Author: portfoliofive

Back in August 2020, a few families approached Pinhoe Forum to see if we could find out what was happening with the bike bump area in Station Road Playing Fields. It was overgrown and unsafe, but still used and valued by families who were keen to renovate it.

Following conversations with Exeter City Council and local councillors, it was announced that £45k was available from S106 money to develop a Pump Track. This money will be released when houses on the Taylor Wimpey development are ready for occupation.

Louise Harvey, then ECC Service Manager for Public and Green Spaces, mentioned we have an award-winning track designer who not only lives in Pinhoe but also designed one of the city’s most successful facilities: an opportunity to work with Tim Ruck was not to be missed!

In September, Tim took a look at the park: basing a track alongside the renewed pitch area would give the site real potential. We discussed options to pursue further grant funding to enable a holistic approach to the site, securing access and amenity for the whole community as well as ensuring any bike facility was ambitious, accessible for a range of ages and abilities, and had a sustainable future.

Wider consultation is the next important step to open up the process to the whole community, especially to hear from young people but also to ensure this area works for as many people as possible, so that walkers and dog owners are included too.

Tim has put together a range of suggestions with rough ideas for budgets so we can gauge the opportunity to apply for additional funding > 

After years of campaigning for community green spaces in Pinhoe, work is needed to protect and connect the fields of North East Exeter:

• Pinhoe Forum has set up a petition to bring broad public support for residents working to protect the wildlife in Higher Field at the top of Pinhoe. Aligning the petition with Exeter City Council’s Living Better agenda, taking a practical and pragmatic approach to find opportunities within city strategies, is key. The petition highlights not only the view of the fields from across the city, but the historic woodland of Pinhoe’s Ridgeline as a distinctive part of Exeter’s skyline. This connects to latest research showing local distinctiveness is at the heart of a community’s sense of place. It’s not just in Pinhoe, it’s the north east skyline for the whole of Exeter

• Pinhoe Village worked to support the Clyst Valley Trees project by exploring paths from Pinhoe to East Devon and it was fantastic news that their plan for a Valley Park has been successful. At the moment, Exeter’s own Valley Park stops at Mincinglake and proposed planning applications across Beacon Heath are set to fragment the fields and skyline, as well as the historic pathways which connect Pinhoe beyond to East Devon.

A change of plan would bring fresh opportunity to connect to local groups in Beacon Heath who have been working hard to develop local support, growing the reach and connecting to people who care about the city skyline and access to green fields. Clyst Valley Park has developed support through a range of national government, charity funding, developer funding and other sources. Let’s make the case to develop a network of green space which connects communities in NE Exeter and protects the city’s distinctive woodland skyline.