Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension

Feasibility Study

Calvert Green Community Centre

Contents Page

Executive Summary Page 3

Introduction Page 4

Demand Influences Page 7 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014

Supply side findings Page 10

Shaping the type of development Page 11

Developing the assumption inputs for financial modelling Page 13

Financial Modelling assumptions Page 17

Concluding Comments Page 21

Appendix 1 – Desired outcomes of the community hall extension Page 22

Appendix 2 – Calvert Green Village Plan Page 23

Appendix 3 – Questionnaire to residents Page 28

Appendix 4 – Risk Assessment of the hall extension Page 50

Appendix 5 – Cover letter for proposed hall development Page 51

Appendix 6 –Proposed plan for gifting of land Page 53

Appendix 7 – Plans approved by AVDC Page 54

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The purpose of this study is to assess the financial viability of the on-going costs for the proposed Calvert Green Community Centre

The study focus is to understand the demand and supply influences 2. Our study focused on gaining an understanding of the type of facility and potential users of the future space. We sought to understand the following:

2 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014

 What is driving demand for the existing Community Centre and how should it be developed to capture future demand?  What is driving the demand for the various community meeting rooms and how can the building help meet this?

The study approach includes a wealth of consultations, reviews and close working with the Hall user committee and various stakeholders

3. To respond to this and gauge the general growth potential (up or down) we assessed the following:  Feedback received on the community consultation relating to the likely demand, general support and type of development favoured;  A survey and interviews with current meeting room providers (supply side) to inform venue rental rates and gaps in the supply;  Survey of key stakeholders to gauge the main demand generators for the proposal and wider community potential;  Consideration of wider demand generators as a consequence of key development proposals in Calvert Green and wider area;  Reviewed some headline statistics relating to population trends, existing Community Centre numbers, current Community Centre users & rental rates;  Reviewed and refined data on running cost assumptions.

The study findings show overwhelming support for the Hall Extension Plans

4. The conclusion is that the proposal is considered to be financially feasible after period of time over which proposal has had an opportunity to develop and stabilise. 5. There is overwhelming support for the proposed Hall Extension. The current Community Centre is in need of expansion and refurbishment. There is also a demand for more community meeting space particularly during weekdays. The key role of a community meeting space at this location would be to act as a draw for generating increased footfall for the Community Centre and bar, particularly at off peak periods. The two are inter-linked and should be treated as such. 6. The assessment has identified a number of very practical considerations about how the development should be designed – both internally and externally, much of this has been informed by the various consultations.

INTRODUCTION 1.1 The purpose of this study is to inform understanding of the type of new community facility proposed at Calvert Green intended to enhance the existing Community Centre and lives of the Calvert Green residents. The hypothesis is to develop a community centre incorporating an improved and expanded Village Hall which will become the hub of activity for the community and possible business users.

Study scope 1.2 The scope of this study is based on responding to the Village Plan see Appendix Two. This study has sought to:  Understand the current provision of meeting space and anticipated demand for the new facility proposed at Calvert Green.  Help to inform and refine the type of facility that should be provided at Calvert Green.  Make recommendations on design of the new facility based on feedback from the various consultations.  Refine the financial modelling initiated by the Hall Development team for the on-going running costs and income for this facility based on an assessment of the anticipated demand for the facility.

Study team 1.3 The project concept has been developed by a partnership comprising of the Calvert Green Parish Council, Calvert Green Hall Development Committee, Aylesbury Vale District Council, the residents of Calvert Green and various stakeholders who currently use the existing Community Centre.

The need for this study was identified in a risk assessment for the project Appendix Four 1.4 The Hall Development Committee have already undertaken some work to assess the redevelopment of the existing Community Centre; including a capital buildings feasibility study and initial sketch designs. The risk analysis informing this capital feasibility work identified the following: 1. A ground survey would need to be carried out once the feasibility study has been completed and provides a sound investment return. This is due to the nature of industry which occupied the land before Calvert Green was established. It was a former brickworks which had various Kilns and deep pits, many of the properties are built on raft foundations. There could also be a potential issue with disturbing contaminated land that has previously been treated. 2. Whether the land the proposed new Hall will occupy is to be gifted by AVDC or leased from AVDC. 3. Whether Calvert Green Parish Council continues to exist, there are currently four vacancies on the council, which means that there is significant risk of their not being enough members to carry out its duties. 4. Whether the Parish Council can meets its financial obligations of funding the repayments of any loans. Appendix Four has the full version of the risk assessment

A wide range of consultees have informed the study findings 1.5 We have worked closely with the Hall Development Committee, and consulted with a wide range of stakeholders and residents of Calvert Green to inform both the ‘demand and supply side assessment for this study. Many of the stakeholders interviewed and invited to the focus groups are currently users groups of the current Community Centre or involved in other related community projects/activities. 1.6 We are very grateful indeed to all those who have participated in the various community consultation surveys, telephone interviews, emails and focus group meeting to inform this study. The feedback from these consultations has been a critical input in shaping the study findings and recommendations. 1.7 Appendix One gives details of the desired outcomes of the community Hall Extension. Appendix two provides details of the Calvert Green Village plan, which involved a questionnaire of what the residents would like to see in the community. Appendix three provides details of a questionnaire completed by the residents of Calvert Green.

