L I T C H A M

Village Appraisal

Final Report

CONTENTS

Foreword ...... 1

Why a Village Appraisal? ...... 2

Introduction...... 3

The Village of ...... 4

Demographic Information...... 5

Transport ...... 7

Housing...... 8

Safety...... 9

Social Facilities ...... 10

Sports Facilities...... 10

Local Information ...... 11

Local Government...... 11

Religion...... 12

Countryside and the Environment ...... 15

Conclusion...... 16

Summary ...... 17

Foreword

We are pleased to take this opportunity to thank all those who have worked so hard to collect, collate and produce this Village Appraisal report for Litcham. Thanks must also go to you, the residents of Litcham who responded so magnificently by completing and returning the questionnaires. We must also thank The Rural Community Council, Council and DEFRA, (the Department for the Environment ,Food and Rural Affairs) and Litcham Parish Council for providing the funds to print this booklet.

Whilst the majority of us feel the village is a good place to live and work, we must not be complacent, but try to ensure that Litcham prospers and thrives.

The information from this appraisal will give us, the Parish Council, Litcham Play 2000 and other groups within the village, some pointers as to what the village feels is needed to improve the quality of life in our community. Some suggestions may not come to fruition, however hopefully other facilities will be improved or developed,

We must remember that a village is only as good as its residents, therefore we hope you will take the opportunity of reading through this appraisal report and, wherever possible, give support and/or assistance to any new venture.

John Mitchell Diana Collen Chairman Chairman Litcham Parish Council Litcham Action Group December 2003

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Why a Village Appraisal?

This report summarises the outcomes of a survey carried out by and for the community of Litcham. This local process, commonly known as a 'Village Appraisal' aims to identify local characteristics, problems, needs, solutions and alternatives. Village Appraisals report the past, assess the present and plan for the future, aiming to put into context the communities' views on the village.

The outcomes of this 'Village Appraisal' will be vital for the short and medium term plans of the village of Litcham. The views of the community that took part in this democratic process will be taken into consideration to set up an Action Plan, with a set of priorities.

The appraisal identifies what local people consider needs to be done and forms the basis of public opinion on certain issues. From this information an ‘Action Plan’ can be developed to ensure that the issues raised during the appraisal process are examined and acted upon. The results of the appraisal and action plan can be used by the community, the Parish Council and other authorities and bodies to enable the community to achieve what it wants and to help safeguard the future of the community and its surroundings.

A wide range of issues can be examined as part of the appraisal process, ranging from litter problems to improved community facilities. The needs of specific groups, such as the elderly or disabled can be looked at, with the whole community working as a team. Cause and effect issues are also identified by appraisals. Although an appraisal may not be used to solve all the problems, it will have identified the main issues. The information gathered can be used when decisions are taken on issues affecting the community and its inhabitants.

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Introduction

It was decided to conduct a more comprehensive village appraisal to obtain the information required and look at other issues raised by the community.

Several meetings took place to decide on the format and content of the questionnaire. This was a particularly difficult task, as we needed to cover those issues that were of major concern to the community but keep the length of the questionnaire to a manageable size.

The questionnaire was finalised and distributed to all households in the latter part of 2001. The total number of households replying was 164 out of a total of 294 questionnaires delivered, producing a 56% return. This is a very encouraging response level and it is hoped there will be a similar level of support from those offering help in the questionnaire, to implement the recommendations.

Unfortunately, the recording and analysis of the information was lengthy and a time-consuming business. The results and recommendations of the project are set out in this report. Copies are being passed to County and District Councillors and other interested persons and organisations.

Special thanks to all those who took part in the delivery and collection of the questionnaires, who offered their help with the computer input, in particular Rob Somerville. Also to those who gave advice, help and encouragement when we, the committee, realised just how much work was involved.

Appraisal Committee:

Diana Collen John Mitchell Judith Bentley Karen Bradley Lynda Oldfield Jo Dorman Chris Holland

December 2003

3 The Village of Litcham

The Bull Inn

The village of Litcham is situated in the Upper Nar Valley astride the B1145. This road was years ago the stagecoach route to King's Lynn from . Horses were changed at the Bull Hotel, which is now the only surviving public house out of four in the village in 1900. The Bull was not only a coaching inn but also the magistrate’s court.

