DONISTHORPE PLACECHECK 2014

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CONTENTS

1) Background 3

2) Objectives 3

3) Format 3

4) Results 5

Most valued 5 Dislikes 5 Improving Donisthorpe 9 Making Donisthorpe more special/ 10 unique Making Donisthorpe a greener 11 place Making Donisthorpe safer for 11 pedestrians Improving public places 12 Making Donisthorpe more 14 welcoming Adapting to change 14 Better use of existing resources 15 Making the most of public transport 17 How can routes be better connected 18 5) Conclusions Recommendations 18

6) Appendices Route 1, 23rd June 2014 Route 2, 24th June 2014 Route 3, 25th June 2014

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1) Background

There are a variety of appraisal types for places carried out already within communities. Some define the character valued by residents and include places of visual qualities, such as Village Design Statements, others assess how sustainable a settlement is, a Parish or Community Led Plan, and then there are assessments that concentrate more on future development, the Neighbourhood Plan for example. ‘Placecheck’ attempts to contribute something new, by asking a range of questions about the processes of change. 2) Objectives

‘Placecheck’ is a method of taking the first steps in deciding how to improve an area. ‘Placecheck’ can be a catalyst from anything from a litter pick at one end of a scale to neighbourhood plan at the other end. It is a method for assessing the qualities of a place, finding out what improvements are needed, and focusing people on working together to achieve them.

3) Format

The Donisthorpe ‘Placecheck’ was initiated in February 2014, following a successful submission to County Council’s ‘Big Society Fund’. The initiative was one of two ‘pilot’ projects in North West Leicestershire and involved partnership working between , Donisthorpe and Parish Council, North West Leicestershire District Council and the RCC (Leics and Rutland).

An officer from North West Leicestershire District Council addressed a Parish Council meeting on 17th March to give an overview of a ‘Placecheck’ project, and the Parish Council agreed to back the scheme.

This was quickly followed by a project planning meeting at the beginning of April with an officer from the RCC, members of the Community Focus Team and the Planning department from NWLDC.

An initial consultation was held at the Donisthorpe Easter Egg Hunt on 21st April to understand the topics most important to the community. The evaluation from this event helped to decide on popular topics for the settlement, improving public spaces, and community facilities and the lack of a shop. This was followed by ‘desktop’ research into local clubs, societies and businesses.

The next task was to define the areas of Donisthorpe to be covered. It was agreed that the walks should take part on different days of the week and should be organised at varying times in order to attract a diverse demographic. The walks were advertised in the ‘Three Views News’ community newsletter, on the Parish Website, on the NWLDC Tourist Information website, RCC website and bulletin and the Leicestershire Villages website. Posters were displayed around the settlement and invitations were sent to local businesses, service providers including the County Council and the Police, and Community Groups including Children’s Clubs, Youth Clubs, local walking groups, Heritage Groups, U3A, etc. NWLDC sent ‘postcards’ to Donisthorpe Primary School advertising the walks which were put into the children’s school bags in May.

Three walks were arranged, all starting at the same point:

 Monday 23rd June 2014, 6:30pm

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 Tuesday 24th June 2014, 6:30pm  Wednesday 25th June 2014, 3pm.

18 people participated, including representatives from Oakthorpe, Donisthorpe & Acresford Parish Council, North West Leicestershire District Council, the RCC, the National Forest Company, Forestry Commission volunteers, Ashby de la Zouch Tourist Information and residents.

A questionnaire was delivered ‘door to door’ in July to the whole settlement, the opportunity was given to respond on line or using ‘free post’ returns, an incentive of £50.00 shopping vouchers was given, however the return rate was very low, 12 in total out of a settlement of over 745 dwellings.

To increase the number of questionnaire responses, the Head Teacher of Donisthorpe Primary School was contacted. It was agreed that the RCC would undertake a workshop with the ‘School Ambassadors’ (School years 5 & 6) at the school and a questionnaire was put in every school bag. The school also used the ‘Parentmail’ system to encourage more returns. But despite all this effort only a further 13 completed replies were received, a total of 34, which represents less than 1% of households in the Donisthorpe.

Despite the low numbers of responses, the walkabouts, questionnaires and workshops have provided a good variety of responses.

Since the Placecheck project was initiated, following has occurred (but not as a result of the Placecheck project):

 The Moira Road car park has been listed as a ‘community asset’. If the site is put up for sale, the new right will give the community a 6 months option to acquire the asset.  A village shop has opened.  LCC have employed a replacement crossing patrol team member (lollipop person).

Qualitative information can be difficult to capture and difficult to interpret, but there are quite a few things that have been learnt about how to use the Placecheck model, and by using it, communities will be better as a result. Hopefully the Service Provider’s perceptions of the area and the people living there has changed in a positive way and the residents are gaining a better knowledge of responsibilities of the different tiers of local government and a better understanding of who to contact if there is a problem.

Approach to the village from Acresford Road.

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4) Results

Most valued

The ‘Halfway House’ a Freehold Public House is the most valued asset in Donisthorpe according to questionnaire responses and also noted on the Placecheck walks. It is the ‘hub’ of village life and hosts the majority of the ‘Donisthorpe Community Fund’ events. On a monthly basis there is a quiz night and an acoustic night. The annual children’s Christmas party and village Christmas carols, charity/ fund raising events are held here, and the annual wassail always finishes at the pub! The ‘Halfway House’ is one of two remaining pubs in the settlement, the other being ‘The Masons Arms’.