How will the study findings be used? 1.8 The research will be used to help inform the Hall Development Committee’s thinking on its current ‘concept plans’ for the proposed community building. In particularly, it will enable the Hall Development Committee to better understand the opportunities offered by this unique location and

4 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014 where to focus effort and resources. It will also help to refine thinking on the planned phased building of the project. 1.9 The brief is focused and as such we are not looking at issues such as alternative locations, build cost and maintenance costs for rebuilding, energy efficiency, planning permission, licensing, building regulations, management structures, taxation, VAT etc.

The Community Centre performs a very important role as a base for local businesses and sports facilities to engage with the local community in what is a very isolated part of Buckinghamshire. 1.10 We note the current role of the Community Centre, acknowledging that it performs a very important remit of delivering services to the community as well as operating as a commercial business. We are very mindful of the very important role performed by the Community Centre that helps bring the entire community together as well as engaging the population of other local villages which include Edgcott, Charndon, Steeple Claydon and Twyford.

Our approach adopts conservative estimates to inform the financial modelling 1.11 We have sought to adopt a commercially sensitive approach to this assessment, based on the fact that the development will need to ensure it is able to pay for itself, and will not become a liability to the local authority (who maybe ultimately responsible for the site). 1.12 Our aim has been to consider how this development can generate a reasonable level of Profit and benefit the wider community. In so doing, we have sought to provide an open and independent assessment of potential opportunities for further improvement of the current the Community Centre. 1.13 We have taken a cautious approach and tended to adopt conservative estimates for the assumption inputs informing the financial modelling. We worked closely with the Hall Development Committee, the Calvert Green Community Association (CGCA) and Parish Council on the cost and income estimates, adopting conservative estimates of demand and spend; and optimistic assumptions of costs, thus leaving considerable potential to exceed the income targets.

How was the idea for the hall re-development/extension first conceived? 1.14 Calvert Green is quite a unique village in that it was created some fifteen years ago using land previously used as a brick works. It sits next to a landfill site and incinerator, but offers a wildlife sanctuary for birds in the surrounding lakes and countryside. This is quite an isolated location, there being no footpaths/pavements connecting it to any of the other villages nearby. There are no other facilities in Calvert Green other than the current Community Centre. When the Parish Council was established, there was a ‘village plan’ developed, which engaged the entire Calvert Green community and asked the residents what they’d like to see to improve the village and improve the overall quality of life for its residents. The findings are attached in Appendix Two Calvert Green Village Plan. 1.15 So it is worth spending a few moments in understanding the priorities of the residents and how they then went about putting those thoughts on paper to capture all the ideas. The Hall Development was seen initially as providing a shop and better sports facilities, as well as trying to encourage local events inclusive for all the residents, young and old. See Appendix One – Desired Outcomes of the Community Hall Extension for further details. An extended Community Centre was identified by the community as part of a consultation exercise 1.16 In 2011, Calvert Green Parish Council undertook a consultation exercise to ascertain what the public wanted to see improved for the village. A report of the consultation findings was presented to Aylesbury Vale District Council outlining some possible future plans for Calvert Green. The most popular improvements suggested by a ‘large section of respondents’ was to create a bar, improve sports facilities and meeting rooms as part of the new Hall Development with more toilets and a cloakroom for the various events proposed to take place once the new hall has been built.

Aylesbury Vale District Council and Buckinghamshire County support more community facilities for Calvert Green 1.17 It has long been recognised by AVDC and Bucks CC that more facilities are needed for the residents of Calvert Green due to its unique location and isolation. There is approximately 35% social housing in the village and many don’t have access to their own transport, often having to rely on inadequate public transport; which is a limited service at weekends that doesn’t currently run beyond 7pm weeknights. 1.18 Calvert Green is situated next to a Landfill site where there is building work taking place for an incinerator. Due to start work in 2017 is the new HS2 which will run right past Calvert Green. There is also going to be an Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD) to support HS2 approximately half a mile away from Calvert Green. This will be a 24hr operation with over 600 employees. All these being considered Calvert Green is likely to be potentially cut off from many local services enjoyed in other local villages for example, Doctors surgery, Baby Clinic, Post office, Pre-Schools, Primary Schools, Shops and Pubs, whilst this is all being built and suffer many years of disruption as a consequence.

The idea has been gradually taking shape but has come to a head recently due to various events coinciding at the same time 1.19 The opportunity for an improved Community Centre has been gradually taking shape over a number of years but has come to a head more recently in response to:  The need to consider the upgrade of the existing Community Centre building (as well as toilets, bar area, meeting rooms and sports facilities) to facilitate a growing population in the Village and increased social housing (people need things to do).  The need for additional meeting facilities and recreational activities to support an increasing population and demand from other villages who acknowledge the Calvert Green Community Centre as offering the best site for events/activities with many attending classes from the surrounding villages.  A shortage of meeting space for a range of community activities in Calvert Green was identified by members of the Calvert Green Community Association (CGCA).

