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The
original plan for the Council owned site was for 2 luxury
houses overlooking the school - this was in early 2005 The
Village strongly opposed this and supported by our late
County Councillor Ruth Lincoln, was able to overturn this
and get the County Council to agree that the Parish Council
should take over and manage the site for the benefit of
all the Village.
The
village then got organized. The Parish Council delegated
the action to a representative Committee drawn from across
the village with members from all ages and sections of the
community to run a consultation process, to find out what
the community wanted and get some preliminary plans together.
A
grant from the Valley AONB Sustainable Development Funding
(SDF) allowed the village to employ a landscape architect
to draw up plans and to help with the consultation process.
Invested £1250 - more than matched by the village input.
Consultation
involved questionnaires sent to all houses, a window display
in the local shop showing possible plans and an open morning
at the village school which adjoins the site - assisted
throughout by a Herefordshire Voluntary Action specialist
in the consultation process (Amelia Hughes).
At
the open morning the project team presented different ideas
on boards round the school hall and asked people to put
stickers on the options that they liked and add their views
(positive or negative) on post-it notes.
Results
from the open morning were analysed and a final costed plan
was drawn up. With this final plan drawn up and approval
given by the parish Council and at a public meeting. The
application for planning permission and the Project hit
its first major hurdle. Two days before the Planning hearing
in June 2006- an objection from Central Networks because
of the risk that kite flyers might electrocute themselves
on the power lines running across the site. This issue had
been raised with Central Networks 9 months previously and
they appeared to have no problem - however it was now back
to the drawing board.
However,
it all came good in the end - Central Networks are going
to fund the undergrounding of the line - which was gong
to have cost the Village £25,000. This was a cost that the
Village could not realistically have hoped to raise.
Central
Networks are putting money into a scheme for undergrounding
power lines in the AONBs within their area from 2008. This
site is to be used as a pilot later this year.
The
case went to Herefordshire Main Planning Committee last
week and got the go ahead.
The
whole development is being funded by grants and charitable
contributions with the Parish Council funding the legal
costs associated with the drawing up of the lease for the
site. Once the site has been developed, the Parish Council
will take on responsibility for managing it and will underwrite
the running costs which will be less than £5 per household
per year.
The
original organizers are now set up as a charity, 'Goodrich
Greenspace', with all residents and those interested in
the site being able to be members.
Work
is planned to take place over this year - some planting
can't be done till the autumn and it also depends on getting
funding in place - the Project has again received help from
the AONB (a grant of £7400) and have already got pledges
of over £5000 from local people. A local business man has
offered to do the landscaping, which is a major cost on
this sloping site.
To
achieve the full plans that we have for the site, there
will be need further grants- where there have already been
firm indications that the Project is likely to get support
- but it has been necessary to wait for planning permission
before applying. In addition there will be the need for
further local contributions and to run fund raising events.
The
Project aims to get the landscaping done by late Spring
, the play area finished by the Summer holidays and finish
most of the planting next winter.
Features
of the development of the site
- Improved
paths across the site, helping to link up different parts
of the Village, A new bridge will allow a gentler gradient
for those walking across the site. Provision of seating
to take advantage of the views over Coppett Hill
- Tree
and shrub planting
- Wildflower
meadow area
- A
flat area for kicking a ball about or future village events
- Development
of the stream area and a bridge
- Small
children's' play area
Paths
will be at gradients to allow disabled access
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