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Fovant Parish Council acts for the villagers through its elected Councillors who have responsibility for administering and maintaining the parish infrastructure, including planning matters. The present Parish Council contains both elected and co- opted councillors, each with a delegated area of specific responsibility; Transport, Highways, Footpaths, Recreation Grounds, Youth Club, Village Hall, Dinton School, Neighbourhood Watch, Police Consultative Committee, Parochial Church Council, Tisbury & Salisbury Community Safety Groups and the Wiltshire Association of Local Councils.
The Council is assisted and guided by the Parish Clerk who is the Officer of the Council and meets approximately every six weeks at which the public are invited to attend. Additionally, planning and other ad hoc meetings are held fortnightly or more frequently if required – Planning Meetings are usually held in the Village Hall, commencing 6.30 p.m. All Planning decisions are reviewed at the next Parish Council Meeting, and a record noted in the Minutes of Meeting. When required the Parish Council will make representations on behalf of the community at Salisbury District Planning Meetings, Enforcement Meetings and at Appeal Hearings. The Parish Chairman also facilitates at special Public Meetings.
Rights of Way
The Footpath representative monitors the maintenance of, and protects public right of access to, the twenty footpaths, bridle- ways and other rights-of-way which lie within the Parish. A Report is made at every the Parish Council Meeting. A web site has also been established giving details of all the footpaths around the village has been established – it can be viewed at www.btinternet.com/~ fovantpaths
List of Rights of Way in Fovant:
FP 1
From Fir Hill Plantation to the Compton Chamberlayne border
FP 2
From Church Lane to Teffont Mill
FP 3
From Turnbridge to the Pembroke Arms
FP 4
From Mary Barter's Lane to the Dinton Road
FP 5
From Mill Lane to Path 3
FP 6A
From the Village Hall to Green Drove
FP 7
From Schoolhouse Lane to the Rectory
BW 8
From Millhouse to Scotland Buildings
FP 9
From Hole Lane to Sutton Road
FP 11
From New Barn Cottages to Fovant Hut
FP 12
Across the Pennings. A30 to the Fifield Bavant Road
BW 13
From Brook Street to Path 14
BR 14
From Fovant Hollow to the Herepath
BW 14A
From the Herepath to the Broad Chalke boundary
FP 15
From Moor Hill to the Sutton Mandeville boundary (Hole Lane)
FP 16
From East Farm to the Herepath behind Chiselbury Ring
BW 17
From Dinton Road across A30 to Brook Street (Green Drove)
BR 18
The Herepath. From the Sutton to Compton boundary
BW 19
From the Herepath to the Ebbesborne Wake boundary
FP 20
From Dinton Road to Tisbury Road
FP = Footpath. BW = Bridleway. BR = Byway open to all traffic.
Highways
The Highways representative monitors the state of the public roads around the parish and reports any significant deterioration to the County and District Highways Authorities. In addition, the representative acts as the first point of contact for scheduling minor work and maintenance activities to the W.C.C. Highway Lengthsmen Scheme.Some of the Parish Councillors voluntarily carry out repairs and maintenance of the public fencing, rails, gates and signposts around the village all year round. They are particularly busy during Spring and Summer monitoring hedgerow, roadside, and footpath clearances which require attention by landowners throughout the growing season.
Volunteers and working parties are always welcome - an example being the Garden Club which maintains the flower display at the junction of the High Street & A30 throughout the year, as well as the all-year-round maintenance of Flowers Tubs throughout the village.
Local Businesses
Fovant village is fortunate in that currently, it’s local businesses include a thriving Village Shop and a separately operated Post Office &stationery shop. It also has a Petrol Garage with MoT Repair Shop facility, a Public House (The Pembroke Arms), a Licensed Restaurant – the Emblems, a Trout Farm and a Nursery & After Hours School (the Rainbow Centre).The Parish Council supports the business rate reduction initiative for Garages and Post Offices, but would like to see such schemes extended to all rural businesses.
Fovant Parish Council considers that all rural village businesses should be treated as a ‘National Asset’ and to be protected against unscrupulous developers.
The Parish Council strongly believes in the vital importance of the local village businesses, and encourages all Owners and their business associates to recognise and take on the associated moral and ethical responsibilities and obligations due to the whole community, which includes the retention and operation of its essential infrastructure and facilities.
Business & Community
Although local businesses are mainly family concerns which employ a small number of local villagers, they all contribute to the very fabric of village life by providing amenities and services which are not readily available, particularly to the older citizens, the young and to those who do not have their own transport.Local businesses help to provide a continuity which is essential to the formation of a ‘living community’ – very often, it is the local businesses which identify, promote and support charitable fund raising for good causes both within the village community itself and to the wider national forum.
Local business people often help organise and donate to specific causes such as; the upkeep of Fovant Badges, refurbishment of the Youth Club, upgrade to the Village Hall and to the support of Fovant Ward (Odstock Hospital), the Mission to Seamen, Children’s Society and many other charities.
Local businesses are natural ‘meeting points’ for villagers. Fovant is still a traditional village community where the daily life of everyone is the subject of much interest by all, and the availability and accessibility of such ‘meeting points’ ensures that no-one person should be excluded or over-looked, and help and assistance is available to those who may need it.