The redevelopment of the Community Centre presents an opportunity to provide additional community space 1.20 Hence the concept of creating a flexible community space as part of the wider Community Centre development project was taken forward by members of the Parish Council and Hall Development Committee. The redevelopment presented an opportunity to expand and redesign the existing Community Centre but also to meet the needs of the wider community.

Several options were considered before arriving at the preferred option 1.21 Several options for responding to the perceived need/demand have been considered by the Parish Council and Hall Development Committee during the consultation period, which concluded that the preferred option was to extend the existing facility, to include a bar area, increased toilet space, additional changing facilities, additional meeting rooms, more sports facilities and additional storage space to support a variety of potential community users, and include some office space to possibly use as the Hall Managers office, or rent out to other users (3rd parties) – thus generating a regular income stream for the venue.

What sort of building is envisaged? 1.22 There were initially a lot of views on what the new Community Centre should offer with regard to facilities to its local community and what it should look like, importantly everyone agreed that the Community Centre needed a bar area which should overlook the village green. The consultation

6 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014 process which took place in the summer of 2013 had various options for the hall use and designs that would best aid those options. Appendix Seven – Final Plans of the hall shows the layout which was eventually agreed and planning permission has been granted based on this plan. 1.23 These concept plans were important in helping to spark discussion amongst the community in responding to a plan that they could actually see rather than simply trying to imagine something, which is why there were many discussions with the key stakeholders of the Community Centre.

Who will manage the facility? 1.24 The final management structure is yet to be developed/decided, but it is envisaged this space will be managed on a ‘not for profit’ basis, where any surplus generated will be put back into the building /community to support community activities in the future. 1.25 The day to day management of the building could be undertaken by either the Calvert Green Community Association (CGCA) or another newly created committee, yet to be decided or discussed. However, any decisions regarding the management of the building will need to be approved by the Hall User Committee, Hall Development Committee and Parish Council. 1.26 The overall responsibility for the proposed building and any financial or other liabilities will be held by the Calvert Green Parish Council. Aylesbury Vale District Council, are yet to inform Calvert Green Parish Council of whether the land for the hall extension is to be gifted or leased. It is hoped that this land will be gifted.

Study report structure 1.27 Having described the scope of this study, the origins for this development and how the idea of this scheme came about, the rest of this report is structured as follows: 2 DEMAND INFLUENCES FOR THE NEW COMMUNITY CENTRE 2.1 The starting point to this assessment is to understand the likely factors that might affect demand for the proposed Hall Extension Project. We piece this aspect of the assessment by building a picture of the following developments:  Demand influence 1: The operation of the existing Community Centre by Calvert Green Community Association and the increased need to provide community activities especially for the youth of the village.  Demand influence 2: Some recent and possible future developments in the surrounding area relating to the Landfill, Incinerator, HS2 & IMD and hence demand for the Community Centre and community venue for meetings and liaison groups.  Demand influence 3: Future population forecasts and demographic context for the area..  Demand influence 4: Other Village wide developments that will bear a relation to the proposed Community Centre. It is hoped that new and improved Community Centre will enhance village life for other local communities in the vicinity. 2.2 An understanding of this context provides a valuable insight about the external developments that could inform the strength of ‘demand’ for the proposed Community Centre and venue facilities in Calvert Green. We briefly consider each of these ‘context’ areas in turn. Demand influence 1: The existing Community Centre and role of Calvert Green Community Association 2.3 Understanding the operation of the existing Community Centre by Calvert Green Community Association and the way the CGCA will deliver their wider services will inform thinking for the proposed Community Centre and community venue.

Background to the operation of the current Community Centre 2.4 Calvert Green Community Association CGCA have been managing the Community Centre for over three years, they have built up a good reputation and have a strong customer base consisting of

7 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014 various users of the hall including a Karate Club, Circuits class, Tap dancing, WI, and Outside meetings from other companies. The building is operated as a Community Centre to serve the Calvert Green Community.2.5 The Community Centre is available for use 365 days per year, with a limited number of dates already pre-disposed by the CGCA for local events/activities. There is an online Calendar which shows when the hall is in use and people are encouraged to book the hall using the online portal. There have been several instances when the hall could have been booked several times over and this emphasis the need to increase the space available to hold several meetings/activities on the same day at the same time.

