pynes community orchard, ide a prospectus

PYNESCOMMUNITYORCHARD,IDE

APROSPECTUS

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draftv10.21July2020

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AnOrchardforIdeIdehaslongbeenavillageoforchards.PynesVictorianOrchardliesacrosstheroadfromPynesFarm,ontherightasyougosouthupthehilltowardsDunchideock.ItremainsoneofIde’soldesttraditionalfruitorchards,neglectedforageneration,yetstillinitsoriginalform.Its3.65acresofslopingfield,facingnorth,overlookthevillage.Itcontainsanumberofoldappletrees,somefallenandrestingontheground.TheChurchCommissionersownPynesOrchardand,stimulatedbydiscussionsabouttheIdeNeighbourhoodPlan,haveagreedtosellittotheParishCouncilforuseasacommunityorchard.

ThereareoverfiftycommunityorchardsinDevon.Theyhavebecomepopularasplacesforfriendsandneighbourstocometogetherforseasonaleventssuchasapplepressingorhaymaking;andtheyprovideuniquespacesforrecreation,productiveactivity,andrelaxation.Local,common,publicspaceissomethingweareshortofinIde.Communityorchardsareafineresourceforschoolsseekingoutsideclassroomactivities.Theyofferthechancetomaintainandincreasebiodiversity,providelocalfruitandtoresistpropertydevelopment.PynesOrchardhasbeenformallydesignatedforprotectionasLocalGreenSpaceintheIdeNeighbourhoodPlan.

WehavejoinedanorganisationcalledOrchardLinkwhichpromotestherestorationandreplantingoforchardsinSouthDevon,byofferingtechnicaladviceandsupport.InJanuary2017,OrchardLink’schairman,CharlesStaniland,addressedapublicmeetinginIdeaboutthebenefitsofcommunityorchards.RealenthusiasmwasexpressedatthemeetingfortheideaofbuyingPynesOrchard.

InNovember2017theParishCouncilsetupPynesCommunityOrchardWorkingGrouptoconductnegotiationswiththeChurchCommissioners;planafundraisingcampaign;gatherideasfortheuseoftheorchardwhichfittheneedsofIde’sresidents;andreviewhowbesttomanagetheorchard,itstreesandboundaries.

InMarch2018,theCouncilsuccessfullynegotiatedapricewiththeCommissionersof£17,000peracre,plusreclaimableVAT,whichisinlinewithanindependentvaluation,asamenityland,byRendellsSurveyorscommissionedbytheParishCouncilinApril2017.AfterfurtherdiscussionstheChurchCommissionersagreedtograntusalicencetooccupytheorchardfrom28September2018,withcertainconditions:itsusemustbeasaprivateorcharduntilweownit;andthelicenseeistobeanindividual.AndrewBragg,ofWestTown

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Farm,tookonthelicenceontheParishCouncil’sbehalf,splittingtheannuallicencefeeof£544equallywiththeParishCouncilWorkingGroup.

In[month]2020,wesignedathreeyearOptionAgreementtopurchasetheland;andwefeelconfidentaboutraisingthemoneywithinthatthreeyearperiod.

Idehasarare,onceinalifetimeopportunitytoacquireapieceoflandwhichbordersitsresidentialarea,andwhichholdsaplaceinthevillage’sheritageandhistory.Itwillbeanareaofopenspace,forthepublic’senjoyment,wheretraditionalfruittreescanberestored,plantedandcultivatedasacommunityenterprise.

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HeritageInthelastseventyyearsDevonhaslostabout90%ofitstraditionalorchards.EveryDevonfarmhaditsownorchard,withhistoricaltaxationfiguresshowingthatin1789therewere22farmsofvaryingsizeintheparishofIde.Todaytherearesix,andasthenumberoffarmshasdeclined,sohasthenumberoforchards.OrdnanceSurveymapsoftheearly19thcenturyshowtheextentoforchardplantingand,comparedwithtoday’sorchards,howmuchhasdisappeared.AnaerialsnapshotofIdeinthespringof1800wouldhaverevealedatinyislandfloatinginaseaofpinkandwhiteblossom.Thereareremnantsofthissea:astripoflandbehindTheCollege;apaddockbehindtheHuntsmanInn;solitary,gnarledfruittreesinbackgardensaroundthevillage;and,largestofall,the‘VictorianOrchard’which,oncewehaveraisedthefundstobuyit,willbeknownasPynesCommunityOrchard.OriginallypartofCannsFarm,thisorchardpredatestheVictorianerabyseveralhundredyearsandcouldhavebeenfirstplantedinmedievaltimes.Thefactthatitstilllieswithinitsoriginalboundariesaddstoitshistoricalimportance.