The Halfway House

The next most valued asset is the rural aspect of the village and open spaces ‘open spaces and fields’, ‘Lovely walks in the area’, ‘Views over Bennets Hill’, ‘Views across fields on Chapel Street (sledging hill etc)’. The Donisthorpe Orchard Wood, Woodland Park and the National Forest featured highly, the regenerated pit site, the Memorial Park/ grounds, lakes and ponds, Jungle Madness, along with several of the attractions in neighbouring Moira, such as Hicks Lodge and Conkers.

The canal and walks associated with the canal featured high on returns, as did St John’s the Evangelist Church and Donisthorpe Primary school. The church tower has recently been repaired, thanks to a grant from English Heritage, but a considerable more amount of money is required to make the roof water tight.

Connectivity via footpaths/ cycle routes to neighbouring parishes is highly valued, there are links to , Oakthorpe, Moira, and , but it is quite apparent that an ‘off road’ path or pavement link is needed from Donisthorpe to Hicks Lodge. Dislikes

 On street parking issues. The ‘dislike’ which initiated the most responses; some blame the problem in part to ‘infill building plots’ with inadequate off street parking. Particular areas causing concern are Moira Road, Perry’s Garage (during the week), New Street and Measham Road ‘inconsiderate parking at school’ (presume this is ‘drop off and pick up’ times). In addition to parking on pavements, ‘Car park to the trail (Donisthorpe Lane) has ALWAYS been locked making an issue with cars parking in front of the gate’, ‘Inconsiderate parking at front of Halfway House’,, ‘Parking on the two way part of New Street is dreadful- frequently it’s difficult to manoeuvre a car between parked cars and vans, so it would be impossible to get an ambulance or fire engine through’. ‘Police

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the zig zag yellows outside school, constant stopping to drop kids off is dangerous’. ‘We all park on the pavement because of parking issues. The parking needs addressing’. ‘Parking! I know its repetitive, but the village is growing and getting busier but doesn’t quite have the infrastructure to manage this well’. Someone suggested , ‘Parking bays on busy streets’ as a solution. There is an additional problem on New Street, part of which is for one way traffic, locals apparently drive down the road the wrong way.

New Street

 The Former Church Hall. Described as an ‘eyesore’ by a number of people: ‘Derelict church hall needs to be properly maintained or demolished’, ‘Church Hall- knock it down/ do it up/ just don’t leave it’, ‘Church Hall is a mess/ dangerous’.  Lack of facilities. The lack of a shop came up repeatedly as did the lack of a play area and a community facility. At the time of the Donisthorpe Colliery closure the village had a strong but insular sense of community and 4 local shops (including a post office). Donisthorpe now lacks shops, which was noted in many questionnaire returns, others suggested a community cafe, ‘ A shop would help- local transport links are poor’, ‘ We need a village shop or shops, Post Office, Fish & Chip Shop’.  Infrastructure. There are still a lot of villages, particularly in the Valley Forum area of North West Leicestershire who rely upon domestic heating oil, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) or solid fuel for their heating and hot water. The southern half of the District of North West Leicestershire is historically a coal mining area, and as such most the area was historically without gas supply and the primary source of heating used was the burning of coal. The Government is offering rural communities the opportunity to connect to mains gas supplies where no such infrastructure currently exists. The Assisted Gas Connection Scheme is aimed at consumers who live in fuel poverty. Ofgem, the regulator for the gas and electricity markets, administers two schemes that assist customers wishing to connect to the gas grid. All households are eligible for the Domestic Load Connection Allowance if they are situated within 23 metres of an existing gas distribution network. The cost of the first ten metres of connection on public land is borne by the gas network operator. The amount of money available for each connection is capped at a level set by Ofgem to ensure cost-effectiveness of the scheme, although judging by comments it is still considered to expensive by some: ‘Gas throughout the village, not costing £1k per household as this is too expensive. Natural gas!’ There is a Donisthorpe Gas Consortium (bottled LPG) and an Acresford Heating Oil Syndicate- but is this generally known?

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The former Church Hall building

