Contents
Page
2
Foreword
Section I
Setting the scene – what is a parish plan?
Our parish areas
3
3
4
4
5
Producing a parish plan for our area
How we produced this parish plan
Questionnaire
Section II
Action plans
7 – 12
Annexes
Annex 1 – Members of the parish plan steering group
Annex 2 – Results of the questionnaire from 2010
Annex 3 – Action Plan
16
17
20
Annex 4 – Adult Questionnaire
Annex 5 – Young People’s Questionnaire
How to use this document
The most important part of this document is section II. This summarises actions that
reflect the issues that local people say are most important to them. The first part of
the plan document sets the scene for the rest of the report and describes how the
work has been done. Those who are interested will find a summary of the results of the
questionnaire produced in 2010 in Annex 2.
Acknowledgements
We are very grateful for the support we have received from Chris Gooding and the local
team from Herefordshire Partnership who support the production of parish plans.
1
Foreword
The work of producing this plan highlighted some of the issues that affect life in a
rural community.
Protecting the environment is one issue. The beauty of the area, its wildlife and the
opportunities it offers are greatly – and equally – valued by people who were born in the
parishes and those who have chosen to live here.
Having a sustainable community is another issue. People attach value to the idea of a
balanced community of younger and older people, including families with children who go
to local schools. This is reflected in a wish to make it easier for younger people with
families to live in the area and find employment. It is also reflected in a wish to retain
local schools.
Discussion at public meetings convinced us that few of the issues identified can be seen
in isolation. For example, the environment is the product of natural processes and of
human action over many years. To a very considerable extent the landscape today – its
field structures, hedges, trees and woodlands and its commons – reflects the way in
which the land is used.
Any changes in the way the land is used – for example, through changes in farming
practices or the introduction of more buildings and roads – will alter how the landscape
looks and have an impact on wildlife. Supporting farming is important in maintaining the
environment. Take away farming, remove sheep from the uplands and the land would
change – for better or worse.
At the same time people recognise that changes are inevitable. More people who live in
the area want to work and run businesses from home. This makes better
communications essential, principally through the internet and mobile telephones.
Farmers themselves are finding internet access indispensable for receiving information
and completing the forms their businesses require. We are lucky that our area is part
of a wider initiative to introduce faster broadband and this Plan supports this
unreservedly.
Local people need to be able to respond positively to such changes and, with their
representatives, be able to influence the impact it makes. Having a strong Parish
Council and working together to agree priorities for tackling issues is essential. We
hope this Parish Plan will make a contribution to this.
2
Section I
Setting the scene
occupations or are retired. The
What is a parish plan?
proportion of younger people with families
is smaller and the proportion of older
people greater. Even so the area and
adjoining areas have valued primary
schools (in Longtown, Michaelchurch
Escley and Peterchurch) and secondary
schools (in Kingstone and Peterchurch).
A parish plan identifies the most
important questions – social, economic and
environmental – facing rural communities.
Parish plans identify actions for the
Parish Council, individuals and groups
within the community and other service
providers and statutory bodies.
In recent years the ability to make a
living from farming in the upland areas has
become more difficult. Younger farmers
may now need to have a second job to
produce enough to live on and many work
off the farm or have adapted farm
buildings to provide additional income. An
increasing number of young people have
the opportunity to go away to college or
university and often do not return
The process of producing a parish plan is
laid out in national and local guidance.
Limited financial resources are available
to support the work, in this case from
Herefordshire Council and the Parish
Council.
Our parish areas
because job opportunities are greater in
urban areas. Recent years have seen an
inward movement of active retired people,
as well as some young families.
The parishes of Michaelchurch, Newton,
St Margaret’s, Turnastone and Vowchurch
lie in the Golden Valley and in the foothills
of the Black Mountains on the eastern
edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park,
an area of great natural beauty. There
are upland areas in the west and east,
with low-lying flatlands between in the
valley of the River Dore.
None of the parishes has a significant
village centre. Most houses and farms are
dispersed, many stand alone, some are
quite isolated. This lack of village centres
and the dispersed nature of the houses
means that none of the parishes can be at
all self-sufficient. But there is a feeling
of social cohesion and social and other
activities bring people together. There
are several excellent locals halls which
provide venues for many of these
Historically this was predominantly a
farming area, in which most people were
employed on the land or in service.