Theorchardwouldhavebeenplantedforcider.CiderappleswereanimportantcropthroughoutDevonuntiltheearly20thcentury,withfarmlabourersoftenbeingpaidinliquidgoldratherthanhardcash.ThenumberofrareoldappletreesmakesPynesanimportantDevonorchard.ThisalonejustifiesourrestoringandpreservingitasanoutstandingpieceoflandscapeheritageforIdetocherishandenjoyforyearstocome.

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ACommunityOrchard.Acommunityorchardcanmakeasignificantcontributiontothelifeofavillage,providingadiverserangeofactivitiesandbenefits.SinceSeptember2018volunteerworkingpartieshavebeenrestoringtheexistingtrees,andlearninghowtolookafterthem.Induecourseweaimtomakeourownjuicesandgeneratesomeincomethroughthesaleofthefruit.Wewillworkwithlocalproducersandlearnthetraditionalcraftofjuiceandcidermaking.Wewillmaketheseeventsopentoall,withtalksanddemonstrations;andtomakesurethecropisgood,wewilltapintoourfolkloreandblessthetreeswithaseasonalwassail.LearninghowfruitisgrownandproducedwillprovideeducationalopportunitiesforthechildrenofIdeSchool.Theywilllearnabouttheimportanceofpreservingnaturaldiversitysothattheapplesandotherfruitsbecomepollinated.

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TheorchardwillalsocreateopenspacefortheresidentsofIde.Itcanbecomeasanctuaryforrestoringsomebalancewithournaturalsurroundings.Wewilldevelopareasintheorchardforpicnics,relaxationandotheractivitiessuchasartandyoga. RemedialrestorationworkandnewplantingTheOrchardhadbeenneglectedformanyyears.Untilrecentlytherewere40productiveappletrees.Therearenowthirteen.Theremainingtreesareinterestingoldvarieties,soourfirsttaskinDecember2018wastocarryoutremedialpruningandcare.InJanuary2020weplanted68newappleandfournewpeartrees,whilealsocreatingareasforotherrecreationalactivities.Thegroundwasbadlyruttedafterthreewintersasapaddockforhorses.Thegrassneededrollingandrestingforafullyear,withasquaremetreclearedaroundeachremainingtreetoenableittorecover.Thereisalsoworktodoonthegate,hedgesandboundaries,someofwhicharebrokendownorovergrown.Habitats,havens,wildlifeprotection,andeducationAtraditionalorchardisdifferentfromatightlyplanted,modernorchard:lessintensivelymanaged,andmoreincommonwithwoodland,pastureandparkland.Ittypicallyconsistsoffruittreesandgrasses,withscrubroundtheedgesandhedgerow.Thismixofhabitatsaddsupoveralltosomethingmorevaluablethanthesumofitsindividualparts. Oldtreeswillbeleftasdeadordecayingwood,wheretheydon’t affecttheorchard’shealth,asahabitatforbeetles,hoverflyand moths.Thegrasswillbemanagedbygrazingcombinedwithcuttingforhay.Appleswillbeallowedtolieforbirds.Wintermigrantssuchasfieldfares,redwingsandhawfinchesfeedonapplepipsand,withthegrassallowedtoflourish,thenumberofvoles,andtheowlsthatfeedonthem,willincrease.Protectedspeciessurveyswillbeundertaken.

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FinancingtheProjectThecostofthelandis£62,050(plus£11,560VAT,reclaimablebecauseweareaParishCouncil).Theearlysetupcoststocoverfeesforsurveyors,solicitorsandagents,andmaterialslikethisprospectus,cametoanadditional£7680,moneyweraisedwithdonationsfromlocalcommunitygroups,individualsandlocalauthoritycouncillorgrants;andwhichwehavealreadyspent!Weneededthisinitialprimingtogettothepointwehavenowreached,wherewecangoouttoraisethecapitalamounttobuytheland.Aseparate£907wasdonatedbyworkinggroupmemberstocoverthenewtreesplantedinJanuary2020.TheParishCouncilopenedaseparateaccount,administeredbytheParishCouncil,torunthefinancesforPynesOrchard.Theprinciplesofourfundingstrategywillinclude:

• Abroadbasedapproach:avarietyofstrandswillbeadopted,includinglocalcrowd-fundingandfund-raisingevents,together

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withapplicationstonationalandlocalgrantgivingbodiestomaximisetheopportunitiesavailable.Aninitialsearchindicatestherearemanytrustswhosecriteriawemeet.ParishCouncilscanalsoborrowmoneyfromthePublicWorksLoanBoard,atlowratesofinterest,overaperiodofupto50years,withtheapprovaloftheircountyAssociationofLocalCouncilsandtheSecretaryofState.

