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St Thomas Community Festival Planned for 2013
The inaugural St Thomas Community Festival will take place in and around St Thomas Pleasure Grounds on Saturday 14th September 2013. The festival is the brainchild of the recently formed St Thomas Community Association (STCA) which held its AGM this January, it is intended to be a celebration of the St Thomas area as a
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Cowick Street Update
As widely reported Labour Exeter City Council has allocated £200,000 to improve Cowick Street. The aim of these improvements is to make the main shopping area more attractive to shoppers and pedestrians, and to enhance the quality of the historic centre of St Thomas. The final proposals were exhibited publicly twice in Cowick Street. The proposals are:
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Good News for Local Schools
St Thomas Primary School has received a very positive report by education inspectors, and the head teacher Justin Stone says everyone at the school is striving to make it outstanding. The report highlighted that “Progress and achievement show sustained improvement overtime. In all subjects and year groups, pupils make good progress, and the good teaching underpins
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Seasonal Success
The West Exe Labour team would like to thank the members and supporters of the St Thomas Traders and Neighbourhood Association for all their hard work in organising and providing the recent Christmas Lights and Switch On Event that again proved so popular with the whole local community. In addition to the fund raising efforts
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St Thomas Community Grants Feb 2013
Your local Labour Councillors have delegated community budgets to help local projects , groups , activities and other grassroots initiatives. Some recent examples have included helping support the new communal poly-tunnel at the Guys and Hylton Allotments and the community Apple Pressing Day at the West Exe Childrens Centre , that was attended by many
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Children’s Play Facilities Consultation
The play area at St Thomas Pleasure Ground is one of the most important and well-used in Exeter. However both the pool and play area are now showing their age, and the pool is increasingly more expensive to run. With this in mind, the City Council has earmarked £150,000 towards improving play facilities in the
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Men in Sheds
Cllr Rachel Sutton had a fascinating chat with Malcolm Price from the Men in Sheds project run in conjunction with Age UK which has been supported with grant aid by a number of ward councillors across the city. They collect old gardening tools which a lively group of older gentlemen repair and refurbish. The tools
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Guys & Hylton Allotment Open Day
Although postponed for 24 hours due to the rain on Saturday this was a great day out and we enjoyed meeting local people and the hardworking volunteers who had set up a quiz to help visitors find out about allotments. I learnt that Guys & Hyltons is the biggest allotment site in the county
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Love Local Food Mobile Shop
Local ward members Rachel Sutton, Paul Bull and Rob Hannaford enjoyed meeting Kevin from the Love Local Food Project at the Guys & Hylton Allotments Open Day. We learned about their mobile shop that takes locally produced seasonal fresh food and drink around to various locations across the city. We also learned that you can
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Road Crossing Concerns
Residents have contacted us about the faded pedestrian crossing to the Exe Bridges shopping area from the Cowick Street entrance, we have pressed the council to get the owners to get it repainted as a matter of urgency. In response to further lobbying about the need for a proper crossing near Western Way on Okehampton Road, Cllr Rob Hannaford
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Planning Matters
The planning application for four flats at Okehampton Place on the former Sprint Print site , that is reduced in size and density from the previous plans , has been recommended for approval. Cllr Rob Hannaford attended the recent planning site meeting to discuss matters with Committee members and officers. He adds “ After canvassing the nearby local
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Weeds!
The first of three city wide weed spays of public highways and footpaths has now commenced , with the removal of woody weeds such as buddleia and brambles is to follow. Please continue reporting problem areas around St Thomas, such as the walkway from Buller Road to St Thomas Pleasure Grounds, so that we can liaise
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Uneven Pavements
After complaints from local residents Cllr Rob Hannaford will be completing a full inspection of pavements in the Wardrew Road area with highway officers to press for extensive repairs. Do pavements in your area need attention? Please let us know.
Croquet Club
Exeter Croquet Club is looking for new members of all ages. The club plays at Pinces Gardens , St Thomas. Free coaching and taster sessions available. All equipment supplied. Please phone 01392 811366 for more information.
News in Brief
Manor Road – Road patching completed after construction work. Oxford Street and Beaufort Road – Letters sent out to clarify refuse collection changes. Buddle Lane , Wardrew Road and St Thomas Pleasure Grounds – Offensive graffiti removed after complaints. Alphington Street – Pavements resurfaced. Churchpath Road and Parkhouse Road – Fly tipped refuse in alleyways
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St Thomas Investing in the Community
In 2011 all of Devon’s County Councillors were given an equal one off share of the remaining capital funding from the sale of Exeter Airport to use in their local areas in addition to the normal annual allocation of community funding. St Thomas County Councillor Rob Hannaford has been working closely with the local community
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Exe Bridges Car Park
After a Labour Party campaign led by local Councillor Heather Morris, we are very pleased to confirm that shoppers will no longer incur parking penalties if they temporarily leave the site. In the past local people were penalised with a parking fine if they left Exe Bridge Retail Centre to visit toilets, or use facilities
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Road Signage in Barton Road
Concerns about new signs in and around Barton Road have been taken up with the Highways Department. Please keep us informed of any other signage problems.