2.6 There is currently seating in the existing Community Centre for approx 90 seats, and is often full to capacity when the CGCA hold events in the existing hall, there is much demand for the events, especially during the winter months and current seating capacity restricts the number of people who can attend these events, especially with over 1000 residents. The CGCA feel that with extra space available they would be able to cater for more people who wish to attend these events, thus increasing the revenue for the Community Centre. 2.7 The CGCA also hold events for the Youth Club, which take place every two weeks. They are enjoyed many of the younger residents and can often provide well needed space for them to ‘hang out’. The Community Centre currently has Badminton playing equipment and this is hired out at a nominal rate per hour. 2.8 The Community Centre is currently run by the CGCA. They organise and manage the hall bookings and run several events throughout the year for the residents of Calvert Green. They pay for maintenance towards the Community Centre. 2.9 Customer feedback on the Community Centre has been very positive with comments highlighting that it provides good value for residents. The CGCA are highly regarded and valued by all the residents of Calvert Green, there continuing existence is vital to the ongoing development of the Community Centre. 2.10 Going forward, if the Community Centre was enhanced to provide more services/facilities to the community of Calvert Green the revenue generated by the extension could provide a regular use of one office space, a bar that would be an income stream in its own right and various meeting rooms which could generate more revenue on a weekly basis and so ensure a good steady income source for this facility. 2.11 There is scope for a gym to be built as part of the new development, but this can easily be turned into a much needed local shop if it is deemed too expensive / of little demand to make it financially viable. Demand influence 2: Recent and future developments within the surrounding area of Calvert Green 2.12 Calvert Green is situated next to a Landfill site, which is nearing the end of operation. There is currently an Incinerator being built just beyond the existing Landfill site. HS2 will be running through the Landfill operation making use of its existing Railway line and running along the back of Calvert Green Village directly affecting ‘Old Calvert’. There will also be an Infrastructure Maintenance Depot built no more than half a mile away from Calvert Green, employing over 600 staff. This is to provide ongoing support to the HS2 project. Calvert Green will be impacted in many ways. Whilst this is being built, many roads will be closed and subsequently there will be a lot of disruption to the residents of Calvert Green. It currently has no other facilities other than the existing Community Centre, there isn’t even a local shop.

Who are the main users of the Community Centre at present? 2.13 Calvert Green Community Centre is open to all users and is well used by various groups particularly those with young children for the Catepillars Club, and Soft Play Sessions, various sports activities including Circuits, Badminton, Karate, Tap dancing, Football and Yoga. There are a number

8 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014 of other groups who are attracted to the Community Centre for specific meetings relating to the Incinerator build, other council meetings, Consultations during the HS2 process, childrens parties and the Womens Institute. The CGCA also hold numerous events throughout the year. The green space outside is often the venue for the Summer Fayre, and other fundraising activities that require a large outside area.

There are some exciting new projects planned for the Community Centre which will widen the ‘draw’ to the area 2.14 There are a number of exciting new plans to enhance the Community Centre further, including proposals for:  There is an opportunity to extend the existing MUGA which currently is outlined for basketball to incorporate tennis and netball. It is hoped that there will be leagues developed to engage the surrounding villages and enhance village life for many in the local area, encouraging them to spend time in the bar afterwards.  At the moment the hall is limited in the number of events/meetings it can hold at any one time, therefore by providing more opportunity to hold more at the same time, we utilise energy therefore obtaining efficiencies through use. They may also use the bar as a pre- meeting and after meeting point, thus generating more revenue for the Community Centre.  With the establishment of a bar area, there is increased opportunity to hold BBQ events and offer food at some point in the future, enhancing facilities for the local residents and surrounding areas, which could prove vital during the winter months, when very little goes on as there is nothing else to do that would engage the community.

Demand influence 3: Future population forecasts and demographics 2.15 Future population forecasts and demographic changes in the area have impacted Calvert Green significantly. The extra 98 houses recently completed in 2014 have increased the population to over 1000 and the need for more local services has never been greater. None more noticeable than the increase of children under 1yrs. Which instigated the need for the Health Visitors to attend at least one of the Catepillars sessions once a month to offer a baby clinic. They noticed a significant increase in social housing and single parent families in the area combined with the fact few had access to their own transport decided to take action and offer a local service. It has been a huge success and greatly welcomed by the community. 2.16 With the increased working opportunities in the area (HS2, IMD & Incinerator, all should attract more people to the area), it will increase the need for more housing, therefore Calvert Green and the surrounding villages can only expand as a result. This puts more pressure on local facilities or the lack of them in Calvert Green and the surrounding areas. 2.17 David Wilson Homes are looking into building a further 100 or so houses on houses to the West of Calvert Green, this will impact upon the existing population of Calvert Green and traffic in the area significantly. The need for more facilities will be greater. Population and demographic changes 2.18 Understanding demographic changes will inform the direction of general demand for facilities in the Calvert Green Area. The following are some headline statistics that inform our assumptions for the financial modelling:  The Vale of Aylesbury Plan Calvert Green Fact Pack November 2011 highlighted that there are now 400 houses within Calvert Green, 302 being built during the original development and a further 98 completed in 2013. At the time of the Fact pack there were 11 families awaiting housing on the council housing register. The report also highlighted the following;  There is now a lack of infrastructure and community facilities

 There was already a deficit and with the 98 additional homes recently developed/being developed then that will be exacerbated  Specifically a school, sports facilities/something for young people, shop extension to the community hall, and possibly a pub or seating area within the community hall  The community engagement process will be of use not only in the Community View consultation but also in providing evidence for commenting on future planning applications  The community was not properly consulted or listened to with the 98 homes development and want to be more involved in the future Fact Pack November 2011 Source The Vale of Aylesbury Plan Calvert Green