Changes in farming practice have, as
everywhere, reduced the need to employ
large numbers of people, so today fewer
local people are involved in farming.
activities.
A major feature of the area is that, apart
from two small shops and a few garage
workshops, people have to travel out of
Agriculture remains the largest source of
work, but today a significant proportion of
people in the area either work in other
3
the area for much of what they need.
Doctors’ surgeries are in Ewyas Harold,
Kingstone and Peterchurch; local shops
are in Ewyas Harold, Longtown and
Peterchurch. As mentioned above most
schools are outside the area. Hereford
and Abergavenny provide a concentration
of shops, including supermarkets and
garages and Hay on Wye is the nearest
market town. Many people also make use
of the internet to buy some of what they
need.
includes those who took the time to
complete the questionnaire we circulated
and those who attended various public
events between 2008 and 2011 to tell us
what they think.
Producing a parish plan is an act of faith.
It is based on an assumption that
sufficient people will want to be involved
in implementing the proposed action plan,
rather than leaving it to the Parish
Council, who are, after all, volunteers
themselves. Our assumption is that some
people want to play a part in improving
their local communities.
One characteristic that became clear in
the course of this project is how much
people value living in the five parishes.
They wish to protect the environment and
preserve and enhance their communities
by enabling those young people who wish
to do so to remain and bring up families.
Retaining local schools is seen as
How we produced this Parish Plan
The Parish Council considered the
question of parish plans in 2008. The
Council was aware that many other
parishes in Herefordshire and elsewhere
were producing such a plan or had already
done so. It felt that local people should
have the chance to benefit from a similar
process here. The Council therefore
decided to hold a public meeting to
consult local people about whether to
produce a parish plan.
particularly important.
Producing a Parish Plan for our area
A small group of local people has been
working to identify some of the issues
that are important to local people in the
five parishes and suggest ways of tackling
these.
A meeting in November 2008 was
attended by about 50 people. In
discussion people identified the issues
they felt were important . At the end of
the meeting there was very strong
support for the idea of producing a plan
for the five parishes.
Producing a parish plan involves the whole
community, as well as the Parish Council.
The work draws on information provided
by people through surveys and at public
meetings. It is wholly based on what local
people – our neighbours – have told us. All
of the issues and actions have been
discussed with people who live in the five
parishes. Everyone who lives in our
parishes has had an opportunity to
contribute.
A second event in January 2009
considered how to produce a plan and
identified volunteers to lead the process
through a steering group. A list of the
core members of this group is shown in
Annex 1.
We are very grateful to those people who
have contributed to this work. This
4
The first phase of work for the group
involved building up a picture of local
issues. We began with the subjects
raised at the first public meeting and
used these to plan further events at
which people were invited to identify what
they believed might improve life in the
area.
an opportunity to express their views and
makes it possible to identify how
widespread interest and support is about
particular issues. The key is to identify
whether most people responding have a
similar view.
We were helped to develop our
questionnaire with guidance from the
research team at Herefordshire Council.
Producing a parish plan can involve a range
of formal or informal processes at this
early stage. Given the nature of our five
parishes, with no village centres and
scattered houses and farms, we decided
to hold fairly informal events at which
people could record what issues were
important to them.
The themes contained in the questionnaire
for adults to complete were as follows –
the rural environment, housing and the
planning process, roads and road safety,
getting about and using transport, local
resources, supporting local communities,
crime and policing, facilities for children
and young people. We also produced a
separate questionnaire for children and
young people to complete.
We prepared a range of material for
these events and this was arranged
around a number of “themes” based on the
issues raised at the first public meeting.
These were – the local environment,
housing, transport and roads, business and
employment, local facilities,
The questionnaires were distributed at
the beginning of May 2010. Most were
delivered by hand by a member of the
steering group or another volunteer; some
were sent by post. Every person living in
one of the five parishes should have had
the opportunity to complete a
questionnaire. If we found that anyone
had been overlooked in this process copies
of the document were provided so that
they could participate.
communications, crime and community
safety, leisure and health.
The events were held in September 2009,
to avoid the summer holidays. We held
afternoon events on Saturdays, at
Michaelchurch and Vowchurch. These
were both very well attended and people
participated enthusiastically. As a result
we gathered a good range of views. What
people told us enabled us to add to the
list of subjects with which we were
working.
The survey enabled us to refine further
the list of issues of importance to local
people. We felt that crime and
community safety had been shown to be
of relatively low concern locally and
therefore did not need to form part of
the final plan.
