Good News! A joint venture between Beaconsfield WI and Plastic Free Beaconsfield has been underway for a couple of years and thousands have been raised to get a water fountain installed all by volunteers. Here Deborah Saunders explains how this has been progressing and what next.
The Beaconsfield Refill Fountain Group has been working with the Town Council to put a
Refill Fountain in the middle of the New Town. The end is in sight! We hope to have the
Refill Fountain installed during the summer.
The Group was formed by Plastic Free Beaconsfield and the Beaconsfield WI combining
resources to fund and establish a Refill Fountain on the Town Hall Green. We aimed to
make people aware of the amount of plastic being thrown away in the town and to provide
a resource to reduce plastic waste.
The idea for a Refill Fountain seemed such an easy and simple one two years ago; that was
before Covid-19 and the new Unitary Council. Both have presented challenges. Who would
have thought that seven different organisations had to give their permission before the
Secretary of State (Defra) would allow us to place a fountain on common land?
This proved easier than getting the Unitary Authority (the new landowner) to give
their permission! Every time we have submitted our plans to Bucks Council, we have had to
answer further questions posed by Councillor John Read. This despite meeting with him last
year and changing the fountain's position to suit his then requirements!
However, the Town Council and particularly Mayor Alex Dunlop have been very supportive
of our plans and have facilitated our submissions to Bucks Council. We have also been
grateful for the support given to us by Heighway Associates Architects, who have provided
the drawings submitted to the Council.
A great deal of time has been spent raising funds for the Refill Fountain. We have been
fortunate to receive local support from the Beaconsfield Community Association, The Beaconsfield
Old Church School Charity, Beaconsfield WI and Beaconsfield Waitrose and Partners. We
were also successful in winning a competition for funding organised by the LAF (the old
Community Organisation in Bucks). Heathrow Community Fund has given further funding.
Our fundraising has been hindered by Covid-19 and by the hold-up at Bucks Council. We
still need to complete our fundraising, so all donations gratefully received! We also still
await permission from Bucks Council. Once these two hurdles have been overcome, we
shall sprint to the finish, and Beaconsfield will have a Refill Fountain that fulfils all Covid-19
requirements and reduces the use of excess plastic bottles.
How many plastic bottles have been wasted while we have been waiting for permission?
For more information please contact sandersdebs@gmail.com and for donation please visit Facebook.com/plasticfreebeaconsfield
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