Demand influence 4: Other village wide developments 2.19 Two local infant schools situated in Twyford village and Marsh Gibbon village are currently being extended to take children up to year six, showing there is an increased demand for school places in the local vicinity. 2.20 The village shop in Twyford has recently been extended and improved to offer a cafe, which has been very successful. 2.21 Steeple Calydon is set to expand with more social housing being planned in the near future. 2.22 Should HS2 go ahead Calvert Green will see much more traffic and people in the area, the IMD will create 600 jobs and will increase demand for housing in the local area. More facilities will be needed to facilitate this influx of people. 2.23 More new homes are under negotiation to be built in Calvert Green, expanding the existing site, therefore more facilities will be needed to encompass this additional development. 2,24 There is a plan for a ‘national park’ to be established near the IMD site which will attract potentially many visitors to the local area, increasing traffic on our roads and the need for more public facilities in the area. This has yet to go through the planning application stage.

Headline points stemming from the demand side assessment 2.25 The headline messages stemming from the various demand influences are summarised below.  The current Community Centre is well used, frequently full and in need of expansion. The outdoor space and village green are important, as is the existing MUGA  The CGCA provide an invaluable array of events throughout the year that engage the immediate community as well as the surrounding communities with many events being open to surrounding villages.  There are some important local developments which could affect demand for the Community Centre, these include focus groups for HS2, Incinerator and IMD this could potentially increase demand for meeting rooms as many would like to use the local community facilities to enhance revenue and better relationships with the community, by being seen to give something back.

3 SUPPLY SIDE FINDINGS FOR COMMUNITY SPACE 3.1 In this section we outline the survey findings of a number of questionnaires conducted with residents in the area – this is termed the supply side analysis for Hall Development. This research was undertaken to determine if there is a shortage in community facilities and seek to gain a greater understanding about the main users of Community Centre, what times of day are most popular and the likely hire charges that groups are accustomed to paying. 3.2 As part the study requirement, we researched and produced a detailed assessment of the various community meeting venues in the area. This information has been captured on an Excel spread sheet, and provided to the client team. The spreadsheet records data under various headings including name, contact details, web address, capacity, access facilities, cost information and additional facilities data. The spreadsheet has been

10 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014 set up to allow interrogation of different features and can be regularly updated.

Semi structured interviews were conducted of venue providers 3.3 The main providers of meeting venues in the Calvert Green area are the various churches and village halls. 3.4 The findings from these questionnaires are summarised in appendix three titled ‘Questionnaire to Residents’. It is important to note that this type of research cannot be considered as scientific, as much of the findings relied on questionnaires, not all residents responded to the survey. However, due to the consistency of the key messages we got back, we are confident that the headline messages coming from this assessment are true and provide an invaluable information base for informing the financial modelling. Headline points stemming from the supply side assessment 3.5 The headline messages stemming from the venue provider survey are summarised below.  Demand is unquestionably high. The Community Centre is not constantly at full capacity in particular during the day and at weekends, but a large majority of enquiries for bookings result in the hall potentially being double booked. Part of the problem is that much of the demand arises for the same time periods.  With a lot of enquiries regarding the use of the hall for meetings during the evening when sports activities are taking place, the extension would increase the opportunity for these to take place at the same time.  Parent and toddler groups also seem a very popular user group. There is also demand during the school holidays for events to take place, ‘Play in the Parishes’ is a particularly busy event, if the Community Centre had increased facilities, it may be able to hold more of these events in the future.  There was an overwhelming response to a pub/bar facilities for the local residents. Having a focal meeting point for residents to congregate encourages community awareness and increases neighbourhood spirit, engaging and empowering residents to build on the community spirit that holds strong within Calvert Green.  £15 an hour seems to be a good proxy for a standard venue rental rate for a range of accommodation with varying quality and access standards, although a number of places offer discounts to regular users, charities, etc. The user groups are price sensitive and cannot necessarily afford / or are not prepared to pay more.  In respect of the rental charges, users of the Hall are currently charged £12 per hour, this would increase to £15 due to the enhanced facilities being offered. This is not a significant increase, but it could pose an issue to the current hirers of the Community Centre who may feel that this is too high a price to pay. 4 SHAPING THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT TO BE PROVIDED 4.1 As part of this study, we were keen to understand how new demand might be generated for the Community Centre and views on the physical design of the development. To inform this, there was a number of discussion groups and consultations on the options available to the residents of Calvert Green, which were on display at the community centre in 2013. There was then the creation of the Hall User Committee to ensure that the users of the hall were represented during the consultation process to ensure their needs were considered throughout the whole process as its these who would be affected the most.

4.2 There was a real sense of excitement at the potential opportunities this development could bring to the community. The consultations have provided some innovative ideas and a lot of very practical suggestions on how to design the development and implement the delivery. This section highlights the comments and suggestions made and then summaries

11 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014 the key messages for the proposed development. 4.3 This section captures some of the suggestions made by these consultees relating to:  The physical development of the Community Centre.  The development of a range of events to attract custom for the Community Centre.

