It was first occupied as a holiday site in early 1935 because the Lentney Camp where tents were pitched was taken over by the Army.

At this time the area now Known as Bovisand Park was owned by a Mr PAINE(?)

About 1940-41 when Plymouth was being bombed so much Bovisand was a retreat for those with transport to get away from the bombs.

In 1945 the site was purchased by Plympton Rural District Council who allowed the site to develop up to a total of 108 sites covering the whole of the South side of West Point. Fred & Violet Gotham pitched an old gypsy caravan at the furthest end of West Point, the centre area now grassed was also covered with ten huts.

The area now occupied by the Office Workshop, Warden’s Quarters and toilets had, in its day, been the hut for the St John’s Ambulance volunteers who would man this hut every weekend and for the whole month of August.

In the addition to the area now known as Bovisand Park, on the hill opposite Cedar Park at the bottom of Bovisand Lane, there was a site with 18 caravans on it, overlooking the valley and “1st beach”.

All was going very nicely for a number of years until 1953(?) when the South Hams District Council informed the owners of the caravans that they had six months notice to vacate the caravan site.

It was felt by many, including Tom Bignell. That this was a miscarriage of justice and he took on board the job of trying to save them from eviction. A small committee was formed of the Caravan owners and a full frontal attack was made on the Council. Three years later 1956(?) the battle of the caravans was lost and Tom Bignell and the committee had to admit defeat. Many of the caravan owners had already vacated the site and the few that had stayed put were able to be accommodated in the chalets on Bovisand Park or in Cedar Park ( as they are now known).

During the three-year fight with the Council over the caravans the Council had made it clear that it was their wish to get rid of all the chalets in Bovisand Park.

As the majority of the owners of the huts were working people, the Council adopted the tactic of pricing them out of ownership. The chalets were all individually assessed for rent payments. Tom Bignell’s experience was that in 1957(?) his rent was £25, then in 1958(?) it was doubled to £50. In 1958 it again doubled to £100, it should be remembered that it was only permitted to use the chalets for 6 months in the year ( May to October). The rent continued to double to £200, then £400 by which time several owners had had to give up.

During this 4 year period Tom Bignell had several times visited the Council offices in Totnes trying his best to get them to change their minds about closing the site down. It was felt that while there were still chalets on the site there was still hope.

Many meetings of the chalets owners were held and full support was given to Tom Bignell in what he was trying to achieve.

It was necessary to keep the occupation of chalets up and Tom Bignell and others paid the rent for a number of chalets, some paid for as many as four sites, to show the Council that they were not winning. It was possible to let these chalets out to help to recoup the costs incurred.

At most of the meetings Tom Bignell had with SHDC, Robin Midgley, Solicitor with Bond Pearce, accompanied him. Robin was supportive all along the journey and there were some very tough meetings with the Council. Some battles were won and some lost along the way.

Robin Midgley took over one of the chalets that had been vacated by an owner giving up the fight.

Along the way Tom Bignell approached Alan Leather an Architect from St Austell as he had heard of Alan Leather’s involvement with other holiday sites. He agreed to put together a scheme that could be put to the Council, should they ever change their mind.

There was a slight change of mind in the Council and Alan Leather produced drawing showing proposed new chalets in blocks of six. Tom Bignell showed these drawings to the Planning Officer should the Council have an about turn.

After many more meetings with the Council, Robin Midgley and Tom Bignell had a meeting with the full Council. They had previously asked that some of the better maintained of the old chalets could remain along with the proposed new chalets and been refused. There was a great deal of discussion at the meeting then when it looked as if things were not going well, Tom asked if he could speak just once more. He then revealed what he felt was his “Ace Card”. He revealed a plan that would remove all the old buildings and rebuild with new ones as per the drawing that had been prepared. This did the trick, and the members of the Council agreed the plan. The Council then asked Tom and Robin Midgley to leave the meeting saying that they would receive the Council’s finding by post.

Tom Bignell was overjoyed…the battle had been won!

The Council’s approval was received but there was a setback. The Council had agreed to only 60 new units and not the 100 in the proposed drawings. Tom asked for an urgent meeting with members of the Council to explain that the 60-unit scheme was not financially viable. After a long conversation with the Clerk of the Council it was agreed that there would be 81 new units in total. The Council insisted that there would be a break in the development on the brow of the hill and that no units would be permitted below the Shop & Café except for the Office, Workshop complex. Which would include the Warden’s Accommodation and the Public Toilets. The Council required that the flat roof on the Shop & Café should be changed to a pitched roof to match the new development these along with many other small changes were agreed. There was also a requirement from the Council that a major sewage plant should be installed.

The Council insisted that the owners should form themselves into a Limited Company with a Board of Directors, Company Secretary etc, therefore a name was needed. They agreed that there would be a lease term of a total of 100 years and that rent would be charged in arrears.

At a meeting the name “Bovisand Park Limited” was adopted. Bond Pearce were the legal advisors in all these matters.

A meeting of all the owners was called in January 1983 and the whole situation was presented to them in great detail. All the work that had been done was approved and it was agreed to call a further meeting when prices had been obtained. At that meeting the first Board of Directors was elected…………………..

Various quotations had been received but it was now time to get firm quotes for the timber framed chalets as per the plans. These would be delivered in blocks of six units. Beed & Newham were engaged to do all the ground work and Bill Dunn & his brother Ken were to erect the buildings.

It was decided to start construction from the West Point end, bungalow No 81.

It was at this point that finances came into the equation, the Tenant’s Committee had started out with £90(?) that was collected at one of the early meetings.

Tom had been visiting all the main Banks in the city over the previous few months. Interest in Bovisand was not high, as there was no collateral. But Tom armed with the drawing of the proposed new development had had several favourable meetings with the Manager of one TSB branch who had agreed to loan Bovisand Park Ltd £100,00, Tom was very much relieved.

Tom Bignell was appointed as “Clerk of Works” for the development in addition to his full time employment.

Work was then started on the foundations for the block at West Point and on the very end chalet the first of many snags was encountered. The ground was very sandy and it was necessary to go down about 7feet for the foundations. Fortunately it was only on this site that the ground presented this problem.

With development underway the first block of 6 chalets due to arrive there was a big shock waiting for Tom Bignell when he went to the TSB for an advance on the agreed loan. The loan had not been formally agreed, no paperwork had been completed and on arriving at the branch Tom was informed that the Manager who had agreed to lend Bovisand Park Ltd £100,000 was no longer there. (it seems he had passed away) The new Manager was not prepared to agree to the loan….there was certainly not enough in the bank to pay the bills for work done.

An emergency meeting of the Board of Directors was called to try to find a way out. Tom Bignell proposed that the money would have to come from the members and it was agreed that the scheduled owners of the first 12 units would be asked for £1500 up front. Tom was relieved to find that the members involved agreed with not too much argument. This put £18,000 in the bank, which was very welcome.

It is now, with hindsight, easy to see that the price paid for the new units was far too low, by about £1000 per unit. This is highlighted by the current selling price of up to £150,000.

The members were very supportive of the Board of Directors with very few objectors to the way the development was handled.