Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Plan launch

Back in May the Parish had a meeting to discuss the launch of the beginning of their Parish Plan - it has been in the planning stage for a long while - now we are hoping to form a working group - a number of people came along on yesterday evening but I don't think we still have got enough folk to form a working group yet. Is there anyone else interested in helping??

Photos of consultation evening at the Ruscombe Chapel - huge map of village that folk added post-its to - plus pic left of the front of the Randwick update

A Parish Plan if done well has lots of opportunities for improving our communities - and also having more of a say about where housing goes. Whiteshill and Ruscombe have never got theirs going - and I have some sympathy with that view as I've been involved with Plans that have taken many months of work only to be very little use to the community. However I think a focused plan can make a difference.

Over in Randwick they achieved a pretty good plan and are now at the stage of reviewing theirs - see here their display at Wap and more here. There is also an opportunity for residents to get involved there.

One of the things both Plans are hoping to consider is the built environment - and hopefully influence any new build that we might have here - if it does come what sort of build do we want as a community?

There are also lots of other areas that folk can influence - we had lots of discussions during the evening about how the community could support our village shop better - the volunteers there do such an amazing job - and indeed it seems every time they raise some money there is another break in - again damage done this week to the shop. One idea that went down very well was to have an outside cafe bit - some benches and possibly planting up a garden type area? What thoughts?

There were also many post-its like last time with suggestions for stuff like wildflower verges and more fruit trees....

But before I finish this blog I ought to say what a Parish Plan is...well it is "a document setting out how we, the residents, want to see the area develop over the next few years. It can cover a range of issues, and gives us a recognised voice. The Parish Plan documents the socio-economic and environmental issues of a community and its proposed remedies and actions."

They are "are evolving documents, outlining how a community would like to develop over the next 10 years. It will include a vision for the future, an expression of the residents' views and an action plan detailing how these developments can be achieved. It will outline how the parishioners, the Parish Council, Government (at all levels) and local service providers can act to deliver the plan addressing the residents' wishes."

I'll finish this blog rather hastily as I must go out now with another appeal for folk to help - do call me if you are interested - even if only a little bit in perhaps one part of the Plan or a particular project....