INDEX

Detail Page No.

Parish of Mursley Map 3

Conservation Area Map 4

Introduction 5

Parish of Mursley Past & Present 7

Black Poplars 10

Current facilities 11

Demographic Section 13

Questionnaires & Summary of Responses: Social & Welfare 15 Environment & Conservation 17 Sports & Recreation 19

Housing, Development & Planning 21 Traffic & Transport 24 Youth 27 ‘Mursley in Your Own Words’ 30

What Happens Now? 32

The Future 33

Acknowledgements 34

Appendices: a) Questionnaire b) Results Summary c) Contact Information for Clubs & Societies d) Statistics e) Post Code Summary

Mursley Parish Plan 2 Parish Map

Mursley Parish Plan 3 Map of Conservation Area of Mursley

Mursley Parish Plan 4 INTRODUCTION

What is a Parish Plan?

The Rural White Paper in 2000 provided the Government’s intention to encourage parish councils to take greater responsibility for administering their own affairs and influencing and shaping the future development of their communities through the preparation of parish plans.

Funding to help parishes to cover the cost of producing these plans was provided via the Government to be supervised by the Countryside Agency, who in turn channeled those funds through to county councils, who then distributed them to parishes that were committed to produce parish plans.

Parish plans are organised through parish councils, but delegated to another group. In Mursley that task was delegated to a Steering Group representing all ages and generations living in the Parish at the time. Bucks Community Action Group have advised us there are approximately 1400 Parish Plans being formulated or completed in . In alone (not including the Unitary Authority of Milton Keynes) there are 54 Parishes that are actively working on Parish Plans, which equates to 32.7% of the population of Buckinghamshire. In Vale, in which Mursley sits, there are 36 Parishes active in the process.

The objective of a parish plan is to identify what is important to the community and, by means of action plans, to suggest practical ways of ensuring the aspirations of those that live in the community can be attained.

The process of bringing the Parish Plan to fruition

It has taken some time to complete our Parish Plan. The process commenced in Spring 2005 when the Parish Council held an open day for Parishioners to have their ‘say’. This well attended event resulted in hundreds of ‘post-it’ notes being completed, covering a wide range of issues that were occupying Parishioners’ thoughts at the time. The Parish Council collated and summarised the comments, and another Open Parish Meeting was held under the auspices of the Bucks Community Action Group (part of Bucks CC) specifically to form a steering group in late 2005. After that Group was formed, the first half of 2006 was occupied in reviewing the results of the original open day, and in formulating a series of questions to be put to the Parishioners. Attached to this Plan, Appendix (b), are summaries of the responses received to the Questionnaire that was issued to all Parishioners in September 2006. (A copy of the questions in the Questionnaire is attached as Appendix (a)). The data has been divided into several categories:

• Social & Welfare • Environment & Conservation • Sports & Recreation • Housing, Development & Planning • Traffic & Transport • Youth • ‘Mursley in Your Own Words’

The aim of the Steering Group was to produce a Questionnaire that encompassed as many of the issues concerning Parishioners at that time as could be identified by asking them their views on a wide range of subjects. The questions were formulated with the aim of avoiding any bias being suggested in the questions, and to avoid questions that might have led those answering them to any particular response. By this process the opinions given represented the genuine views of as wide a cross section of the population as could be persuaded to complete the Questionnaires at that time. Questionnaires were distributed in September 2006. Every dwelling in the Parish was visited by a member of the Steering Group and the number of occupants of school age and over was identified. A Questionnaire was left for every individual of 5 years and older to complete. It was decided to invite comment from such young Parishioners with a view to identifying the needs and aspirations of the youth of the Parish, which it was felt, might otherwise have been overlooked.

Mursley Parish Plan 5 Most completed Questionnaires were again personally collected by members of the Steering Group in order to maximize the response rate.

A total of 565 Questionnaires were given out, from which we received 323 responses, (which included 53 youth responses). Bucks Community Action Group have confirmed that compared to other Parishes who have prepared a parish plan, this is a good return.

The responses were then collated and summarised, and the Steering Group spent the next 7 months analysing the results, formulating action plans and in producing the document that you are now reading. During this process it was noticed that in some instances different responses to the same question occurred dependant on where in the parish the respondent lived. An additional post code analysis was then carried out to establish areas of relevant interest. That analysis is attached as Appendix (e). The action plans that have been formed from the responses received have not extended to dealing with the local issues that can be identified from the post code analysis, it is hoped that focus groups will be formed to address those issues in the fullness of time.

Why Mursley needs a Parish Plan?

The view of the Parish Council and of the Steering Group is that all villages will change over time, both in terms of character and physically, Mursley is no exception. Over the years Mursley has changed significantly and the next section of this Plan provides information on our history.

The process of change will continue, that is inevitable, physical change will be necessary to reflect the requirements of the altering nature of the population, in response to the needs of the current population, and in anticipation of the requirements for the future. In embracing change where appropriate and necessary, every effort needs to be made to try to preserve what is best about Mursley as it is today, and the character of the village and its community. This Parish Plan has sought to represent the views of the current population so that other agencies, both local, regional and national authorities and service agencies can take those aspirations into account when considering how decisions they may make will affect the Parish, and whether those decisions are sympathetic to the views of our community.

Mursley Parish Plan 6 PARISH OF MURSLEY PAST & PRESENT

Mursley – Main Street

Mursley lies in the north east corner of District midway between Milton Keynes to the east, and to the west and some 11 miles north of Aylesbury, the county town. The total population (2001 census) is 602 distributed among 243 households. The local authorities are Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) and Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC).

Muselai or Mureslai developed during the medieval period and is included, with the hamlet of Salden, in the Domesday Book of 1086. The land, valued at £5, was divided between ‘Count of Mortain’ or ‘Count Mortain’; Walter Giffard; Leofwin of Nuneham. The name is believed to derive from old English, being a person’s name plus leah, meaning ‘woodland clearing of a man named Myrsa’.

The granting of a Market Charter for a weekly market on Thursdays was made in 1230 to the Prior of Snelshall (Whaddon); however this market was stopped following complaints that it reduced the attendance at the market in Leighton Buzzard. In 1242 Warren Fitzgerald was granted a charter from Henry III for a market on Wednesdays and a yearly Fair to last three days on the Vigil, Feast and Morrow of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (7th, 8th and 9th September). This is one of the oldest Market and Fair Charters in the country and it made Mursley a place of note, lying on a principal road to London, almost equidistant between Buckingham and Dunstable.