Questionnaire
We developed a questionnaire from late
2009 to reflect the issues that people
had consistently identified. (See Annexes
4 and 5) A questionnaire gives everyone
Similarly, public transport does not seem
to be a major issue locally, though the
survey of young people’s views did suggest
5
a wish to see better and cheaper bus
services. It seems likely that the lack of
adult concern about public transport
reflects the fact that most people need
to have their own vehicles and feel unable
to rely on public transport.
public meeting, delayed by bad weather
until January 2011. The meeting was well
attended and there was a good discussion
of the survey results.
The meeting marked the final stage in
gathering people’s views about what
matters to them about the future of the
five parish areas.
We discussed the outcome of the survey
in the steering group and then took it to a
6
Section II
Action Plans
The whole process of producing a parish
additional homes in the area.
plan took just over two years. Asking
people to identify the issues they felt
were most important to them produced a
list of questions which we grouped into a
number of themes. In the course of the
work some of the issues were put to one
side when it became clear they were not
shared by a significant number of people.
For this reason and to keep the
The survey showed broadly even support
for or against having any additional homes
in the area. This in itself is not a basis
for decision; some people would prefer to
maintain the existing number of homes,
others would perhaps be prepared to see
at least some new homes created.
questionnaire to a reasonable length we
put aside questions about community
safety, health and public transport.
Several issues emerged, including the
difficulty for farming families in providing
housing to keep farms viable and within
the family for the next generation, the
demographic imbalance caused by young
people having to move away to find work
and the shortage of affordable housing.
Whether a majority of local people would
think it appropriate for new homes to be
built in these circumstances is not clear.
The response rate to the questionnaire
for children and young people was
relatively low and the results were
inconclusive. As a result no clear mandate
for action regarding children and younger
people was established. However, it will
be important to ensure that the actions
described below in relation to the various
themes take account of the interests of
young people.
Bearing this in mind, there is broad
agreement that, if there were to be any
additional housing, this should be for local
people and affordable and built in ways
that are consistent with the traditional
style and materials of existing houses.
The final group of themes are – housing
and planning; the environment; roads and
road safety; supporting the local
community. The section below describes
the main issues and the actions we have
identified in relation to these. Actions
are summarised in Annex 3.
Action – the Parish Council should adopt
this principal in looking at planning
applications.
The current position
Housing and Planning
A public meeting held to discuss the
results of the survey was followed by a
meeting about housing and planning, which
was well attended. This meeting heard
from officers of Herefordshire Council
about the existing planning rules which
We deal with housing first, not because
this is necessarily the most important
issue (though it is important), but because
it is one of the most difficult. The broad
question is whether there is a need for
7
govern whether new homes might be
permitted and about the housing policies
which affect the provision of, for
example, affordable housing for local
people.
In a few years it might be possible for
local people to engage in a discussion
about housing needs and agree whether
there are any circumstance in which there
could be new homes. For example, some
landowners being able to build on their
own land for members of their own
What is clear is that there are currently
very few circumstances in which planning
permission would be given for new homes
in a rural area which is designated as open
countryside. This reflects the policies set
out in Herefordshire’s Unitary
Development Plan which does not provide
for any housing development for the
villages within our area.
families and stopping the drift of young
people away from their home communities.
Such discussions would be informed by a
number of considerations. Foremost
amongst these is the protection of the
environment. There is unlikely to be the
need for – certainly there is not the
support for – major new housing
There is unlikely to be a way to provide
affordable homes due to these
developments in our area. But it might be
necessary to consider some limited
housing development to try to create and
maintain a vibrant community. Factors
which affect possible future
developments include the continued
existence of high quality local schools, the
development of better public transport
and changes in the housing market
brought about by national government
policy and market conditions. It would be
essential to devise policies which are
limited in their impact and can be
constraints and the limited funding
available. However, a key starting point
for any such development is a Housing
Needs Survey and the area is now the
first in the list for such a survey in this
financial year. Issues about site
availability, methods of funding and
intended occupants are all secondary
issues to this initial survey.
The future
administered fairly, while recognising the
need for protection against speculative
developments which would have a major
impact on the character of the area.
The UK Government wishes to make major
changes in local government. These
include passing more responsibility to local
areas thereby creating a bigger role for
town and parish councils. Under these
proposals a parish council would be able to
develop its own policies in relation to
planning applications, which could, for
example, be designed to meet local
housing needs. Such plans would need to
have very significant support from local
people if these policies represented a
departure from Herefordshire Council’s
own development policies.
