Chipperfield Common was generously ‘sold for ten shillings to Hemel Rural District Council, (now Dacorum Borough Council) in 1936 by the Blackwell family, with the clear understanding that the villagers would be consulted on all aspects of its management. In those days there was no Chipperfield Parish Council. It is perhaps true to say that the Common is the greatest single asset of the Village and one in which we all take a pride and frequently use, either for recreation or education. What happens to the Common is important to us all.
You may be pleased to hear that Chipperfield Common has won a prestigious Green Flag award. We were presented with our award in Liverpool on 21 July. The ceremony involved many types of council from all over the United Kingdom. The parks and open spaces for which awards were presented included the Royal Parks, London parks and a wide variety of town and parish amenities.Our award was in cooperation with Dacorum Borough Council who is responsible for the primary upkeep of the Common. The flag will be displayed at Blackwells cafe, another gift to the people of Chipperfield by the Blackwell family and therefore a fitting home for the flag as a tribute to their generosity.
We have had five year plans for many years for the Common but this year was the first under the Green Flag scheme. The Green Flag scheme has become the national standard for the management of parks and open green spaces. It is concerned, for example, with ensuring that parking, litter management, information and signing are all sensibly provided and maintained. Further, particularly where woodland is concerned, that trees, plants and animal life are well managed and the natural environment is maintained. In Chipperfield this requires a delicate balance between the requirements for visitors to the Common and the protection of the environment.
Chipperfield Common was the first area in Dacorum to win the award and already you will have noticed the impact preparations for the judging had on the resurfacing of the car parks and the provision, at last, of the bollards to protect the verges on the common from vehicular damage. Unlike previous plans, the Green Flag Management Plan requires an annual reassessment and will therefore tend to make sure that standards will be maintained. This can only be to our benefit.
The Green Flag scheme gives us all an excellent opportunity to ensure that the Common is properly maintained to meet the needs of all the interested parties within the village and continues to provide an enjoyable place to visit for those who are not as fortunate as those of us who live here.
Your Council is fully engaged with the Scheme with significant contributions through the efforts of our Common Ranger and more recently, the Tree Warden. With your cooperation, we can maintain the Common for the good of all. We commend the Green Flag Scheme to you and ask for your support to continue to help monitor and protect the Common. If you have comments or observations you wish to make about the Common, please send them to the Clerk or phone 01923 263310.
Mike Bradshaw
Chairman, Chipperfield Parish Council