In 1580 Sir John Fortescue, cousin, tutor and Chancellor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I, became the owner of the manor of Salden. He built a magnificent palace at a cost of £33,000 which entertained Royalty and nobles of the realm. After 150 years of wealth and splendour the property was divided and the noble seat demolished, except for a small portion, which served as a passage from the kitchen and Great Parlours, this is now used as a farmhouse. Mursley is situated in an elevated spot about 500 feet (152m) above sea level, commanding extensive views of the surrounding district. The countryside surrounding Mursley is an area of rich agricultural land. During the medieval period the landscape was dominated by ridge and furrow cultivation, several areas of ridge and furrow survive today. Subsidies were introduced, after WWII, to enable those who had fought for their country to come back to jobs on the land. The houses opposite Beecham’s Cottages on Station Road were built by the Council as homes for farm workers. Dairy cattle and wheat were the mainstays. Fifty years ago five farms in the centre of Mursley milked cattle, Manor Farm, Cedar’s Farm, Lower Church Farm, Churchill Farm and Mursley Hall Farm. As in other areas, agriculture has since declined in Mursley and today, there are 5 working farms on the outskirts of the village, Cold Harbour Farm, Richmond Hill Farm, Salden Crabtree Farm, Springfield Farm and Mursley Hall Farm, and one working farm on Main Street, Cedars Farm.

Mursley Parish Plan 7

Farming in Mursley

The majority of villagers earned their living from the land. For example, seven households were able to make a living from the milking parlour at Manor Farm, a farm tenanted from Bucks County Council, because the Milk Marketing Board took their milk, guaranteeing smallholders, who perhaps had two fields to turn their cattle onto, a regular income from their land. Shutting your garden gate was of vital importance, as cattle were turned out to graze ‘the long acre’, the village roadside verges.

Mursley is built on a hill of gravel surrounded by Oxford Clay. Rainwater percolates through the gravel and numerous springs are formed as it reaches the clay. These are the highest permanent springs feeding the Great Ouse, East Anglia’s major river and the fifth longest in Britain. Spring water from Mursley flows through Milton Keynes, Bedford, Ely and King’s Lynn to the Wash and the North Sea, a journey of around 140 miles, taking nearly three weeks.

Mursley water tower is a well-known Bucks landmark. Built in l938 it offers a wonderful panorama in all directions for 20 miles and more. The development of the new town of Milton Keynes increased the water requirements of the area, capacity of the tower was insufficient so two underground reservoirs were built on the opposite side of the road.

Until C20th Mursley consisted of one long, broad street. Much of the area is now designated as a conservation area, affording extra protection to the character of the village by imposing strict criteria for any development within it. In 1970’s The Beechams was developed on the site of Mursley Hall, built by Thomas Beecham, developer of Beecham’s Pills in 1881 and later passed on to his grandson, the world famous conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. 1977-78 saw the development of the trout lakes on Church Hill Farm. In 1990’s Tweedale Close, a development of 31 homes and 4 houses in St Mary’s Close were added, together with 2 extra houses for the Beechams. Also during that period First House in the Beechams was built, making a total of 18 altogether in the Beechams.

Within the conservation area development has been confined to individual infill or replacement builds. In 2005, 7 homes were built in the centre of the village in what was previously the farmyard and milking parlour of Manor Farm. In 2006/7 planning permission is being sought to add a further 18 homes as Phase II of this development, although this proposed second phase is outside of the conservation area.

Mursley Parish Plan 8

The village has traditionally enjoyed a strong sense of community. That has enabled residents to mobilise to raise funds to complete local projects without an increase in the precept; most notably Charter Fairs which were revived for several years in the 1950’s to raise funds to build the village hall. Numerous events have been held since to mark national celebrations. Village children compete annually in Coronation Sports, a sporting event with cups being presented to mark their achievements which has been held annually since 1952 to celebrate the anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The last Charter Fair was held in 1999 to raise funds to celebrate the Millennium.

The community has also pulled together to fight against various threats to the continuing existence and pleasantness of the village. The first of these in the 1970’s was the proposed building of the ‘Third London Airport’ at / Wing when local farmers proceeded in convoy around the area in their farm vehicles. In the 1990’s plans were initiated to extract gravel from the centre of the village but the relatively low quality of the aggregate, together with a hard fought campaign by locally organised STUMP (Stop The Unwanted Mursley Pit) meant that the proposal was rejected.

The oldest surviving building in Mursley is the parish church. Dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, the church was originally granted by Richard Fitzniel to the Prioress of Nuneaton before the year 1166. The chancel, the arcades of the nave and the two side aisles were built in the C14th in the decorated style. The west tower was added in the C15th. Of particular interest are the fine Fortescue monuments of the C16th and C17th, a Jacobean carved oak pulpit and two C14th piscinae. The east window was commissioned as a Millennium initiative with elements of Mursley life, past and present, incorporated into the design.

Homestead Moat, the area adjacent to the Church Yard extension, is a scheduled ancient monument known locally as The Pits. It is thought to be a medieval moat, dry and under pasture, with the splayed gap within the external bank of the south arm being the remains of a sluice gate1. It is believed by some locals to be a gravel working pit.

There have been three hostelries in the village on Main Street, The Wrestlers, The Green Man and The Royal Oak. There was also one on the Road, The Windmill. Until recently, only one public house, the Green Man, remained, although this is currently closed pending re-sale, and will hopefully re-open in due course.

The opening of the Tesco supermarket in Buckingham was the final straw which led to the closure of the last shop selling groceries in the village in 1990’s, (having already lost a butchers in mid 1980’s) The florist and bridal wear shop closed in 1999 and the full time post office in 2002. A post office is currently held in the Rectory Room one morning a week.

1 Bucks County Council archaeological desk based report 2002 notes

Mursley Parish Plan 9 BLACK POPLARS

The black poplar is Britain’s rarest native tree with only about seven thousand remaining. Aylesbury Vale has possibly half of these but predominately male and not reproducing naturally.

Since 1974, through his personal dedication to their survival, local resident, Roger Jefcoate has planted over two hundred black poplars in Mursley Parish, and many more throughout Britain. He has also planted cuttings from Mursley trees at Buckingham Palace, Sandringham, Gatcombe, Bagshot Park, Lambeth Palace, Royal Parks in London and Windsor, Chequers and Salisbury (to replace those planted by John Constable), where future artists may record their splendour.

The black poplar is a major landscape feature with specimens reaching 100 feet high by 60 feet wide. Whilst its economic uses for agricultural products, curved timber for cottages, wagon building and clogs, are not required today, its disappearance from our countryside would be sorely missed.

We in Mursley Parish enjoy many of these fine trees, now celebrated in our Parish Church Millennium Window.

A picture of a young Black Poplar specimen in a Mursley garden.

Mursley Parish Plan 10 CURRENT FACILITIES

The Church

The Church within Mursley has been active for hundreds of years. The current Christian community meets together on a regular basis and provides a number of opportunities to explore the Christian message and values, and to support each other and the wider community in living this out.

The Church activities provide an opportunity for people in the village to explore their deeper spiritual needs. Activities include regular services at St Mary the Virgin Church and also at the Baptist Sunday School Room. There are also a number of activities for children and teenagers including regular meetings and other events such as a Holiday Club and Advent and Easter Specials. Prayer groups, adult discussion groups, coffee mornings, the weekly Post Office with coffee, the Harvest lunch and the annual fete also provide opportunities to meet and chat informally or in more depth. The Church often touches families at occasions of birth, marriage, bereavement and other times when they need a listening ear or helping hand. The Church also supports the Christian teaching in the village school.

The Church produces the Open Gates magazine, 10 issues a year, which is delivered to every household.

The Christian heritage of the village is reflected in the 14th century St Mary the Virgin Church and the Baptist Chapel, now a private dwelling. St Mary the Virgin Church contains a monument to the Fortescues, Chancellor to Queen Elizabeth I. A modern addition to the building is a fine stained glass window in the chancel to celebrate the 2000 year Millennium.

Village Hall

Mursley Village Hall was originally built in the 1960’s with subsequent extension and refurbishment work at the millennium. It has a large main hall with a stage, a separate committee or meeting room, kitchen, bar, toilets, disabled toilet and shower, and parking. Many clubs and organisations use it regularly, for example; bridge club, table tennis club, Mursley First School, dance classes, and Women’s Institute. The stage is well used by the local amateur dramatic group, “The Mursley Players”, who have helped equip the stage lighting. There are also many one off events such as parties for weddings, anniversaries and birthdays, fund raising entertainments, dances, jumble sales and cultural activities, for example Aylesbury Vale’s “Theatre in the Villages”, and the annual Mursley Mussel Night.

The Village Hall has its own caretaker and is run by a committee of volunteers from Mursley. It is well supported and used by the local and wider community.

Mursley Village School

Mursley School provides education for children between four and nine years of age in the catchment of Mursley and surrounding areas. As a Church of England School, pupils thrive in a safe Christian environment that is well integrated into the local community.

The school receives top marks in Ofsted reports and, through meeting strict government guidelines on teaching and educational environment, is officially classed as a Healthy School. By providing a unique educational environment through smaller class sizes, pupils receive a level of individual attention that cannot be matched by larger town schools, or local private education. Children of all ages benefit from working and playing together, and from a caring family atmosphere. The school values a very close association with parents who enjoy a good level of input and participation, and has an active parent- teacher association.

Mursley CE School has established a formal collaboration with Swanbourne CE School, and Village School. This collaboration allows the 3 schools to share facilities, teaching resources and staff, thus increasing educational provision and activities that are offered.

Mursley Parish Plan 11 (Mursley Village School continued)

These schools are greatly valued by the communities of each village and, by working together, aim to create a secure long-term future for village education. Continued support from the community is fundamental, and they encourage all families to start their child’s education with them. Mursley is fortunate in also having a thriving pre-school, Kingfishers, which is also located in the village, for younger children across the community.

Mursley Sports Association

The Sports Association was formed in 1962 after the purchase of the playing fields, and its registration as a charity. Its function is to act as the management committee for the playing fields and pavilion. Its aim is to provide sports and recreation for the village and its residents.

The Sports Association is in a strong position and is committed to ensuring that it provides as good a facility as is practicable, and this will be born out in 2007 firstly with the leveling and irrigation of the football pitch, and, secondly, (subject to planning approval) with the construction of a multi-sports playing surface adjacent to the pavilion. The multi-sports facility will be marked out for football, tennis and netball. All of this work is funded by various grants that have been made available.

The Sports Association runs regular events for the village including, but not restricted to Coronation Sports, Firework Display and Carols around the Christmas Tree. Obviously with the current closure of the Green Man the Committee will have a decision to make regarding the location and scheduling of some of these, but it is felt that they are a vital part of the village year, and everything will be done to try and ensure that they are not lost.

Rectory Room Post Office

After the previous post office closed in 2002, the current facility was set up to run in the Rectory Room every Thursday from 10.30 to 12.30 am, with coffee available from 11-12 am (The Steering Group are reliably informed that this facility will remain open when the rectory is sold as the Church are retaining the ownership and use of the Rectory Room)

Mursley Parish Plan 12 DEMOGRAPHIC SECTION

The demographics of those who completed this part of questionnaire were as follows:

Location

The postcodes listed in the responses are shown in the table below

MK17 0HP 3 MK17 0HP Residents by Postcode MK17 0JA 9 MK17 0JA MK17 0JD 9 MK17 0JD MK17 OLE 4 MK17 0LE MK17 OPJ 2 MK17 0PJ MK17 OPN 9 MK17 0PN MK17 0PR 3 MK17 0PR MK17 0RH MK17 0RH 2 MK17 0RS MK17 0RS 51 MK17 0RT MK17 ORT 61 MK17 0RU MK17 0RU 20 MK17 0RW MK17 ORW 6 MK17 0RX MK17 ORX 30 MK17 0RY MK17 0RY 7 MK17 0RZ MK17 0RZ 11 MK17 0SA MK17 0SB MK17 0SA 29 MK17 0SB 52 Total 308

The remaining 15 respondents did not give their postcode detail.

Length of time in village

There were some interesting results to this question. Although a high proportion of respondents had been in the village less than 3 years (62 of the 287 respondents) a very high proportion of the respondents had lived in the village for over 16 years (91 respondents) with 14 respondents having lived in the village for more than 50 years. <1 = 25 6-7 = 22 21 - 50 = 52 1-2 = 37 8-9 = 14 50+ = 14 3-4 = 18 10 - 15 = 53 5-6 = 27 16 - 20 = 25

Age

Those who were under 18 were asked to state their age. Only 45 of the 53 who responded to the Questionnaire gave this detail, and the following groups were specified:

6 - 10 = 17 11-15 = 24 16-18 = 4

Mursley Parish Plan 13

258 of the total number of 270 respondents who were aged over 18 gave their age, and the groups identified were as follows:

18-21 = 11 41-50 = 77 71+ = 23 21-30 = 9 51-60 = 54 31-40 = 41 61-70 = 43

Dependents

120 respondents had children still living at home, whilst 146 had no children living at home. The number of children living at home is as follows:

1 = 44 2 = 55 3 = 16 4+ = 2

Most of the respondents had pets of some kind or another, listed as follows:

Dogs = 111 Cats = 72 Horses = 24 Other (including chickens, fish etc) = 30

(please note that 111 dogs does not mean that there are 111 dogs in the village, but rather that 111 of those who responded had a dog in their household)

Employment

Of the 269 who responded, 165 were in paid employment, whilst 104 were not. 37 respondents worked within the Parish 78 worked within 20 miles of the Parish 45 worked over 20 miles away from the Parish. This implies that a large proportion of those who live in the village and who are in paid employment have to travel a considerable distance to work

Internet Access

A large proportion (243 out of 287 responses) stated they had access to the internet, whilst only 44 of the respondents did not.

Mursley Parish Plan 14 SUMMARY OF RESPONSES

SOCIAL & WELFARE SUMMARY

Introduction

This section of the Parish Plan deals with the services available in the Parish, provided either by external agencies, such as the police, health and education services, or by way of clubs and organisations that operate within the Parish. The questions in the Questionnaire were designed to establish the Community’s view of currently available facilities as well as identifying those elements that could be improved or introduced where they do not exist at present.

Crime

Considering the relatively small population, quite a few respondents had been recent victims of crime, with the most crimes listed being theft (47 respondents), followed closely by anti-social behaviour (33) and vehicle damage (23). Conversely, just 2 people said they were affected by drug related problems.

Police are rarely seen in the Parish, and 152 respondents thought policing was inadequate. It would probably be an inefficient use of resources to have an “on the beat” police presence in Mursley. However, it could be beneficial to the village to step up the neighbourhood watch scheme to help reduce the crimes listed above, as currently only 53 respondents stated they were actively involved in the scheme.

Welfare Provision

Most of the people (96) who responded to this question thought they had sufficient support, including medical provision in the village. However, there are a considerable number of elderly people living in Mursley and quite a few of them live on their own. 227 respondents thought it would be good if we, as a village, organise a system to check on the elderly at home on a regular basis. This is something which needs to be discussed with representatives from current schemes and volunteers could be recruited via a village website and Open Gates – the Parish magazine.

Social Provision

There are a number of clubs and events currently held in the village. 233 respondents thought these offered good value for money, with most, (187) listing the village hall as the social centre of the village. The Green Man public house was second with 82, the Church gained 26 votes, and the school, 12 votes. (The Green Man is now temporarily closed pending sale as a pub, so hopefully it will re-open in the fullness of time).

Whilst 110 respondents thought we have enough clubs and events, 57 and 81 of those who answered stated we needed more clubs and events respectively. The main suggestions centred around youth and family- based clubs and events, especially more sports and a youth club. This is covered further in the ‘Sports’ and ‘Youth’ sections of this document.

School

Although at the present time there are only 16 children attending Mursley School, 100 of those who answered this question had children who attended or had attended Mursley School or had attended the school themselves. Most felt the age range was appropriate and there was much praise for the school in the additional comments put forward in the Questionnaires.

Many comments related to traffic congestion caused during drop-off and pick-up of school children. This is covered further in the ‘Traffic’ section of this document. A number of respondents were also concerned about the School’s future.

Mursley Parish Plan 15 Information

226 respondents claimed they would use a village website. It appears this would provide a useful means of dispersing social information such as upcoming events and local services as well as links to relevant sites such as the AVDC and local transport services. It was also suggested that a ‘marketplace’ and village forum should feature on the website.

Services

Interestingly, many of the suggestions for improvements to village services relate to facilities that are already available, just not well advertised. These could therefore be included in a village website.

232 respondents were in favour of a village shop and 122 were in favour of a local market but it is unclear whether either would be viable.

SOCIAL & WELFARE ACTIONS

Crime 1. Mursley’s Neighbourhood Watch leader to be contacted with regards to boosting the profile of neighbourhood watch. This will help reduce theft, anti-social behaviour and vehicle damage. 2. Parish Councillors to speak to the local police regarding increasing police presence in the village. Welfare Provision 3. Publish details of the visit the elderly scheme which is already run in conjunction with Social Services. 4. Advertise for volunteers in Open Gates and on a website such as the Parish Plan Website. Information 5. A Parish Plan website has been set up. This will be overseen by the Parish Plan Steering Group to begin with but with the hope and intention that it could ultimately be developed into a Village Web Site. Web Site address for the Parish Plan Web Site is www.mursley.info Services 6. Advertise the fact that a desire for a village shop has been established, with a view to setting up a focus group to progress, in conjunction with Parish Council.

Mursley Parish Plan 16 ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION SUMMARY

Introduction

The Parish of Mursley only has a small population. That population enjoys strong views on the way the buildings and natural features within the Parish should be protected, where considered valuable, and improved or added to in order to enhance the quality of life experienced by the Parishioners. This section of the Parish Plan generated wide interest on a variety of subjects resulting in a large number of recommended actions.

Road Safety

It should be noted that these road safety issues are only those appearing in the surveys Environment & Conservation section. There is considerable scope, and indeed a need, to combine these with other such similar issues and concerns in the Traffic, Social, Youth and ‘Mursley in Your Own Words’ sections of the survey. Extension of the 30mph speed limit past the sports field was supported by 255 respondents. Safer access to Route 51 Cycling, Bridleway and Footpath was sought by 196 respondents.

Village Image

Traditional village aspects are important as 198 respondents wanted to see a Duck Pond being re- introduced and 178 would like a Village Green to be established. A Design Statement for the village was of importance to 201 respondents. This would recommend the design characteristics of new developments, individual buildings and changes to existing building that ideally had to be adhered to. It would seek to reflect important aspects of Mursley Village and local area architecture. The co-ordination of street furniture was popular with 209 respondents. A small majority of respondents said they would help with village Tidy Ups, 124 said yes, 110 said no.

Woods & Trees

Over 200 respondents would like the owners of private woodland to be encouraged to have their woodland protected. Having more trees and seats on the sports field was a wish of 178 respondents.

The Water Tower

The highest scoring issues were for the tower to be painted, 209, and listed, 149. These were followed closely by those wishing it to be added to the Conservation Area, 135.

Conservation Area

On the specific question of extending the Conservation Area a smaller number, 118 said yes, which was in fact a minority, with 127 of those responding saying no.

Walks and Bridleways

Views on the question of replacing stiles with gates were mixed with a small majority preferring gates, 139, to stiles, 119.

Recycling

Just under 200 people wanted village green waste containers to be provided.