Much therefore depends on factors which
are currently beyond the control of the
Parish Council. This position may change
significantly within the lifetime of the
current Government as a result of the
Localism Bill, In the future it might be
possible to produce a community led
Neighbourhood Development Plan within
the context of the Unitary Development
Plan. This might be something that the
Parish Council and the community may
8
want to consider seriously once the
results of the Housing Needs Survey are
known.
significant by national and local
organisations, including Natural England.
Steps are already being taken to protect
and improve the local environment. There
are individual projects, for example, the
Monnow Project, which has been under
way for several years (see below).
Natural England works with local farmers
and other landowners through
environmental stewardship schemes.
These are intended to look after the
countryside and fund farmers and
landowners to manage their land in ways
which protect and improve the
The Local Environment
The survey makes it clear that the great
majority of people recognise that we live
in an area of great natural beauty which
should be given every protection. The
results reveal support for some modest
steps to look after the environment and
its wildlife. These would supplement the
work already being done by some farmers
and landowners through stewardship
schemes and local projects.
environment – the wildlife, landscapes,
historic features and natural soil and
water resources.
The survey and subsequent discussions
made it clear that people realise that
changes in the future will affect the
environment. There is some agreement
that the community as a whole could play a
role in minimising the impact of such
changes on the environment, though it is
not yet clear how this might be done.
There are several levels of stewardship
scheme. The significance of the wider
region within which our area lies, means
that Natural England has made it a
priority for encouraging farmers and
landowners to join its Higher Level
Stewardship Scheme. This scheme’s
objectives are to achieve higher
Whilst the survey showed that some
people are interested in seeking
protected status (for example, “area of
outstanding natural beauty”) for the wider
area, this is not yet shared by everyone.
Some people have understandable
concerns about the implications . In any
case, other parish areas would need to
support the change and the process would
probably take some years to achieve. This
plan does not therefore propose that we
seek such a change for the time being.
standards in relation to protecting
biodiversity, the historic environment,
landscape and resources.
What actions can we take to protect
the environment?
This Plan suggests that, as a community,
we might work in parallel to these
stewardship schemes to look after the
countryside. We can begin by doing some
work to look after the more public areas,
such as the roadside verges and possibly
commons. .
The people who live in the five parishes
are not alone in considering their area to
be important. The whole area from the
Black Mountains to the river valleys of
the Monnow and Dore and the eastern
slopes of the Golden Valley are seen as
One way of supporting these existing
schemes might be by sharing information
about what is being done to increase local
9
understanding. Indeed encouraging public
access to and understanding of the
countryside is a feature of the
stewardship schemes. There are
organisations who will work with willing
farmers to organise visits to local farms
to explain and demonstrate the work that
is being done.
of special value. This should mean that
they are maintained in a way which
protects the species they host. We
believe there is a case for surveying more
of the verges to identify other places
where valuable flora and fauna can be
found in order to take steps to protect
them. This is something on which advice
is potentially available from
As a starting point we have identified
some practical steps that might be taken
as a first step to achieving this aim.
Herefordshire Nature Trust. It is also
work that could be done by volunteers,
possibly those people who have mentioned
an interest in joining some kind of nature
group. There may also be some people in
the area with expertise, including
Action: We propose that the Parish
Council sets up an environmental
biologists and botanists.
stewardship group of interested local
people and parish councillors. This would
oversee the work described below. It
might also facilitate the creation of a
local nature group in response to the
interest shown during the work on this
plan. The group could carry out surveys
of wildlife in specific areas to set a
benchmark for conservation work. Advice
and support is available for such work.
Monnow Project – this project has been
going on for several years and aims to
improve conditions on the river, to
encourage the rejuvenation of the trout
population. This is being done with the
participation of local farmers through
improvements to the river banks by
coppicing and fencing which prevents
access by livestock and encourages fish
and other wildlife. Other aspects of the
scheme include the re-introduction of
voles and eradicating the mink population
which have severely depleted the vole
population. Local people have been
employed by the project and others have
volunteered for work. A report should be
sought from the Project as a basis for
identifying whether support might be
provided from the Parish Council.
