WHEN almost £3,000 of funding has been found and approval given to use its Recreation Ground, Yeoford could become another night landing site for Devon Air Ambulance.

Toby Russell, Community Landing Site Development Officer for DAAT, told members of Crediton Hamlets Parish Council what was needed when they met at Yeoford Community Hall on Monday evening (November 4).

He said there were now 133 operational night landing sites in Devon. A 10-metre tall lighting column was needed with two lights that would be remotely operated only for the helicopter.

He said this would be a community asset, owned by DAAT. He explained that DAAT had been given £1m by the Government to set up the sites. This ends next March.

The total cost of £5,500 would be partly (£2,765) met by DAAT with the remaining £2,776 to be raised.

“We need to know if there would be people who would help in raising funds,” he said. Asked about poor mobile reception, Toby said this would not be a problem.

He added that the light would cost around £10 a year when operational. It was costing DAAT another one million pounds to be able to fly until 2am.

ALLOTMENTS

Having received a request from at least six people for allotments in Yeoford, the parish council was bound to find somewhere.

Its three-man sub-committee was still looking for a potential site. Some funds have been set aside for this.

It was noted that Mid Devon District Council had approved crown lifting all the trees at Yeoford Railway Station to three metres from ground level within the Conservation Area.

Having previously supported an application for the extraction of 2,000 tonnes of Exeter Volcanic Series building stone a year from Knowle Quarry, the parish council had no further comment to the amended application that was before it.

It was understood the stone was to be used to repair and restore historic buildings.

POOR ROADS

It was reported that a patch of the road to Salmonhutch outside Uton Barton had been ground out but not fully repaired leaving a bit of a trench, particularly dangerous for motor bike riders.

Another problem road was between Pitton and Thorn Cross near Cheriton Bishop where Cheriton and Hittisleigh Parish Councils were working together with Drewsteignton.

Devon County Council member Cllr Nick Way reported having asked the county council if work on Fordton Plain, including drainage work, could be done while Crediton Milling Company was less busy because the road would have to be closed.

He had also asked if it would be possible to put Western Power cables underground at the same time.

It was reported that the road surface at Three Gates Cross on the Yeoford - Cheriton Bishop road was getting worse.

It was stressed that the more people reported potholes and road problems through the county council website, the greater the possibility of something being done.

BETTER RAIL

Cllr Way was delighted to report an improved train service on the Tarka Rail Line from December 15. “We have been campaigning for this since 1992. It would also be nice to have a direct train between Waterloo and Barnstaple,” he added.

Cllr Rene Jarvis asked if Yeoford Station could be a regular stop instead of a request because Yeoford was the only village on the Tarka Line not to have daily public transport.

Arrangements were made for the Remembrance Service and Parade at the War Memorial on Union Road, Crediton which commemorates the fallen of the town and villages.

Hamlets members wondered why the parish council was not included in the arrangements for this.