Recreation & Play
Fovant Parish Council rents and maintains a Children’s Playground, comprising a Slide, Swings, Roundabout and rocking Mobiles for the young. The Fovant Parish Council and sponsors have refurbished the playground facilities at significant cost to bring them up to the latest E.U. Playgrounds Directive safety standard EN 1176.The Council also rents the adjacent Recreation Ground, which has a ‘Goal End’ for the older children, complete with spectator bench seating, which it maintains from the precept. These facilities are constantly maintained and are subject to improvement regimes
Youth Club
For the children of the village, Fovant has its newly refurbished and modernised Youth Club – all undertaken by locally provided funds and matched grants. The dedicated building provides a large number of facilities, including indoor sports and traditional games such as ‘Table Tennis’ and ‘Ring Throwing’ to the more modern table games such as ‘Pool’ and ‘Billiards’. The Youth Club is properly organised as a Charity and has its own Constitution and Management Committee, ably supported by the children’s parents and other volunteers.The Youth Club opens every Friday evening through most of the year - and also organises day trips to places of interest.
The Youth Club also takes part in the Tisbury Sports Centre organised activities scheme during the summer months and the Salisbury District SPLASH activities.
Fovant Rainbow Centre
Although Fovant no longer enjoys the benefit of having a First School in the village, the establishment of the Rainbow Centre (a limited company) as a Nursery & After Hours School has been a tremendous success. In addition to the Nursery & After Hours School, the Rainbow Centre also provides facilities for a creche and by arrangement during school summer holiday periods, for a ‘Holiday Club’.
The Rainbow Centre also provides a ‘hobby centre’ for those slightly older children who wish to pursue such activities as aircraft and ship modelling, photography etc. The Rainbow Centre is very well supported from not only within the village but also from around the district where the first class facilities have been recognised.
Fovant Cricket Club
Another avenue for youthful participation is the Fovant Cricket Club. The Cricket Club is organised and run by an enthusiastic senior team who delight in ‘bringing-on’ the junior player’s. The Cricket Team enjoys a good reputation around the local area, winning many trophies each year – an aspect which ensures many youngsters are keen to join ! In addition to cricket training sessions, the Cricket Club is fully booked for both Saturday and Sunday matches throughout the summer season, and also the Tuesday evening games.
Fovant C.C. currently have three separate teams. The Saturday team have been successful for many years and have reached Division 1. The Sunday team has recently joined the lower Dorset leagues in an attempt to find competitive games. The Tuesday evening team play in the Old Sarum Invitation League. This is the fore runner to the now popular twenty-20 game.
Residential Housing
Fovant has a Salisbury District Council managed Residential Home for the elderly in the Parish and its surrounding area. The Residential Home is located at Clays Orchard adjacent to Sutton Road. The residents have access to a ‘remote’ monitoring service provided by the Council and a ‘share’ of a visiting ‘warden’. The residents, although almost all are retired, are generally still active and many are involved in the day- to-day village activities as well as their own social activities which are organised and carried on within the community area of the residence.
A Care-at-Home Service under the Cheshire Foundation is located in the village and arrangements have been made with the help of the Church for a regular roster of volunteers to drive the elderly (living at the Residence or elsewhere in the village) to attend village activities / events or to visit the Shop and Post Office, and to the village surgery as needed.
Community Newsletter
Fovant enjoys the benefit of sharing a monthly community magazine with its neighbours at Sutton Mandeville and Compton Chamberlayne the ‘Three Towers Community Magazine’.The magazine is organised and run through the Parochial Church Council with funding from a number of sources including the Parish Council donations, Village Fete income and advertising fees. The Magazine is formatted and published by a voluntary Editor, who uses a photocopier owned by the Parish (paid for by earlier fund- raising activities. The ‘Three Towers Magazine’ is circulated free-of- charge throughout the Parish by volunteers.
Fovant Village Hall
The Village Hall is available for hire and is the main centre for the Village Hall Management Committee meetings, Parish Council Meetings, Public Enquiries, and the Parish Annual Meeting. The Hall is also the venue for the village clubs and other specialist interest groups such as Fovant Artists who exhibit and the modelling club. Also the Garden Club, Fun- Fit, Women’s Institute, Coffee Mornings and the ‘Bring-and-Buy’ and ‘Nearly-New’ sales and other fund-raising events are held in the Hall.
The Village Hall Management Committee organise many different activities for the community.
St Georges Church
The Parochial Church Council apart from carrying out its day-to-day ministry to the parishioners by way of Sunday, Family, Morning and Evening Services, also engages in a pro- active way to stimulate the spirit of the community by holding Lent Suppers, Deanery Synod meetings Easter, Harvest and Christmas & Carol Festival services. Members of the Church Choir meet weekly for their own pleasure and occasionally give a concert. There are also the Church Bell-Ringers who have a young persons team. The PCC is very active in promoting the celebration of important events, for example, in commemoration of HM The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, a Thanksgiving Service with Songs of Praise was held and the annual Remembrance Day Service.
There is also a Methodist Chapel located in the village High Street adjacent to the Youth Club. It holds services every Sunday and a Bible Study each Thursday. The Chapel meets in Fellowship at the Clays Orchard Residential Home every second Thursday on alternate months.