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We have received the following from Richard T:

Pump Hill

Many will recall the pretty garden maintained by Dorothy Littlewood, in spring a beautiful dappled  glade of bluebells, daffodils and narcissus.

The land, known as Pump Hill,  and making up part of The Square, was given to the village about ten years ago. I don’t think I was alone in believing that the reason for the acquisition was to preserve    a parcel  which is at the heart of the village. It was my  sense that the parish council  was to own it on behalf of the village in a fiduciary capacity and thus inalienable.  I found that reassuring. No one ever thought for one moment that the property might be sold by a later parish council with different values so this was never formally put down in writing and enshrined  in any trust document.

But now the parish council IS minded to sell and is seeking a buyer as an option.  While there has been some activity on this blog in the past, the parish council has not sought the views of the village as a whole nor has it explained why it wants to sell and the options it has explored.

I, for one, thought the land had been acquired and  “saved”  for the benefit  of our community as a whole  – a kind of unwritten trust -and not to be traded in the manner  of a property portfolio.

I would have thought there were a number of options for the parish council to explore, such as:

* allowing the site to become a wildlife sanctuary encouraging birds, butterflies, beetles etc. (The site is next to the lower of the two school playgrounds). This surely  would not cost a huge sum to manage.

*  allotments, a previous use in living memory

*  letting  at a peppercorn rent as a garden and open space

* letting  at a peppercorn rent as an extension to the lower adjoining school playground

A proposed sale has already attracted interest which suggests people might like to use Pump Hill, presumably as  a garden.

Pump Hill is a visually valuable and sensitive  part of the village amenity in the heart of the conservation area –  the smells in spring, the approach to the area arched by trees and blossoms, the framing of Parwich  Hill which makes a breathtaking  picture  behind, a characteristic of the the southern White Peak.

Pump Hill  is part of the rich and unique tapestry of Parwich  which is one of the  reasons why we want to live here.  I am sure others  feel the same but I may be wrong.

In my view, there should be wide consultation with our community which may, in the process,  throw up other ideas for its use. It should be unhurried and considered – certainly not hasty. Common sense would suggest a public meeting. (That would enable a significant minority, who do not “do” the Internet to hear the arguments first hand and make valuable contributions to  the discussions,. They  are from a largely different generation.)

We should not forget that the parish council has extensive property interests. A sale could establish a dangerous  precedent that the parish council is open to offers, however small a site.

If it does come to a disposal, and to reflect what I believe was our understanding of a “fiduciary” duty to preserve this “green lung” for the village,  a number of options may present themselves as alternatives while maintaining the principle of keeping  this picturesque property for the public good.

These might include donating  the site to the National Trust, The Woodland Trust,  the Derbyshire
Wildlife Trust (with an agreed management scheme?) or even the Peak District National Park Authority. I do not know if the Friends of the Peak District assume property ownerships.

But at the end of the day,  the best owners might well  be the parish council. So let your councillor know.

Richard T