May 2024 update
In addressing the concerns and ideas raised by members of the parish through our open meetings and meetings with specific interest groups, a fundamental question emerged. What makes a village like ours tick, the intangible glue that sticks the village together, and how to cherish and preserve that community will and spirit. Hard data shows the population of Bledington has reduced in size together with a higher percentage of 65's and over. The factors driving these numbers are mainly influenced by living in such a lovely village in a beautiful part of the world.
However, a perfect example of the soft data, the difficult to measure metrics mentioned earlier, was personified by the recent Annual Parish Meeting. Village groups and committees gave their reports: The shop; Bledington News; Bledington Village Housing Association; Village Hall; Poor's Plot Committee; Care Committee. There are also the ongoing activities in the village such as the fete, the flower show, the Greeners and so on. The underlying message that shines out clearly is that intangible, the sense of giving.
One of the main pillars of Plan B is to conduct consultations with the main “Facilities” or organisations within the village to look at ways to support and enhance this generosity of spirit. Meanwhile, the other theme groups of Housing, Transport, Environment and Foundations continue prioritising their areas of work for submission to the Parish Plan document. As mentioned last issue the village will have the opportunity to discuss a consultative document in the autumn.
The Parish Plan will aim to set out an action plan going forward. Its success will again rely on the proven and valuable commodity discussed earlier, the will to ensure Bledington thrives as a community.
Background:
The Parish Council has agreed to support the development of a parish plan and Plan Bledington, or Plan B for short is the first step in launching this ambition. The Village Meetings in November 2022 and May 2023 showed that there is concern over a number of issues facing the village. We all know Bledington has a huge amount to be proud of. However, challenging changes are taking place locally and in the wider world. Plan B aims to anticipate and prepare for those challenges and to develop Bledington further as a flourishing and sustainable community in which to live, work and visit.
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