 Speeding. Speed humps have already been installed on Moira Road as an outcome of the Community Speed Watch Campaign. However this group haven’t been active since 2011. Speeding is still reported as being a problem around the village as a whole but particularly on Hill Street and Church Street and cars approaching the village from Acresford Road. A number of written responses suggested traffic calming in the form of speed humps on Church Street beyond the ‘Halfway House’ and Measham Road. ‘Speeding through the village, large lorries including Borley’s Mixers too fast’, ‘Restrict traffic through village’, ‘  Litter. The general consensus is that there is a lack of litter bins. ‘More waste bins around the whole village including the trails’. Others suggested that the bin outside the former hairdressers (Pelos) on Ashby Road should be emptied more frequently.  Dog fouling. Dog fouling is a nuisance and a health hazard. Instances of dog fouling can be reported to Environmental Health at NWLDC. The number and location of dog waste/ general bins needs to be reviewed and installing more general waste bins should be considered at particular locations mentioned in the questionnaire returns including Dawkins Road. ‘More poo bins! With the YMCA and Conkers people naturally bringing dogs they (bins) are not emptied often enough in the summer hence they (dog waste bags) are thrown or just left by the side’. ‘Fine people who don’t pick up their dog poo. It’s a disgrace’. ‘Dog mess (especially when hanging from a hedge)’, ‘Dog poo all over the place’, ‘Dog mess on trails’, ‘It’s supposed to be a country park, but all you get is dogs on leads, therefore dog mess’, ‘Irresponsible dog owners (excrement)’, ‘Dog mess on the pavement down Moira Road’ and ‘Pavements need to be cleaned up, dog fouling’.  Anti- social behaviour. There was only one reference: ‘Drug dealing at the Mason’s Arms’.  Donisthorpe Woodlands Centre (DMs). Residents would like to see the area in front of DM’s better maintained. There were numerous complaints including: ‘The rough area next to the yield’, ‘DM’s building an architectural monstrosity’, ‘Fence and hedge in front of DM’s’ (mentioned twice), ‘Pointless bit of canal wasteland by DM’s’, ‘Jungle Madness (it is horrible)’. Many would like to see the recreational area used more readily by the public: ‘Waste ground opposite Jungle Madness made into a park for the children instead of left overgrown’.  Loss of village identity. A concern for many: ‘The village boundaries are starting to ‘blend’ with Moira and if new housing is allowed then it will be hard to differentiate with Measham/ Acresford etc’.

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Moira Road

 Former Engine Inn site. Recently demolished, planning permission granted for 2 five bed roomed houses and 2 four bed roomed houses. Described as the loss of a key building and currently as an ‘eye sore’ by several.  Lack of maintenance to hedges and verges. There were a number of comments about overgrown hedges obstructing footpaths and maintenance of grass verges, particular areas of concern were the hedges on Church Street adjacent to the cemetery. At the time of the walkabouts and that the questionnaire was distributed it was peak nesting season for birds and this might explain why hedge appeared to be overgrown? In most settlements grass cutting is divided between County, District and Parish. In 2014 Leicestershire County Council reviewed their grass cutting and announced they would reduce the number of cuts from seven to five times per year in 2015. LCC gave the opportunity to devolve responsibility of cutting verges to all Parish Councils, and offered a small amount of money to them towards the cost of cutting this grass, it would be for the individual Parish Councils to decide whether they wanted to enhance this grass cutting or not. O, D & A Parish Council declined the County Council’s offer. ‘Unmaintained overgrown hedges on road to Hicks Lodge’, Lack of control/ cutting back of trees, shrubs, verges, grassed areas etc’, ‘Unkempt grass verges on Acresford Road Scout hut area’, ‘Grass/ hedges to be cut sooner’. ‘By maintaining hedgerows etc that block narrow pavements’. ‘Grass verges and hedges are left too long before being cut back, meaning pedestrians have to walk on the road’.  Street furniture. Plenty of requests for more public seating/ benches. ‘Not enough flowers or seating to stop and enjoy’‘, ‘More seats round the trail/ canal area’. There is an existing seating area at the top of Church Street (opposite the former Engine Inn site). There is an opportunity to restore/ replace the seating and develop a ‘welcome’ feature, planting, flowers etc. However a license to cultivate may be required prior to commencing any planting if the land is the responsibility of Leicestershire County Council’s Highways Department.  Other. ‘End house in New Street that has metal fencing up and caravan in back garden right opposite new builds. Not nice to look at if you bought a new house’,‘Crossing- no lollypop lady’, ‘Permanent puddles on Hicks Lodge path to Donisthorpe’, ‘Old shop fronts that are now just residential’.  Visual appearance. The garages at Talbot Place and Acresford Road were mentioned in questionnaire responses and during one of the community walks, ‘The old garages on Acresford Road look an eyesore’, ‘I do not think any of these are used and they have become an eyesore’. , ‘Ramscliffe Avenue undeveloped plots’, ‘Ramscliffe estate- looks out of character, very council estate’.

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What or where do you think could be improved in Donisthorpe?

 Amenities for children. Probably the second most popular topic, generating numerous comments. ‘The Parish Council working with others could develop a play area concept and then apply to funders to enable this to happen (Awards for All and Coalfields Regeneration Trust- both have grants up to £10,000). ‘We have space for a park on existing (Memorial Park) space and the PlayDon research evidenced the need and enthusiasm- it needs taking forward’. In addition to the area adjacent the war memorial, people suggested a play park at DM’s/ Jungle Madness or the grassed areas on Ramscliffe Avenue. The ‘Flower Estate’ already has two play areas, neither of which are the responsibility of the Parish Council. The play equipment is not very exciting and in need of refurbishment; paint fading etc. The question has been asked ‘what will happen when the equipment needs replacing?’ ‘More play areas for children’, ‘Play area on the recreation ground’.’There is a playground on Buttercup Avenue, which is little used’. ‘Facilities for older children/ teenagers should be considered- skateboard park, shelters where they could meet, chat etc’. ‘PlayDon’ have been raising money for play equipment, and the area lends itself to a natural play area like Hick’s Lodge’.

