are open 7 days a week at the Moorland Hotel. You can go to look at any time. For 3 hours each week someone will be there to answer questions (times below).

October Thurs 1st, 10-11am        Sat 3rd, 7-8pm   Mon 5th, 7-8pm

Wed 7th, 9.30- 10.30am      Sun 11th, 3-4pm    Tue 13th, 7-8pm

Wed 14th, 9.30-10.30am    Sat 17th, 3-4pm         Closes Sun 18th.

You are welcome to submit a response or question online or on paper (at the Moorland Hotel) Should you know of anyone who would like a home visit please let us know. 

Now the school has been closed questions were raised about the flashing lights (these have now been turned off) & the school alarm going off. We now have a contact number to ring so please get in touch with myself or our clerk if you are aware of any problems. 

Please see updates on the council website, FB & noticeboards.

For questions, comments or requests for home visits please call

07701 053491 or Email        tim.clewer@shaughpriorparish.gov.uk 


For First Aid Emergency: Village Defibrillator Locations:


Shaugh Prior Defibrillator is on the outside wall of the Shaugh Village Hall

Wotter Defibrillator is in the Red Telephone Box in Wotter Village.  (Near the Bus shelter)

Lee Moor Defibrillator is on the outside wall of the Lee Moor Village Hall.

To Access Defibrillators

The Defibs in the three villages carry the access code on the front.  Enter this to take the defib to the patient.  You can ask a helper to fetch the Defibrillator.

If you know how to administer CPR, attend to the patient until the helper has returned with the Defibrillator.  When the Defibrillator arrives, open it and switch it on.  It will give very clear instructions on how to use it.

At no time leave the patient unattended until the emergency services arrive.


Shaugh Prior Parish Council Meetings

The next meeting of Shaugh Prior Parish Council shall take place on Wednesday 7 October, at Lee Moor Village Hall starting at 7:30pm.

The public are welcome to attend all meetings.

If you have any queries or have any issues you would like the Parish Councillors to take up, please contact the Parish Clerk.

clerk@shaughpriorparish.gov.uk



Local News

Closure of Shaugh Prior Primary School


Following completion of the statutory process on a proposal to close Shaugh Prior Primary School, Devon County Council’s Cabinet met on 20 May 2026 to consider the proposal.

 

With sadness, the Cabinet approved the proposal to close Shaugh Prior Primary School from 31 August 2026. Whilst there is a presumption against the closure of rural schools, it was clear there was sufficient evidence that the school was not educationally sustainable. Approval was also given to the new designated areas for the area currently served by Shaugh Prior Primary to inform school transport eligibility.

 

A copy of the minutes of Cabinet and the report is available via: Agenda for Cabinet on Wednesday, 20th May, 2026, 10.30 am - Democracy in Devon


Connected Together - Telephone Digital Switchover

All the Information to support the Community ready for TELEPHONE DIGITAL SWITCHOVER


The South-West is due to begin the switchover from Analogue to Digital Telephone Service in the Autumn.

Please use the Link Below to view BT's campaign which looks at the concerns this may have for our rural communities and vulnerable people.

Connected Together - All-IP - About BT | BT Plc


South Hams District Council News - 

Get help with the Crises and Resilience Fund

12th June 2026

resiliencefund

If you or someone you know is struggling financially, help is available. The Crisis and Resilience Fund offers targeted support for low-income households who are facing an unexpected financial shock, while also helping people build longer-term financial resilience.

Support can include fast payments for emergencies such as disasters, broken essential items or sudden loss of income, as well as housing support, financial advice and other services to help people avoid future crises.

For further information, eligibility and to apply for support, go to: www.southhams.gov.uk/benefits-and-support/other-available-support/crisis-and-resilience-fund


Opening of Ivybridge Police Station

This reopened station will be available to members of the public six days a week (between 10am and 3pm), so providing a much wider policing resource and support for victims of crime service for residents of Ivybridge and the surrounding area.

The Police Station is situated at Leonards Road, Ivybridge, PL21 0SL




Your Parish Needs You!

Shaugh Prior Parish Council Emergency Plan

Shaugh Prior Parish Council are currently in the process of updating their Emergency Plan (EP). The EP is something exactly as it sounds, a document that will include measures to help the Parish deal with certain emergency situations (flooding, power outages, heavy snowfall etc).


In developing a Plan, the PC would be keen to hear from anyone in the Parish who might want to be part of the Community Response Team (CRT). In particular we would be looking for people with certain skills that could be useful in any emergency for example those persons with medical training? In addition, we would also be keen to hear back from those persons in the Parish who may have access to equipment that would be useful in an emergency (such as diggers/loaders for removing snow etc). We would be pleased to hear from anyone who might be able to help.


Being a member of the Community Response Team is not going to require you to attend regular meetings or briefings so please don’t think it’s going to take up a huge amount of your time. It’s about making sure you are available to undertake a certain task or tasks if an emergency does arise in the Parish. Therefore, ideally you should be someone who lives in the Parish.


If you do feel you would be able to assist in respect of either being part of the CRT or would be willing to make equipment available then could you please let the Parish Clerk know by email: clerk@shaughpriorparish.gov.uk


Moving forwards as the EP develops, we will also be seeking to compile a list of vulnerable persons within the Parish so we have a list of those persons who may require additional assistance in respect of an emergency. If you currently have accessibility issues or consider yourself to be vulnerable then again please let the Parish Clerk know using the contact details above.