Mursley Parish Plan 17 ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION ACTIONS

Road Safety

1. Immediate road safety issues to be brought together with those raised in other parts of the survey with a view to setting up a liaison group with the relevant authorities and operators, to include the coach companies, in order to produce an action list for improvement.

2. Longer term improvements to road safety e.g. improved access to Route 51, to be considered by a separate group which should include for example SUSTRANS, BCC, Cycling and Walking organisations. Funding opportunities should be examined.

Village Image

3. Set up a Pond & Village Green group to look in detail at proposals, initiate discussion with relevant bodies and organisations and examine funding.

4. Parish Council to set up a sub-committee to have preliminary discussions with AVDC on the parameters and inputs necessary to establish a Village Design Statement.

Woods & Trees

5. Parish Council to contact AVDC Trees Officer regarding advice and incentives that can be provided to the owners of woodland with regard to achieving Protected status for the woodland. Discuss with woodland owners this proposed discussion with AVDC.

6. Parish Council to consult with the Sports Club and AVDC on the establishment of more trees on the sports field.

Water Tower

7. Review with Anglian Water their position on painting the Water Tower and in parallel discuss with AVDC as to the potential for listing the Water Tower. The Parish Council has previously had such discussions to no avail, so a combined pressure group should be formed to try again.

Walks & Bridleways

8. Set up a focus group to consult, initially, with the Parish Council’s Footpaths Officer on repairing stiles and replacing those beyond repair with gates.

Recycling

9. Parish Council to review with AVDC the progress of individual house green waste collection tests that are currently being carried out by the District Council, and, if such a collection is not to be provided in Mursley, to determine the possibilities of having large village containers.

Mursley Parish Plan 18 SPORTS & RECREATION SUMMARY

Introduction

The Sports & Recreation section of the survey is different from other sections of the Parish Plan in that it is largely under the control of the respondent. It was created to understand what activities people currently take part in within the village or outside the village and what additional facilities Mursley residents would like to see in the village in the future.

Activities currently taken part in within Mursley and outside Mursley

The most popular activities taken part within Mursley are walking (120 respondents), cycling (58) Coronation Sports (35), Mursley Players(28), activities on the playing field (21) and horse riding (21).

Respondents indicated that the most popular activities outside Mursley were swimming (92), fitness/gym (58), golf (45), tennis (32) and Pilates/Yoga (30) and shooting (20).

Activities people would like to see in the Village

The response rate to this section tended to be greater and it is certainly worth publishing to advertise the fact there is possibly a critical mass for the most popular activities to take place.

Tennis 76 Beavers/Cubs/Scouts 32 Netball 22 Pilates/Yoga 64 Brownies/Guides 32 Volley Ball 12 Cricket 46 Bowls 30 Whist 12 Wine Tasting 44 Photography 24

Other questions

The response to the questions on improved indoor (20) and outdoor (15) facilities was relatively low and badminton (7) was the only significant additional activity nominated.

The best response rate on the Sports & Recreation section of the questionnaire was for whether or not people saw the Recreation Ground as a facility mainly for children – yes (133) and no (106).

There were 62 responses for the question on what else people would like the Recreation Ground used for and once again the primary request was for a tennis/multi-sports facility (19).

Mursley Parish Plan 19 SPORTS & RECREATION ACTIONS

There are actions from the Sports and Recreation section that could be implemented with relatively small or negligible input by the Parish Plan Steering Group and some aspects have been overtaken by events since the questionnaire was created.

1. Investigate the possibility of providing a multi-sports facility on the playing field. (There is a grant available for multi-sports facility which is already being actioned by the Sports Association).

2. Put those interested in Pilates/Yoga, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Photography in touch with one another via an advert in Open Gates and the Parish Plan Website so that these could be organised as regular activities as the Village already has the facilities, (village hall and sports field). The Parish Plan Steering Group should provide a co-ordinator to kick start this, and to investigate the possibility of joining in with other parishes if we do not have sufficient numbers to make our own groups viable.

3. Organise Golf Tournament, Cricket Tournament and Wine Tasting as ad hoc activities (one-offs) in conjunction with village organisations. There is already a proposed Village Hall event for wine-tasting, and it is suggested that focus groups be advertised on the web site to initiate other events.

4. Put those interested in Fitness/Gym in touch with one another via the web site so that Group Discounts for Membership can be obtained by Village residents (there is unlikely to be a facility in the Village).

5. Put information on Footpaths and Cycle Routes on the Parish Plan Website with links to related organisations.

Mursley Parish Plan 20 HOUSING, DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING SUMMARY

Introduction

The subject of housing in any community is an emotive one, but particularly so in a small rural community where almost any development is obvious. The opinion of residents ranges from those who would want the Parish to remain as it is to those of a more liberal approach who might perceive no problem with the Parish even becoming absorbed into larger local authorities, such as Milton Keynes. The questionnaires sought to identify the current views of the community on a number of different issues. In most instances individual residents within the Parish can bring little or no influence over the way the Parish is allowed to develop. The aim of this Plan is to ensure that the views of the Parishioners are brought to the attention of those responsible for planning decisions at all levels of local authority.

Mursley had 243 households as at the 2001 census which comprise houses and bungalows dating from the early 17th century to the present day. The existing mix of housing includes detached, semi-detached and terraced houses, bungalows, council houses and council bungalows. Included within this total are a small number of working farms. The number of households within Mursley has increased by a small number since then. In addition there are some industrial units in the north of the parish.

Development Outside of Mursley

When asked to comment on plans by the City of Milton Keynes to expand outside of the present City boundaries, 273 respondents stated that they did not want to see Mursley brought closer to or be joined with Milton Keynes.

Similarly 241 respondents do not consider the proposed development in called “Greenways”, which would add 2,500 house and high-tech industrial development(s), to be suitable for the area.

Other Development and Planning (other than Housing)

176 respondents stated that they did not think that the village should be developed any further.

Of the 75 respondents who thought that the village should be developed further, 48 would like to see a shop, 12 would like to see workshops and 9 would like to see a post office. The remaining 6 respondents did not state a preference.

Housing within Mursley Parish

Affordable Housing:

204 respondents do not require affordable housing for themselves or for any member of their family. However, 160 respondents would like to see affordable housing within the village; a mixture of for rent and for shared ownership.

Elderly People’s Bungalows and Sheltered Accommodation:

129 respondents consider sheltered accommodation within the village to be unnecessary, whereas 97 respondents would like to see some sheltered accommodation within the village.

114 respondents would like to see more Elderly People’s Bungalows in the village; 84 of whom would like to see a mixture of for rent and for sale; whereas 107 respondents do not want any more Elderly People’s Bungalows to be built.

In respect of both types of development 136 respondents would like any accommodation to be restricted to local people or their relatives.

Mursley Parish Plan 21 Housing within the village:

80 respondents thought that the village should have some more housing development, 69 respondents thought that there should be no more housing developments at all and 51 respondents did not mind either way.

With respect to the size of any housing development, those in favour stated a preference as follows:-

1 – 2 units 87 respondents 3 – 5 units 78 respondents 6 – 10 units 37 respondents more than 10 units 12 respondents

whereas, those against any housing development expressed their disapproval with regard to size as follows:-

1 – 2 units 50 respondents 3 – 5 units 64 respondents 6 – 10 units 100 respondents more than 10 units 127 respondents

Type of housing and development:

The responses received with regard to the type of any housing or development are shown in the Bar chart below.

Mixed Development - 33

Houses for Rent - 14

Private Ownership - 32

Bungalows - 2

Semi-Detached Houses - 8

Detached Houses - 14

Large Houses - 5

Medium Size Houses - 7

Small Houses - 41

Retirement Homes - 4

Starter Homes - 11

Affordable Housing - 41

0 10 20 30 40 50

Figure 1: Type of housing and development

Mursley Parish Plan 22

166 respondents want any development to be in keeping with surrounding buildings; the preference being for any development to blend in with the whole village, or at least within the same road.

HOUSING, DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING ACTIONS

Development outside of Mursley

1. The proposed development at Greenways in Little Horwood, and any similar future proposed development(s), should be opposed as vigorously as possible by the Parish Council.

2. The proposed extension of Milton Keynes towards Mursley should be opposed as vigorously as possible. There is a North Bucks Parish Planning Consortium from local parishes already in place tackling this issue.

Housing within Mursley

3. Affordable housing in accordance with Local Authority guidelines should be achieved within the village as soon as practicable.

4. The Planning Authority should be asked to take note of and be mindful of the views of the Parish with regard to any development within the Parish as expressed by the numbers of respondents in this document.

All above actions to be undertaken by Focus Groups in conjunction with the Parish Council.

Mursley Parish Plan 23 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT SUMMARY

Introduction

The issue of traffic in all its guises and as evidenced by comments made by Parishioners in the ‘Mursley in Your Own Words’ section (see later) identified traffic and road safety as being the single most important subject. In the same way as with housing individual residents can bring little influence to bear on the policies determined by larger authorities that directly affects the volume of traffic using the Parish, and travelling through the village in particular, but the Plan does identify significant or major concerns of the community. District and County Councils receiving a copy of this Plan are asked to respond to those concerns positively to ensure that the detrimental effect of through traffic on the residents of the Parish is minimised.

206 respondents believe Mursley to have a traffic problem. This is highlighted by the following responses:

Speeding

223 respondents think speeding is a problem in Mursley. 139 respondents do not want to lower the 30mph speed limit, whilst 131 do, 100 of these suggested a 20mph limit. 200 respondents think Mursley would benefit from speed indicating devices. Courtesy signage is supported by 159, 127 respondents support open gated village entry and 111 support mobile speed trapping. Votes were received as follows for pedestrian crossings 108, chicanes 87, sleeping policemen 85 and a village bypass received 89.

Traffic Calming Devices

41 Ped. Crossing 108 89 Sleeping policemen mobile trapping 85 chicanes

159 open gated village courtesy signage 111 Village bypass

Other 127 87

Figure 1. Respondents in favour of Traffic Calming Devices.

Mursley Parish Plan 24 170 respondents specified traffic calming measures they would support. The most popular choices were Speed Indicating Devices (SIDs) with 48 votes, chicanes with 47, and sleeping policemen with 27. Furthermore, 134 respondents would contribute to traffic calming measures, and 68 stated they would support fundraisers (not mutually exclusive).

Traffic Calming Contributions

60

50

40

30

20

No ofRespondents No 10

0 Nothing £1 - £25 £25 - £50 £50 - £75 £75+

Figure 2. “How much would you contribute to traffic calming measures?”

Volume of traffic

196 respondents think there is an unacceptable volume of traffic travelling through Mursley. 190 believe there to be dangerous areas within the village. These are thought to be Main St – 57, the Village Hall - 51, the School – 35, Church Lane – 22, Cooks Lane – 16, bus stops – 10, and the Whaddon Road/Station Road/Main Street Junction - 65.

Commercial vehicles

160 respondents think commercial vehicles cause traffic problems in Mursley. Interestingly, HGV’s and lorries, which included the lorries transporting battery chickens, received 153 combined votes. No other suggestions were made.

Parking

The village is split on the issue of parking. 125 believe parking is adequate, whilst 121 believe it is not. 188 respondents do not think Mursley needs a village car park. Suggestions of a location received insignificant response. However, 90 respondents suggested areas where they would like to see more parking. This included Main Street (31), the Village Hall (19) and Station Road (16). Additional comments referred to additional parking near the Recreation Ground, and residential use of the Village Hall car park. Interestingly, a few responses highlighted the use of parked cars as a form of traffic calming in Mursley.

Buses

Only 5 respondents use the bus service frequently, 25 use it occasionally, and 250 out of 280 respondents have never used it. 77 of respondents believe the service is not adequate, while 47 believe it is. Furthermore, 79 would like a more frequent service. Only 73 respondents would use an evening bus service if it were offered. Additional comments included a desire for a direct service to Aylesbury, Bletchley and Milton Keynes, services for Youths, and more buses at peak times.

Mursley Parish Plan 25 TRAFFIC & TRANSPORT ACTIONS

Speeding

1. Place advert in Open Gates, on village notice boards and in a web site such as the Parish Plan web site, to raise money for traffic calming measures. Parishioners to be kept up-to-date on progress via the Parish Plan Website and the Parish Pump.

2. Mursley Parish Council to be asked to give regular feedback to Parishioners of current traffic issues and plans, via Parish Plan website. Parishioners also to be encouraged to report incidents to the Parish Council, for example driving on kerbs, car damage etc.

3. All Parishioners to be encouraged to drive slowly, not only though Mursley Village, but to respect all other villages in the same way.

Volume of Traffic

4. Form a focus group to liase with Traffic representative of Parish Council to formally request commercial companies to reduce the number of vehicles travelling through Mursley at peak times. A survey of all commercial vehicles travelling through the village at peak times would need to be undertaken.

Buses

5. Increase awareness of current bus timetables and services to encourage greater use, for example by putting the detail on the Parish Plan Website.

6. Advertise a car-share scheme for villagers who regularly travel to/from Milton Keynes in the evening, in the absence of a bus service, via the Parish Plan Website.