Play area off Foxglove Avenue

 Railings. ‘Paint railings in Hill Street’, ‘Repair and paint railings in Church Street opposite DM’s’  Property types. ‘More rentable properties for the elderly’,  Social cohesion. ‘To join the two parts of the village on Church Street to make it a cohesive community’. ‘Integration between different populations in the village’. There is a perceived problem with social cohesion of residents from Ramscliffe Avenue ‘Divide between Ramscliffe Avenue and rest of the village’.  Memorial Gardens. Residents obviously appreciate all the hard work that has gone into the restoration of this area over the past year. However they would like to see play equipment installed (for all young people of all ages and more ‘innovative use of the enormous space’. ‘Excellent progress has been made recently. More please! Playing field at the rear should be planted and used as a local beauty spot. Tree flower planting- park benches- childrens play area’.  Housing. There doesn’t appear to be as much opposition to development in Donisthorpe as with other settlements, in some instances responses were very forward thinking: ‘If new development comes to the village, we need to make the most of any financial opportunities to help develop community facilities’. Although the current residents believe that more two bedroomed houses with off street parking and affordable housing are required as opposed to ‘executive homes’. A recent

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Rural Housing Needs survey was undertaken in 2011 and identified the need for affordable housing. The rural exception site is the Hill Street car, which apparently has never been used as a public car park. However, another response stated ‘No more turning green sites into housing estates doesn’t matter who owns the land, land banking shouldn’t be allowed’.’Stop building houses in gardens!’‘Garden grabbing for house building!!!’, ‘The prospect of building both on green field fields and filling in every available garden space’, ‘Ugly new houses in Chapel Street’, ’Building new estates moving village> town’, ‘No more housing development- we are full!!!’

The Hill Street car park

How can the community make Donisthorpe a more special/unique place?

 Support for the elderly. Plenty of suggestions for ‘Looking after the old folk’. ‘I think we could do more for the vulnerable and less well off (e.g. befriending scheme) be more inclusive, and learn more from people who have lived here a long time’. ‘Use and share the knowledge of the older generation’.  History project. The children at the local school were not aware of the villages’ industrial past. They didn’t know about the Donisthorpe Colliery, which only closed in 1991, or the fact that the character of the village has changed radically since the closure. They were unaware that the housing estate known locally as the ‘Flower Estate’ was the former mine site and that the colliery site has since become the Donisthorpe woodland park! The Donisthorpe School ‘Ambassadors’ were very enthused about the ‘Placecheck’ project and keen to become more involved. With this support and the written responses collated, there would appear to be support for a historical project about the village, topics to be considered might be an oral history about ‘Local dialect’, ‘Coal industry and trains’.’A long lasting project about the history of our village so this can be shared with visitors to the area and maintained for future generations’.  Community engagement. The work of the ‘Donisthorpe Community Fund is helping to achieve this, there is a good sense of community spirit and the significant calendar of community event (wassail, litter pick, Easter egg hunt, Pensioners' tea party, village fun day, apple day and barn dance and Christmas Carols) is creating a special feeling to the village. ’All of this community engagement is great stuff’. ‘Working together. Valuing one another. Getting support from the Councils (Parish, District, County’. However more people need to be encouraging to help with the existing activities. ‘It seems to be the same old reliable people doing everything’, ’Get more families involved in the current and future village events and projects, as there are still only a small core of people involved’. There were numerous references to supporting the existing community events, although someone else said they didn’t think the events were advertised widely enough and that they often missed community events because of this. ‘I think we need to continue with more of the

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same- a good programme of events’. ‘Set up some regular groups- book group, running club, crafting group, music group etc. But we NEED a venue so these things can happen’.’More community wide activities, a good example being the clearing and improvement of the memorial garden’.  Village centre. A number of comments refer to the village not having a focal point as such. ‘Develop a community/ village centre with playing fields, park, shop (s). The village lacks a ‘heart’.

How can the community make Donisthorpe a greener place?

 Recycling. A number of people were in support of a central collection point in the village for recycling. This was because either they didn’t think the frequency of recycling was sufficient or because they didn’t consider the recycling bin big enough for the typical family or because bins outside of people’s homes were unsightly: ‘Recycling bins somewhere in the village (DMC car park)- fortnightly collection is not enough for a family who get a lot of waste and do our best to recycle’. ‘Recycle bins in public spots’. ‘Better community recycling facilities’. ‘The eye sore of recycling bins where properties have no choice than to have them at the front of their property sometimes restricting parking and spoiling the look of the whole street. Others felt the district council didn’t do enough to help with the separation of recycling waste ‘A fee should be charged by properties for sorting of waste on the Councils behalf’.  Alternative energy. There are mixed views about the recent installation on a wind turbine locally. There appears to have been little knowledge of the proposal to install it as far as residents are concerned. However, many appear to be in support of alternative energy sources: ‘Solar powered pelican crossing near the school’. ‘More wind turbines’. ‘Solar arrays to generate electricity for the village’. ’Possible natural gas supply bringing us into the 21st century!’  Community initiatives. ‘Encourage and publicise green initiatives’. ‘Encourage veg planting schemes, book swaps. People offer lifts, car shares, shared shopping trips etc’.’Create a sustainable community that uses the skills within it to continue to evolve and grow’.

