Life in village is under scrutiny (From Gazette Series)

Life in village is under scrutiny

THE UPS and downs of living in Wickwar are due to come under public scrutiny with a new village survey.

Parish councillors are aiming to get funding from a government-run initiative for villages and towns to undertake their own parish plans.

A steering group, consisting of around ten members, has now been set up to decide on a strategy of carrying out the plan should the funding bid be successful.

The group intends to ask the people of Wickwar what they think about living there.

Cllr Sarah Berry, who originally proposed the parish plan, said: "We would like to do a village wide, very short opinion poll about what the issues are in the village. We want to know what the good things are and what can be improved.

"Then we can prioritise those issues and work on them with the help of groups within the village or whatever is necessary."

The application needs to be in government hands by the end of May so a final funding bid will be produced at the council's next meeting. If a grant is made, the parish plan will have to be completed in 2006.