There has been twelve different spellings of the name Litcham in the past, Litcham, Lutcham, Lycham, Luckham, to name but a few. Litcham is a conservation village with a number of listed buildings including a 12th Century Church and Priory. Matthew Halcott built the church tower in 1668/69. An image of Matthew Halcott now appears on the village sign situated in Church Street on the site of the Market Place. Litcham also has a thriving Methodist Chapel (the last of three former chapels). In 1946 Litcham had a population of approximately 600 and supported 23 services. Today we have a population of 750 and only 7 services

Litcham has the benefit of a nature reserve of some 60 acres, which is administered by a management committee made up of the freeholder ( Hall Estate), Norfolk County Council, English Nature and two Litcham residents. Known as Litcham Common it was the site of the last cattle pound, the bullring and cock-fighting pit, and is also the last site of the village stocks.

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Demographic Information

The Corner Shop

During the last 200 years, the population of rural has changed greatly. From the early 1800's until the mid 1970's, the trend was for people to move from rural areas into towns to both live and work as industry was set up and expanded. During the late 1970's shifts in expectations and working patterns led to the beginning of counter urbanisation, as rural areas began to be re-populated with people moving from urban areas into the countryside. However, although the population of many villages is increasing, the traditional balance of people living in the village is being undermined by the speed of change.

Demographic information will enable the appraisal to identify population trends and possible population shifts so you can plan for the future. You may have lots of children at the village school, however, there may be very few babies in the village to go to the school in five years time. Because of this the school may be at risk in the future, unless action is taken to save it. There may be a small number of people over 65 in the community, however, in five to ten years this may double. How will the demographic characteristics of your village change in the in time?

The demographic characteristics of the village of Litcham can be seen on the following page:

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Age and sex of people living in Litcham in 2001

6 Transport

Front Street People's ability to move around and communicate is a vital part of the world we live in. On average, nearly 20% of the population, for various reasons, are less mobile and thus reliant on others for their transport needs. In rural areas public transport is hardly ever a viable service, simply as the population is too small. As a result, individuals living in rural areas rely more heavily than their urban relatives do on private car use.

Such a dependence on the car means that those without cars often have no other way of getting around and rely on friends, relatives or taxi if they wish to go anywhere. Those villages that are fortunate enough to have a bus service cannot always rely on it, as rural buses tend to be poor in frequency and quality and high in price. What are the transport needs of Litcham?

! Up to 43% of respondents, often or occasionally experience transport difficulties getting out of Litcham to other places. ! Within the village 85% would support speed control measures. The major danger spots highlighted in the questionnaire were the Bull crossroads and the junction of Pound Lane and the B1145. ! Street parking is seen as a danger outside the Post Office and on Church Street, particularly during school dropping off and picking up times. 7 Housing

Wellingham Road

The number and type of houses in a village should vary. Different people will want to live in different types of houses at different times in their life. However, not everyone can live in the type of house they need. If there is a lack of housing within a village the prices of houses will rise to a point where local people can no longer afford them. These people will be driven out of the community through no fault of their own. Is there such a problem in our community?

! 44% of the parishioners think that there is no need for any new homes in Litcham. However, 67% of the respondents would have no objection in principle to a development that might help meet the housing needs of local people. ! The type of homes that people are most keen to see in future development are homes for young people, followed by small family homes. These are followed by homes for people with disabilities and homes for single people.

! The types of accommodation most supported for development in the village were low cost and local authority/housing association rented housing.

8 Safety

In this country, rural villages have always been considered safer places to live than towns and cities. The crime level was low or non-existent. It was not that long ago when people used to keep the house and car doors unlocked. However, things have changed. How safe do you feel in your own village?