The physical development of the Community Centre 4.4 The following is a short summary of understanding what works well and why and what does not work well and why in relation to the Community Centre and will help to inform the physical development of the Community Centre. Table 5.1 summary of what works and does not work for the existing Community Centre What Works Well What Doesn’t Work Well The current set up with the CGCA and the events that Hall bookings can sometimes take time and require a they put on for the local community lot of admin handling the number of queries The number of volunteers that the community call Storage space is limited upon to help out at events Every penny is ploughed back into the community to There can only be one event taking place at any one engage residents in future activities time in the hall and there are often times when the hall can be booked out several times over The current site provides an excellent location Lack of shop and other facilities for the residents to enjoy There are many users of the existing hall from surrounding villages attending the fitness classes ? What does not work well for the café? Development of events programme associated with the Community Centre 5.6 The key to the success of the Community Centre will be to encourage people to use to it maximum potential, especially outside the peak times (evenings) and whilst in the Community Centre people should feel enticed to use the bar. A number of ideas were suggested by our consultees, some based on developing activities/events in the Community Centre itself and others around attracting users to the community venue who in turn might use the Community Centre pub.

Events to encourage people to use the Community Centre outside of peak times 5.7 The Community Centre could become the hub for other (new and existing) events that make use of the Community Centre all year round and include afternoon tea, cookery classes, cake decorating, crafting sessions and paint classes, to name but a few ideas. As well as encouraging sports events like leagues for Netball, Football, Basketball and Badminton with other villages, engaging the rural community in the surrounding area.

Weekday demand is likely to come from the users of the Community Centre 5.8 There appears considerable week day time demand for the community Centre from user groups such as toddler groups. They require a flexible space for learning and playing in a creative way including toddler indoor soft play, learning about healthy food and a range of adult classes which could be run for residents who don’t work but would like to get out into the community more.

Weekend demand would need to be generated from new sources 5.9 Effort is likely to be needed to generate new demand for the Community Centre at weekends and summer holidays in particular. There are a number of opportunities that have been identified that focus on community use (rather than business use), and make the most of the slack in use from the main likely regular user groups. These uses tend to focus on celebrations, parties and events: Hosting events, wedding receptions, functions and parties, offering food in the bar area at weekends

5.10 Calvert Green is an attractive place to hold events, with wide open green space to host the biggest of events, including a summer concert held in 2013. With enhanced facilities it could be the venue for other events throughout the year above what the CGCA already host. 5.11 A number of the existing park user groups have social events, functions and parties and could use the community venue for this with catering provided by the community centre. Hosting specialist weekend events 5.12 It is possible to host specialist events at the venue, or at least trial some, such as art / book launches, art deco events selling specialist goods, antiques events, Christmas craft fair, wine tasting, cheese and port nights, quizzes, ballroom dancing, cake decorating, cookery classes etc. Other general comments 5.13 Alcohol and noise could be an issue to surrounding properties and care should be taken on the trial of these working closely with the community. Headline points stemming from the stakeholder consultations 5.14 The main points stemming from this consultation are as follows:  The residents emphasised the importance of the Community Centre in creating a very unique community asset and focal point for community events. The Community Centre needs to be at the heart of this development, with additional community space as the secondary element.  The importance of designing in linkages to the external space of the Community Centre should not be underestimated, outside seating should be created as an option and views onto the village green should be an integral part of the design.  Developing a series of events for the Community Centre and the wider Community Venue will be critical in generating off peak demand for the Community Centre. The Community Centre and the wider community venue in particular could operate in a symbiotic relation, each depends upon each other and generating custom and trade for each other. 5 DEVELOPING THE ASSUMPTION INPUTS FOR FINANCIAL MODELLING 5.1 In this section we pull together our assessment of the likely demand, spend and existing supply considerations and set out target figures for sales, costs to inform the financial modelling in the next section. It is important to note that our assessment relates to the post construction element of the project. We have adopted a conservative approach to estimating income 5.2 As a rule, we have adopted a conservative / cautious approach to estimating the revenue targets. This is for two reasons. Firstly, to ensure that we are not setting up a delivery plan that is difficult to achieve and so likely to fail; but also to provide funders and wider stakeholders with the confidence to know that there is considerable scope for growth if delivery is instigated on a strong ‘commercial’ footing but with community engagement at the heart. What are the main income generators for this development? 5.3 Based on the assessment of the market and site potential, we consider the main income generators for this development are likely to be as follows:  A bigger, modernised, inviting Community Centre will be the main focus of the scheme and offers considerable commercial potential and opportunities for community development/events.  The bar and BBQ area would generate a significant revenue for the community centre, with the added bonus of a kitchen, in the future there may be the opportunity to provide meals, scope for an additional revenue stream. The bar area can also be open throughout the day and at weekends, utilising its facilities as much as possible. It can also act as a cafe and really become an integral part of the community.  The various flexible meeting rooms (three meeting rooms), which as well as generating

