You may have been avoiding leaving the warmth of your home for the past couple of weeks as Britain has been plunged into a cold snap, but it won’t be freezing out there forever – and once the ice does thaw, residents of Devon will have a brand new country park to look forward to.
You might think that creating a new park is as easy as throwing up some fences and a ‘no ball games’ sign, but it can actually be quite a drawn-out process. You need to apply for planning permission and deal with all that bureaucracy, and after a dedicated campaign from local councillors and wildlife enthusiasts, the plans for Clyst Meadows Country Park have just been given the all-clear.
The park, which will sprawl across 10 hectares of land in the scenic surroundings of Broadclyst, a small town 15 minutes from Exeter by car. Clyst Meadows hopes to offer a safe place for dogs to roam, as well as enhancing the local ecosystems with new trees and hedgerows.
An initial public consultation took place back in March 2023 (see, we told you it takes a while), and people were generally onboard with the concept, although a few things were changed according to the feedback. These included a bigger car park and fully accessible pathways, to ensure that everyone could enjoy the meadows.
As well as providing an area for dogs and their humans, the space will be used by local schools for outdoor learning, and, of course, by anyone wanting to get some fresh air. As explained by local councillor Geoff Jung, ‘[it] be hugely valuable to local people, offering them the opportunity to spend time in nature, which will have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.’
Henry Massey, another councillor, added that Clyst Meadows ‘will provide a beautiful place for residents to connect with nature, while promoting sustainability and biodiversity,’ while the council’s nature reserves ranger Ben Morgan-Brown said he was ‘really looking forward’ to the park opening to the public.
A timeline for the project has not yet been released, but it could be a little while before work is completed and Clyst Meadows are finally available for public use. But hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was your local country park, but both are worth the wait.
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