Felmersham Parish Council

There is a small playing field with a limited array of play equipment and a small football pitch suitable for junior soccer near Pinchmill Lower School in Church End, Felmersham. There are no play facilities in Radwell. The only clubs open to young people are the Brownies Group and Sunday school. The local cricket team abandoned their historic cricket field when the present owner’s leasing arrangements made it uneconomical to improve the pitch to required standards; they now play at Pavenham.

The river is a very popular fishing and canoeing venue and the gravel pits provide an excellent site for birds and wildlife. Provision of more public seating was a priority for a number of respondents, but a greater number thought there was sufficient or that it was unimportant (the riverside, Radwell Green and playing field were suggested sites). Pinchmill Hall, which is shared with the Lower School, provides a venue for social activities.

There are many footpaths and bridleways in the Parish providing facilities for walkers; these are actively monitored and maintained by the local branch of the Parish Paths Partnership (P3), a joint venture between Bedfordshire County Council and Felmersham & Radwell Parish Council. The majority of respondents felt that the paths were in good condition and well-signposted. Four in ten respondents stated that they use local footpaths every week.

Local school using the Jubilee Lawn slipway to canoe on the river	P3 Group ensure stiles and footpaths are maintained in good condition

Issue	Background	Action	Partners
Improve recreational facilities for young people	During the consultation period, the lack of a youth club, poor recreational facilities and the lack of a play area in Radwell were raised. Problems caused by youths hanging around bus shelters were mentioned. The most popular suggested solutions to overcome this were: a better sports field, evening transport to & from Bedford, a youth meeting point, a safe Radwell play area, a football pitch and skateboard area.	Investigate the feasibility of providing a safe play area in Radwell. Work with young parishioners and transport providers to investigate transport problems and devise solutions. Consider providing a recreation facility with sports pitches and a youth meeting point. Identify potential partners and funding opportunities.	Action Group Young parishioners Felmersham & Radwell Parish Council Felmersham & Radwell Community Trust Village Hall Committee Local landowners East of England Sports Council North Bedfordshire Borough Council Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity Local Network Fund
Need for a recreation field in the Parish	Eight out of ten respondents would welcome a new recreation field in the Parish. General recreational activities were cited as the most popular potential use, followed by tennis, football, cricket and bowls.	Investigate the feasibility of providing a new recreation facility for all age groups.	Action Group Parishioners Felmersham & Radwell Parish Council Felmersham & Radwell Community Trust Village Hall Committee Local landowners East of England Sports Council North Bedfordshire Borough Council Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity
Pinchmill Hall	Although nearly three quarters of respondents thought that the hall is adequate for the needs of the Parish, numerous comments were received indicating that a sole-purpose village hall would be desirable and would result in more income as it would be a more attractive venue for social functions. Indeed, it was suggested that the village should recover the funds raised to provide hall facilities and use these along with further funding to build a new hall. Two thirds of respondents thought that additional parking was required at the hall. Disabled toilet facilities have recently been installed in the Village Hall but no disabled access ramps are yet in place.	Convey these results to the Village Hall Committee. See TRAFFIC issues.	Action Group Village Hall Committee Bedfordshire County Council Village Hall Committee
Desire to see new countryside footpaths established	206 respondents (mainly in the 22-49 age range) would like the creation of a circular “Family route”,182 respondents (including 60% of the 11-16 age range) indicated the desirability of a footpath/cycleway between Felmersham and Sharnbrook Upper School and 170 respondents would like a footpath between Radwell and Milton Ernest. Other suggestions included the joining up of bridleways throughout the Parish and beyond, a riverside walk from the Old Road Felmersham linking to the footpath on Pinchmill Islands and access to the Radwell Gravel Pits.	Pass results to the Parish Paths Partnership (P3) for consideration.	Action Group Parish Paths Partnership (P3) P3 Officer Bedfordshire County Council Rights of Way Officer, Beds CC Local landowners Felmersham & Radwell Parish Council Sharnbrook Parish Council Milton Ernest Parish Council
Clubs and activities	There are several well supported clubs using the Village Hall such as WI, Yoga, Patchwork, Art, Bridge and Thursday Club. However, as stated in the Communication Section, many people do not know how to join or who to contact. Returns from the survey indicated potential support for a range of other activities such as a Rambling Club, Book Club and Gardening Club.	Encourage all clubs to open their membership to all and publicise contact details. Pass details of responses to Village Hall Committee. Reintroduce the “welcome pack” for new residents.	Action Group All clubs and organizations Village Hall Committee