View of the wind turbine from New Street Do you think the streets and other public spaces in Donisthorpe could be made safer and more pleasant for pedestrians?

 Part night street lighting. A number of conflicting view points on this topic. Some in favour of part night lighting because they think road users are more cautious, whilst other believe that it is a danger. ‘Very dangerous without any on at all, as a lot of people start/ finish work before lights come on in a winter morning’.

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 Public car parks. The car park adjacent to the church is owned and maintained by Leicestershire County Council. It is well used by church goers and residents park there overnight. There is a current planning application for affordable housing on the car park site off Hill Street which seems to be a cause for concern amongst residents, some of whom are concerned that the access to the woods through this site will be lost. The current planning application is for 4 No 2 storey properties. ‘Don’t build on National Forest car parks but find a better use for areas that seem redundant- i.e. park or proper car park facility’. The car park off Moira Road has been closed by Leicestershire County Council as it is surplus to requirement. LCC would like the Parish Council to take over the ownership and maintenance, but they don’t have sufficient funds to do so and feel that the parishioners would not support an increase in the precept to cover this. ‘Keep the car park on Moira Road as it is useful not only for residents but for walkers to get to the park’. One comment states ‘Stop building on community parking spaces’ however it doesn’t refer to a particular site, although it could refer to either or both of the above? ‘Local Authority Planning Department must take their heads out of the sand and understand that if you need families to move to Donisthorpe and make it a vibrant area they need to ensure that each property has the capacity to park at least 2 to 3 cars’.

Public car park adjacent to the church

 Footpaths. There is a demand for a section of pavement between Donisthorpe School and the Hicks Lodge entrance and the Ashby Road junction with Lane access to Hicks Lodge. ‘The route from the village to Hick’s Lodge is not very safe for pedestrians and cyclists/ horse riders’. ‘Improve stiles in fields or better still gateways’. The ‘floods’ footpath is well used in the summer months, but almost impassable in the winter. This is a shame because it passes the old brickworks chimney, a site of local historical value. The trail/ canal and Hicks Lodge paths also have drainage issues which need addressing because they are impassable when it rains. Someone else suggested ‘A safer footpaths to Ashby and Swadlincote’.  Pedestrian crossings. Amongst written responses there were several suggestions at different locations around the village included: ‘On Moira Road, one near each of the canal entrances’ and ‘at the crossroads’, presumably the junctions of Moira Rd, Measham Road, Church Street and Ashby Road? Someone else suggested a zebra crossing on Ashby Road near the school.  Road junctions. The road junction of Narrow Lane comes in for some criticism because it is consider unsafe for pedestrians and because the lighting is apparently poor.  Grit bins. The requirement for a grit bin has been identified at the junction of Chapel Street and the New Street junction. 

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Do you think public spaces in Donisthorpe can be improved?

 The gate at the Memorial Park. The gate to the park is considered to be unsafe according to a number of written responses. ‘Secure the gate at the Memorial Park to keep children and grandchildren who play here safe and away from the road. Maybe a self closing gate’. ‘The gate accessing the Memorial Park and playing fields should be made secure. Changing it has made it dangerous allowing children and pets direct access to the road’.  Village shop. Numerous ideas for a community or volunteer run shop to serve those without their own transport and the elderly, but others are concerned that it wouldn’t receive sufficient support. ‘A local village cooperative, profits being reinvested in village parks and community buildings’. Not a big brand, but possibly sponsored by a local business. Several different businesses serve the village with delivery vans, but these are not made known about’. Opposing views state ‘Would object very strongly to a SHOP!! Managed approximately 20 years without one. Big supermarkets deliver! Shop in Oakthorpe’.’I don’t feel a shop could survive with people only buying a pint of milk or loaf of bread once in a while’.  Green spaces. The recreational ground (the responsibility of the Parish Council) and the area in front of DM’s are underused. According to anecdotal evidence this is because the areas are poorly drained and therefore unsuitable for winter team sports. The ground in front of DM’s is owned by CISWO (Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation), the trustees are untraceable. Local knowledge suggests that when DM’s was built, the builder and brewery put the spoils onto the recreation grounds site opposite. The recreational ground comprises of two level playing areas. The lower pitch has goal posts and is well drained and the upper pitch floods. The cost of installing proper drainage is prohibitive apparently. There is no power, toilets etc and therefore events can’t be held on the land. ‘A working party of interested people should work with the Parish Council to identify opportunities; a priority must be to make the village recreation ground better used’. ‘Have events to make use of social areas such as green areas’. ‘Make DM’s a more obvious public space. Get activity there’. ‘How much park do they want, children’s play areas at local pubs, lots of open spaces!’ ‘We cope without a park. Our natural park is a brilliant way to spend our time and the pub is putting in a fab park’. Whilst others said ‘It is sad that a local business (he Halfway House has had to fund a “park” on its property, because of the lack of availability of a park’.  Woodland Park. Owned by Leicestershire County Council and maintained by an active group of volunteers, managed by Leicestershire County Council rangers. There were suggestions for thinning out the trees and creating smaller trails through the trees. The National Forest Company was launching their ’10 year maintenance strategy 2014- 2024’ during the same week as the community walks, which will have a direct influence. The aim is to maximise value of all kind: commercial, landscape, recreational, heritage, wildlife. As a result the woodland economy will be supported to expand, creating local demand and supply and supporting timber markets.  Wild flower planting. A resident on the David Wilson Housing estate, known locally as ‘The Flower Estate’ would like to see wild flower planting as opposed to a grassed area, opposite the area which was the former pit entrance.  Other areas. The Hill Street ‘green’ is maintained by the Parish Council. The PC also responsible for the Church yard, grave yard, bus stops and benches. Residents seemed happy with the level of maintenance to these areas.

