An update from Ashwood Acre - The Pocket Park

Many thanks to all who helped out at the working party in October. We got quite a lot done in a couple of hours.

The last working party of 2010 is coming up fast – Saturday 20th November - 2 – 4 p.m.

See http://www.hartwellvillage.com/events/Last-Pocket-Park-working-party-of-2010

Keeping on top of the work in the park is all the more important now that we have decided to enter for a Green Flag Community Award in 2011. This is a nationally accredited award of excellence for public open spaces of different sizes. We seem to meet most of the criteria for success. A representative from the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BCTV) visited the park on 25th October. In his opinion the park would be likely to get the Green Flag if we keep it looking good in 2011 and maintain the level of community involvement in its upkeep.

When the judges for the county best village competition came to Hartwell last summer, they were appreciative of the park. Their report, recently received by the Parish Council, says: The village has a well planned, sustainable pocket park which is a gem in the village. The full report about the village can be viewed at http://www.hartwellvillage.com/file.php?name=Village-of-the-Year-Judges-Report-2010.pdf

A couple of members of the pocket park working group are involved with the Parish Plan project running from this autumn until late next summer. The intention of this project is to create a sort of business plan for the village showing how the village wants to develop in the short and long term. The project is now entering the initial consultation phase – establishing what is important and ensuring that all areas of the community are consulted. This will lead on to a village questionnaire next spring. There is an article about the project in the latest issue of Hartbeat together with a small survey sheet and an opportunity to become involved. I’d like to encourage you to read the article and fill in the short survey. This initial survey will help the steering group ask the right questions when the main questionnaire is produced. There is more about the Parish Plan project on the village website: http://www.hartwellvillage.com/groups/Hartwell-Parish-Plan

Best wishes.

Derek Hawley (Secretary)