Mursley Parish Plan 26 YOUTH SUMMARY

Introduction

The Youth Questionnaire was a separate section of the main Questionnaire and was solely for those parishioners aged between 5 & 18. The age of each respondent was requested as it was felt that the specific age range should be reflected in the resulting statistics (although this information was not always given). The Youth Questionnaire was prepared by an 18 year old who has spent his formative years in Mursley, we felt this was the best way of firstly making sure that all the issues that might be of importance to our youngsters had been covered, and, secondly, try and present the questions in a way that would appeal to that age range and thus encourage them to fill it in.

It is not known exactly how many 5-18 year olds live in the Parish, this is a constantly changing figure, but of the Questionnaires that were handed out, the number of youth responses we received was 53.

Spare time spent:

43 spent either watching TV or with friends 30 play some sport, but only 22 of these belong to a club 27 take part in more domestic activities, eg reading 15 are interested in dancing or drama (The split between the age groups (ie under or over 11) was relatively evenly divided, although it is clear that there is more participation in sports from the over 11 age group).

Participate within the village:

Figures are relatively disappointing in that less than half of respondents take part in most of the activities on offer (eg 5 football), seeming to confine their support to 34 use of playground 22 Coronation Sports (Again the split between the age groups was fairly even, although the unsupervised activities, such as table tennis and fishing, was nil participation for the under 11’s).

Participate outside the village:

Figures ranged from 2 (youth club) to 9 (rugby), horse riding being the most popular with 11 participants. There was a greater percentage of over 11’s involved in such activities. Of the other activities listed, swimming was the most popular, followed by tennis. Others mentioned ranged from karate to music & dance.

Interested in participating – indoor:

The level of interest was higher than that shown in activities already available, but was still not high, ranging from: 21 disco 12 martial arts 9 brownies/cubs etc Interestingly 19 were interested in participating in table tennis, whereas only 4 actually already do take part although the facility exists. (The split between the age groups for this section was relatively even).

Mursley Parish Plan 27 Interested in participating – outdoor:

Numbers were generally higher with most interest as follows – 30 bike riding 26 village camp outs 24 rounders 22 tennis 18 sports competitions 14 other sports including rugby & football A similar anomaly was thrown up as above, with 14 interested in playing football, only 5 currently participating. (The split between the age ranges again fairly even except tennis, where twice as many over 11’s favoured this sport).

Activities listed as most favoured:

10 tennis 7 bike riding 4 rugby

Concerning Church involvement:

34 wouldn’t mind 13 put off 2 encouraged

The question on which we received the largest response was concerning the recreation ground, with only 6 indicating yes, they felt it was for adults only, and all of these came from the under 11’s age group, (who felt that only children should use it as adults had their own organized activities to join in), 44 said no.

Help with charities 30 said yes 14 said no (All of the yes’ came from the under 11’s age group)

Youth Club 35 said yes 12 said no

Interest in youth club activities was wide spread, ranging from 16 – the lowest (sports competitions) to 30 – the highest (film nights), also evenly split between the age ranges

Conclusions Reached:

1. There is an anomaly with those wishing to participate in activities which are already available being higher than those who already do join in.

2. The numbers indicate that more Mursley children are interested in home based activities than they are in organised activities, whether indoor or out.

3. Of those who have registered an interest in sport, it would appear that a greater range of sports would be appreciated; the recent grant award for a multi-sports surface to the sports field could help achieve this.

4. There is sufficient interest in a youth club to warrant further investigation.

Mursley Parish Plan 28 YOUTH ACTIONS

1-3. There is a need to advertise all activities, both indoor and out, more widely amongst our younger Parishioners. It is possible that lack of early evening or weekend facilities could be a contributing factor, for example with table tennis. However, the organisers of the table tennis group did try and run early evening sessions for our younger Parishioners, but the facility failed due to a lack of adult helpers. This is something a Parish Plan action group might be able to help with, maybe with a combined incentive from the Sports Association. It is important to ensure that the school has up to date information on the facilities that are available within the village, and that this is regularly updated to reflect any changes that occur.

4. A focus group should be set up to concentrate on youth issues generally, with an emphasis on the possibilities of setting up a youth club. It would be beneficial to involve some younger members of the community in this, certainly if not in the group itself, then on a feedback basis.

It is important to ensure that the youth section of the Parish Plan is updated on a regular basis to keep pace with the constantly changing makeup of that section of our community.

Mursley Parish Plan 29 ‘MURSLEY IN YOUR OWN WORDS’

These sections gave the respondents a chance to express their ideas more freely, and not restricted by specific questions. The answers given in all sections were many and varied, and often made more than one point. Many respondents wish to preserve the village atmosphere of Mursley, (atmosphere that could be said to include some of the other categories mentioned, notably peacefulness) There are even a few respondents who appreciate the few facilities that we do have. Village characteristics therefore do not figure largely on the ‘like least’ list, although quite a few among us would appreciate one or two more facilities, notably a shop.

Indeed, it is the volume of traffic flowing through the village, especially at times of rush hour, and thus threatening to destroy that very atmosphere, which figures overwhelmingly on the ‘like least’ list , and, again, in the ‘most like to change’ section - . Lack of facilities, particularly a shop comes in second, although with less than half those votes received for traffic, but when considering what to change, a combined total would indicate more than a passing interest in this issue.

Whilst the friendliness of the people in the Parish is appreciated, it is also apparent that there are a few Parishioners who feel that there is an ‘us and them’ situation, either because residents who have not been in the Parish very long ‘do not readily join in’, or, alternatively, people who have recently moved in who ‘do not feel welcomed’.

With regard to housing and location, the proximity to Milton Keynes is appreciated by a few, but perceived as a threat by others, although to a lesser extent. The ‘threat’ of new housing does figure, but not to a large extent. A similar number would like to see the pub overhauled/improved. A lack of public transport does not appear to cause much concern.

The main points raised can be summarized as follows:

• Most of the Parishioners who responded wished above all to preserve the village atmosphere and reduce traffic problems.

• A significant number would like more facilities, particularly a shop. Parish Council to be asked to look into the viability of setting this up (see Social Action Plan – point 4), alternatively, a focus group should be set up with a view to investigating/implementing an improvement to the footpath access to Swanbourne so that the shop/post office/pub there would become more accessible to those Parishioners who would like more facilities.

• In addition to the above, perhaps greater effort should also be made to include newer members of our community through home visits and more advertising of village events/activities, in conjunction with the ongoing Parish Council work on a proposed Welcome Pack.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS

There were other comments made which were as varied as they were interesting and are therefore listed, in summary, in the respondents own words, below.

