Implementing the Planning Consent

We hope to hear soon from Torridge District Council regarding the formal issue of the planning consent for Little Bickington Farm. In the meantime, an implementation package is being discussed with our partners. Subject to sufficient funding being obtainable, we are considering the construction of a first phase to include:

Once these plans have been worked up we intend to hold a public meeting to share them and other implementation plans with the community. We are also in discussion with senior officers and members of Devon County Council regarding the Council’s proposals for the building of the school.

At a recent meeting of the Parish Council a member of the public raised an issue about work that was being undertaken with a local building firm, Pearce Construction. In order to clarify this situation, we would like to inform readers of the following:

“The CPT originally advertised, as required by law, in the European Journal for building firms who would be interested in being considered as building contractor for the project. From the dozen or so firms that responded five were asked to present their credentials and of these three were short listed for interview by a selection panel made up of our Chairman (David Brown), Mike Leatham, Bob Head (Project Manager) and Alun Lewis (Cost Consultant on the team). This panel made a unanimous recommendation that Pearce Construction be appointed as ‘Preferred Builder Partner’. This decision was confirmed by the Board of the CPT on 13th March 2008. It is in this capacity that Pearce has continued to work alongside the team that has been working on all aspects of the planning application. Pearce has now been asked to provide a firm price for building the various elements of the scheme. We have reserved the right to go to competitive tender if, for example, their costings do not compare favourably with our Quantity Surveyor’s estimates.”