Village projects and local initiatives

Limpley Stoke and Freshford Neighbourhood Plan Update

Much has changed since our original Neighbourhood Plan was created back in 2014, and so in 2025 the Parish Councils of Limpley Stoke and Freshford have decided to begin work on a comprehensive review.

The intention is to review the Neighbourhood Plan without starting from scratch. We aim to do this by recognising:

  • That the area covered consists of three separate settlement areas. Limpley Stoke is covered by the Northern settlement area. Some changes may be relevant to this settlement area only.

  • That there will be many shared values and objectives relevant to the three settlement areas.

We are aiming to incorporate changes to the areas of the plan to strengthen protection of our local environment, whilst acknowledging that as a Parish we are also subject to the legal obligations passed down from Wiltshire Council. This is particularly relevant in the area of planning and speculative building. We have appointed an independent planning consultancy to advise on this and they have already provided guidance on wording, which will be more prescriptive than that we currently have.

Other areas that the Neighbourhood Plan will need to address include:

  • The built environment

  • Business and technology

  • Transportation

  • Pedestrian and cyclist safety

  • Traffic

The Parish Council will be arranging ways by which residents can feed thoughts and opinions into creation of the plan.

In the meantime if you have any specific areas that you would like to see incorporated in the Neighbourhood Plan review please complete a form on the website under the Your Voice section.

Campaign for a Pedestrian Crossing on the A36 for Local School Children, Families and Residents

In January 2025 members of the local communty launched a campaign to request that National Highways introduce a safe pedestrian crossing on the A36. The A36 runs through Limpley Stoke Village effectively dividing the village in two. Every morning, children and their families living in the section of the village to the east of the A36, face an alarming level of danger while attempting to cross the road to get to the local schools. This perilous journey is causing both worry and fear and means that many parents feel they have no choice but to drive their children to school. Multiple road traffic incidents over the past few years indicate that the lack of a suitable pedestrian crossing on the A36 needs to be addressed urgently.

It is not only children who are put at risk by the lack of a safe crossing, but all residents, many of whom are elderly and cannot move quickly across the double lanes of this busy highway.

To see more details of the campaign and sign the petition, please click on the following link.

https://www.change.org/p/create-a-pedestrian-crossing-on-the-a36-for-local-school-children-families-and-residents

Community bid to buy the Hop Pole

Following the announcement of a Community Ownership Fund in the 2021 Budget, an opportunity arose for making another effort to buy the Hop Pole pub for the community. The Limpley Stoke Community Benefit Society (LSCBS) was formed to apply for the Government funding and to raise the additional sums needed to buy and renovate the Hop Pole.

We did it!

The Hop Pole Inn reopened on Saturday 25th January 2025

Hop Pole Inn website: www.hoppoleinn.uk

It was a HUGE undertaking, with thousands of hours of hardwork, extremely generous investments and a mountain of goodwill, but together we've done it.

The opportunity to buy shares remains open, so for all the latest on buying shares or  joining our band of volunteers (email volunteerslscbs@gmail.com), please keep an eye on the savethehoppole.org website and Instagram @the_hop_pole_inn. Please email us at limpleystokecbs@gmail.com if you have any other queries.

Nature Chain

Creating wildlife corridors for the villages of Limpley Stoke and Freshford

Kick started with funding from Limpley Stoke Parish Council, local enthusiasts have set up ‘Nature Chain’, an action group/forum to encourage the neighbourhood to create more wildlife habitat in village gardens and local landscape. All contributors to the initiative are welcome however large or small the contribution, which can range from those with a window box to local landowners with many acres. Please subscribe to our mailing list to receive ideas, hints & tips on how to increase biodiversity in your garden. We also publish articles and hold regular talks.

Nature Chain on ITV News!

Nature Chain has been featured on ITV West Country News
To watch a recording of the news item, please go to www.naturechain.co.uk

Contact and Information

For more information, please visit the Nature Chain website www.naturechain.co.uk or email thenaturechain@gmail.com

Freshford & Limpley Stoke Home Energy Group (FLHEG)

As a result of the declaration of a climate and ecological emergency by Freshford and Limpley Stoke Parish Councils, a Home Energy Group has recently been formed to look at ways of reducing the carbon footprint of local homes, and reduce energy costs.

For further details about FLHEG and useful information on how to increase the energy efficiency of your home, please click on the link below:

Freshford and Limpley Stoke Home Energy Group webpage