Hopton In Bloom

Projects in hand: 2010  We have identified several new projects to improve our village for all age groups and circumstances- looking specifically at disabled access and facilities.

Community Participation:
? Rub down & stain seats in the Rose Garden   
? Tidy up entrance to Croft House (where bins go).  Edge then flag /pebble/plant up
? Repair pot holes in the car park and road.
? Telephone Kiosks.  Campaign to retain both boxes in the village. Cut back, clean, and tidy up rockery with small edging.
? Edge right hand side of entrance to recreation ground. Liaise with Kirklees to see if Play Leaders can make entrance feature
? Clear up pathway from memorial to cricket club.  Reinstate seat benches, obtain water butt
? Make a sign for Memorial.
? Straighten up tubs in Hopton Drive
? Ideas for land at top of Hopton lane/Avenue footpaths. Consider using Community Offenders Team to clear footpaths.
? Create and sign a nature walk around the village.

? New calendar for 2011. A painting  competition has been launched at the art groups and  especially the under 16’s to submit their paintings of the village

? To create disabled car parking bays on land at the front of Croft House adjacent to the left of the steps and improve the roadway outside Croft House for disabled and other vehicular access to Croft House from the public highway and to include improved street lighting

? Facilitate well lit disabled access to St John’s Church through lowering the roadside curb, providing permanent ramps and installing censor lighting from the lych-gate into the churchyard

? Improve the entrance to the public recreation ground to improve access for all with a particular emphasis on the elderly, disabled, mothers/toddlers, hikers and ramblers through either gated access

? Creating a public walkway embracing a picnic area with tables & chairs for all groups around the recreation ground embracing the Sutcliffe Memorial

? Undertake dry stone wall repairs around the Upper Hopton village,

? Evaluate the need for appropriate signage around the village in promoting Upper Hopton as a tourist attraction thereby maximizing upon the historical sites in and around the village
? Liaise with Kirklees MDC on the installation by of a play area for 8-13 year olds with natural features within the recreation ground

Environmental:
? Installing  gabion baskets for composting containers
? Mulching utilizing our own sustainable chippings
? Twice monthly kerbside collection of green bins for Paper, Cardboard, Plastics and monthly glass collection
? Green garden waste free collections by Kirklees
? Garden rainwater collection utilized and encouraged at croft House and at the ricket Club
? Bird boxes

? Horticultural:
? Ideas for behind Croft House required.
? River of Wildflowers - connecting our own Wildlife garden to the Songbird wildflower meadow at Hopton Brow

? Continuation of sustainable plantings of shrubs and flowers
? Continue to split snowdrops and plant other bulbs around the village
? Clear the  land at top of Hopton lane/Avenue footpaths. Consider using Community Offenders Team to clear footpaths
Projects completed:
o We have held monthly meeting throughout the winter and carried out maintenance tasks
o We have enhanced the Sutcliffe Memorial and cleared a hidden and overgrown path to the road and planted bulbs and primroses on the banking
o Incorporated a project planner into our web site which is only visible to the team, identifying the locations and status of projects
o Mentoring of other local Community groups regarding ‘ In Bloom’
o Cleared accumulated rubbish and other debris from the moat outlet at Hopton Hall

Ongoing Projects:

? Maintenance of street furniture e.g. painting and oiling the barrels, benches etc
? Further development of our community web site: