Hambridge and Westport Village Plan - Microsoftbtckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site15074/Hambridge and Westp… · Hambridge and Westport. As a starting point, suggestion boxes

Village PlanHambridge and Westport

Village Plan2006

Village Life & AssetsLocal Economy & HousingEducation & ChildcareHealthcare & Social NeedsChildren's Interests & FacilitiesCommunity Safety & Emergency ServicesThe Local Environment Transport & Traffic

Village Plan 12/5/06 12:59 pm Page 1

The Villages & the Village Plan

H A M B R I D G E a n d W E S T P O R T V I L L A G E P L A N 2 0 0 6

A brief history of Hambridge and Westport

Our villages have a long and well-established history.The holding of Earnshill is mentioned in the DoomsdayBook, and a village of Gose Bradon is traceable to AD975 in the reign of Edward II.

More recent historical evidence can be seen at theHambridge flour mills and brewery building, where anOrdnance Survey levelling plaque, dated 1710, isvisible on the wall. The Westport Canal was completedin 1840 and for forty years was used for the bulkcarriage of coal inward and corn outward. HambridgeChurch was built in 1843 and the ecclesiastical parishof Hambridge and Earnshill was created in 1844. Ouroriginal village school was also built in this year, to bereplaced by the present building between the wars. By1851 there were about 75 properties in the parish,then described as the Hamlet of Hambridge withTything of Goosebradon, with agriculture and glove-making providing the predominant employment.

The villages continued to grow and develop; by 1861the parishes of Hambridge with Westport andEarnshill, together with outlying farms, had apopulation of 556. By 1901 Census Westport isdescribed as a hamlet of Hambridge and around 100houses were numbered along Main Street.

Agriculture continued to provide a high level ofemployment, and many workers were also by nowengaged in shirt-making.

Our link with the folk music revival was heralded by avisit by Cecil Sharp to the Vicarage in 1903 and thesubsequent publication of his work Folk Songs fromSomerset.

The villages today

Within the civil parish today there are about 215dwellings which we estimate to house a population ofsome 430 people, 260 in Hambridge and 170 inWestport. Of the total population, 47% are male and53% female, while 18% are aged under 17 and 52%over 50. The population of the villages is very stable;over half of the inhabitants have lived here for over tenyears, and more than a third expect to live in thevillages for twenty years or more.

There is also a variety of industry, both traditional andmore modern, within the village boundaries.



The Village Plan

In an effort to improve the quality of rural life theGovernment, through the Countryside Agency, madefunds available to enable rural communities toexamine ways in which their quality of life could beenhanced. These funds would be administered byParish Councils, but the work necessary was to beundertaken by volunteers within the communities, withassistance from District Councils.

In Spring 2004, following an open meeting in theRecreation Hall, a group of volunteers (the SteeringGroup) began to consider the way forward forHambridge and Westport. As a starting point,suggestion boxes were placed in prominent locationsthroughout the villages. The following Autumn theGroup held an Open Day at which villagers' viewswere canvassed. Subsequently, the entire populationof the villages was consulted by means of aquestionnaire, the themes of which had beengenerated from these various consultations; theresponse was encouragingly high - almost 80% of thepopulation, representative of the overall communityboth in age and gender, responded -and the proposalsin this Plan reflect the results of that questionnaire.The full questionnaire results are available from theParish Council.

The Plan is set out by eight themes - Village Life and Assets, Local Economy and Housing, Educationand Childcare, Healthcare and Social Needs, Children'sInterests and Facilities, Community Safety andEmergency Services, The Local Environment andTransport and Traffic -and for each theme there is a synopsis of the questionnaire results, a series ofobjectives and a list of actions necessary to attain theseobjectives. Although some of these actions are beingaddressed by the Steering Group, it is now hoped thatpeople will volunteer either to act individually or to formspecific Action Groups to address issues of particularinterest to them. Where we refer to percentages in thePlan, this relates to the proportion of respondents andnot to the overall population.

The possible outcomes of the Plan night include suchvaried developments as:

■ A pavement/ cycleway linking the villages.

■ Addressing issues concerning speed of traffic on the main road.

■ Making better use of the Westport Canal.

■ A Farmers’ market.

■ A School Breakfast Club.

■ A village youth football team.

■ Additional facilities in the playground.

“Great questionnaire, I hope it brings about somechanges for the better!”


1Village Life & Assets


Consultation Results

■ People communicate about village issues in avariety of ways, the most effective being seen bymost people (246) as the Parish Magazine, “wordof mouth” (199 people) and delivered leaflets(198). Suggestions for enhancing communicationincluded a monthly news sheet (152 people) and aVillage Website (85 people).

■ Those aspects of village life which werehighlighted in the questionnaire were valued as“very important” or “important” by the majority ofresidents. In particular, “a safe community” and“safe roads” were valued as “very important” by alarge majority; these issues are considered in moredetail elsewhere in the Plan.

■ The Recreation Hall is used at least occasionally bya majority of respondents and frequently by a few.There was strong support for use of the Hall to beexpanded for various activities, including a Farmers'Market (183 people), an annual village fete (166)and a mobile cinema (119). There were mixedviews about parking at the Hall; although 109people thought provision was adequate, 142 didnot. The lack of a communal meeting area inWestport was highlighted by 80 people, who wouldsupport provision of such a facility.

■ There was some interest in the creation of a VillageGarden, which would be supported by 78 people,with 50 people prepared to volunteer to create andmaintain it.

■ Although 108 people were in favour of a publictoilet at the Recreation ground, 136 thought itunnecessary. The public telephone, however, wasseen as important, with 224 respondents wantingit to be retained.

■ The two Public Houses were identified asimportant village assets, with suggestions forenhancing their value to the community includingthe provision of a takeaway meals service (113people), as venues for musical entertainment (88)and as a General Store (71).

■ All of the village assets highlighted in thequestionnaire were regarded as “very important” or“important” by the majority of residents. The topthree were

◆ the school (283 respondents)

◆ the Recreation Hall and Recreation Ground (282 respondents)

◆ the Village Shop and Post Office (271 respondents).

■ There were mixed responses concerning theParish Council; whereas 148 people felt that theyunderstood the Council's responsibilities against134 who did not, only 89 felt the Councilcommunicated effectively, while 175 did not. 9residents declared themselves interested instanding as Parish Councillors now, with a further44 expressing an interest for the future.

■ The overall appearance of the village is generallyconsidered acceptable by the majority. Only 81residents considered that there were areas thatwere being neglected against 116 who did not.Improvements to the entrances to the villages wereseen as desirable by 89 people, although 129considered them acceptable. Most people (154)thought a litter patrol to be unnecessary, while 84did, but only 46 residents were prepared tovolunteer for such a patrol, while 236 would not.



Objectives

1. To preserve the existing village assets andencourage greater awareness and use of thefacilities available.

2. To promote additional uses of the Recreation Halland its associated facilities.

3. In consultation with the owners, to expandfacilities and services provided by the villagepublic houses.

4. To expand communal areas; in particular, to opena communal area in Westport. To investigate thecreation of a Village Garden.

5. To improve villagers' awareness of theresponsibilities and actions of the Parish Council,and encourage more residents to stand for election.

6. To improve neglected areas of the villages,particularly the village entrances, and to reduce litter.

Actions

■ Investigate in more detail villagers' needs andaspirations and liaise with the owners oradministrators of the villages' amenities in order tosatisfy these needs.

■ Share the consultation results with the ParishCouncil, with a view to using such media as theParish Magazine or regular newsletter to:

◆ increase awareness of the Council's responsibilities and work

◆ provide a more effective means of publishing agendas and minutes

◆ encourage more residents to stand as Parish Councillors.

■ Undertake improvement to, and maintenance of,communal areas, in particular:

◆ investigate the feasibility of a Village Garden

◆ improve the villages' entrances

◆ address the problem of litter in the villages.

“It is important that rural valuesare encouraged in villages, so that

youngsters appreciate theadvantages of country living.”

“If you do have children, the village can be isolating.”


2Local Economy & Housing



■ 60 respondents are either employed or self-employed within the villages; there was strongsupport for encouragement of new businessenterprises, with 163 respondents supportive and45 opposed. 66 respondents would like informationabout employment opportunities within the villages.

■ The question of shopping amenities provokedstrong response. Enlargement of the Village Shopand Post Office to stock essential items would befavoured by 228 villagers, and 193 would alsosupport longer opening hours. If such expansionwere not possible, 221 people would support thesetting up of a Community Shop, with 44 able tovolunteer time to help run it and 18 prepared tomake financial investment in it.

■ Although the majority of respondents did notrequire them, there was significant interest inprovision of communal Internet, Fax andPhotocopying facilities.

■ Although 98 villagers felt that they had sufficientaccess to local food, a further 132 did not; therewas good support for a Farmers' Market, with 229people in favour.

■ There was no strong overall view on housingdevelopment. However, 194 people wanted anysuch development to provide affordable housingfor local people, and there was opposition to largescale development (182 people) or provision ofexecutive housing (174 people).

■ Household waste collection was viewed asadequate by most (261 respondents) although thequestion was set before the advent of the currentcollection method. If recycling facilities at theRecreation ground were expanded, 190 peoplewould make use of them, although 70 would not.

■ Energy supply was not a major issue. 74households would use mains gas if it wereavailable, while 54 would definitely not. Interest ina scheme for the bulk purchase of oil wasexpressed by a majority (92) of households.



Objectives

1. To improve awareness of the existence of localbusinesses, encouraging them to advertisecurrent and future vacancies to villagers.

2. To encourage both retention of existingbusinesses and creation of new businesses in theexisting Trading Estates and Business Park.

3. To enable villagers to use local resources andproducts to best effect, with particular view to thecreation of a Farmers' Market, and to increaseretail opportunities within the villages.

4. To make the bodies responsible for planningdevelopment aware of the views of the villagers.

5. To investigate the feasibility of bulk purchase of oil.

Actions

■ Create, publish and distribute a local businessdirectory together with a regular listing ofemployment opportunities within local businesses.

■ Determine the demand and capacity forappropriate new businesses within the villages.

■ Establish the feasibility of a Farmers' Market inthe villages.

■ To increase shopping opportunities by:

◆ in the first instance, in consultation with the owners, investigate the feasibility of increasing both opening times and lines stocked in the Post Office

◆ should this prove impractical, investigate the feasibility of establishing a volunteer-manned Community Shop in suitable premises

◆ in either case, investigate the possibility of providing Internet, Fax and Photocopying facilities within the villages.

■ Provide the Parish Council, South SomersetDistrict Council and Somerset County Council withcopies of the Survey Results and Parish Plan,highlighting villagers' opinions on housingdevelopment.

■ Research the possibility of bulk oil purchase andorganise a scheme.

“There is a need for morerecycling in the village, especially

plastics and cardboard.”


3Education & Childcare



■ Provision of Adult Education opportunities isconsidered adequate by most (165 respondents)and inadequate by only a few (32).

■ There were almost equal views on the standard of the School buildings, with 39 familiesconsidering them inadequate against 49 viewingthem as adequate.

■ There was little support for a mini-bus service fromWestport to the School, which would be supported byonly 6 families. 13 families would not be interested.

■ A relatively small number of village families haveyoung children. Of the villagers needing childcare,more than 75% thought current provision wasadequate. 13 people volunteered to help withadditional facilities.

■ There was considerable support for “extendedschool” facilities. 18 families were interested inAfter School Clubs (particularly sports clubs,supported by 17 families), with 15 people willing tohelp run them. 11 families were interested in aHomework Club, and 9 in a Breakfast Club.



Objectives

1. To share the results of the consultation processwith the Head Teacher and Governors of theVillage School, with a view to:

◆ developing extended school provision

◆ improving the standard of school buildings

◆ investigating the possibility of providing a mini-bus service from Westport to the School.

2. To continue to provide adequate pre-schoolchildcare in the villages.

3. To establish any specific Adult Education needsof residents, and provide them with up-to-dateinformation on currently available opportunities.

Actions

■ Liaise with the Head Teacher and Governors ofthe School and investigate with them:

◆ the feasibility of setting up those extended school facilities identified as desirable by the consultation process

◆ the potential for improvements to the School buildings, in conjunction with other interested parties such as Somerset County Council and the Friends of School Association

◆ the demand for, and feasibility of providing, a mini-bus service from Westport to the School.

