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Bures Common Land

Planting of an oak tree to celebrate the Queens Silver Jubilee

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Bures Common.
RESIDENTS NOW RAISE THE FULL AMOUNT OF FINANCE REQUIRED (June 26th 2011)
(see foot of page)

Bures Common Appeal (May 2011)
The appeal has been an amazing success! It is truly heartening to find that so many people are willing to contribute to the restoration of Bures Common to the village." Support has come from well over a hundred people aged from 20 to more than 90, with individual pledges ranging from £5 to £5,000.

The sales negotiation process was fraught and drawn out due to a succession of ever-increasing bids from developers and private purchasers. Fortunately we were not part of the bidding war as our involvement may have pushed the price even higher. After the submission of final offers, we were offered the field if we could match the highest commercial bid of £87,500 and complete the transaction within 28 days. Due to the strength of positive feeling in the village, and the willingness to back that feeling with pledges, the offer was accepted.

On the recommendation of our solicitors, a limited company called 'Bures Common Land' ( see below)has been established as a vehicle to buy the meadow before the vendor's deadline.
This new charity will be seeking registration with the Charity Commission.
The charity intends to make the land-freely accessible to everyone, to maintain it for the public benefit and to encourage community involvement. The charity will also consider whether to enhance the site by providing a small landing stage, picnic tables and other unobtrusive features.

Bures Meadow taken from Station Road	Residential and business properties on this land demolished mid 1900 Map dated 1898 shows one of these properties to be an "Inn"
Bures Meadow taken from the roadbridge	Another image of the meadow. The shop in the centre of the meadow would have been "Meggs Butchers"

-	Bures Meadow taken from the Suffolk side of the river

For the full story of the grand opening see:
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/bures_villagers_look_to_buy_medieval_common_1_901702
Acknowledgement to Elliot Furniss, EADT reporter

Additional Link to BBC Look East
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-13501905

Photos by Alan Beales, apart from the ceremonial opening courtesy of EADT

Company details for BURES COMMON LAND (Registered No 07641153)
Registered Office: 2-3 NAYLAND ROAD, BURES ST MARY, SUFFOLK, CO8 5BX, UNITED KINGDOM
Incorporation Date: 19-05-2011
Type: Private company limited by guarantee without share capital claiming exemption under Section 30 of the act
Accounts Type: Not available
Status: Active

RESIDENTS NOW RAISE THE FULL AMOUNT OF FINANCE REQUIRED (June 26th 2011)

	Residents in Bures, on the Suffolk/Essex border, collected the required £87,500 within three weeks of launching an appeal last month. The common has now been purchased by the Bures Common Land charitable company. Trustee Leigh Alston, a village historian and a lecturer at Cambridge University, said donations had came from more than 200 households - about a third of the population - and ranged from £5 to four-figure sums. He said: "We did not apply for local authority funding but have been promised a £10,000 grant from the Big Society Fund. This money, and any other in excess of the purchase price, will be used to maintain the land and restore the 19th Century barn on the site." Mr Alston said donations had also come from further afield after the campaign was featured in the East Anglian Daily Times. The common is now being cleared and will be officially opened at 5pm on June 25, while a traditional Michaelmas fair is planned for later in the year.
Courtesy of East Anglian Daily Times dated June16th 2011	Acknowledgement to Elliot Furniss, EADT reporter
	Wyldes Noyse Wyldes Noyse performing at the public opening of Bures Common, June 2011 — with Lizzie Gutteridge, Chris Gutteridge and Jayne Gutteridge.