Kingston ( South Hams, Devon ) Parish Council
Kingston Parish Council - Working with the community

View on-line at: http://kingstonparishcouncil.co.uk/redirectpage.asp?id=3410&SiteId=311

Community Amenities

The Reading Room (Registered Charity No. 300882)

The Reading Room was converted from almshouses at the turn of the last century, to provide facilities for the education of parishioners.  Later it was extended to provide a kitchen, WCs and downstairs rooms and facilities and became the focus for community activity generally.  It now acts as the village hall and a centre for community groups, as well as providing rehearsal rooms for village bands and a venue for a range of social activities, including hire by parishioners and others. There is ramp access and a hearing loop is installed.

  KINGSTON READING ROOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Playing Field

Contact:  Parish Clerk: David Hansford Email: kingstonclerk@tiscali.co.uk

Kingston Parish Council owns the Playing Field, a 2.5 acre field given to the parish in 1953 by the Honourable Helen W. Mildmay White for recreational purposes. At one end there was a children's playground, which is currently being upgraded see below and a solid multi purpose surface area known as Ted's Tarmac, with nets and marked up for various games.  At the other end of the field is another part of Ted's Tarmac, containing skateboarding ramps, completed in 2006.  Ted's Tarmac is named in memory of Ted Curtis, a much loved past Parish Council Chairman and community activist, with a particular interest in the wellbeing of young people. Money collected in Ted's memory was placed in a fund to provide community facilities. This funding, augmented by general fund raising and boosted by a grant from the government's Living Spaces programme to Kingston Young People's Association, enabled the area to be surfaced and equipment to be bought.

Modbury Rovers Junior Football Club (link to details) use the newly re established football pitch. The Parish Council and Kingston Young Peoples' Association are grateful for funding from Devon County Council locality budget, which has provided the new goals.

The parish is currently developing the playing field and Active Kingston, a village based community group, are working with the Parish Council on an exciting project to replace and extend the ageing play equipment and safety surfaces. There are four parts to this exciting initiative: an aerial runway suitable for all ages; a main play area for younger children; a picnic area with seats and tables and a log cabin and finally an adventure trail for older children.. Work has now started. The old equipment has been removed and clearing and some returfing has taken place. Regrettably this means this area of the playing field is off limits for the summer. We appreciate your co operation and assure you that it will be worth it!  The project is being financed through several grants and by money raised within the village. Fund raising is still underway. See under 'Active Kingston' for more information on this fantastic project.

The Parish Council is seeking funding to provide good access to and on the field. This will include paths and a small car parking area.

The Parish Plan Advisory Group is working with the parish tree wardens to improve the overall environment of the field. It is intended to plant a copse of trees at the end of the field next to the skate park, a speciment tree in the picnic area and more trees along the hedgerows. The tree wardens are working closely with KYPA. Young people in the parish will take responsibility for the planting and maintenance of a group of trees each with their families. The Tree Council is providing funding to support this initiative. The Parish Council has also agreed to allow the hedgrows around the field to grow up and thicken in order to increase the amount and diversity of wildlife present. Plans are also being considered for planting wild bulbs, such as English bluebells and wild daffodils around the edge of the field. If you are interested in helping with this work please let the Parish Tree wardens know through the parish clerk.

 

Open Space

Contact: Alison and Adrian Lewis, owners

During 2003-5 the parishioners were involved in laying a claim under new Open Spaces legislation to a privately-owned piece of land, known as Middle Townsend Park, over which they had walked and carried out other activities for many years.  The land was owned by an absentee landlord who had not maintained it, but who decided to bar public access.  Working with Devon County Council, and invoking the CROW (Countryside and Rights of Way Act), a portion of the land was finally handed to the village residents in late 2005.  Shortly after this the land was sold to a village family, who have fenced off a part of it to graze their horses, whilst allowing access to the Open Space.  The path is now there for all to enjoy and can form part of circular walks around the village, see under 'Walking in Kingston'.

 

Allotments

Contact:  Parish Clerk: David Hansford Email: kingstonclerk@tiscali.co.uk

Kingston Parish Council owns a field containing 11 main and two smaller allotment plots which it lets out to parishioners under the Allotments Act.  This Act requires that the money received from rentals (currently £15 per plot) should be used for their maintenance.  This funding is augmented by the Parish Council to enable the allotments to be maintained throughout the year.  In 2005 a grant was obtained from 'Life into Landscapes', a government initiative to improve and maintain environments.  This grant enabled the coppicing and laying of the boundary hedges.  There are chickens on site and in August 2009 a beehive was installed. Sadly it was destroyed by wasps, but we will try again in spring 2010.  Currently there is a short waiting list for allotments.  A copy of the allotment tenancy contract can be seen below.

Allotment tenancy contract

 

 

THE FAMILY  PLAY BUS

The Family Playbus is run by Kingsbridge Area Childrens Centre. It visits the Kingston Reading Room from 10.15- 11.45am every Monday morning. There is a toy and book library and everyone is welcome.  

                                          

The Playbus                                        
James and his Dad David