Please note that all data provided will be kept secure and strictly confidential (only being used for the purposes of developing the EP).


We look forward to hearing from you!


Report It:


Can I remind residents that if you have issues relating to dog fouling, noise nuisance, missed bin collections, pot holes etc you can report it direct to SHDC direct through their ‘Report It’ facility on their website. You can report things as they occur without waiting for the next Parish Council meeting. Similarly, Parish Councillors can do this on behalf of residents by using the same facility


Climate Emergency

Help by joining the Climate Emergency Group


Devon County Council and South Hams District Council have declared a climate emergency and many local parishes are doing the same. Now it is the turn for the villages in Shaugh Prior Parish to join in.


A group has been formed which involves people who are interested in helping plan local activities which will help address the climate emergency.  Several ideas for community projects have been discussed, including Tree Planting, Hydro scheme at Shaugh Bridge, Links to Public Transport with Plymouth/Tavistock/Yelverton, Influencing Planning decisions on Dartmoor and South Hams, Design & Implement a community carbon baseline, working to reduce waste and plastic use, and Biodiversity initiatives - wild flowers and bee friendly environments. 


We are looking for more people to join from all three villages and the outlying farms. It would be great to involve lots of young people of all ages.


So if you are interested please let us know by contacting us on email

clerk@shaughpriorparish.gov.uk


Find out about your own carbon footprint: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk 
Devon County Council website: https://www.devon.gov.uk/energyandclimatechange/ 
South Hams website: https://www.southhams.gov.uk/climate-change


Shaugh Prior Village Hall


The Village Hall at Shaugh Prior now has its own new Website.

https://www.shaughpriorhall.co.uk

You can see what the hall can offer, check out the Gallery, view the Calendar, and make a booking.


The Newnham Solar Fund


..is continuing to offer grants to Shaugh Prior groups and individuals. If any group is particularly affected by the current situation then they can apply for a grant.


If anyone wishes to discuss whether they might be eligible please ask them to contact Katie at admin@newnhamsolarfund.com


Neighbourhood WatchNeighbourhood Watch

The Neighbourhood Policing team currently in Ivybridge consists of:

Acting Sergeant – 17353 Rob Pike 


(Usually a Neighbourhood Beat Manager covering for Sergeant Maddie Williams who is on maternity leave until December when she will be in permanent post). Rob has served previously in the Met for approx. 20 years, originally from Devon, he transferred back to Devon and was a Response Officer until he joined Ivybridge.


Neighbourhood Beat managers


PC 15860 Martin Perry – He has been at Ivybridge for approx. 20yrs, previously a Response Officer at Newton Abbot (Covers Ivybridge Town)

PC 1704 Charlotte Mathers – Again long term of approx. 14yrs at Ivybridge previously Response at Saltash ( Covers Rural South)

PC 18011 Ollie Bell – Joined the team in the last year, previously Response at Ivybridge and Totnes ( Covers Rural North)

PC 16956 Dave Tungate – Joined us in the last 2 years, previously a Beat Manager at Kingsbridge (Covers Rural North)

PCSO 30478 Jude Serpell – Joined the team 15yrs ago after being a PCSO at Newton Abbot (cover whole area)

PCSO 30318 Diana Summers – Joined Ivybridge 19yrs ago (cover whole area)

 

Although all the team have their own areas, they actually tend to cover all the patch and the Beat Managers will back up Response when needed.


Email monitored daily at our station: ivybridge@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk  (non-emergency queries only). 


To report a non urgent crime visit www.dc.police.uk/reportcrime or the contact section of Devon and Cornwall Police website for more options – www.dc.police.uk/contact. You can complete an online crime report which is a quick and convenient alternative to calling 101. If you need information relating to a crime or have any other query please email 101@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk, alternatively you can call 101.

In an emergency always call 999.

Will 999 calls be answered?

Answering calls to the 999 number is a priority and we are making sure that we have additional resilience through training student officers to support our call handlers.  Please continue to dial 999 in all emergency situations.

 

What is the best way to contact the police at this busy time for non-emergencies?

If possible we would ask that you use the following options before dialling 101 at this busy time.


If you do need to call 101 about a non emergency, please be aware that it may take longer than normal to answer your call.  Perhaps consider calling at a quieter time of the day, like late evening if it is not time critical.

I have intelligence about a crime – who should I contact?

Please continue to contact the police on the details listed above.  If it is an emergency call 999 or for non emergencies use the online contact options where possible.  

You can also report crime and intelligence anonymously via Crimestoppers either by calling 0800 555111 or by using their online reporting system at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Report an injured or dead animal

Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society: 07873 587561

Please continue to contact the police on the details listed above.  If it is an emergency call 999 or for non emergencies use the online contact options where possible. 


You can also report crime and intelligence anonymously via Crimestoppers either by calling 0800 555111 or by using their online reporting system at www.crimestoppers-uk.org


Direct dial: 07525617850


Email: diana.summers@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.co.uk

ivybridge@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk


Fraud Advice. Requests to move money:

 A genuine bank or organisation will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, full password or to move money to another account. Only give out your personal or financial details to use a service that you have given your consent to, that you trust and that you are expecting to be contacted by. 

Clicking on links/files: Don’t be tricked into giving a fraudster access to your personal or financial details. Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email or text 

Personal information: Always question uninvited approaches in case it’s a scam. Instead, contact the company directly using a known email or phone number.

Police ( Direct dial: 07595 011193) 

email police on 101@dc.police.uk