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Former pit entrance

How could Donisthorpe be made more welcoming and easier for people to find their way around?

 Improved signage. Another conflict of opinions here! Whilst some stated that they thought Donisthorpe was ‘both welcoming and easy to navigate’ and ‘Have enough signs!’, others thought that more signage was required particularly for visitors to the area ‘more brown signs advertising woodland attractions and places to visit’, ‘Better signage of the heritage trail, canal, Donisthorpe Woodland, car parks, Hicks Lodge- local people know how to find them, but visitors soon get lost’. ‘Painting and cleaning of street signs’ was another suggestion ‘I often get asked for directions, so maybe a sign post with important land marks on, such as the church’. Residents would like to see the ‘No entry’ sign at the junction of New Street and Hill Street, repaired because it is twisted and obscured by foliage. Also ‘Better signage at the junction of Hill Street, Chapel Street- traffic frequently comes up Hill Street, misses the sign to turn right onto Chapel St, and ends up going onto Foxglove Avenue via New Street, before turning around and retracing their steps’. ‘Small signs to highlight dog walks and public footpaths over green areas’.’New Street and its one way system could be confusing for visitors but I don’t know how this could be resolved other than better signage’. ‘Streets need to be well sign- posted, e.g. Moira Road and Measham Road get muddled up’. Improved signage will addressed for the ‘Heart of the Forest’ as a whole if the Heritage Lottery Fund application is successful. The National Forest Company are proposing to provide an updated signage and information boards for the whole of the HOFF area covering the Parish.  Information boards/ leaflets. A number of suggestions for information boards possibly located outside the pubs, indicating local attractions. ‘Have a leaflet about Donisthorpe, map, points of interest and information past and present to be placed in local Tourist Information offices and local businesses’. ‘A village map in the Memorial grounds maybe?’ The existing Parish notice board on Ivy Close is in need of refurbishment.  Sense of identity/ visual approach. A number of people felt that a village sign or ‘Welcome to Donisthorpe’ would be very appropriate, people supported the idea of bulb and flower planting, ‘The approach to Moira from Ashby is beautifully enhanced by the planting of hundreds of daffodils in the roadside verges- this feature could be adopted for Donisthorpe’. ‘I live on Moira Road and people knock on doors to ask if it is Measham Road. I don’t think they know where Donisthorpe starts’. Other suggestions included ‘Events such as best kept garden’. ‘A hanging basket competition’. ‘In terms of being welcoming, more planters with seasonal plants would look superb’. ‘By providing more planters, bulbs, flowers, i.e. entrance to the trail in Church Street. 

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How can Donisthorpe best adapt to change in the future?

 Broadband Speed. According to written responses, a better broadband or high speed broadband is required. ‘Get the council to proceed as soon as possible with its promise to have fast internet throughout the County by summer 2014. We have no updates’.‘Really, really need fibre optic broadband’. ‘Lack of fibre optic broadband’. Superfast Leicestershire is an £18.8m project, led by Leicestershire County Council, to bring superfast fibre broadband to as many premises in Leicestershire as possible. Leicestershire County Council currently anticipate delivering high-speed fibre broadband to 96% of homes and businesses by the end of March 2016. Donisthorpe is included  Safety. There were few references to safety or being concerned about safety, but one comment seems valid in light of the ‘cuts to services’ (including Policing): ‘Crime is low in Donisthorpe but policing is stretched. A local neighbourhood watch is missing’. How could Donisthorpe’s existing resources be better used?

 Community centre or village hub. Probably the topic that received the most comments. Ranging from utilising existing facilities to a purpose built centre and a facility to be used as a ‘community hub’. ‘Community building would be good. I don’t think DM’s really does what was initially intended’. ‘There should be a central ‘community hub’ or ‘communications hub’ at one of these facilities, where local residents could go to access government and local facilities via a free phone service and free internet access’, ‘Helpers or volunteers (at a community centre) to guide residents through for example online form filling, or phone access to council departments would be helpful for less able residents’.

The Ramscliffe Avenue Community Centre

Someone else suggested that a communal hall could be used as a public library or incorporate a tea shop for visitors. The village has a number of community buildings, but the Donisthorpe Woodland Centre has limited community use and according to some is ‘under used’ and ‘a waste of money’. It is leased to a private company ‘Jungle Madness’ and Donisthorpe Youth Club occupy part of the lower level. ‘The development of the Donisthorpe Woodland Centre is an example of what happens when the community do not work together’. ‘Promote the park and parking at DM’s’. The Ramscliffe Avenue Centre is sited on land owned North West Leicestershire District Council, it is operated by Trustees, but there are concerns about the age and condition of the building. The

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facility is used by the Parish Council on a three monthly rotation. It has been described as fifteen years beyond its ‘sell by date’, also described as ‘Falling down’ and ‘desperately needs attention’. ‘There are a number of (under used) community buildings in Donisthorpe- why not sell these off, combine the proceeds and erect a purpose built community hall?’