income, these will provide an important community facility.  The office space, this will provide a valuable space which can be hired out, generating an income stream or used internally.  Events catering could also be a potential revenue stream. Hiring out the kitchen during events at the Community Centre, could boost attendees and revenue.  A much needed local shop could be the hub of the community.  Other potential ideas that have not been developed as they require greater initial planning. 5.4 We consider each of the above income generators briefly in the following paragraphs. The Community Centre will be the main commercial income driver of this development 5.5 The Community Centre is the central element of this business model and has considerable potential to expand its current business, which is too small to meet current demand, let alone the forecast growth. The business development opportunities for the Community Centre are tremendous, as there is considerable footfall already for current events and hall bookings. With careful planning and use of the community venue and increased events programme, considerable new business could be generated by engineering increased footfall at off peak periods. The bar area and village hall need to be treated as mutually dependent, the hall will be important as a generator of footfall for the bar rather than income in its own right.

The bar and BBQ area is another major income driver of this development 5.6 Having a bar and BBQ area offers a huge revenue potential not only for when events are on at the Community Centre, but throughout the year. There are no footpaths connecting the surrounding villages which forces people to use the treacherous main roads. At night these are not lit and pose a serious threat to safety if used in this manner. Having a bar enhances community life for the residents of Calvert Green. It becomes a focal meeting point for residents and non-residents attending meetings etc. It will also be used at evenings and weekends. With the potential in the future to offer food should there be a demand, this is possibly the quickest revenue winners of the project. 5.7 The other advantage of having the bar, is that people don’t have to hire out a meeting room for an informal meeting they can take place in the bar. There are endless ideas as to the type of events that can be held in the bar.

The flexible meeting rooms have potential for various community functions 5.8 Our assessment identified there is potential for a range of revenue generating social and community events that could be hosted in the main hall. These events could include wedding receptions, parties, antique fairs, art and craft fairs, learning / classrooms, mini sports, tea dances, indoor toddler tennis, etc. Many of these are likely to take place at the weekends and so will compliment the weekday peak demand times for the other meeting room uses. 5.9 We do not expect there to be much demand from mainstream business users for business conference type uses at this venue as there are other purpose built facilities to cater for this, elsewhere. The smaller meeting rooms are likely to be in high demand 5.10 Our assessment indicates a reasonable demand potential for the two smaller meeting rooms, if the hire price is competitive. There is considerable demand potential from a number of community groups such as toddler groups and workshops for daytime, week days (term time) use. The main demand for these rooms will be during weekday evenings.

The single office space could be hired out on a monthly/annual basis 5.11 There is scope to include some office space into the design of the building and this will generate a good regular source of income, if it is decided that this should be rented to a third party.

Event catering provided by the Community Centre for possible events in the meeting rooms or elsewhere 5.12 Events taking place on site at the meeting rooms or off site will provide an additional source of income generation using the Community Centre facilities during off peak periods to prepare for events. Should the events that take place at Calvert Green become too big for the CGCA or committees established (yet to be decided), then there is the potential to hire out the kitchen to a third party to provide the catering at these events.

Aspects not assessed but could be considered as part of the detailed scheme design 5.13 Included in the plans for the Community Centre is room for a gym, this is currently under discussion as to the commercial viability of such a venture and whether this would benefit the community more as being free of charge. This decision is out of the scope of this exercise, but important to note a possible additional revenue stream.

Demand generators and assumptions inputs 5.14 Based on our assessment of the context, we propose a gradual growth projection in the business model over a five year period. Below we consider some of the demand considerations that have informed our assumption inputs.

Events and marketing will be important in generating ‘targeted demand’ to support off peak capacity 5.15 During the early setting up years, it might be prudent to set aside a sum of funds designed to support the development of a number of targeted events programmes, marketing and promotion to attract people into the Community Centre during off peak periods. As well as attracting off peak custom, this is also intended to ensure that a mix of community groups from different age groups and backgrounds start to use and feel welcomed at the Community Centre. This budget will also help to ensure the Community Centre can really begin to perform the type of focal point that residents have said they would like to see here. This budget maybe used to seek other funding and support to develop activities in Calvert Green.

Events and marketing will continue to play an important role beyond creating the initial buzz 5.16 During the initial development stage where considerable resources and effort will be needed, particularly in the first two years to ‘generate a demand’ for the meeting rooms on offer, entice people into the Community Centre and to iron out teething problems. However, it should be noted that the initial focus on events development will need to continue beyond the first two years, particularly as there is a tendency for new facilities to experience an initial surge in demand and then dip. For this reason, we have maintained an events / marketing budget of £1000 as an ongoing cost to enable work with various community groups to allow increased use of the space created and maintain the momentum created. The importance of this should not be underestimated. Utilising the CGCA’s vast advertising and marketing expertise is a must for the future success of the development.