■ In conjunction with the Pre-school, undertake amore detailed study into the need for anyadditional pre-school provision identified by theconsultation process.

■ Investigate in further detail the needs of villagers inrespect of Adult Education, and liaise withSomerset County Council and other relevantbodies with a view to satisfying any need identified.

“There is a need for more choiceof Adult Education run from the

Community School.”


4Healthcare & Social Needs



■ 23 respondents are carers for someone in ourcommunity, 7 of whom are paid. Of this 23, 8considered that they received adequate supportfrom the Local Authority, 7 did not and theremainder did not comment.

■ The majority of respondents thought that access tohealthcare services was adequate, although 42people were concerned about access to an “on-call” National Health Service GP, and 89 people donot have access to an NHS dentist.

■ The two weakest areas in healthcare services were

◆ difficulty accessing a District Nurse (13 residents),a Pharmacist (11 residents) or a Chiropodist (18 residents)

◆ 11 people require additional access to more specialist healthcare services.



Objectives

1. To ensure all Carers within our community areaware of, and have access to, the assistance towhich they are entitled from Social Services, thePrimary Care Trust and any other relevant bodies.

2. To ensure acceptable access for all residents toNHS on-call GPs, Dentists, District Nurses andChiropodists.

3. To ensure that all residents have effective deliveryof prescriptions.

4. To identify the need for, and if necessary provideaccess to, any additional healthcare provision.

Actions

■ Identify the Carers within our community and liaisewith them to consider any issues adverselyaffecting the support they receive.

■ Assess current provision of NHS on-call GPs,Dentists, District Nurses and Chiropodists or otherhealthcare services identified, and provide anyevidence of shortfalls to the relevant bodies, withthe aim of ensuring adequate provision in all areasfor all residents.

■ Conduct a feasibility study on issues relating tocollection and delivery of prescriptions and, ifnecessary, organise a rota of volunteers to ensurethat adequate access is available to those to whomage, disability or lack of transport present difficulties.

“It would be useful to return to the situation when a Doctor

attended a regular surgery in the Village Hall.”


5Children's Interests & Facilities



■ 106 people agreed that the villages provided safeand interesting places for children to play andexplore, although 46 disagreed.

■ There was in general support for expandingfacilities in the Recreation Ground, with 118respondents supporting additional facilities forteenagers (although 59 did not), and in particular:

◆ 151 villagers sought further development of the children's playground, although 15 disagreed

◆ however, only 83 supported provision of a teenagers' shelter, against 100 disagreeing

◆ only 67 people considered expansion of the skateboard park desirable, while 89 disagreed

◆ 165 people would like to see picnic tables and additional benches, but 41 would not

◆ a multi-purpose sports surface was seen as desirable by 125 villagers, with only 15 disagreeing.

■ There was generally strong support for additionalactivities for children and young people as follows:

◆ 118 people would support the setting-up of Scout or Girl guide troops in the villages; 15 disagreed

◆ 137 respondents wanted a village youth Football team, only 9 disagreeing

◆ however, there was limited support for the idea of an outdoor swimming pool; while 80 people supported this, 92 did not.



Objectives

1. To increase the range of activities and facilitiesavailable for children and young people within thevillages, in order to meet their needs, and inparticular:

◆ investigate the possibility of setting up Scout and Girl Guide troops within the villages

◆ investigate the possibility of setting up a village Youth Football Team.

2. To further increase the facilities available at theRecreation Ground, and in particular:

◆ further develop the children's playground, and investigate facilities for teenagers

◆ enhance amenities by provision of picnic tables and additional benches

◆ investigate the feasibility of providing a multi-purpose sports surface.

Actions

■ Share and discuss the findings of the consultationprocess with the committee of the Recreation Trust.

■ Hold an open meeting for children, teenagers andtheir parents to more closely define current needs.

■ Discuss the findings of the consultation process withthe School Governors in order to establish whetherthe School can assist in addressing any needsidentified. This will most effectively be done inconjunction with the actions relating to the schooldescribed in the section on Education and Childcare.

