High Bickington Parish Appraisal 1992

Environment

High Street 1999 HIGH STREET and SQUARE: The most commonly-mentioned proposals are flowering plants and baskets, lanterns, litter bins and fewer parked cars. Preventing dogs and horses from fouling roads and pavements is also highlighted.

Over the past few years flowers in pots and baskets have been placed around the village by the Gardening Club.
A new litter bin has been provided by the District Council. Car parking and fouling of the pavements remain a problem.

Other ideas are seats, different style of lighting, replacing or renewing cobbles, removing overhead wires, returning the diamond clock face to St. Mary's Church and re-aligning the wrought-iron High Bickington sign on the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee column.

The Parish Council did look into the possibility of replacing the overhead cables but the price was found to be prohibitive.

LOWER VILLAGE: Most comments about this area concern visual improvements such as baskets of flowers and trees. In addition, three people refer to the need for somewhere for children to play, one wants improved parking and another a solution to the mess left by cows.

As mentioned above, flowers have been placed around the village by members of the Gardening Club Cows mess is no longer a problem as local farmers now use fields adjoining their farms to drive their herds across rather then using the village streets. Milk production on one farm has also been substantially reduced.

OTHER AREAS: Five people refer to the need for a children's play area and three suggest reducing the starkness of Barton Meadow. There are two requests each for providing car parking and improving derelict buildings.

Following successful fundraising by the High Bickington Play Area Development Group during the late 1990's a Childrens Play Area was created on the Playing Field on the outskirts of the village. Also, it is hoped to create another play area on the 'Public Open Space' provided as part of the new housing developments at Barton/Church Meadows. The Parish Council looked in to the possibillity of providing public car parking on land opposite the village shop in North Road but owing to problems and rental costs etc demanded by the existing owners this project had to be shelved. Further tree planting was carried out in the Barton Meadow area and to a lesser extent in other areas of the village, i.e. Playing Field.

VILLAGE POLLUTION PROBLEMS: Asked about the pollution problems needing action in the village, 190 people refer to dog mess - twice as many as those mentioning litter. Agricultural litter is also a concern (70 people) and horse droppings (48 people). Just under 1 in 5 people say none of these is a problem.

PARISH POLLUTION PROBLEMS: Problems in the rest of the parish follow a different pattern. There are 16 references to dumped rubbish or litter in various parts of the parish. Only 6 people refer to dog mess and only 2 think cow mess on roads is a problem.

CLEAN UP THE VILLAGE/PARISH DAY: Asked if they would take part in a 'clean up day', 184 people say 'yes' and 127 people say 'no'.

A good idea that has never been taken up.

IMPROVEMENTS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE: The majority of comments (48) concern planting trees/shrubs/hedges and small woods. Eight people suggest wild flower/conservation areas. Several others refer to the need to look after what we have already and to stop removing trees and hedges unnecessarily.

The other major concern is the need to do something about eyesores - litter, dog mess and other forms of pollution. Fly-tipping, and the accumulation of old tractors in Deepy Lane concerns several people. Others refer to unsightly buildings, overhead wires and the problems of dog mess - one suggestion being to set aside an area for dog walking.

Chruchyard hedging works Although the surrounding countryside has not suffered any dramatic down-turn in quality since the report, virtually nothing has been done to improve matters or to halt the steady decline from neglect/under-management, i.e. hedgerows, woodland etc. There are occasional glimmers of hope, for example the village now has its own hedgerow/countryside management service in the form of Mr David Venner in the High Street, and some work has been carried out on local hedges around the Churchyard and new housing development. See picture opposite.

NEW BUILDINGS: People were asked if new buildings harmonise with the rest of the parish. Of the 297 who answered, 7 people in 10 are not satisfied that sufficient attantion is given to this.

OPEN SPACES: 153 people say they will use more open spaces if they are available for picnics and children's play.

FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS: Just over half (167 people out of 328) say they have used the footpaths and bridlewya in the past year. Many improvements to paths are suggested, the most common being:

making the whereabouts of the paths known (11 people);
Keeping them clear and properly looked after (11 people);
signposting them more clearly (11 people).

Eight people suggested improving the surfaces, while 5 think there should be more rights of way. Others refer to the need for a map, prevention of dog fouling, better gates and making landowners aware of the needs of walkers.

Visit here for more information on our 'Local Rights of Way'.

CHILDRENS VIEWS ON THE ENVIRONMENT:
Three (out of 22) suggest planting flowers, and 2 planting trees. The comments on litter are:

6 think people should stop dropping rubbish (4 suggest litter bins are provided);
4 want action on dog fouling and 3 support cleaning up cow mess. 1 thinks horse manure is a problem.

Other suggestions are erecting bird boxes and setting up a group to help the environemnt.

A group called 'The High Bickington Environmental Action Group' was formed in the late 1990's and carried out work to ercet almost 100 bird and bat nesting boxes around the parish. Some tree planting was also carried out by the group and other projects were planned, such as a survey of local wildlife and the reclaimation of the pond by the road at 'Southwood', (estimated to be 500 years old or more).
Unfortunately the group folded due to lack of support.

When asked what they think about the environment generally:

11 children say 'great'
6 children say 'good'
3 children say 'so-so'
2 children say 'terrible'

Two maps showing the Parish and Village as in 1992

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