Specific actions
Litter – We believe Herefordshire
Council has contracted for an occasional
collection of litter on the B roads in the
area. We need to establish when this
takes place and check that it is being
done satisfactorily. In relation to the
minor roads we propose that a survey is
done locally in which local people are
asked to identify any places where litter
is a problem. If there are any problems
we suggest that volunteers be invited to
clear the areas as part of an organised
programme of work. Equipment, including
safety clothing are available to borrow.
Light pollution – the objective of
maintaining low levels of artificial light
was supported by a majority of people.
There appears to be little scope for
controlling domestic lighting in the
current planning process, but some
possibility of influencing external lighting
in commercial developments. In the
Verges – There are one or more roadside
verges in the parishes which contain flora
10
future there is the possibility of the
Parish Council exercising more influence
on planning decisions if there is strong
local support. We propose therefore that
when these changes take place, particular
attention should be paid to proposed
external lighting levels in commercial
planning applications. Looking ahead it
might also be possible to encourage low
levels of external lighting in domestic
buildings.
Council should ensure that all local people
are aware of who their footpath officer is
and how to contact them to report any
problems.
Roads and road safety
Whilst recognising that the condition of
local roads sometimes gives cause for
concern, the survey and public meetings
suggest that the major concern is about
the safety of the junctions in Vowchurch
with the B4348 and, to a lesser extent,
the junction of the road from Madley and
the same B road at Bacho Hill.
Field run-off and flooding – action can
be taken by the Environment Agency if
problems with field run-off or flooding
occur, but they do need to be notified
promptly. We propose that the Parish
Council should monitor these potential
problems and encourage local people to
report them should they occur so that the
Environment Agency can be informed.
These concerns have been discussed with
Herefordshire Council over the years
with, as yet, no agreement to what might
be done. It is, perhaps, significant that
there have been no major accidents and
so neither junction is seen by the Council
as an accident “black spot”.
Mud on roads – we propose that details
of the programme of road cleaning
commissioned by Herefordshire Council is
obtained so that the Parish Council can
decide whether this is satisfactory. If
there is no regular programme we propose
that the Parish Council asks for one to be
introduced.
Action – We recommend that the Parish
Council initiates discussion with the
Council to discuss limited steps to improve
safety. Additional steps could be taken
to make the junctions safer without major
road works being carried out. For
example, double lines in the centre of the
road to stop any overtaking; and signs in
both directions to encourage drivers to
slow down and take care.
Footpaths and bridleways – the key to
tackling any problems with footpaths and
bridleways is to know when they occur.
The Parish Council has three volunteers
who between them have the job of
monitoring local footpaths. At the
moment these do not report to the Parish
Council. They notify the Public Rights of
Way Warden who can then commission any
work necessary to sort out problems. We
propose that in future the Parish Council
should receive a report from the
“footpath officers” twice a year at their
meetings. We also propose that the
11
Community fuel purchasing
Supporting the local community
There is support for a scheme to support
communal fuel purchasing which should
reduce the cost of fuel oil. A scheme is
now being set up on the initiative of a
local resident. People who wish to
participate are being asked to put their
names forward and the details of how the
scheme will work have been worked out.
Such a scheme will be of potentially great
benefit for the local community.
This section is concerned with what could
be done to support people and improve life
within the local community.
Renewable energy
There is clear support for action to meet
local energy needs by steps such as
community oil fuel purchasing, switching
energy supply to a green tariff and free
residential energy checks.
Information sharing to support local
activities
The installation of commercial wind
turbines which would disfigure the
landscape were opposed. This is not to
say that small domestic wind turbines
might not be appropriate for some homes
where they could be installed without
making an adverse impact on the
environment.
In addition to local businesses, there is
already an impressive diversity of local
activities from a gardening club, to a
study group, to folk singing, keep fit,
whist, local quizzes and so on. The survey
showed that people would welcome the
chance to be involved in more local
activities, for example, a nature group. It
is also clear that people are unaware of
some existing activities.
Actions – We recommend that the
Parish Council sets up a small renewable
energy group to develop some ideas about
renewable energy, including establishing
links with organisations which might
provide advice. This group could
This plan does not propose any central
action to set up clubs or groups as such;
this is more appropriate for enthusiastic
individuals. But what could make it easier
to run or set up groups would be better
ways of sharing information to supplement
existing parish newsletters, which provide
a very wide range of information and are
valued.
cooperate with the environmental
stewardship group mentioned above, for
example, to explore the generation of
local timber for local people to buy.