! 66% of the village population feel that there is a need for a greater police presence as well as better consultation between police and local people. The survey reflects that the main three issues of concern regarding safety in Litcham are as follows:

1. Speeding traffic 2. Car Parking 3. Major danger spots e.g. Bull Corner

! 43% of the villagers think that there is a need to improve the pavements in Litcham, particularly people with disabilities or who use wheelchairs or pushchairs. ! 55% of respondents also feel that street parking and traffic speed are major safety risks in the village. These issues should be assessed, and contact made with the District Council for further improvements.

Lexham Road 9 Social Facilities

Within a village there is often a wide range of clubs and societies that meet on a regular basis. The type and range of these will vary depending on the size and structure of the population, but will also vary depending on the location of the village. The number and type of clubs and societies will change with time. Are there enough clubs or societies in our community?

! Nearly half of the respondents think that social facilities in the village are poor. ! Over a third of the respondents think that the number and location of litterbins in the village are reasonable. With only 7% believing them to be poor.

Sports facilities

The range of sports facilities has dramatically increased in the last few decades. Most villages have sports grounds and facilities where the local population meet, enjoy and do some exercise. The type, state and number of these facilities will influence the type and number of sports clubs that operate within the village. What are the sports facilities like in our community?

! 89% of the respondents think that it would be a good idea to provide a children's play area in Litcham

Keep Fit, Badminton and Tennis are the sports facilities that respondents are keen to support, if new sports developments are carried out in the village.

Badminton, Keep Fit and Youth Football are the sports with the most volunteers offering help in organising and running the clubs.

! Over 55% of respondents do not think that the village hall is adequate for the needs of Litcham with over 52% of respondents preferring to use a new village hall if it was available.

10 Local Information Communication is something we all take for granted and is often overlooked on a day-to-day basis. Without good communication life would be very different and we could not do many of the activities we enjoy. The same applies to a community, especially those that are isolated in rural areas. The need for an effective community makes it a very important subject. How available is the local information in our village?

! 91 % of the respondents usually get information about events taking place in the village through the Church and Village Magazine. ! The notice board (43.5%) is also an ideal source of information. 24.5% of respondents also found what is going on in Litcham from the Post Office.

Jubilee Hall Local Government Government in the UK has always been very centralised In the last few years there have been some changes but local government is less empowered that those In other European countries, However, country wide many parish councils are totally involved in local projects. What is the role of the Parish Council in our village?

! Only 20% of the respondents have ever attended a meeting of Litcham Parish Council. The great majority of the population of Litcham supports the need for a recreation and play area. There is uncertainty regarding the location of a play area but negotiations are taking place with Breckland Council for a suitable piece of land. 11

Religion

Traditionally the church has always been an important part of community life. It provides people with a sense of well-being, support for the needy and a location for social gatherings and special events.

All Saints Church No trace remains of the Anglo-Saxon pre-Conquest church, which would have stood on the site of the present building nor of the Norman church, which followed it. In 1397 the Lord of the Manor had a grant of a fair to be held yearly on All Saints Day, which is the dedication festival of the church (November 16).

The present church was largely rebuilt after the Black Death (1348-9 and 1369) and was probably enlarged during the period of economic recovery that followed. It was re-consecrated on the Feast of St. Botolph, 17th June 1412, and the 550th, anniversary of this event was observed in 1962. The present brick tower was given in 1669 by Matthew Halcott a wealthy tanner. He is depicted on the village sign. The clock is by Morris of and there are 6 bells in full working order.

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The glory of Litcham Church Is the Chancel Rood Screen. It is dated 1436 and was restored in 1901. The theme of the rood screen is the Saints, with females on the north side and males on the south, there being 22 paintings in all.

The beautifully carved Litcham coffer, dating from the 1300s, stands in the chancel and is one of only five oak chests in England that is of Flemish craftsmanship.

The pulpit dates from the 15th century and is hexagonal with perpendicular panels and it rests on a slender wine glass stem. The pulpit was bought in a London junk shop in 1890 and was given to the church by the Reverend W.A.W. Keppel.

