Welcome to the joint website of High Bickington CPT Ltd – a Community Property Trust - and High Bickington Parish Council.

We hope that your visit to our site will be both enjoyable and informative about what is happening in our parish.

High Bickington is a small rural parish situated within the Torridge District of North Devon. The current population totals around 700 people. High Bickington is situated some 9 miles from Barnstaple, 10 miles from South Molton, 8 miles from Great Torrington and 33 miles from Exeter.

Over the last few years both the Parish Council and High Bickington CPT Ltd - incorporating High Bickington Project 2000 - has been piloting a new form of "Community Led Planning" that has led to the production of the 'High Bickington Parish Plan 2003 to 2023'. Based on identified needs established through a very successful Parish Appraisal, work on the first phase of the Parish Plan's implementation is now in progress. This includes the provision of affordable local needs housing, workspace, a new school, new community buildings, sport and recreational facilities and the planting of a community woodland. The woodland was planted in January 2005 by 53 adult volunteers and 63 primary school children.

An outline planning application for the development was submitted by the Parish Council in November 2003. This was approved by Torridge District Council but was referred to Government Office South West and eventually led to a Local Public Inquiry in January 2006. The Inspector recommended refusal and this was endorsed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly MP, in May 2006. The grounds for this decision can be found in the Inspectors Report and Secretary of State’s Decision Letter, for which links will be found below.

Despite this setback both the Parish Council and Community Property Trust are determined to continue to find ways of meeting the needs of the community through the sustainable development of Little Bickington Farm. We are currently exploring the options and hope to develop new plans. These will be consulted on in the community and the latest information added to the website each month.

We are working in partnership with Devon County Council, Torridge District Council and Devon and Cornwall Housing Association as well as with a number of other statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure the successful regeneration of our Parish. We are grateful for all the practical and financial support given to us not only by our various partners but particularly for the ideas, time and energy given to our work by local residents keen to ensure that we can build and sustain a viable social and economic future for both current and future residents of High Bickington.