Parish Plan (Community-Led Plan)

Progress since Newsletter 3

You will recall that aspects of the questionnaire responses needed further examination, including:

• The types and location of any housing schemes and the viability of installing mains drainage.
• Traffic, consisting of snow and ice on the roads, overgrown hedges, drainage ditches, speeding on village approaches and no through roads.
• Changes that would make it more likely that the Star remains the village’s pub.
• The viability of setting up a local bulk oil/gas purchase scheme.
• Keeping the Church as an important part of the Parish and community life.
• The practicalities associated with creating a children’s play area in the village.

We proposed that work groups should take another look at these areas. The enthusiastic participation of over 30 volunteers meant that they quickly reached a conclusion.

Feedback Please!

This is your opportunity to give your reaction to the work groups’ proposals before we finalise the draft Parish Plan. Please pass any comments to:-

Jorge M on

or Andrew O on

• 
• or by e-mailing Andrew

Work Group Proposals

The following sections summarise each work group’s conclusions and achievements.

Housing

This work group proposed a policy that residents agreed at two well-attended public meetings.

“If any housing development is to take place in Sparsholt Parish, new houses will only be permitted as infilling; that is, normally not more that one or two dwellings filling a small gap between existing properties within the existing built-up area of a settlement. Housing development on any exceptional grounds outside or adjacent to the existing built-up area of a settlement within the parish will be opposed. Approved developments should either be conversions of existing buildings or new properties of up to four bedrooms and be designed to complement the character and appearance of the settlement.”

Traffic – Snow & Ice

This work group made the following arrangements for roads leading to the B4507 and B4001.

Lonsdale Estates and Tony C will clear their designated areas in the event of heavy snow.

Volunteers will salt/grit their designated areas in icy conditions or after snow clearance. The Parish Council will organise supplies of salt and grit.

Traffic – Hedges & Verges

A task force is to tackle the overgrown hedges in Eastmanton Lane and Westcot Lane. The work group is to organise an ivy clearance day and run a ragwort awareness campaign next summer.

The onus is on landowners and householders to keep their verges clear. The work group is to organise a public awareness campaign.

Traffic – Flooded Roads

This work group is identifying the landowner’s and OCC’s responsibilities for drains maintenance.

A team has been organised to maintain gullies and traps each year. The Parish Council is to arrange clearance of Golden Acre/Sparsholt Manor and continue their efforts to resolve the triangle at the junction of Churchway and Partridge Way.

Additional teams are needed for the brook and ditch in Watery Lane and at the bottom of West Street.

Traffic – Speeding on Village Approaches

Police are to enforce speed limits twice a year. The work group is to involve local children in organising a speeding awareness campaign. Discussions are in progress about lowering the speed limit on the B4507 to 50 mph.

The Star

This work group drew up the following statement to describe the community’s aspirations.

“Residents of the Sparsholt Parish intend to ensure that the Star develops into a vibrant, successful business. There is an overwhelming desire for the pub to remain open. A large number of people are prepared to support a purchaser who is committed to making a success of the pub. The local community would strongly oppose any planning application to redevelop the Star for residential use.”

The Parish Plan Steering Group intends to nominate the Star as a “vital community asset” under the forthcoming Localism Bill.

The work group are in contact with Punch Taverns to keep up to date with their plans for the Star.

Bulk Oil/Gas Purchase Scheme

Newsletter 4 described the outcome of this work group’s investigations. They recommended ORCC’s Cooperative after examining several options. It has 470 members, including residents of Childrey and Sparsholt. Annual membership is £20. Childrey’s coordinator agreed to take on new members from Sparsholt Parish. Some residents have already joined and taken their first delivery of oil at ORCC’s lower price.

The Church

We cannot progress this aspect of the Parish Plan until the new incumbent is appointed. In the meantime, the Churchwardens will use the information from the consultation process to brief the Parochial Church Council representative who is on the interview panel on the views of the Parish.

Children’s Play Area

Enquiries are in progress into the possibility of funding a children’s play area. This and practical considerations, for example locating a site are unlikely to be resolved in time for the Parish Plan. The work group is developing an action plan.

A Big Thank You to the Volunteers!

The following people gave their time, experience and local knowledge to help the work groups.

In alphabetic order: Matt A, John B, Bob B, Tony C, John C, Ruth C, Norman D, Wendy E , Dave E, Jade H, Rob H, Brian H, Barry J, Maia L, Ian L, Terry M, Paula M, Louise M, Graham M, Guy M, Margaret M,  John O’G, Chris O’G, Emma P, Pete R, Peter S, Ed V, Pete W, Eileen W, Glen W, Barbara W & Graham W.