DM’s currently operated as ‘Jungle Madness’.

The Scout Hut is well used and has had some modifications but still needs modernisation apparently especially the toilet areas. ‘The Scout Hut if renovated could be adapted to a community building’. During all three community walks the former Church Hall was mentioned, and there were numerous written references to the site. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it was boarded up 4 years ago. It is currently for sale, most people don’t want to see more housing on the site however the Diocese is applying for outline planning permission to demolish the building and to utilise the land for dwellings. Apparently the building has problems with asbestos, rising damp, needs re-wiring and there are structural issues, repair costs are estimated to be in the region of £80- £90k. Currently there are problems with children climbing on the roof. ‘What will happen with the money if the hall is sold?’ One response suggested that monies from the sale of the building could be utilised to transform the church into a multi- purpose community building. Other comments included ‘Church Hall re- opened to be used as a community centre. Could hold parties/ events for local community, have a community shop/ tea room run by local people- somewhere to meet’. ‘Church Hall is a disgrace. ’s Palace puts it to shame’. Another comment didn’t state which building was being referred to but said ‘procure the building for use as a community centre, or use part of DM’s’. ‘Apply as a village for lottery funding to open up church hall as a community building’. Although as someone suggested ’Those groups, organisations and individuals that have an interest in this must come together in the first instance and look to work together in the future’. ‘The obvious site that needs dealing with is the Church Hall, innovative approaches such as community interest companies and cooperatives could be looked at to attract funding, partner with the church and local businesses to make a success’. All these facilities appear to operate in isolation of one another, perhaps a joined up effort would enable the creation of a multi- purpose building, truly supported by the community? ‘A project to select one or more (community buildings) and focus attention on these, applying for funding form a management committee etc’.  Three Views News. ‘More support for 3 Views News- excellent community builder’.  Tourism potential. ‘Promoting the area for its trails and natural beauty will undoubtedly bring money to the community. The current surge in cycling can be seized upon from this village.We are central to so many places and if we can have cycle routes through the village it will help bring people to the village spending money in our pubs. With enough people maybe someone would be

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inclined to open a little tea room’. ‘Stronger links with Ashby Tourist Information Centre??’ ‘Embrace the National Forest and what we have to offer at the heart of it’.

Site of the former Coop.

What can be done to make the most of public transport?

As with so many villages, the bus service is limited to one bus per hour between Swadlincote and Ashby de la Zouch. There is no evening service after 5:30pm, and no service at all on a Sunday, so if you don’t drive you need to rely on lifts or book a taxi, which realistically a lot of older or vulnerable people won’t do.

 Frequency of buses. An evening service would be desirable because according to anecdotal evidence there is an ‘increase in the youth population’ and an evening service could ‘Encourage independence in teenagers and allow others not to drive’. ‘It is hard for youngsters to get part time jobs in Ashby, Swad etc as buses don’t run at the best of times’. A couple of written responses suggested a mini/ shuttle bus evening service to Ashby de la Zouch? ‘Use smaller buses, increase frequency’. ‘A bus service that suits working people’. ‘People need to be able to get directly to Measham for the Doctors Surgery, or to Ashby for shopping’. ‘More direct routes instead of taking ages to get somewhere going around several villages’. ‘Bus routes serve further afield e.g. Loughborough’.  Publicity. Or rather the lack of it for the bus service appears to be a problem. ‘Advertise in an easier to understand format’. ‘Share what is available’. ‘Better information e.g. yearly timetable and prices (as I have no idea of times) delivered to all homes might encourage people to use it’. ‘More info re bus timetables could be included in 3 Views News’. Some responses were very negative about the bus service, ‘Public transport is very limited and not really a viable option for any kind of daily commute’. A more pro-active response stated ‘Publicise what is available and campaign for it to be maintained’.  Other. ‘Maybe a more local route, more regular utilising Swadlincote and Ashby as hubs to get further if you want to’. ‘Connect the villages to allow more local interaction and support’. ‘Shuttle bus between Donisthorpe, and Ashby and Donisthorpe and Burton. I always drive as a bus takes so long!’ ‘Community mini bus for hire’.  Alternatives. Car share schemes should be considered ‘Set up a scheme to enable those with cars to offer lifts to those without’. ‘Volunteer local transport for the elderly to get to the shops’. ‘The coaches (that I know are not public transport) run everyday at school time. Could they not offer free transport at least one way for the elderly into Ashby and wherever else they go’. ‘Rural public transport is a challenging problem. Suspect there might be some sort of IT solution that could better allocate existing public transport resources (voting for bus routes with phone app?) Imagine that this problem is being tackled elsewhere in the world’.

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How could routes be better connected in Donisthorpe?