■ Establish what funding may be available fromSouth Somerset District Council, or elsewhere, toassist in providing any facilities or activitiesidentified as desirable.

■ Following these meetings and discussions,investigate, in conjunction with the relevant peopleand bodies, the following specific issues:

◆ further development of the children's playground

◆ provision of a multi-purpose sports surface

◆ provision of picnic tables and additional benches

◆ setting up of Scout and Girl Guide troops

◆ setting up of a youth Football Team.

“I would like to run a youthfootball team.”

“If you are unable to drive, there isa lack of facilities in the village.”


6Community Safety & Emergency Services



■ The village is perceived as being safe by a largemajority of its residents. 295 people feel safewithin the villages during daylight, with only 9disagreeing; although fewer people feel safeduring the hours of darkness this figure is still highat 262, with 30 people feeling unsafe.

■ During the 12 months prior to the survey 33people within the Parish boundaries were thevictims of crime.

■ 193 people considered the Neighbourhood Watchscheme to be effective in reducing crime in thevillage (70 people disagreeing) and 26 people wereprepared to volunteer to assist with this scheme.

■ Views on the performance of the EmergencyServices were mixed. While the majority of peopleperceived that the response of the Fire andAmbulance Services was satisfactory, only aminority thought the same about the Policeresponse; furthermore, only 52 people felt that thevillages were adequately policed, with 216 peopleunsatisfied with policing levels.



Objectives

1. To further reduce the fear of crime, and foster astrong feeling of security within the Parish.

2. To support the Neighbourhood Watch schemeand its use as a means of informing residents ofmethods of crime reduction.

3. To ensure adequate policing within the Parish.

4. To ensure that the Emergency Services' responsetimes meet the needs of the community.

Actions

■ Liaise with Somerset and Avon Constabulary,sharing details of the Parish Plan in order to makethem aware of villagers' concerns, with a view to

◆ providing a dedicated Community Support Officeror Parish Warden

◆ improving Police response times.

■ Liaise with the Neighbourhood Watch coordinators,sharing the Village Plan in order to:

◆ provide details of those people who have expressed an interest to volunteer to assist Neighbourhood Watch

◆ arrange for distribution of advice on crime reduction measures, particularly relating to theft, and to organise presentations by Avon and Somerset Constabulary on crime reduction.

■ Organise monitoring of Emergency Serviceresponse times in order to assess the quality ofservice provided and, if necessary, lobby forimprovement.

“The Neighbourhood Watch doesa good job of reminding us we do

not live in a perfect world.”


7The Local Environment



■ 78 villagers are affected by flooding; an evengreater number (80) consider that action needs tobe taken to reduce flooding.

■ Provision of facilities for pedestrians, cyclists andhorse riders was generally viewed as inadequate,and in particular:

◆ 134 people viewed the Rights of Way network as insufficiently accessible or inadequately maintained

◆ with regard to specific users, 54 villagers thought provision for cyclists was adequate while 138 did not; in contrast, 101 villagers thought provision for horse riders was adequate while 47 did not

◆ 157 people saw access to the countryside for those with disabilities or limited mobility as insufficient.

■ The Westport Canal was generally viewed as animportant asset to the villages, with only 23 peoplepreferring it to remain unchanged against 203 infavour of improvements of some sort; the followingmore specific views emerged:

◆ general improvement of the Canal pathways would be supported by 228 respondents, with 25 opposed

◆ 186 people supported the Canal being accessibleby boats or canoes, with 46 disagreeing

◆ there was strong support for provision of benches on the Canal path, 215 people being in favour and 15 against

◆ there was some support for the Canal path being used by horse riders, with 89 in favour but 144 against; there was opposition to its use by off-roadmotorcycles, with just 6 in favour and 268 against

◆ there was considerable support in favour of a section of the Canal being fostered as a wildlife and wildflower haven; 218 were in favour and 19 against.

■ There was a strong interest in local wildlife, with169 respondents keen to learn more about naturalinhabitants.

■ Street lighting in Hambridge was consideredadequate by 213 villagers although inadequate by24; there was relatively less satisfaction inWestport, where 111 villagers considered itadequate against 41 inadequate.

