Playing Field

 

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