The Old Police Station
We are a local organisation, with Cricklade High Street at its heart. Our aim is to ensure
that our High Street survives and continues to be the centre of our community– read
about what we do below and give us your support!
Who We Are
We are a group of six local people who love our town. We got together because we were all becoming concerned about the future of our High Street.
Over recent years, we have seen increasing erosion as High Street businesses are lost to residential property conversions. If this trend continues, it will have a detrimental impact on Cricklade and the community it serves.
What can we do to ensure the High Street remains vibrant – not just for the here and now, but for generations to come?
Our response was to form the not-for-profit Cricklade Development Foundation Limited (a Community Benefit Society).
Run by its members for the benefit of the community, and governed by the Financial Conduct Authority, anyone can join us. With your support, the original 6 members can become hundreds and possibly many more – perhaps grow into the thousands.
The more members we have, the stronger we become and the more we can achieve. The Town of Cricklade is a great community with the High Street at its heart – and we want to keep it that way.
What We Do
With your help, the Society intends to buy key commercial High Street properties which come up for sale to ensure they are retained for the benefit of the community. We know that once these properties are lost to residential use, they will be lost forever.
Depending on the type of property bought, we wish to encourage businesses to set up in Cricklade, perhaps to fill a gap in provision, and to develop upper floor accommodation to meet the need for smaller homes for those connected with Cricklade – all at affordable rents. Making space available for community use will also be a priority. It is envisaged that the rental income will cover the costs of purchasing and maintaining the property and be self-sustaining.
Most importantly, the projects will be tailored to meet the needs of the community and the properties bought are protected by an asset lock.
See the Transformation
The new Garden Town Square/Event Space initiative will transform a disused site into an accessible, year-round community hub, offering a much-needed green space for relaxation, socialising, and events—boosting footfall, supporting the High Street, and strengthening community cohesion.
The creation of an accessible garden—will enhance the experience, increase visitor numbers and repeat visits, support High Street footfall, and host regular community events. Tangible outcomes will be monitored through footfall counts, event bookings, and community feedback via social media and email.
The project has delivered several tangible outcomes:
-
A fully accessible, attractive garden and beds for sensory planting which will be fully open for daily public enjoyment by Autumn. Today, certain areas are open for short visits but controlled due to the necessity for the grass areas to settle and ‘bed in’ before footfall is allowed.
-
A new venue for a wide range of community vents, educational visits, and group activities. Although the garden is not yet formally open to the public, approaches have already been received from community groups for them to use the garden when open.
-
Increased visitor numbers and repeat visits, enhancing the impact of the existing Heritage Jubilee Walkway and Queen Elizabeth II timeline display, which links the High Street to the garden. This walkway is already open to the public, as are the community toilets which previously received grants from Crappers and Hills. The feedback received has been Excellent, and the public are already itching to fully use the garden, which will allow more visitors to benefit from this community space.
-
Greater footfall for the High Street, supporting local businesses and boosting community resilience. This has already started to transpire but is expected to grow even further now that the garden is nearly completed.
Many people have already viewed the garden and are very impressed. It has certainly created a ‘buzz’ and community groups are already thinking on how they can use it e.g. the local library wish to hold story reading sessions for young children, including teddy bear picnics.
To ensure the long-term success of the project, the garden will be maintained by a dedicated team of volunteers, keeping ongoing costs to a minimum. Sustainable features such as water butts for rainwater collection and energy-efficient LED PIR lighting will help reduce utility expenses. Once fully open, the garden will be widely publicised to encourage regular public use. Occasional events and activities led by community groups and local initiatives will also help promote the space and strengthen its role as a valued community asset. These combined efforts will support the garden’s continued success and sustainability.