A successful PIGS first round

At the last meeting of the Wiltshire and Swindon Countryside Access Forum – the CAF- on the 11^th of March 2009, the members reviewed the result of the first round of the Parish Improvement Grants Scheme, now normally known as PIGS! This scheme allows parish and town councils to bid for a grant towards improving access to rights of way in their area. The PIGS grant must be at least matched by funds, either money or in kind, from elsewhere. As the pot from which the grant come is limited the bids are competing, and only the best bids win.

This first round, for the financial year 2008/2009, resulted in 15 bids arriving by the closing date. As the timescale for this first round was very tight, this was a gratifying number of responses, and 5 grants were awarded. They were:

Rowde: for establishing a permissive path and improvements to the verges along the B3101, a fast road without walkable margins. This allows a safe route between the canal at Caen Hill, and Rowde, opening a circular walk for ramblers, access to the village with its shops and pubs for canal users and for the residents of houses on the B3101, and access to the Caen Hill locks area for the villagers. PIGS grant £5000

Atworth: for improvements to paths and stiles, plus a footbridge and culvert, on some of the very heavily used footpaths around Broughton Gifford and Chalfield. PIGS grant £812

Market Lavington: for establishing a permissive path avoiding a busy road. PIGS grant £1654

Seagry: for establishing a safe walkway and footbridge. PIGS grant £850

Great Somerford: for establishing a permissive path along an attractive section of the river Avon. PIGS grant £245

These successful bids totalled £8561 but have brought in around £20,000 from other sources for these projects. Quite an impressive bit of added value!

In view of this success when timescales were so tight, the scheme will continue for a second year – and further if funds remain available. The arrangements for the next round will be sufficiently similar for parishes to start thinking now about what they might bid for. There will be some relatively minor changes in the light of this years experience, and the full details with be sent to all parish and town councils in Wiltshire, hopefully in early May. The closing date for bids is intended to be 31 December 2009.