Thanks also to the Parish Council who gave its support when work groups needed assistance.

Watch This Space!

For news of the meeting in early 2012 to discuss the draft Parish Plan and hold the £100 Prize Draw!

Submitted by Andrew O, Parish Plan Steering Group, 18/12/11

Following analysis of the results of the housing questions in the Parish Plan Questionnaire, a statement has been prepared which is intended to express the parish's view of future housing. This statement will be incorporated into the eventual Parish Plan:-

HOUSING

Parish residents were asked whether they supported the building of new houses, either in open spaces or as infill (Infill refers to the infilling of a small gap – ie big enough for one or at most two houses set in plots of a broadly similar width to next door - within an otherwise built-up frontage or group of houses) between other properties.

From the results, it was very clear that the majority of residents would not want:

• Any new houses outside of existing built up areas (71% against).
• Developments of more than 5 properties (only 5% support).
• Flats and apartments (only 6% support).
• New buildings for business premises (only 10% support).

More than half of the residents (53%) do not support the building of any new dwellings in the parish. 35% of residents are prepared to consider new houses built between existing properties (infill) at appropriate places. This being subject to other criteria being met such as planning, drainage, access and the preservation or enhancement of the existing character or appearance of the area.

Residents were asked questions about types and size of housing, size of development and the conversion of existing farm buildings. The results showed that:

• 29% wished to see developments of single dwellings and 22% would consider a development of up to 5 properties (although existing guidelines limit developments to 2 dwellings).
• 37% preferred that new dwellings be privately owned although there was some lesser support for shared ownership (20%) and social rented (14%).
• A large majority of those prepared in principle to accept development favoured properties, both bungalows and houses, of up to 4 bedrooms; there was less support for properties of 5 bedrooms or more.
• There was significant support (74%) for the conversion of farm buildings into homes
• There was support (42%) for the conversion of existing farm buildings for business use.

Conclusion

The housing survey findings correlate with the overwhelmingly positive view of Sparsholt Parish as a small rural community set in a quiet and peaceful environment on the north side of the Berkshire Downs with the historic springline village of Sparsholt, protected by a conservation area, at its heart.

They also appear to demonstrate recognition that Sparsholt is a small parish (population circa 300; households 138) without a shop, a school or a playing field and with restricted public transport services. The Parish Plan housing policy set out below uses the evidence gathered in the survey, acknowledges the majority view that no further housing development should be accommodated in the parish but also recognises that there may be opportunities that arise to accommodate some limited additional housing within the built-up limits of the parish without causing material harm to the established character of the rural parish.

HOUSING POLICY

IF ANY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IS TO TAKE PLACE IN SPARSHOLT PARISH, NEW HOUSES WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED AS INFILLING; THAT IS, NORMALLY NOT MORE THAT ONE OR TWO DWELLINGS (MAXIMUM FOUR BEDROOMS) FILLING A SMALL GAP BETWEEN EXISTING PROPERTIES WITH IN THE EXISTING BUILT-UP AREA OF SPARSHOLT PARISH. DEVELOPMENT FOR HOUSING ON ANY EXCEPTIONAL GROUNDS OUTSIDE OR ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING BUILT-UP AREA OF THE VILLAGE WILL BE OPPOSED.

An earlier draft was considered at an open meeting in the Star on 2nd November and many comments and suggestions were considered.  The revised statement on housing is available as a PDF download below. 

The statement is consistent with the results of the questionnaire and much care has been taken to ensure that the conclusion and proposed policy are based only on the survey results. 

If there are any final comments on the attached statement, please send them to [email protected]

There will be a final open meeting to explain the statement on Monday 14th November in the Star at 7.30pm.

Submitted by Jorge M, Parish Plan Steering Group, 8/11/11

Hopefully you have all now received your Parish Plan questionnaire, but if not please let the Parish Plan Steering Group know and they will arrange a copy for you. Email them by clicking <here>.

The Parish Plan Steering Group would be grateful if everyone could complete the form (with all family members, if possible) and hand it back to the volunteers that delivered it to you. Please email the Steering Group <here> if your completed questionnaire hasn't been collected within a couple of weeks of receiving it.

The Parish Plan Steering Group are already starting to load the data, so that the analysis of the opinions of all parishioners can begin. Ideally, the Steering Group would like to try and get a 100% return on the questionnaires, as this may give the plan more leverage with outside agencies.

For residents with younger children there is an Art Competition where the winning exhibit will feature in the final published Parish Plan. Details attached to the questionnaire.

Not only does our opinion count but you can also win £100, simply by completing the questionnaire.

You can discover more about the proposed Parish Plan by clicking this (external) link:-

• sparsholt-clp.weebly.com