 Tourism. In addition to a valued asset to residents, some view the canal as a potential source of revenue from tourists. ‘Canal to be reconnected’. ‘The canal network joined up’. ‘Finish the canal and connect into the national system’. ‘Continuation of canal walk to Snareston’, ‘An extension to the canal may bring in more tourism to the area’. ‘Work with the Black to Green project’. However others have a conflicting opinion of tourism ‘Leave alone, already enough development i.e. Conkers, cycle hire, Youth Hostel, caravan site, pubs, walks/ trails, woods, pinic area, canal, Moira Furnace, DM’s’.  Sustainable travel’. ‘There is not a safe ‘sustainable’ route from Donisthorpe to Ashby, a route to link Hick’s Lodge to both Ashby and the Heritage Trail would be the solution’. ‘Cycle network improvements to Ashby, , Burton and Castle Gresley’. ‘Connect Conkers, Donisthorpe Woodland Park and Hicks Lodge’.’ A safe off road route from Donisthorpe to Ashby’.  Connections. ‘Better connections to the train stations (Burton and Tamworth) would enable people to use public transport readily’. ‘A train line would be good (as long as it doesn’t go through the village)’. ‘’Utilise the Ivanhoe Line for passenger traffic’.  Other. ‘One or two bus shelters nearer this end of Donisthorpe, Moira Road, Ashby Road and Scout Centre area’.

5) Conclusions and Recommendations

A number of suggestions made would need to be long term objectives, residents expectations need to be managed because of the current financial climate. However the following could be considered:

 A comprehensive review of the community buildings needs to be undertaken, their cost, usage and sustainability. Determine the requirements and aspirations of local people through structured engagement in order provide facilities likely to encourage greater use. Look into funding opportunities.  Undertake a review of existing recreation, sport and play spaces in order to better understand the current and forecast usage, condition and potential. Using this review, develop a mid to long term project plan in order to ensure that space is available for local residents to enjoy sport, play and outdoor activities. The project plan should identify areas for investment, such as equipment, facilities and pitch conditions whilst making provision for maintenance etc. Income streams should be investigated, including Parish Council support, grants and user fees.  A Good Neighbour Scheme should be considered. Operated by small groups of committed volunteers who provide an 'on call' service to vulnerable people. Good Neighbours Schemes can offer a range of support to suit the needs of their own community and the ability of their volunteers. The support offered may include: shopping, transport to appointments (medical and social), assistance with reading letters, collecting prescriptions, befriending or assistance with form filling/ internet access.  Encourage the Community Speed Watch volunteers to initiate a new campaign and hopefully attract more like- minded individuals to join the group.  Consider extended the Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in the village. Currently there are schemes covering Ashby Road, Church Street and Hill Street.  Utilise the ‘3 Views News’ to publicise the bus service currently available and timetables.  Consider listing the former Church Hall as a community asset.  Look into funding opportunities for more benches around the parish and refurbishing/ replacing the seating at the top of Church Street and turn the area into a focal/ entrance point of the village.

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Improve signage, introduce more planting and replace the memorial plaque stolen from the oak tree.  Community engagement. Residents would like to see the Parish Council engaged more with the community to help with initiatives such as the village litter picks and Memorial garden improvements.  The number and location of dog waste/ general bins needs to be reviewed and installing more general waste bins should be considered.  Involve the village primary school in a local history project.  Consider a ‘Donisthorpe in Bloom’ committee or a parish hanging basket competition perhaps?  Establish a working party to regularly maintain hedges adjacent to footpaths and walkways.

There are a number of sites that residents would like to see developed or used for an alternative purpose, these include:

 Talbot Place “lock up garages’. ‘This land (if council owned) could be developed for starter homes with proceeds going towards purchasing the site of former church hall for building of new hall’.  Church Hall site. Residents would be in favour of a purpose built community building on this site or altering the existing facility for this purpose.  Paddock to south of Ramscliffe Avenue. Apparently the site of the old bridge and station, the area is built on spoil and has methane monitoring points, deep fill stability issues may also preclude development of this site for the time being. Responses indicated that residents would prefer to see this land developed opposed to new green field site outside of the current building line of the settlement.  Paddock adjacent Ashlar Drive. The National Forest Company have previously looked into tree planting on the site, but a clear title to the land could not be established.  Ramscliffe Avenue. There are four large grassed areas where properties have been demolished because of subsidence. Written responses suggested tree planting or play equipment. These sites may be of interest to the National Forest Company who is looking for sites for community garden plots? There is also an area of hard standing, which may previously been garages?

Hard standing area on Ramscliffe Avenue

Responses suggested the following ideas as ‘developer contributions’:

 Creating new or refurbishing play areas for younger children  Help to fund pedestrian crossings or to assist with traffic calming/ speed reduction  Restoring the canal connection

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 More tree and shrub planting  Parking in the settlement is a real issue, could off road parking spaces for at least 3 vehicles be included in any future planning applications?

The RCC (Leics & Rutland) would be extremely happy to work on behalf of the Oakthorpe, Donisthorpe and Acresford Parish Council assisting with further consultation & engagement e.g. Feasibility Studies or single issue consultations to further define some of the above recommendations. The RCC (Leics and Rutland) would also be able to offer funding advice for individual projects.

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