• Aconsiderateapproach:thisrecognisesthatinavibrantvillagelikeIdetherewillalwaysbecompetingdemandsforfunding.Aconsiderateapproachprioritisesfundingopportunities,andworkscloselywithothergroupsalsoseekingfunding.

WehavesignedanOptionAgreementwiththeChurchCommissionerswhichgivesusuptothreeyears,until……..(date),toraisethemoneyandbuytheorchard.Wecanexerciseouroptionatanypointduringthisperiod.Weintendtospendthefirstofthethreeyearsraisingfundsfromgrantmakingbodiesandtrusts,andfrominterestedindividualdonors.Atthestartofthesecondyear,wewilltakestock,andifthereremainsashortfall,considerthemeritsofandsupportforapplyingforaloantofundthebalance.ThereisahighlevelofinterestandsupportfortheOrchardinthevillage;andweanticipateagroundswellofenergyandcommitmentforfund-raisingefforts.TheWorkingGroupisconfidentthatthetargetcanbeachieved.

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ManagementoftheprojectIdeParishCouncilsetupPynesCommunityOrchardWorkingGroup(PCOWG)andwehavemetevery4-6weekssinceDecember2017.Thegrouphasbroughttogethermembersoftheparishcouncilwiththoseinthecommunitywhohaveexpertiseinhorticultureandfruittreemanagement,farming,fundraising,andrunningcommunityprojects.Thegroup’smembersare:PeterCloke ChairPCOWGNickBradley ChairIdeParishCouncil AndyBragg AgricultureandorchardsTrevorGardner FundraisingDavidHowe SolicitorMelLiversage IdeParishClerkJessicaPaine IdeParishCouncilJulianPerrett EnvironmentandecologyRichardSharman HistoryandHeritageMarkThomas IdeParishCouncilCarolynTysoe CommunityandallotmentsPhilWillcock.TreasurerAFriendsGrouphasbeenestablishedandisopentoanyoneinthecommunitywhowantstovolunteerontheorchardworkingparties.TheParishCouncilhasoversightoftheprojectandreceivesregularreportsfromtheworkinggroupatitsmeetingsandcommunicatesnews,opportunitiesandupdatesviaitswebsite.

FutureownershipandrunningoftheOrchardIdeParishCouncilwillownthefreeholdoftheOrchard,andrunitthroughitsformallyestablishedPynesCommunityOrchardWorkingGroup,whichisaccountabletotheparishcouncilforthedecisionsandfinancialarrangementsitmakes.Thegroupwillneedtodrawupaconstitutiondescribingitspurposetorestore,developandmaintaintheOrchardforthebenefitoflocalpeople,visitorsandwildlife,andwillbecomethelongtermmanagementgroupforPynesOrchard.

HowyoucangiveThesimplestwayistodonatedirecttotheIdeParishCouncilCommunityOrchardfundbybanktransfertoadedicatedaccountspecificallysetupfortheOrchard:

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LloydsBank,sortcode30-80-37,accountnumber38420963,accountname“IdeParishCouncilComOrchard”.Ifwritingacheque,pleasemakeitto:“IdeParishCouncilComOrchard”.Ifyouprefertogiveregularly,youcansetupastandingorderordirectdebitusingtheenclosedform.Oryoucansponsoroneormorenewtrees:£150foronetree,£250fortwotrees,eachadditionaltree£125,byusingtheenclosedform.PynesCommunityOrchardisforthewholevillageandsoitishopedthatmanyIderesidentsandthoselivinginthesurroundingareawillwanttosupporttheproject.ForfurtherinformationaboutgivingorjoiningtheFriendsGrouppleasecontact: PeterCloke ChairPCOWG peter_cloke@btinternet.comTel07771594726Enclosure:donationform

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[backcover]ProspectusVersion1024May2020PynesCommunityOrchardIde,EX29SAGridRef:SX898901[findthismaponpage5]

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