The ambitious future development plans, drawn up by residents of High Bickington, received a further boost on Thursday 18th March with a visit to the village by Alun Michael MP, Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality.

John Burnett, MP for Torridge and West Devon was amongst the guests, along with The Lord Bishop of Exeter - Bishop Michael who is Chairman of the Devon Strategic Partnership, Senior Members and Officers of Devon County Council, Torridge District Council and High Bickington Parish Council together with representatives from a number of national organisations charged with delivering plans to revitalise and regenerate rural areas.

The Minister, during his visit, described the plans as being "the very best of the many rural re-generation schemes that he has visited". John Burnett MP, in his welcoming speech, told the Minister that the plans have already received both national and international recognition for their groundbreaking approach to dealing with the growing problems faced by small rural communities in areas such as the provision of affordable housing for local people, locally available employment, the economic viability of essential local services and the provision of adequate public transport. It was pointed out that the scheme provides a master planned and fully integrated multi-use development that is very different from the incremental piecemeal development experienced across communities over past decades and includes plans to deal with:

• Affordable housing for local people and key workers
• A shortfall in the availability of local employment
• Health and Social Care needs
• Education and Life-long Learning
• Improving access to services - e.g. one-stop shop and E Government
• The need to improve transport choices
• Declining Rural Infrastructures - physical, economic, educational, social and environmental
• The development of sustainable buildings, renewable energy and landscape improvements
• The growing and processing of new or alternative crops such as Hemp for food oils, fuel and building materials etc
• Local Community based Planning

In a prepared presentation David Brown - Chairman of High Bickington Project 2000, Bill Holman - Devon County Council Property Department and Steve Bendle from the Wessex Reinvestment Trust told the Minister that the aim, in the first phase of implementing the plans, is to have a core development of educational, community, job creation, local government and health service resources set within an overall design concept that includes: self build and a wide range of affordable housing; a children's day nursery, an outlet for locally produced farm produce and other goods; small scale rural/craft workshops; serviced office space; and a community restaurant that could also provide school meals via a contractual arrangement. The whole development would be based on the use of sustainable building techniques and energy provided from renewable sources.

They also informed the Minister that an Outline Planning Application had already been submitted that includes:

• 15 Affordable Homes (for rental and shared ownership) to be built by Devon and Cornwall Housing Association
• 17 Affordable Homes (wide ranging and newly developed tenures) to be built and managed by a newly created High Bickington Community Property Trust
• 4 Self-build Homes to be managed by High Bickington Community Property Trust
• 16 Houses for sale on the open market
• 750 square metres of employment/retail space
• A 'Rural Primary School of the Future' with integrated community facilities including a Day Nursery, Community Restaurant, Space for Conferences, Sports and Cultural activities
• A new Community Woodland and Sports-field

Phases 2 and 3 of the plans would aim to address:

• Transport Choices
• Sheltered Housing
• Environmental Streetscape improvements
• Parking and Traffic issues

David Brown, Chairman of High Bickington Project 2000 told the Minister that we have now reached an exciting stage in the development of plans for the future of our area which are firmly based on the views of local residents given through our Parish Appraisal and subsequent consultations. What we have here is an excellent model that the Government and local authorities can use to encourage local people to identify and meet the needs of their area. The ownership of property by the Community Property Trust will allow it to take loans and mortgages to help fund its needs and to provide value to meet the match funding demands of many funding programmes

David said we firmly believe that we have a sound, locally supported, basis upon which future decisions can be taken, by the relevant public authorities, regarding economic, environmental, business, educational and community development in the High Bickington area. Financial and practical support for the project has been most generous. Practical advice and financial help from Devon County Council, Torridge District Council and the Countryside Agency have helped us enormously in drawing up our plans. This support together with strategic and legal advice from Wessex Reinvestment Trust continues to assist us in considering how the plans can be implemented and managed into the future. The two-year package of funding amounting to over £170,000 provided under the Leader+ programme will help ensure that the plans are effectively delivered for the benefit of local people.

In responding to the visit Alun Michael, Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality said this is an ambitious project, and I applaud the initiative and vision of the villagers of High Bickington. They are thinking now about how to tackle the issues which will affect them in the future, recognising the role that they can play in shaping the success of their own community, and demonstrating the value of local knowledge in local decision-making. There is much in their approach to inspire others and I wish them every success with the Parish Plans".

John Burnett, Member of Parliament for Torridge and West Devon said it has been marvellous for me to be able to help promote High Bickington Project 2000. This is a shining example, not just to the country but internationally, of a parish and its surrounding area imaginatively working together to achieve substantial development and change for the benefit of future generations. The initiative, commitment, energy, and enthusiasm that so many individuals have shown is exemplary. Many people have participated in what I believe will be an outstanding solution to securing a vibrant community in a very rural area.

Councillor Brian Greenslade, the Leader of Devon County Council, thanked the Minister and invited guests for coming to High Bickington and told them that he was delighted Devon County Council has been able to play its part in helping this outstanding project get off the ground. We knew in 2001, when Devon County Council brought partners together to help launch the Devon Foot & Mouth Recovery Plan that we would have to do a great deal to help ourselves repair the damage caused by foot and mouth and help stimulate rural regeneration. Here we have a superb example of what can be achieved based on community participation and a cross cutting approach to delivering for a rural community in a sustainable way. I am especially pleased at the attention being paid to affordable housing critical to the future vitality of a rural community such as High Bickington. Congratulations to all concerned!

All in all this was a very special event and there is no doubt that the Minister was very impressed by what we have done already and what we hope to achieve over the coming years. He extended the time he was scheduled to be here by more than half an hour, such was the measure of his interest and enthusiasm for the project. Carlton Television and a number of local newspapers covered the event and such publicity can only help when it comes to raising the remaining finance that will be needed to fully implement the plans over the coming years.

David Brown Chairman High Bickington Project 2000