BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION 2017
DISTRICT ROUND
NORTH WILTS – MEDIUM VILLAGES
VILLAGE REPORTS
FINAL SCORES
66 – Biddestone
64 – Oaksey
58 – Dauntsey
We were pleased to see an absence of unwarranted advertising and fly-posting in villages. And likewise with fly-tipping; though some of you mentioned it we saw none. We were pleased to see all the efforts made to improve village facilities and to encourage people into participating. Footpaths are contentious because they should be maintained by Wiltshire Council but, with fewer staff and the probable continuation of austerity, with whatever new funding is made available going to “more important areas of our life”, such as NHS and the police, footpaths will continue to be near the bottom of the pile for funding. To what extent villages should take responsibility for their own footpaths is a question that should be asked.Similarly with notice boards. Does the advent of modern technology – websites, tablets, etc – mean that there is no longer a need for a notice board? This is another issue we need to consider. We thank you all for entering – whatever the problems you have had to overcome - and thank you for presenting your villages to us in such a well-kept way.
OAKSEY
Hedges, trees, walls, fences and banks were all fine with some good planting and residential gardens and outbuildings were generally good though there were some (towards the east end of the village) which would have been improved with a bit of tidying up. The playing field (used also by the school) was wonderfully maintained with good facilities (football and fitness area and some well-kept children’s apparatus as well). The Well Garden was a nice clean and tidy oasis, perfect for a picnic, and Oaksey Wood looked very inviting, close to the village so easy access and a wide track leading into it, with lots of people appearing to be using it. Footpaths were acceptable. The impressive village hall was very neat and tidy and the school also well-kept with some very interesting features – school garden and veg patch and wildlife attractor. Well done. The church surrounds were generally good though we did wonder if it could ever be considered that a conservation area was perhaps a little too wild and unkempt. Hidden down a side road, the pub was nicely kept with an inviting front area and good tidy parking at the rear and the shop was very tidy outside, always a difficult thing for village shops to maintain, with a good selection inside and a lot of ‘useful’ notices in the window, and community run. Well done again. The striking bus shelter was clean and tidy but the phone box looked a little forlorn though, being empty of equipment, is presumably in limbo at the moment. The notice board, while well-kept, holds parish council information but little else. There is some more information on the village hall notice board and your report tells us the full and lengthy story of village activities. We saw no unwarranted advertising displays, no fly-posting and no litter, which is excellent to note. The map was beautifully presented and all we saw in the village and read in your report showed a village determined to maintain and update its facilities and enhance its community spirit.
Areas to improve:
1 Notice board
2 Residential gardens and outbuildings – we do understand the difficulty of getting everyone on board