The Former Showman Pub
Several residents have contacted Rob about the former Showman Pub on Cowick Street . Although its apparently being rented out, there is no trading activity, and the building is becoming derelict, and also a magnet for graffiti & fly posting. Rob Hannaford is pursuing various options with City Councils Environmental Health and Building Control Departments,
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Pinces Gardens – Happy 100th Birthday
The much loved and historic Pinces Gardens are to celebrate their centenary this year. Labour led Exeter City Council are investing £55,000 to preserve the historic gate house, that in future may be put into community use, and resurfacing works to paths around the parks. Unlike the local Lib Dems who “have concerns about the
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Riverside Leisure Centre
Labour City Councillors have been dealing with a range of problems and issues at the leisure facilities in Exeter that are managed by Parkwood Leisure. The Riverside Leisure Centre in St Thomas has been the focus of some of these concerns which have included faulty lockers and hair dryers. Rob Hannaford said, “Together with my
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St Thomas Community Grants Update
Last year Labour Led Exeter City Council set up a new community grants programme. Working with the other City Councillor for St Thomas, Cllr Rob Hannaford jointly agreed to support the following projects with the £1,500 budget: Age Uk – Men In Sheds project based in Wardrew Road St Thomas Methodist Church Play scheme. Exeter
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School Crossing Patrols in St Thomas
Many residents will already be aware of the Conservative-dominated County Council’s decision to make cutbacks to local school crossing patrols, including when existing crossing people retire. Late last year, without a proper consultation, existing patrols were cut to St Thomas Primary School and Montgomery School. Cllr Rob Hannaford has been in contact with local parents,
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St Thomas Road & Pavement Progress
Last year we were very pleased to report that we had successfully campaigned for extra highways investment for pavements and roads in St Thomas. The places to benefit include: Alphington Road, Buller Road, Cowick Lane, Nelson Road, Church Road, Cowick Street, Redvers Road, Old Vicarage Road, Brunswick Street, Cambridge Street, Albion Street, Flowerpot Lane, Shaftesbury Road,
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Bowhill School Expansion
Due a chronic shortage of school places in the West Exe area Devon County Council is consulting on plans to expand Bowhill School. The plans include the demolition of a detached extended HORSA building, and construction on the same site of a two storey building comprising multi-use hall, production kitchen, four classrooms and associated facilities,
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St Thomas Local History Celebrated
Several years ago well known local historian Christine Trigger, and the St Thomas Local History Group produced, with the help of Exeter City Council, a history trail leaflet for the Cowick Street area. They were so popular that local residents called for a reprint. Cllr Rob Hannaford has given a £400 Devon County Council community
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Temporary Home for Library
Work will soon get underway to convert the “Old Stationers” on the corner of Cecil Road and Church Road into the temporary home for St Thomas Library. The future of St Thomas Library has had a cloud hanging over it since June 2009, when the new owners of the Exe Bridges site contacted the City
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Christmas Lights Comeback
Following last years great success, St Thomas Traders and Business Association are again organising Christmas Lights for Cowick Street. This will again include the very popular switch on event, with activities and entertainment that brought everyone in the community together last year. In addition to the funds given by local businesses and other local groups, Cllr
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Major Road Works
Alphington Road and Alphington Street, which are one of the busiest routes in Exeter, are to be re-surfaced and upgraded. The work is due to start in the New Year and will cost in the region of £750,000. This includes a new enhanced crossing, new pavements, improved cycle tracks, and the cost of acquiring the necessary
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Cowick Barton Playing Fields
Complaints are coming in thick and fast about dogs and fouling in Cowick Barton Playing Fields. Local footballers are having to spend precious match time every week clearing up large amounts of dog faeces from the pitches before playing. Furthermore some youngsters have been attacked on the pitch by dogs off their leads during matches.
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Road Closure Consultation
The initial consultation on the proposal to close off the junction between Ferndale Road and Old Vicarage Road, through local newsletters and the Echo is going very well. We are receiving good feedback from those both for and against the proposed changes, and its certainly generated a very lively debate. We are going to have
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