■ There was overall satisfaction with the provisionand emptying of litter and dog bins as follows:

◆ 164 people thought the number of litter bins adequate while 66 did not, and 111 considered them to be emptied often enough, while 46 did not.

◆ 133 people thought the number of dog waste bins adequate while 50 did not, and 50 consideredthem to be emptied often enough, while 34 did not.



Objectives

1. To reduce flooding that adversely affectsdwellings and roads.

2. To promote interest in local plant and animal life,and provide an environment to protect andencourage them.

3. To improve access to the countryside for non-motorised users of public rights of way.

Actions

■ Liaise with the Environment Agency to identifythose areas of the villages at risk from flooding andmake the necessary provisions to reduce that risk.

■ Encourage the support of local people inprotecting and nurturing local plant and animal life.

■ Liaise with the appropriate bodies to improveaccess to, and enjoyment of, the countryside fornon-motorised users, and in particular:

◆ in conjunction with Somerset County Council, improve the signing, accessibility and maintenanceof the rights of way network, having regard to theneeds of people with disabilities or limited mobility

◆ in conjunction with the Environment Agency, examine ways to improve the Westport Canal as an amenity, including improving access for pedestrians and horse riders, opening it for use by boats or canoes, providing benches along the path, and setting aside areas of it as a wildflower and wildlife haven.

“Footpaths are badly maintained,there is a lack of signposts

and no gates or stiles.”

“When it floods, it is oftendifficult to get outof the village.”


8Transport & Traffic



■ Traffic speed was identified as a significant issueby a large majority of respondents; 257 (almost97%) viewed speeding as a problem, with 218(77%) supportive of a 30 mph limit throughoutboth villages and even more (80%) in favour of a20 mph limit in the vicinity of the school. Over athird would support a “Neighbourhood SpeedwatchScheme” and 40 people were prepared tovolunteer to assist in such a scheme.

■ In contrast, traffic volume was not viewed as aproblem by the majority (over 60%) of people.

■ The provision of pavements throughout the villageswas also seen as a significant issue. The majority ofrespondents wanted the network to be expanded,only 26 declaring themselves to be satisfied withpresent arrangements. More particularly, 196 (71%)supported the building of a pavement to connectHambridge and Westport, most of whom (156) alsosupported a connecting cycleway.

■ A convenient, adequate bus service would be usedby 143 respondents. However, relatively few peopleexpressed any interest in a car-sharing scheme(178, or 85%, would not use one).



Objectives

1. To influence Somerset County Council's LocalTransport Plan.

2. To influence South Somerset District Council'splanning decisions affecting traffic in the villages.

3. To support the Parish Council in achievinghighway improvements highlighted by theconsultation process.

4. To achieve greater compliance with existingspeed limits and to investigate further - reduced -speed limits throughout both villages.

5. To improve provision of public transport in thevillages.

6. To increase the network of footpaths andcycleways, with particular emphasis of a footpathand cycleway to link the villages.

Actions

■ In partnership with the Parish Council:

◆ publish existing data on traffic speeds and volumes

◆ promote traffic speed reduction schemes

◆ investigate the feasibility of a Neighbourhood Speedwatch scheme as an immediate measure to influence traffic speeds on the main road.

■ In partnership with the Parish Council:

◆ secure a footpath and cycleway link between the villages and in general improve footpath and cycleway provision within both villages

◆ liaise with Somerset County Council over these footpaths and cycleways and obtain alternative sources of funding if construction is refused by SCC on monetary grounds.

■ Achieve a satisfactory and regular public transportservice for both villages.

“I do not feel safe walking alongthe road between the villages.”

“The road needs a traffic calming scheme”



The Hambridge and Westport Village Plan Steering Group gratefully acknowledge the support of thefollowing organisations in the creation of the Plan:

“This questionnaire is anexcellent document, thanks to

those who compiled it.”

“At present, the Village Green isan uninteresting open space,

with no shrubs or trees toenhance the environment and

encourage wildlife.”

“To improve communications,coffee meetings could be

held once a week at the pubs or the village hall.”


Documents

Hambridge and Westport Village Plan - Microsoftbtckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site15074/Hambridge and Westp… · Hambridge and Westport. As a starting point, suggestion boxes