Ambitious plans to regenerate the rural Parish of High Bickington have received a major boost with the announcement that a two-year £170,000 funding package has been awarded under the North West Devon Leader+ Scheme.

The two year package recently given the 'go-ahead' by DEFRA and the European Union means that implementation of the High Bickington Parish Plan 2003 to 2023 is moving forward rapidly. Cash grants of £37,481 from DEFRA and £80,072 from the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund will be 'matched' by locally raised 'In Kind' funding valued at £52,821. This latter sum is achieved by costing the work carried out by local volunteers and staff from partner agencies including the County, District and Parish Councils and the Wessex Reinvestment Trust/University of Salford.

The funding enables the appointment, for a two year period, of a full time Project Development Manager and a part time administrator, based within the village, to work on the detailed implementation of the proposals set out in the widely acclaimed High Bickington Parish Plan. The Twenty Year Plan, adopted by the local Parish Council in June 2003, is the product of a Community led initiative designed to provide a blueprint for change and development that will 'regenerate and sustain' rural life in the Parish of High Bickington over the first two decades of the 21st Century. Its principal aim is to enable the development of housing, educational, social and economic infrastructure that is sufficient to:

• Ensure an ongoing supply of local affordable housing;

• Build and restore economic prosperity in the locality;

• Create and sustain local employment;

• Provide a new primary school with integrated educational and community facilities designed for rural life in the 21st Century;

• Find solutions to local parking, access and traffic issues; and

• Find solutions to all of the above which meet high environmental standards

Built upon the results gained from a Parish Appraisal, carried out in August 2001, the Plan takes account of the views and ideas expressed by a large percentage of local residents during Parish based exhibitions, consultations and public meetings over a three year planning period. The Plan also aims to provide a basis for the development of integrated solutions to some of the problems faced by many isolated and rurally deprived areas throughout the country.

David Brown, Chairman of High Bickington Project 2000, said "What we are doing in High Bickington is proving to offer an excellent model for community planning that addresses community aspirations in a realistic manner especially where statutory partners show their flexibility in adapting their approaches to respond to local needs and priorities. Copies of the Plan have already been considered by a number of local councils in this country and in places as far afield as the Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Albania and Russia. Obtaining this initial funding marks another major milestone in taking the project forward to a successful conclusion. An Outline Planning Application for Little Bickington Farm is due to be submitted shortly and work on the setting up of a 'High Bickington Community Property Trust' is also being taken forward."

Nicolas Turner Spokesperson for Government Office South West said "This project is about the local community identifying their own needs and this funding will provide the resources to develop solutions. We look forward to the community seeing real action emerging from the views and ideas they expressed through the Parish Appraisal. In due course we hope to see the lessons learned from this initiative being shared with other communities across the country."

"Marie Brompton, Programme Manager at North West Devon LEADER+ said 'LEADER+ is pleased to be able to support this innovative approach to integrated community planning through grant funding from the EU and DEFRA, and look forward to following the development of the project over the next two years."