WILDFLOWERS
Bishopstoke Parish Council would like to help any local residents that wish to enhance their local area by planting wildflowers. Often, the areas best suited for planting are owned by either Eastleigh Borough Council or Hampshire County Council. The Parish Council can help you get in touch with the right people to gain permission for your planting.
The Council may be able to support in other ways too. Anyone interested should contact the Clerk by emailing the Clerk.
BISHOPSTOKE PARISH COUNCIL MISSION STATEMENT
At the recent meeting of the Council, Bishopstoke Councillors agreed their Mission Statement and Aims for the remainder of this council session.
Mission Statement - To be the voice of the people of Bishopstoke to enhance our village as a great place to live, work and visit.
Aim 1 - To improve, and protect, our environment for residents and wildlife.
Aim 2 - To promote better health & well-being outcomes for all.
Aim 3 - To strengthen a sense of place.
Aim 4 - To encourage residents to become more involved in the life of the village.
The decisions the Council takes over the next 2-3 years will be guided by this Statement and these Aims.
ONLINE APPLICATIONS FOR ALLOTMENTS AND TRAVEL TOKENS
As part of our efforts to improve the service we provide to the residents of Bishopstoke it is now possible to apply for either allotments or travel tokens online.
To apply for an allotment, please click here.
To apply for travel tokens, please click here.
COMMUNITY "HEDGE" FUND
Community groups from across Hampshire are being invited to apply for grants of up to £750 to assist with the planting or restoration, by laying or gapping up, of hedges in areas accessible to the public.
Hedges are a beautiful feature of the countryside, green spaces, and gardens making a valuable contribution to reversing the effects of climate change, and in providing shelter, homes, safe travel and food to all kinds of wildlife. In recognition of the value they offer, the Hampshire based countryside charity CPRE has launched a community ‘Hedge’ Fund.
The aim is to reach across Hampshire increasing the length of hedgerows in the UK by 40% by 2050. Since 1945, we have lost half our hedgerows, intensifying nature’s decline and hindering the fight against climate change. Projects to be undertaken will include restoring and planting.
If you think your local public areas or community groups would benefit, visit www.cprehampshire.org.uk or email the CPRE Hampshire Hedgerow Co-ordinator at ellie.banks@cprehampshire.org.uk
PHOTO SEARCH
Bishopstoke Parish Council is looking for photographs of the scenery around Bishopstoke. This could include landscapes, parks, iconic buildings, river settings or anything else beautiful within Bishopstoke.
The photos would potentially be used on our Facebook or website, or in Council newsletters and leaflets, and would be credited to the person who took them.
If you are interested in letting us use your photos please contact the Clerk, David Wheal, by emailing clerk@bishopstokepc.org.
NOVEMBER PRESS RELEASE
Bishopstoke News: a local nature reserve for Bishopstoke?
The idea of a new nature reserve near Bishopstoke came a little closer this week. It is proposed that the land presently occupied by a former dairy farm on land north of Bishopstoke would be ideal for the purpose. At its November meeting, Bishopstoke Parish Council agreed to support the Bishopstoke, Fair Oak & Horton Heath Local Area Committee proposal for the land recently acquired by the Borough Council in the north of Bishopstoke to be used to create a nature reserve. The Parish Council agreed that having such a peaceful, beautiful and environmentally friendly place on our doorstep would be a wonderful thing for Bishopstoke and its residents. A draft consultation document is being written and a link to this will be published on Bishopstoke Parish Council’s website www.bishopstokepc.org. Input from residents about the nature of the site would be warmly welcome. The consultation is expected to run for three months.
More details on Bishopstoke’s Sports Day and Carnival
Bishopstoke Parish Council is holding its first ever Bishopstoke Sports Day on Saturday 3rd June at the open space on Blackberry Drive. There will be a variety of local sports clubs and groups giving demonstrations, and old-style sports day events such as the sack race and three-legged race, and a tug of war competition will also be on the programme.
Bishopstoke Carnival 2023 will take place on Sunday 17th September on Glebe Meadow and Bishy Beach. The day will start with the river float competition and the duck races before the stalls, rides and entertainment take over on the Meadow.
The small group running these events would really appreciate any extra help. Whether you can just spare a few hours on either day, or whether you are happy to come to the planning meetings and add your ideas, your support would be welcome. Please contact carnival@bishopstokepc.org if you think you can help.
A Bishopstoke Parish Council Grant for Highbridge Conservation Group
Bishopstoke Parish Council is pleased to announce a grant of almost £1,000 to the Highbridge Conservation Group for their work towards restoring the water meadows and Site of Special Scientific Interest at Highbridge and maintaining and encouraging the dormouse population in woods on Bishopstoke Lane.
New Parish Councillor
The Parish Council welcomed Geoff Harris to its ranks at the latest meeting following his election as a Bishopstoke Parish Councillor for the Whalesmead Ward. Geoff has previously been a Parish Councillor and is already working with the Carnival group to bring Carnival 2023 to life.
Do you know a potential Bishopstoke Champion?
The Parish Council Is launching a Bishopstoke Champion Award. The Council is looking for a person, or a group of people, deserving the title of Bishopstoke Champion. That could be a person who has championed a worthy cause, someone who has worked hard to make life easy for an individual who finds the going tough, or maybe a group who have done their best to make Bishopstoke a better place to live and work. Keep an eye on the Parish Council website and noticeboards for more information and a nomination form.
Next meeting (open to Bishopstoke residents)… The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Tuesday 10th January at 7.30pm. For details of where the meeting will take place and any other information please visit the Parish website.
For further information, please contact the Parish Clerk: David Wheal
by email: clerk@bishopstokepc.org
or visit the Parish website at: www.bishopstokepc.org
STOKE PARK FARM CONSULTATION
The Eastleigh Borough Council consultation on what to do with the land it has recently acquired at Stoke Park Farm is now live on their website. TO have your say please just click on the link below. The consultation closes on 31st March 2023.
https://eastleighboroughcouncil.citizenspace.com/communications/stoke-park-farm
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