Parish Plan Open Day a Massive Success

Frampton Cotterell's Parish Plan Open Day proved a great success, with over 250 local residents of all ages taking the time to view the displays and make constructive comments.

“The sun shone on us on Saturday in more ways than one," reports Jen Dunford, a member of the Parish Plan Steering Group that organised the Open Day. "Even before the designated opening time, residents were already eagerly thronging through the door. The cafe was filled to overflowing for a brief explanatory talk of what Parish Plans are all about and the coffee and bountiful home-made cakes were a sell-out."

She added, “The large numbers attending were beyond our expectations. The comments they attached to the Happy Hedge and the Weeping Wall have certainly made a challenging start for the Steering Group to inform our Parish Plan.”

“It was wonderful to see so many residents from Frampton Cotterell and Coalpit Heath getting together and sharing their interests, hopes and concerns with other parishioners” said Steering Group Member Bob Thomson. “The Parish Plan is about having a stronger, better and safer community in which people can live, work and play."

Dave Hockey, who currently Chairs the Steering Group, said, “It was great to see the members of the Brockeridge Youth Group serving refreshments in the café. The takings were £112, enough to cover the cost of the pool table they want”.

He went on to add, “Let’s hope we get a very high turnout for the special meeting at Crossbow House at 8pm on Thursday to find a way to keep our Community Centre open and flourishing. This is the first major challenge to be tackled for our villages."

Jacqui Ward from Community Action, who supports Parish Plan Projects in rural areas across the former Avon area, is analysing the feedback from Saturday’s Open Day. Ten residents came forward on Saturday to join the Steering Group, doubling its size. The next stage is to seek further input from hard to reach groups in the community and to draft a report identifying priority improvements for consultation with residents.