Photovoltaic panels have been installed on
several nearby village halls. They are
expensive but have the potential to
generate income from the sale of
Actions
electricity to the National Grid. However,
national schemes to support such
Setting up a Website
developments are currently uncertain.
This is an area to keep under review and
for the Parish Council to support locally.
The Internet offers an additional means
of communication. There is no question
that people value the ability to obtain
12
information using the internet. The
survey showed significant support for
setting up a website for the five parishes.
broadband simply because of the greater
costs of providing the service to
scattered populations as opposed to
concentrations of people in cities.
However, there now seems to be both a
national and European move to introduce
broadband to rural areas.
Having a website for the Parish Council
area – with links to other websites such as
those of the churches, neighbouring
parishes and Herefordshire Council –
would increase the sources of information
available to people.
South Herefordshire (with adjoining parts
of Gloucestershire) was chosen to be one
of four national pilot sites for the
We recommend that the Parish Council
establishes a group to oversee the
creation of a website. This should
identify what is involved in setting up a
website, including the costs. It should
then commission someone to create the
website and establish a mechanism for
placing information on the site, keeping it
up to date and ensuring that people know
about the site and how to make use of it.
introduction of fast broadband. At the
same time Herefordshire Council has
produced its own strategy for introducing
faster broadband across the county. The
two initiatives will work in tandem.
There is also a separate scheme which
would see the provision of wireless
broadband access from transmitters on
local churches and other buildings.
The website should offer facilities to all
local people and organisations . This
includes local businesses, including farms,
bed and breakfast providers and the
Parish Council itself. It also includes local
voluntary groups and services, such as
Dore Community Transport, and clubs
such as the gardening, keep fit and study
groups.
The initiative is being managed by a team
from Herefordshire Council working with
a national government agency. A private
sector provider will be identified through
a formal bidding process that is now
underway.
A key feature of the pilot work is that it
seeks local community involvement
principally through Parish Councils. There
is also a need for the local communities
concerned to demonstrate their
commitment and support to the
introduction of faster broadband. Parish
Councils will begin to be involved from
summer 2011.
Broadband
The ability to use a good broadband
connection to the internet varies greatly
in the area. It seems to be better in the
east than in the west, but nowhere are
speeds very fast. The survey showed
strong support for faster broadband for
local homes and businesses.
If this work succeeds the result would be
much better broadband connections for
everyone.
Until quite recently it seemed likely that
rural areas would lag behind urban areas
in the move to introduce faster
Action – This Parish Plan therefore
strongly supports the work that is
13
underway and wishes to see the Parish
Council take whatever action is necessary
to ensure that the objectives are
achieved.
There is some support for a scheme which
would enable people to share cars for
journeys to work or for shopping. A
number of people have given their names
as being interested in sharing journeys.
Mobile telephones
Action – This is for those who are
interested in such a scheme to take the
lead. However, the proposed website
could provide information about a scheme
once this is established.
Mobile telephone reception is generally
poor in the area. Most networks do not
provide a signal. The survey identified
support for better mobile reception.
The most likely solution to this problem
appears to be through the introduction of
faster broadband. The intention is to
enable mobile telephone providers to be
able to extend their services by making it
more economical for them to do so.
Information for people moving into
the area
Action – We propose that the Parish
Council develops a welcome pack for
people moving into the area. The core of
this pack should be what is contained in
this parish plan. This would identify the
issues that are of local concern and the
work that is being done to address them.
The pack would also contain information
about the website, parish newsletters and
the work of the Parish Council.
Action – We suggest that the Parish
Council offers support for this work when
invited to participate by Herefordshire
Council.
Car sharing scheme
14
Annex 1
Members of the Parish Plan Steering Group
Jane Baxter
John Baxter
Harry Franklin
Glenys Gladwin
Keith Hortin
Liz March
Ann Marshall
Paul Mason
Alan Picton
David Price
John Pritchard
Wilf Prosser
Sylvia Teakle
15
Annex 2
The Results of the Survey
The estimated population of the five
parish areas is in the region of about 600.
We circulated 576 adult and 155 young
people questionnaires. The total number
of adult questionnaires returned was 234
and of young people questionnaires was
36.
questionnaire. Given the proportion of
the population completing a questionnaire
we believe these views are consistent with
those of the rest of the community.