The font has an octagonal bowl in perpendicular style with six foil panels enclosing plain suspended shields. The bowl is lead lined with indents for the reception of padlocks, which would have secured the cover in medieval times. In 1840 the font had a huge canopy above it.

The present priest in charge is the Reverend Jonathan Boston who holds regular services, which are advertised on the church notice board situated next to the main entrance to the churchyard.

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Methodist Chapel The present Methodist Church stands in Front Street where it was built in 1909. Two other chapels existed, one owned by the Primitive Methodists, still stands in the grounds of ‘The Mount’ in Butt Lane, and the other belonging to the Wesleyan Methodists stood on Back Street in a location which is now the northwest corner of the village green.

The present building was built onto the front of a pre-existing cottage, which is now the Sunday School room at the rear of the chapel. This was originally a two-storey building, evidence of which was discovered in 1999 when the plaster was stripped to reveal the location of original internal walls, a fireplace and coal cupboard and staircase. The original floor was also about nine inches lower than now.

The front of the building displays the original foundation stones. Inside, the chapel is open plan. Until the mid 1980s there were traditional pews in place, but an infestation of woodworm meant that these had to be disposed of and replaced with movable seating.

Administratively the chapel is part of the and Swaffham Circuit, which has residential ministers in both towns. The Swaffham Minister undertakes pastoral care.

Services and Sunday school are both held at 10.30 a.m. each Sunday with all-age worship on the first Sunday of the month.

The building have recently undergone alterations to make it more user- friendly for the disabled

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Countryside and the Environment

Dramatic changes have occurred in the British countryside especially since the Second World War. Loss of many habitats and species and pollution of several natural systems, such as water, are some examples. Thus, the importance to protect the diversity of the countryside and the environment is internationally recognised.

! The respondents think that recycling (67%), a reduction in traffic (58%), more employment locally (45%) and an improvement in public transport (39%) are the most important things to do in order to help protect and enhance the local environment of Litcham

! 76% of respondents think that the quality of the countryside around Litcham is very important to them, with over 71 % valuing the tranquillity and 62% the openness around the village.

Litcham Common

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Conclusion

Litcham is a peaceful, tranquil and safe community with lovely countryside and caring villagers. This is the conclusion gathered from the Village Appraisal respondents when questioned about the best thing in the village.

However, this survey has shown that there are many things that require improvement in Litcham, but the survey has also proved that there are some active and enthusiastic people willing to make Litcham a better village.

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APPENDIX

LITCHAM Village Survey 2001

Summary

Response : 56%

164 out of 294 Questionnaires circulated

Population: 750 550 Adults 200 Children 50% Male / Female

Age Range Number of Residents 0 – 18 100 25 - 45 110 45 - 60 100 60 – 75 80 75 + 30 Total 420 Reflects a 56% response

17 Summary of Questionnaire responses

Transport and Safety % of Respondents Would support speed control measures 85 Experience transport difficulties 43 Need greater Police presence 66 Need to improve pavements 43 Street parking & traffic speed are major safety risks 55

Social and Sports Social facilities are poor 50 Support provision of children’s play area 89 Village Hall not adequate for the needs of Litcham 55 Would use new hall if available 52 Would use sporting facilities (keep fit, badminton, tennis.) if 52 available

Housing No need for new houses in Litcham 44 No objection to a development for needs of local people 67

Local Information Read Church and Village Magazine 67 Read village notice boards 44 Post Office 25

Local Government Have ever attended a Parish Council Meeting 20

Countryside & Environment Support Recycling 67 Support traffic reduction 58 More local employment 45 Improve public transport 31 Quality of Countryside Important 76 Value tranquillity of area 71 Surrounding openness important 62

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NORFOLK RURAL COMMUNITY COUNCIL

The production of this booklet was made possible through generous donations from Norfolk Rural Community Council, Breckland District Council and DEFRA; The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

The final version of this report was prepared in October 2005 by John Relph, Clerk to Litcham Council. Wychwood, Rectory Meadow Litcham, NORFOLK PE32 2NR Tel : 01328 700 813 e-mail: [email protected]

For further information on Litcham please visit www.litcham.org

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