May Meeting Update

We held our second meeting on the 6th May, this time at the Square Cow in Wickham Square. Twelve members of the community came along to this open discussion, including some members of the Parish Council. The agenda was very loose, with some suggestions from Ben the organiser and from some people who had suggested topics beforehand.

First, we discussed Sarah’s idea of raising awareness of hedgehogs in our gardens, and we thought a community talk, articles in the local magazines, and display boards could be a good way to encourage people to nurture our spiky little friends.

Next we heard from Heather about the plans for Wickham in Bloom this year. Heather agreed to write a blog to highlight how the competition isn’t just about hanging baskets and well-tended lawns – it encourages work on horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility, and community participation. Knowle residents discussed getting involved and giving Wickham a run for their money! It was thought that getting FirstPort involved would be important.

Biodiversity was a hot topic, with discussion of the verges around Wickham and the groundskeeping in Knowle. It was thought that we could lobby Hampshire County Council to stop close-mowing, and present them with the community’s preferences for how things are looked after. Similar efforts could be directed at FirstPort for Knowle. Croudace Homes were mentioned with some ire due to them failing in their various duties around Wickham, including looking after the roundabout and the Glebe. The idea of bulk buying wildflower seed was raised, possibly with the help of a grant. The practicalities of getting wildflower seeds to grow was mentioned, with lots of us not knowing how best to achieve results – definitely an opportunity for some community knowledge exchange!

The biggest topic of the evening was around the green spaces that the Parish Council has, or soon to have, responsibility for. We heard about the problems with river bank erosion in the Wickham water meadows, and more generally about the health of the River Meon. We thought that linking up with sustainability groups up- and downstream to see how we might all support the health of this vital ecosystem would be a good idea. You can read a bit about chalk rivers here.

We heard from the chair of the Glebe working group Mark Ashton about their progress towards taking on that site from Croudace. Despite the frustrations about delays getting the site transferred to the parish council, there is encouraging news about Lottery money, and support from the South Downs National Park Authority to develop the site in an appropriate way. We thought that getting their expertise for the upcoming country park by Mill Lane, the Knowle Water Meadows and the Knowle Triangle would be good – especially as an holistic approach to our green spaces could benefit wildlife and the community by providing the right mix of planting and wildlife. We hope to bring you a talk from some of the stakeholders involved in the projects, about the progress and next steps. Look out for “Wilder Wickham & Knowle”!

The common thread throughout the meeting was that we all benefit from working together and sharing expertise, and Sustainable Wickham & Knowle is a good place to do that! If you want to get involved, send us an email, and come along to our next meeting at 6-7pm on the 3rd June at Shashi’s Kitchen in South Square, Knowle. You’ll also find us at the Wickham Church Fete on June 13th.