• “I don't feel people should interfere with improvements others wish to make to their properties unless it will affect them directly, but builders should show greater consideration when doing these improvements to others sharing access. We keep ourselves to ourselves and think others should do the same. • Just a big 'thank you' to all for on the 'SC' for the work you are doing • Village should acknowledge need for small scale growth and agree plan - rather than fall victim to developments with no interest in our village life.

Mursley Parish Plan 30 • Avoid over cluttering with signs, sleeping policemen, railings etc. which detract from buildings & natural beauty of village • There is a great example of a skate park in . Something like that would be perfect • Opportunities to introduce what goes on to newcomers & ways of 'inviting' them to be involved - at moment very ad hoc if not involved in Church, school etc. • Another small housing development like Manor Farm urgently needed • I would like to see a regular Saturday market selling local produce and crafts from residents and businesses • photography club would be good • Meeting place for community would be nice - e.g. market or shop • please circulate results of the survey including further actions • The village is beautiful as it is. Let's not expand it any further. • A good village with lots going for it if can avoid becoming too much of a dormitory community • more activities needed for all ages • I do not see the need to change something which is successful. Mursley is a successful village. If it becomes much bigger it will change. We do need a number of small & affordable houses which could be shared ownership, up to 3 units. Small developments are acceptable, they can be assimilated into the village otherwise they become a separate entity • No space to let dogs run. The fields are full of sheep and the streets they must be on a lead, not a dog friendly area • If any development is carried out it should enhance the village & should be small scale & in keeping. The water tower should be painted & lit to enhance it at night • not much dev of housing, Mursley youth football team • It’s a good place to live in because it is peaceful • Maximise use of sports field by creating safe and sound recreational/sports facilities available to all. To include an all weather synthetic surface multi-use games area. • There is very little (not associated with church) for young adults/teens to do outside their homes. Developing independence is difficult when public transport is so poor and youth activities within village are mostly church related. • This has been a useful exercise. Somehow you don't think too much about where you live until someone asks. I do feel that the childrens safety is compromised due to speed and idiot driving. If safety could be improved, that would be great. • It's pretty obvious where we live and this obviously makes us biased but it would be good to feel the little community on Swanbourne Road was more part of the village. Access makes this difficult. • this survey is too detailed and may put people off from filling it in. • Thank you for doing this. It reinforces Item 1 above. • No more housing • This is outstanding. The challenge is to protect what we have. In expending effort to improve the village we must remain vigilant to the main threat which is development. • The only local shop is in Swanbourne it is unlikely one would be viable in Mursley therefore the County Council should be asked to provide a safe footpath along Swanbourne / Mursley Road connecting both villages to enable Mursley residents to access this shop safely. Good healthy exercise as well. • Main concern - they will build on land between The Beechams and Church Lane. It is a good piece of land for wildlife but would flood if they took out the trees & build on it - will affect surrounding buildings. • would like to see new vicar who brings together the community - pub goers, church goers, school goers and the rest of us”.

Mursley Parish Plan 31 WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

Key Issues identified are as follows:

• Traffic and Road Safety

• Maintaining Village Atmosphere

• Lack of Facilities

• Information and Feed-back needed for all ages

• Types of development both inside and outside of the Parish

Mursley needs:

Focus Groups to concentrate the attention of those in authority on the matters of most importance to the Parish of Mursley in conjunction with the Parish Council.

Mursley needs:

Pressure Groups for particularly difficult and emotive subjects to increase lobbying on those in authority where the interests of the Parishioners are apparently being ignored, or where previous efforts have failed.

Mursley needs:

Special Interest Groups to bring like-minded people together and create additional clubs and societies for the benefit of all Parishioners.

The production of this Parish Plan is the result of hours of dedicated work from the Steering Group. The key aim for all of us now is to move forward and benefit from that work and to improve the quality of life, and facilities available within the Parish, and to advertise what we already have and any ongoing projects as widely as possible.

To do that many residents are needed to help form these groups and maintain the momentum generated by the formation of this document by the Steering Group.

Mursley Parish Plan 32 THE FUTURE

This Parish Plan states the views of Parishioners at a fixed point in time. It should not therefore be regarded as being applicable to the situation that may pertain in future years, and should therefore be capable of evolving as circumstances change and the wishes of the population alter. It should also be capable of embracing other issues that have perhaps not yet been considered when preparing this Plan, but which may become of importance in the future.

The Parish Plan is therefore a working document. It will need reviewing annually by both the Parish Council and working groups set up to progress the implementation of recommendations. The results of those reviews will need to be reported to the community and interested Authorities. To remain of relevance it will probably require fully reviewing and re-issuing every 5 or 10 years.

If the recommendations made in this Plan are to be implemented it will need further work and commitment from volunteers amongst the Parish residents and sub-committees or focus groups formed to carry those ideas through to fruition. Many of the recommendations will require finance that can only be provided by either grant, or direct District or County funding. What subjects achieve implementation, and how quickly they might be implemented may need to be prioritised according to the availability of funds where significant funding is required, but there are also recommendations for improvements in the facilities within the community for participation, such as social and leisure activities, that will only require limited funding and merely the enthusiasm of the local community to implement.

This therefore is only the start. We, the Steering Group, hope that all of the residents of Mursley will continue to contribute their ideas, aspirations and wishes to the Parish Council and working groups set up to achieve recommended actions, and to work with the Parish Council to bring to fruition all those matters that the community has deemed to be important.

Mursley Parish Plan 33 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Parish Plan Steering Group of:

Barry Agnew (Chairman) Maggie Coles Sam Kinchin-Smith Alison Agnew Andrew Cowell Claire Lipsett Trent Baker Tim Dolder Lea Thomson Neil Coles Gerry Gallagher John Wilson (Tweedale)

Mursley Parish Council

Bucks Community Action Group

Printers: Harrow Business Services, 1 Olds Approach, Tolpits Lane, Watford, WD1 8TD

Contributors:

Melinda Cole ‘Mursley Past & Present’ Roger Jefcoate CBE Information for Black Poplars Joy Cowell For information on the Church & Village Hall Richard Rouse For Information on the School Jim Crews For information on the Sports Club Open Gates For information on the Post Office Bradley Agnew For help with the Web Site

Photographs:

Front Page Barry Agnew History H & M Hollis and C North Black Poplar Roger Jefcoate CBE

Statistics:

Population Figures- ‘’Source: 2001 Census, [ Key Statistics for Local Authorities]. Crown copyright 2004. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO.’’

The Parish Plan Steering Group would like to thank all those Parishioners who took the time to fill in the Questionnaire.

Mursley Parish Plan 34