The legal process to transfer ownership of the Meadow to the Parish Council is still in progress. We hope to be able to confirm soon that the process has been completed. We will have to take account of the proposed work in Churchfields by Essex County Council Highways, which will clearly have an impact on our plans to develop the Meadow. We will update you when we know more about that, but we do still want to make progress where we can.
Our ambitions remain as previously shared:
- To develop Bowtell’s Meadow as an asset to the village, to
help promote our collective health and well-being - To keep the Meadow mowed, tidy and accessible at all times
(we are currently out to tender for a new mowing contract) - To install new benches and picnic tables (with input from the
Men’s Shed on this) - To plant some new trees and flowers in the Meadow
(hopefully with help from the children at the school as well as
from volunteers within the village) - To install a new perimeter path
- To install a range of new playground equipment and create a
new larger play area for all age groups.
The Parish Council agreed in January to work with a company
called eibe as our preferred partner to install the new playground
equipment and perimeter path, as well as assisting us in taking
forward the overall development of the site.
We will arrange a public meeting at the Reading Room in the next
few months to share the playground equipment plans in detail and
get your feedback and comments. We will also provide further
updates in the 4 Villages Magazine, on the village notice board and
on Facebook and the Parish Council web site.
11/03/2024
The Working Party, set up by the Parish Council to consider ideas for the development of Bowtell’s Meadow, has now met and taken on board the suggestions made by the 17 people who responded to the initial consultation. A Public Consultation was held on the 26th October 2022 which discussed the suggestions and ideas put forward to the Parish Council. The Working Party of now in the process of taking those ideas forward and developing an action plan.
Gray and Sons, the farmers who at present own the whole of Bowtells Meadow, will hand the Meadow over to the village as part of what is known as the 106 Agreement in respect of the new development in Church Road, Nun’s Green. As soon as 16, a stipulated percentage of the total number of houses to be built on the development, have been occupied, Bowtells Meadow will be transferred to the ownership of the Parish Council (PC).
The PC would like to know how Parishioners would like to see this Meadow used. The only criteria attached to the Agreement is that “Bowtells Meadow shall only be used as a public recreation ground”. The Parish Council have a number of suggestions from which you can choose but are keen to hear of anything else which you may suggest. The Parish Council’s thoughts are:
- To increase the size of the children’s playground by the addition of a new area approximately the size of the present playground, perhaps with equipment more suitable to older children.
- Make the area into a “park” with some seats at intervals placed around the Meadow, perhaps with flower borders, shrubs and a wild flower area.
- Lay winding gravel paths around the perimeter of the field for people walking with or without dogs.
- Keep most of the Meadow cut closer than at present, for children to play in/families to have picnics etc.
- Any other uses which may be suggested or a combination of those shown.
Please help us to provide an area which YOU would like to see by e-mailing your comments to greatyeldhampc@btinternet.com or put a paper copy in the post box at the Reading Room. All comments by the end of July please.
Example landscape
Illustrations by James Blake Associates