In relation to the rural environment 98%
of people replying thought that life in a
small rural community and the peace and
beauty of the local environment were
important. The same percentage again
thought it was important to protect and
enhance the local environment.
Although there were few responses from
18 to 24 year olds, this reflects the small
number of people in this age group living in
the Parishes. In fact, we were
encouraged by the number of 18 to 24
year old males who responded as they
were slightly over-represented in the
survey results. There was under-
representation of 25 to 44 year olds of
both genders, but particularly of males.
Female respondents aged between 45 and
74 were over-represented in the
responses, as were males aged 75 and
over.
More than 80% of people thought it was
important to improve the local
environment, for example, by seeking
protected status for all or part of the
area, preserving woodland, preserving
commons, creating more wildlife-friendly
habitats, protecting rivers and streams,
adopting a policy of “wildlife-friendly”
management of hedges, verges and
commons.
The returns by parish were – Newton – 24
adult and 3 young people; Michaelchurch –
43 adult and 9 young people; St
Margaret’s – 64 adult and 14 young people;
Turnastone – 28 adult and 3 young people;
Vowchurch – 72 adult and 7 young people.
Over half of those replying thought that
field run-off and mud on roads were
problems: around 40% thought litter,
flooding and poorly maintained footpaths,
hedges and bridleways were problems.
In relation to housing and the planning
process roughly equal proportions of
people would be happy (43%) and unhappy
(45%) if any additional housing was built in
the area. This does not suggest there is
very strong support for any major housing
developments in what is essentially a rural
area. But it does suggest that a fair
proportion of people recognise that some
very limited development might be
Views we received
A copy of the analysis of the survey
results produced by Herefordshire
Council is available on request (and will be
available on the website when this is set
up.) The following is a brief summary of
the results for each section of the
questionnaire. It should be born in mind
that here we are talking about the views
of the people who completed a
necessary in order to sustain a vibrant
16
local community.
The most commonly supported road safety
improvement was to introduce blind spot
mirrors and the next common was to
introduce lower speed limits.
In the event of any new housing being
built, support was greater than opposition
for affordable homes for local people,
realistically priced starter homes and
small or medium sized family homes.
There was strong opposition to
In relation to getting about and using
public transport a majority use local
footpaths regularly. About 40% of people
supported dog flaps in stiles, better signs,
better route information and better
footpath maintenance. The same
developments of executive homes.
The majority would like any new houses to
be keeping with existing local, mainly
stone built houses. Half of the
proportion opposed gates replacing stiles.
respondents would like any new houses to
be carbon neutral. Support was strongest
for converting redundant buildings for
local families to live in. Opposition was
highest with regard to converting
buildings for open sale, holiday lets or
tourism. A majority would be happy to
see the establishment of small businesses
and workshops.
It is clear that only a minority, 15%, cycle
even occasionally, most people do not use
a bicycle.
Over half of people would use the bus
service if there was a more frequent
service, whilst just under half would use if
it was cheaper or if it went to more
places.
In relation to roads and road safety a
majority of people thought that the
maintenance of the road surface on B
roads and minor roads was poor. Just
under half of people % thought that the
maintenance of road verges, ditches and
drains on B roads were average, while half
% thought it was poor or very poor on the
minor roads. Over half of people were
satisfied with the arrangements for
gritting the roads and that salt bins were
in the best places; but only a third of
people said salt bins were regularly filled.
22% of respondents would use rail
services at least monthly if Pontrilas was
re-opened as a station.
The most common method of transport
that respondents were willing to use at
least occasionally was a community bus
service.
There was a group of questions about local
resources and services, including
sustainable energy.
The following suggestions to meet local
energy needs were supported by more
than half of people – water turbines on
the local river, community oil fuel
purchasing, switching your energy supply
to a green tariff, free residential energy
checks. The installation of (commercial as
opposed to residential) wind turbines were
opposed by 51% and supported by 34%.
More than two thirds of people thought
there were adequate road signs. And
three quarters of people had concerns
about using the junction of the road from
Michaelchurch, Turnastone and
Vowchurch with the B4348 from
Peterchurch and Kingstone.
17
did not or did not know.
A majority of people were likely to
support a plan to reduce the carbon
footprint, though they were less likely to
want to be actively involved.
A large majority of people use a local
newsletter at least occasionally to obtain
information. There was also a high
potential use of a community website to
find out about local services, events,
advertise goods or services, etc.
