Plympton Pathfields, The Campaign

At the start of the campaign it seemed like the whole of Plympton was up in arms at the proposal to destroy one of the oldest and most precious areas of green open land within the urban area.  The Pathfields had always been a  'green belt' protecting the historic village of  Plympton St. Maurice and many thought the destruction of the fields was nothing less than vandalism.

Thousands of residents wrote to the city council pleading with planners and councillors to halt the desecration of this unique open space.   Thousands of signatures were raised, heated  public meetings were held and the city council was intensively lobbied.  Out of this, the Pathfields Preservation Group emerged to spearhead local opposition.

Prominent people and organisations were approached and contacted in an effort to enlist support. We were not disappointed as letters flooded in encouraging the campaign.  Amongst those contacted included :-

English Heritage, English Nature, Devon Conservation Forum, the CPRE, the Devonshire Association, The Countryside Commission, The Council for British Archaeology, many local business and prominent individuals including naturalists and environmentalists such as Dr. David Bellamy and Tony Soper.  We even had a letter of support from the office of Prince Charles!  All expressed their concern at the loss of the integrity of the land and gave encouragement to our campaign.

Because of the historic value of the Pathfields, we persuaded Channel 4's award winning series The TIME TEAM to visit Plympton.  Within hours of walking around the village and onto the Pathfields they were excited about making a programme which was eventually broadcast in January 1999 with some of the best reviews of any of their series.

The  Pathfields Preservation Group met with Stephen's Dairies who allowed the community only four months to raise £600,000 in pledges to save the entire 11 plus acres of land and turn it into a public area forever. If we could have secured the land, we planned to create an area for all to enjoy. As part of the management package we would have considered some or all of the following:

• A cycle path
• A dedicated wildlife area
• A children's play area
• Woodland
• Extra seating
• Horse riding for the disabled
• New planting of lime trees to replace those existing which are coming to the end of their life.

HOW WE TRIED TO RAISE THE MONEY

1. We approached all businesses in the area asking them if they would consider donating in various ways to help save the land.
2. By donating a sum of money, with due recognition from the community for that donation.
3. By covenanting or donating a Gift Aid cheque. The Pathfields Preservation Group applied for charitable status, making such donations attractive to companies.
4. By personal donations.
5. By contributing services such as printing, photocopying, secretarial skills etc.
6. By donating prizes for a mammoth 'lucky dip'.
7. By approaching a number of appropriate Trusts for funding.
8. By opening a  local 'Pathfields Appeal' shop raising money through donated items.

Plympton Pathfields Shop on the Ridgeway, Plympton

Despite determined efforts from the local community and support from 'Plymptons' in other parts of the world, we simply could not raise such an enormous amount of money in such a short time. But the battle does not end there. YOU CAN STILL HELP. We are still grateful for any donations to help the campaign. Send letters to the Director of Development, Plymouth City Council, Plymouth telling him of your concern for the Pathfields. Write to English Heritage, 23 Saville Row, London asking them to help protect the land. Ask Plympton's Member of Parliament, Gary Streeter at the Houses of Parliament in London to support the Pathfields campaign.

So what has happened to the money raised?

Several thousand pounds was raised as a result of the dedicated efforts of the Pathfields fundraisers.  Following the deadline to raise such an enormous amount, as far as possible, everyone who gave a donation was contacted and asked if they wanted their donations returned or kept to further the protection of the land. The vast majority showed their continued support to protect the land. That money will ultimately be put to good use to protect and benefit the land and the publics continued enjoyment of the Pathfields for generations to come.   No decision will be taken on how the donations will be used without the agreement   of the local community.  The money itself is independently audited and overseen by a local firm of accountants. 

And the Campaign?

The development of the Pathfields caused unprecedented public outrage which resulted in intense political division within the council and locally.  Some say it changed the outcome of local elections for years to come.  The Pathfields Group kept up the pressure on councillors and planners to address issues such as flooding, tree and landscape protection, pedestrian and traffic safety and environmental concerns.  The Group raised further concerns about flooding with the Environment Agency.  Despite all this, incredibly  the developers got their way  as the city council declined to fight the housing project for fear of loosing at appeal.  Nevertheless city planners and the Environment Agency succeeded in imposing stringent conditions on the development which allowed the Pathfields Group to carefully monitor the progress of the scheme.

As a result, the Pathfields issue has hardly been out of the news and the Pathfields Group remain determined to follow the development, watching, commenting, raising concerns every step of the way.  We want the best for the land, for the generations of people who have enjoyed it and to pass on to our future generations.

In future years when they look back and ask what we did to protect their environment when it was in danger, we hope our record will show that the people of Plympton defended their territory with real determination and care.

Plympton Pathfields Preservation Group