Rural Village Services Group - share your best practice and case studies!

Draughton Parish Council

DRAUGHTON ACTION TO ZERO

Key theme:
Rural Net Zero

Eccleshall Parish Council

FOOTPATHS MAINTENANCE SCHEME

Key theme:
Rural Health and Care

Froyle Parish Council

INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATION

Key theme:
Rural Digital Connectivity

Stoke Climsland Parish Council

HELPING RESIDENTS MAKE HOMES HEALTHIER AND MORE EFFICIENT

Key theme:
Rural Net Zero

Draughton Parish Council

Key theme:
Rural Net Zero

DRAUGHTON ACTION TO ZERO

Draughton Parish Council have kindly shared a case study on how they will help achieve national net zero targets and mitigate the effects of climate change in their own area.
Project aim
The Council set up our DAZ project, run by a working group of councillors and village volunteers, to explore ways of enabling our community to help achieve national net zero targets and mitigate the effects of climate change in our own area.

Eccleshall Parish Council

Key theme:
Rural Health and Care

FOOTPATHS MAINTENANCE SCHEME

Project aim:
Eccleshall Parish Council has a large number of public Rights of Way throughout its parish, many of which are well used but suffered from a lack of funding with regards to maintaining access and a lack of signage, due to reduced funding from the County Council, the lead authority responsible for maintaining these Rights of Way. During Covid, residents were restricted to walks within their local area and were keen to explore the rights of way within the parish, many of which were suffering from a lack of maintenance.

Project actions:
The Parish Council liaised with Staffordshire County Council who welcomed our proposal to fund a self employed footpaths operative who would undertake works to maintain the most used Rights of Way within the parish. Tasks undertaken include the cutting back of vegetation, repairing and replacing stiles and fingerposts, and installing new signage (with permissions). There have been some larger jobs which require more than one person, and the County Rights of Way team have worked with us to arrange for volunteer support.
Schemes that are linked to this include the provision of additional signage along Rights of Way in Bishop’s Wood. The council identified the need for additional signage and produced a proposal to identify the requirements. The County Rights of Way officer was able to deliver this scheme in conjunction with Amey’s community volunteer scheme.
The scheme has also led onto the production of a Circular walks booklet, which has been very well received. The footpaths promoted in these walks are those which we prioritise for regular maintenance.

Froyle Parish Council

Key theme:
Rural Digital Connectivity

INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATION

Froyle Parish Council recognised that they were struggling to communicate effectively with all members of their community, as residents span a wide range of age groups and there is a variety of preferences for communications using differing media. There were also several different websites for village activities with no single place for accessing local information.  Following research into how the community engaged with different forms of communication, they took action to coordinate and improve how local information is delivered within their community.  

Stoke Climsland Parish Council

Key theme:
Rural Net Zero

Helping Residents Make Homes Healthier And More Efficient

Stoke Climsland Parish Council has announced the release of a Retrofit Guide intended to help residents make home improvements for a healthier and more energy efficient living environment.

The free booklet demonstrates how small changes can help ordinary people save money on energy bills, create a comfortable and healthy home, reduce environmental impact and improve resilience.

It covers all types of property, including common concerns around retrofitting older and historic properties, providing advice that is sensitive to the unique character of local buildings. It also busts some jargon and provides checklists to help residents plan and progress their retrofit journey. By covering both quick wins and long-term investments, the guide aims to be accessible and useful for all, regardless of property type or budget