We want to keep Hearn Field a special place for everyone in our community and we need your help to do that. We’re asking for your thoughts and opinions through a Parish consultation to help us make better decisions about how to manage and use the field.
Please fill out this short questionnaire (Click HERE) and, if you’d like, join us for an informal drop-in session to discuss your views at Hearn Field Pavilion on Saturday, October 12th, from 2 pm to 5 pm. Come by whenever you can and bring your completed questionnaire with you.
Please note, the questionnaire is an editable document so if you can’t join us at the drop-in session, you don’t need to print it; just complete it* online, save it and email back to: Hearn.Field@mail.com. *Please note: You will need to do this on a computer, you will not be able to add your responses to the questionnaire on a mobile.
You can also pick up and drop off your questionnaire at either:
- The Combe Breakfast, Combeinteignhead Village Hall on Saturday 5th October, 9:00am – 11am
- The Woodshed Coffee Bar at Hearn Field Pavilion, Tue 24th Sept – Thurs 3rd Oct (open Tuesday – Friday, 10am – 2pm). Note: The Woodshed is closed from 4th – 15th October
- The Wild Goose Inn, Combeinteignhead, Wed 25th Sept – Sat 12th October
PLEASE NOTE:
- You must be resident or own land in the Parish of Haccombe-with-Combe Parish, to complete this questionnaire
- Only one questionnaire can be completed per person
- The closing date for submitting this questionnaire is 12th October 2024
All feedback will be analysed and preliminary conclusions shared at a public meeting in the late Autumn with the aim of generating recommendations to be taken to the Parish Council for approval and inclusion into to our 2025 planning for Hearn Field.
Before completing the questionnaire, you may find this information useful:
About Hearn Field
Hearn Field is a beautiful, six and a half acre piece of land located on the banks of the River Teign. This cherished site was named after Percy Hearn, a local farmer and landowner who bequeathed it to the parish upon his death in 1983, with the expressed intention it be ‘used for recreation’. Hearn Field is a designated Village Green which ensures all activities need to comply ‘with a view to the better enjoyment of the green’ for local inhabitants.
Financial Responsibility
Percy’s generous gift is deeply appreciated by the community, but comes with the responsibility of maintaining the field; his bequest did not include funds for this. As a result, the Parish Council is tasked with generating sufficient income to cover the costs of maintaining the field and its facilities as well as building a surplus fund to cover both expected and unexpected expenses, in particular the repair of the Hearn Field sea wall which would be an enormous, likely 6-figure, amount. Currently there is a balance of only £6,913 in the Hearn Field Sea Wall fund.
Over the years, we have typically managed to fall within +/- 10-15% of covering the costs of running Hearn Field, e.g. in the financial year 2023/24 costs were £16,459 and income was £15,798.
To date, the Parish Council have strongly adhered to the goal of raising funds through income-generating events rather than increasing Parishioners precept* tax, but this may not be sustainable going forward.
* The Precept is a tax that Parish Council’s charge their local electors to meet their budget requirements. Parish Councils do not receive any direct funding from central government and rely on their Precept plus any other income they generate from services or facilities they provide.
Governance and Balancing Interests
The governance of Hearn Field can be likened to a three-legged stool, requiring a careful balance of three key elements:
- Income Generation: As above, we need to generate income to support the ongoing upkeep of Hearn Field and its facilities
- Community Interests: We aim to bring Parishioners, friends, and family together through entertaining and inspiring events, contributing positively to a sense of community
- Consideration of Neighbouring Residents: We must be mindful of the needs and concerns of residents who live adjacent to the field
Income-Generating Events
To balance these needs, the Parish Council organises a variety of income-generating events throughout the year, including:
- Outdoor Theatre Events: We host 3-4 outdoor theatre events annually, which conclude by 10pm
- Village Show: This popular, annual event at the end of May starts at 11am and concludes by 7pm
- Firework and Bonfire Night: Held on the 5th of November, this event runs from 5:30pm to 9pm. Numbers are capped through limited availability of online tickets in order to meet safety requirements, including traffic management
- Special Events: Occasionally, we organise special events such as Jubilee Celebrations. These typically take place just once a year, if at all
- Woodshed Coffee Bar – open most weeks from Tues-Friday, 10am-2pm
- Reach Outdoors: the field is hired for approximately 9-10 nights during the summer to Reach Outdoors: an organisation that originated from Combeinteignhead and which organises camping on the field for school and Duke of Edinburgh groups to use this outdoor environment as a medium to realise and release their potential
- Private Hire of Facilities: Hearn Field is available for private hire, including up to four weddings per year that conclude by 11pm, and private parties in the pavilion, which also end at 11pm. Our policy is to take bookings from parishioners only, or those who support our community by volunteering or offering services to our Parishioners. We review other non-parishioner requests for bookings on a case-by-case basis according to whether the activity concerned aligns to our values and Percy Hearn’s vision for Hearn Field.
We look forward to receiving your feedback and seeing you at the drop-in session on 12th October.
Haccombe-with-Combe Parish Council and Hearn Field Committee.