A new PAGE for Drayton St Leonard

On a sunny Saturday in April, villagers in Drayton St Leonard came together to celebrate the opening of their newly refurbished village hall. The event combined a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony with feedback and consultations about their emerging Parish Plan together with the village launch of their “Parishes Against Gravel Extraction” (PAGE) campaign.

The sorry condition of the hall was identified as a problem right at the start of their Parish Plan last year. But villagers didn’t wait for the plan to be completed to start work on the refurbishment. Thanks to local commitment and donations the hall now looks bright, warm and welcoming to visitors.

The Parish Plan group used the opportunity of the grand village hall opening to further their consultation with the village. One recent development had been the worry over new proposals from Oxfordshire County Council to use the surrounding countryside for gravel extraction. PAGE was set up to fight the proposed gravel extraction from the 8 parishes surrounding Drayton St Leonard.

Launching the PAGE campaign in Drayton St Leonard, spokesman Steve Thompson explained that, “Gravel extraction on the scale that the County Council propose could bring 15 years of chaos to the villages in this area and result in permanent damage to our local heritage.  Our rural villages and lifestyles need protecting.”

By including the villagers’ views on gravel extraction in their Parish Plan, the group are confident that they can strengthen their case for preserving the wonderful countryside that surrounds them for future generations to enjoy.

For more information about the PAGE campaign visit www.pagecampaign.org. If your village hasn’t got a Parish Plan then now is the perfect time to start. Contact Anton or Aimee today for more information.