Author Archive

Two intrepid local ladies, Kim Raine and Claire Nicholls, generously volunteered to organise a big fund raising event asking everyone to come and take up the challenge on 8 May in support of several local projects including the Ilsington Village Shop. Enthusiastic participants could take part in either a glorious moorland cycle or a beautiful hike to Houndtor followed by a delicious cream tea or ploughmans served in the Village Hall. The whole village turned out to take part in pony rides, car washing, children's games and a vast array of stalls with plants, local produce, jams, cakes, children’s clothes, books, toys and much, much more. A fun day was had by all and the very first Ilsington Community Big Fundraising Challenge donated a whopping £625 to the Ilsington Village Shop fund. Thank you so much!

The Ilsington Village Shop makes it onto the front page of the Hastoe Housing magazine:

Where Ilsington leads, the Archers follow.

Those of you who listen to the daily Radio 4 series “The Archers”, featuring the ups and downs of rural life, will know that the fictional village of Ambridge has a similar problem to the village of Ilsington, with its village shop threatened with closure.

In the programme, the shop is at the heart of the community and loals think it is worth fighting for. An action group is looking into how this can be done and whether they could form and run a community shop.

At Ilsington the campaign to build a new shop on the front of the village hall has moved a step closer with help from the Plunkett Foundation. Planning permission has been granted for the project. The plans were displayed in the village hall during a community market giving everyone a chance to look at the proposals. The market was set up to raise funds for the shop appeal. They need to raise £20,000 which will then be matched with, and supplemented by, further grants.

On the day of the market the hall was full of people. Locally produced beef, organic vegetables, honey, spices, jewellery, pretty boxes, cards and all sorts of lovely homemade food were on display.  Excited children joined in and Fern Norris had made cheery present tags for sale. It was a really successful community event. Hastoe residents Sue Norris and Nikki Garish worked hard to help make this happen. Nikki runs a pre-school group in the village hall every morning and said, “This is great news for the village. When the shop is built at the front of the hall it will become the hub of the community again. The village is really getting behind the project and it is bringing people together to raise the money needed.

Erica Williams and Brian Major

After several appeals and numerous re-designs, we have at last overturned the planning officers' recommendation for refusal for a community shop to be housed in the village hall!

On a 13-4 vote, with two abstentions, Ilsington Parish Council was granted permission by Dartmoor National Park Authority Development Management Committee to build an extension for the shop and an additional room at the village hall, Old Town Hill.

Planning officer Louise Smith said it was a difficult application for officers especially with the community gain a shop would bring.  But it was also very difficult to support the design as well as the access to the shop for the disabled.

Cllr Maurice Retallick, who is a member of the committee, but spoke as chairman of Ilsington Parish Council, strongly supported the application.

“As well as the shop we have lost the Post Office recently, which was hastily accommodated in the village hall. There is strong support in the village to promote the community shop. I would urge you to consider this very carefully because of the community issues,” he said.

Erica Williams, secretary of the village hall committee, said when they heard the shop was closing, the community got together to try to save it, but that it was not financially viable. She said consultations were held, the village hall committee was approached and plans for an extension to house the shop were drawn up by Brian Major.

But the lack of disabled access and having to ring a bell or use an intercom to summon assistance, did not fit,” said deputy chairman Helen Jenny. “It sounds more like a leper colony,” she said.

Planning director Chris France said the previous shop did not have disabled access, and authority lawyer Christopher Walledge said the regulations did not mean every proposal had to have disabled access.

“It says you must take account of the need of people with disabilities. You must decide whether it has a community benefit,” he said.

James McInness said there was an overwhelming community need and he successfully proposed approval.

Our first hurdle has been successfully jumped!

The very first Community Market was held on 3 October 2009 in the Ilsington Village Hall to raise funds for the building of the new Ilsington Village Shop. Organised by the owners of the Ilsington Country Store, it was well attended by the local community and the stall holders were people who used to supply goods to the Ilsington Country Store before it closed. Organic eggs, local honey, homemade cakes, hand made jewellery and cards are just a few of the stalls that arrived to show their support for this project. This market will be a regular occurance at the Hall and will help to not only keep the new shop in the minds of locals, but also act as an information point where we can inform the community of new progress.

This is our first view of what the new Ilsington Village Shop will look like. Designed and drawn by Brian Major, a key member of the Ilsington Village Shop Association commitee.

Thank you Brian!