Community Benefit
Thanks to the solar farms in the parish we will receive Community Benefit payments over the coming years to be spent for the benefit of residents on environmental, educational or amenity projects.
If you have any ideas as to how this money might be spent, please contact the Chairman or Clerk.
The first project is the replacement of footpath stiles by self-closing or kissing gates. If you know of any stiles which would merit being replaced, please let us know.
The first stiles were replaced in September, October and November 2017 with help from members of the North East Hampshire Ramblers under the guidance of Emma Broadbent, Countryside Access Ranger with Hampshire County Council's Countryside Service. Also involved in the work were parish councillor Meyrick Williams and the parish footpaths warden Chris Griffin.
A major project to upgrade Footpath 4 from Pale Lane towards Dogmersfield was completed in 2018. And in March 2019, three self-closing gates were erected at Footpaths 8 and 10 in Bagwell Lane and at Footpath 501 on Totters Lane.
Work to continue to improve footpaths in the village is ongoing with work to Footpaths 5 and 6 proposed for spring 2023.
For details of the footpaths in the parish, see the separate page on Walks in Winchfield.
The Community Benefit Fund had also been used to support a tree and hedgerow planting scheme in the village.