Your Councillors
GRAHAM LONG (Parish Councillor) has lived in Smeatharpe for over ten years. After University, he spent many years in the computer industry and has been a Management Consultant for the past 18 years, running his own consulting business for the last 5 years. Graham is a member of the Blackdown Hills AONB Management Group and Parish Network. He is Trustee and Secretary of Smeatharpe Allotment Trust and has long campaigned for better broadband services in the Blackdowns. He is keen to see Blackdown villages and hamlets develop as modern, thriving, sustainable communities in harmony with the precious environment around them.
PHILLIP ARSCOTT (Parish Councillor). Having lived in the parish all his life attending Upottery Primary School and then Honiton Community College, Phillip gained an NVQ level 3 in Agriculture at Drakes Training (a breakaway course run by the Duchy College Cornwall). He is married to Vicky and has 3 children. His interest’s and hobbies include the Honiton Hill Rally where he is tractor sector leader, the Blackdown Hills Skittles League, in which his team, The Dam Busters play, and owning a collection on classic tractors! Phillip's parish council journey started on the 11th May 2015 when he had been away contracting and only just made his first parish council meeting, arriving in his tractor! Phillip has a keen interest in all things Upottery and tries to help and have input when he can.
EDWIN BARTLETT (Parish Councillor) came back to Langbridge Farm in 1970, aged 3, where his father and grandfather had been born and which his great grandfather had farmed at the turn of the last Century. Schooled at Upottery, Honiton and Bicton College. Loves village life; is caretaker of the Manor Room and has for many years cut the grass in our churchyard. Has served on the Parish Council since 1999.
DAVID KEY (Parish Councillor) came to Upottery in 1975. Elected to the Parish Council in 1995. Among many other interests, his principal experience is in planning and housing, in which his expertise is of enormous value to the Parish Council
TIM WIGRAM (Vice Chairman) moved to Upottery at the age of 3 growing up on a local farm where he was fortunate to attend Upottery primary school. After moving away to study Countryside Management and to start his career in the fresh produce industry, he returned to Upottery 7 years ago having bought in to a local food producing business in Exeter. Tim is married to Rebecca and has 3 children who have all attended Upottery primary school, his hobbies include running long distances and anything outdoors. Tim is interested in providing better facilities for the young as they grow up and keeping the parish and its facilities sustainable for all.
ALEX STEVENS (Parish Councillor) has lived in the Parish all his life - first in Upottery and latterly Smeatharpe since 2012 having grown up on a local farm and attended Upottery Primary School before moving on to Honiton Community College. After graduating with a degree in politics in 2005 he began working in rural economic development in various roles at Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset County Council before going on to work at the National Farmers' Union. Alex is an assistant club leader at Yarcombe and District Young Farmers Club and a keen supporter of the Exeter Chiefs - he can also often be found cycling around the roads in the parish. Alex is a strong believer that rural communities should not be disadvantaged when it comes to infrastructure, facilities and local policy development and that the key strength of Upottery and the Blackdown Hills is the working-farming heritage that has shaped it economically, socially and environmentally
AMY TUCKER (Parish Councillor)
Amy has lived in Upottery for 10 years, having grown up local to the parish in Monkton. Amy attended Honiton Community College and went on to become assistant manager of a high street bank. Amy has three children, all of whom have attended Upottery Pre-school, her eldest two are now happily attending Upottery Primary School where Amy is an active member of the PTFA and currently holds the role of treasurer for the pre-school committee.
Amy is a proud farmers wife and has been an active member of the Young Farmers community for 19 years, she is looking forward making a positive contribution as a Councillor and helping to secure the parish and its future for the next generations.
ROSS GARDNER (Parish Councillor)
PAUL KENDALL (Chairman) moved to Upottery in 2016. After a long and varied career in the Royal Air Force, he now works part-time as an independent consultant on strategy, organisational change and defence. Interested in conservation and environmental issues, Paul enjoys looking after his small woodland and fields, and walking the landscape of Devon and Dorset. He is married to Chrissie, a professor of cancer genomics at Exeter University. A lapsed triathlete, Paul and his wife can sometimes be seen running around the roads of the Parish with their two labradors.
KERRY KENNELL (Parish Clerk) has lived in Upottery with her husband Andy since 2001. They have three children, all of whom attended the village school. Kerry is Town Clerk for Ottery St Mary Town Council and Parish Clerk for Cotleigh Parish Council. Before having children, Kerry was a Support Manager for BT.