In relation to existing services 60% of
respondents thought TV reception was
good; over half thought radio reception
was good; 80% thought mobile phone
reception was poor. Broadband speed is
also poor and over two thirds of people
would support bringing high-speed
broadband to the parish if there was no
extra cost, but only 25% if there was an
additional charge.
We asked adults and young people about
issues facing the latter. The responses
do not appear to suggest major concerns.
For adults the most popular proposed
facilities for young people were youth club
and after school club. Of the
respondents whose children used
school/college bus services, 91% said that
the service was good or very good.
In relation to supporting local
communities 21% of people said they
would be interested in helping to run one
of the local halls. People also expressed
an interest in extra local activities the
most popular that they were likely to
attend was a local history club (58% would
attend this at least occasionally). The
next most popular events were IT classes
and keep fit/aerobics classes (46% and
39% would attend at least occasionally).
Young people themselves identified their
most popular leisure activities as watching
TV, playing computer games and using the
internet, and riding bikes. More than two
thirds who used the school/college bus
service thought the service was very good
or good.
Less than a third of young people thought
the non-school bus services were good or
very good, compared to 50% who thought
they were poor.
In relation to the work of the Parish
Council, a third of respondents thought
that the Parish Council successfully
represented their interests compared
with 58% who didn’t know. Less than a
third of people thought the Parish Council
did a good job publicising its work,
At least half would like to use a Youth
Club, a recreational area for teenagers, an
after school club or a disco at least
occasionally, if provided.
compared with over two thirds who either
18
Annex 3
Detailed Action Plan
Objective
Issue
Action
Responsibility
Time-scale
Housing and
planning
adopt new criteria for
commenting on planning
ensure
developments
Parish Council
6 months
applications (use style and are in keeping
materials of traditional
buildings)
with the area
Environment
set up environmental
stewardship group
to oversee and
lead work to
improve the
local
Parish Council
3 months
environment and
report regularly
to the Parish
Council
Litter
identify what litter
collection is made on B
roads
stewardship
group and Parish
Council
6 months
carry out survey of local
people about condition of
minor roads
identify any
problem areas
stewardship
group
12 months
clear any problem areas
volunteers led by 18 months
stewardship
group
Verges
seek advice from
Herefordshire Nature
Trust on carrying out
surveys of wildlife of
verges
stewardship
group
3 months
carry out surveys
identify any
areas of special stewardship
importance
volunteers and
12 months
6 months
12 months
group
Monnow
Project
invite the Project to
submit a report to the
Parish Council
Parish Council
identify anything that can
be done to support the
Project
Parish Council
and stewardship
19
Issue
Action
Objective
Responsibility
Time-scale
Light pollution action depend on changes
in how planning decisions
are made.
Field run off
and flooding
make regular reports to
the Parish Council
identify any
problems quickly
Parish councillors ongoing
alongside current reports
on road conditions
provide information via
website to enable local
people to report problems
direct to the Environment
Agency
Parish Council
6 months
Mud on roads
identify programme of
road cleaning carried out
for Herefordshire Council
Parish Council
Parish Council
3 months
if there is no regular
programme ask for one to
be introduced
12 months
Roads and
road safety
set up discussion with
Herefordshire Council on
local concerns about road
safety
improve road
safety at
junction with
B4348 in
Parish Council
3 months
Vowchurch
Supporting the
local
community
Renewable
energy
set up a renewable energy identify and
Parish Council
Parish Council
3 months
group
develop ideas
about renewable
energy
keep under review
schemes for supporting
installation of photovoltaic
cells on community halls
Community fuel scheme has been set up
purchasing
scheme
Information
sharing to
support local
activities
set up a local group of
volunteers to oversee the
creation of a website
to provide more Parish Council
sources of
information
3 months
about the work
20
Issue
Action
Objective
Responsibility
Time-scale
of the Parish
Council and
make it easier
to share
information
about local
groups and local
businesses
set up a website for the 5
parishes
website group
and Parish
Council
6 months
ongoing
Broadband
support the national pilot
in the area to achieve
better quality internet
connection for local people
and businesses
support life in
the area
Parish Council
Mobile
telephones
support initiatives to
increase the coverage of
mobile telephone networks
support life in
the area
Parish Council
website group
ongoing
Car sharing
provide facilities on the
proposed website to share
information about a car
sharing scheme
6 months
Information
pack
provide an information
pack for people moving
into the area
Parish Council
12 months
21