Why a Village Green?
Ore Community Land Trust and Ore Valley Action before it have campaigned for many years, not just to save Speckled Wood from development and to open up the footpaths, but also to put forward ideas for enhancing the woodland valley for community use.
One of the more exciting and entirely practical proposals is to create a Village Green on the land behind the current Council managed Green and the Salvation Army Hall.
Ore is seriously lacking in accessible open space, areas for children to play and disability access to green spaces.
The land in question is a very attractive setting for a Village Green that leads directly onto the network of footpaths running into Speckled Wood
What could a Village Green provide?
• level grassed area for recreation.
• landscaping and planting of flowers and shrubs.
• much needed children’s play area.
• seating with views into heart of Speckled Wood.
• small ‘amphitheatre’ style outdoor performance space for social events.
• surfaced access path for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Improvements would include clearance of some non-indigenous sycamore trees to create the green area and encourage wild flowers, landscaping and planting of feature trees to screen the builder’s yard and add to the diversity and habitat.
How could this happen?
When the Council Local Plan proposals to redesignate the larger part of Speckled Wood as protected urban green space are approved, then Ore Community Land Trust could seek funding to acquire the necessary land and create the Village Green in partnership with Hastings Borough Council who manage the existing Green.
The exact nature of the work to enhance the land and provide community amenities would be subject to full community consultation to ensure that the interests and ideas from all sections of the local community were respected.