Everything Okehampton has released a new Okehampton app to provide visitors and residents alike with information about the businesses and attractions available to visit in the town.
The group conceived of the new app, which can be downloaded on Google Play and the App Store, after it was noted that many people are more likely to use the apps on their phones rather than visit websites when they are out exploring new places.
Christine Marsh from Everything Okehampton, said: ‘We just recognise that apps are the things that everybody’s using now rather than a website. Yeah. And, you know, people are coming into the town and wondering what Okehampton’s got.
‘So at the moment, we’ve got all the bits and pieces. It’s not finished by any means. But we’ve got lots of things on there: businesses, recreation, where to stay, what to do, events.’
Originally, a launching date was set at which businesses would be asked whether they would like their details to be added to the app, but Everything Okehampton has agreed this was unnecessary as businesses are able to upload their own details within the app.
All this comes following the re-opening of the railway station in November 2021 which has seen double the number of passengers initially expected using the train route and encouraged more business in the town.
Last November, the railway minister Huw Merriman visited Okehampton Station to celebrate the first anniversary of the station’s re-opening at which it was announced that there had been over 250,000 journeys made on the Dartmoor Line in the first 12 months of re-opening.
In January this year, it was announced that West Devon Borough Council had won a bid to build a second station in Okehampton, to be known as Okehampton Parkway, which supporters hope will relieve some of the congestion issues currently affecting the town.