The Parish Council is delighted that the Rattery Environment
Group has been successful in gaining financial support for our joint scheme to
improve the Playing Field.
For those of you who don't know, the Rattery Environment Group (REG), chaired by Kim Howard, is the small local charity best known for creating the permissive pathways and conservation area at Kettlewell. Its twin aims are to improve biodiversity and increase public access to the natural environment in the parish.
This particular scheme aims to increase community engagement with, and community
benefit from, the green space at the heart of Rattery village.
The Parish Council has secured a 99-year lease on the
playing field which is adjacent to a wildlife conservation woodland. This
presents an opportunity for the REG to co-ordinate and
enhance contributions from local government and conservation bodies. Such a
collaborative approach, rather than separate schemes, has significantly
increased the benefit to the community of green space in the heart of the
village.
The scheme will do so by enhancing the biodiversity and
natural qualities of the area; engaging local residents, particularly young
people, in the management of this green space; and so enabling adults and
families to increase their enjoyment of accessible outdoor recreational space.
There are a number of issues to resolve.
1. The existing play equipment is limited and meets only the
needs of very young children.
2. There are no facilities for adults.
3. The playground section is small and bounded by a wire
fence.
4. The recreation area is simply grass bounded by a wooden
fence.
So the scheme will provide the following.
1. New equipment for older children: outdoor table tennis
table, basketball hoop and goal posts.
2. Picnic tables to encourage adult and family use.
3. Enlargement of the playground to allow space for a willow
tunnel and picnic benches for families.
4. Replacement of fences with native hedgerows, supplied by
the Woodland Trust.
5. Native trees planted at intervals along the boundary
hedgerow supplied by the Woodland Trust.
6. A small community orchard with trees supplied by Devon
Wildlife Trust.
7. Engagement of Rattery Youth Club to plant hedgerows,
trees and orchard.
8. Engagement of local residents and Youth Club in managing
the orchard and wildlife areas.
This is the main recreational space in the parish and is the
only space in the parish with facilities for young people. We want to make it more
useable, particularly by families. Rattery is some distance from nearby towns
and villages and so the community, particularly those people without transport,
is heavily reliant on these outdoor recreational facilities and their importance
has been clearly demonstrated during the pandemic restrictions.
The project has its origins the Rattery Parish Plan which is
the result of extensive consultation by questionnaire survey and public
meetings with every household in the parish. We aim to fulfil two of the key
aims identified by that Parish Plan.
The first is that "the community should attempt to
lease/buy land for public open spaces, especially for a community
woodland/orchard/wildlife reserve and/or sports field/play area".
The second is that " the community should provide
additional facilities and services for young people".
If you would like to play a practical part in the scheme, such as planting the hedgerows and trees or looking after the orchard, please let Kim know by emailing environment@ratteryvillage.co.uk.
Richard Haigh
Chairman Rattery PC
