LAPFORD has lots of people with heart now it will have a heart. This was the comment from one of a group of people committed to making good use of a plot covered in brambles.

The nub of the idea to keep the space where Mr Manning had milked his cows and where there had been productive gardens behind the Victory Hall, the parish church and the Orchard Way homes for use by the village had grown from a big storm in 2012.

That was when the Youth Club’s home on Pope’s Lane was damaged beyond repair. Dating from 1840, this was the former school building, taken over by the Youth Club in 1973.

It was run as a Youth Club until that storm of 2012. Planning permission has been given for the site to be developed as two building plots.

When the the last bit of Dorothy and Bill Manning’s farm, where Bill had milked the cows who supplied the village, was put up for sale there was a strong resistance to more houses going there, a hope for the land to become a place for the village.

Ian Hemsworth, chairman Lapford Parish Council, was the first chairman of HOLD (Heart of Lapford Development), formed in 2014. However, someone impartial was needed in that position. David Bragg took over in 2017.

The aim of HOLD is to have a new youth and community facility. On a drizzly Saturday morning, a group of people involved in HOLD gathered at the Melissa Lake bus shelter in the middle of Lapford, beside the big gate into the half-acre plot, to witness the handover of a £225,000 cheque by Steve Keable, chairman Lapford Youth Club, to David Bragg OBE.

Steve said the church, the Youth Club and the community had raised £400,000, including that cheque to buy the site and begin the first phase to clear it.

Mr Hemsworth explained that the rest was £100,000 from Lapford Parochial Church Council, members of HOLD contributing £7,100 and contributions from four organisations including the Congregational Church and Lapford Project 2000.

"Our biggest challenge now will be to get people coming forward with ways of raising money so that we can get all the work done," said David Bragg.

There will be a consultation in the village and two Open Afternoons are to be held over the weekend of February 2 and 3 from 1.30pm to 4pm each day. There will be light refreshments.

David Bragg commented: "This is what Lapford needs. We have lots of people with heart, but the village does not have a real heart."

There is a car park with a public toilet next door.