The current Community Centre size and staff resources are constraining demand 5.17 There is already unmet demand that is constrained by the size of the Community Centre. We expect that very early on, with good marketing, there will be potential for demand to rise to capture the current unmet demand potential for the Community Centre and meeting venues. Indeed, with

15 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014 imagination, the Community Centre could become a place which people regularly ‘pop in’ when passing by, to see what’s on. A development of activities during weekdays should also be considered, in particular during the school holidays when many families and children are at home. If there is ongoing demand for these activities, staffing resources to run them on a voluntary basis could be the leading constraint to providing these for the community.

5.8 Table below showing conservative estimates of capacity, revenue and expenditure

Bar Main Hall Meeting Room Meeting Room 1 2 Seating Capacity 32 chairs 80 covers 8 bar stools 120 non seated Additional Bookings pa 12 @ £15 per 12 @ £12 per 12 @ £12 per hour hour hour No of Customers pa 3,000 based on at least 4 visits pa for each resident Avg spend per customer £6 Total estimated revenue pa £18,000 £180 £144 £144 Additional (£4,000) Maintenance/Heating/lighting pa Net revenue of new £14,000 £180 £144 £144 development Current – cramped Assumptions estimates for the Hall Development 5.9 Conservative estimates on the number of people frequenting the bar per annum. There are approximately 1000 residents in Calvert Green not everyone will visit the bar, not everyone will frequent it as many times as 4 visits per annum, however there are some who will frequent the bar on a more regular basis and therefore more often than 4 times per annum. This is also not taking into account attendance at the events organised by the CGCA, these are out of the scope of this exercise. This estimate is based on no additional events taking place/being organised and is purely based on footfall. 5.10 An estimate of spend per person is based on the assumption that each person will buy at least two drinks per visit. This could also be increased if the opening of the facility was during the day or coincided with meeting room bookings, as there would be an encouragement to use the bar facilities before and after events. Should the existing MUGA be extended, there is increased potential for sports facilities being offered and with offering modern changing rooms, there is increasing potential for the teams to stay for drinks afterwards. The assumption is not based on any food available at the venue during the times when the bar is open. 5.11 Hall bookings are in addition to the existing bookings and based on one extra booking per month per meeting room. It is assumed that the meeting room/hall bookings will continue to be carried out by the CGCA. It is estimated that the current cost of hiring the existing hall per hour will increase from £12 to £15 per hour due to the enhanced facilities being offered, however this rate has yet to be established/discussed in any detail. The smaller meeting rooms will be cheaper to hire and will be £12 per hour, this is in line with local Church venues and Village Halls in the local area, which don’t offer the bar and sports facilities as Calvert Green will then offer, therefore be far more attractive to potential hirers.

5.12 Maintenance costs are based on the incremental usage of the Hall and community venue, cleaning costs are covered by the CGCA, whether this continues will need to be decided. 5.13 As these facilities will be offered and run on a voluntary basis, there is limited time people can offer and events that can take place to generate revenue, therefore there is no increased demand or trending data expected at this time. The basic assumptions secure the feasibility of the project, it is expected that once the business plan has been completed, it will provide more analysis on the trends and future potential growth for the project.

6 FINANCIAL MODELLING SUMMARY 6.1 This section of the report summarises the assumptions discussed in the previous section and sets out the overall revenue and costs. 6.2 In considering these figures it is important to note:  These figures must be considered as indicative, no responsibility can be taken if the out turns vary from the figures presented.  This assessment does not include a formal VAT assessment. While we believe that the amount of unrecoverable VAT will be minimal this will need to be confirmed by an expert VAT assessment in due course.

The current financial situation Room Hire Main meeting room annually generates an annual income in excess of £6,000 per annum, based on numbers supplied by the CGCA. These are a mix of regular hirers for and private functions. Hire charge £12 per hour to non residents and business users, and £10 per hour to all residents of Calvert Green.

Events currently run by the CGCA At the moment all events are currently run by the CGCA, they generate a revenue in excess of £9,000 per annum, generating the most revenue from the Summer Fayre, which enables them to put on the Fireworks Display free of charge to local residents. The children’s Halloween and Christmas parties are then offered to residents at much subsidised rates, but are often over- subscribed and they have to turn many families away.

Staffing All events and caretaking duties are currently done on a voluntary basis – there are always people willing to help out within the community.

The Calvert Green Community Association (CGCA) is a charitable organisation who provide events for the local residents, they are entirely voluntary and put everything back into the local community.

6.3 It is important to note that the CGCA will continue to operate in the same/similar capacity, therefore using the CGCA’s current financial figures should be used for indicative purposes only.013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Changes in demand over time 6.4 The increases in demand can only happen in the current operating climate if the CGCA expand its operation or there is a separate committee set up to run the bar and subsequent events outside the current remit of the CGCA. Decisions on what the new operation will consist of are out of the scope of this exercise, therefore we will concentrate on the costs and revenues associated with the Hall Development project. 6.5 Estimated cost of the build is expected to be along the lines of £572,880, this is a conservative estimate based on the proposed square footage requested from AVDC (gifting of land) and the

17 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014 current square footage of the existing land already owned by the Calvert Green Parish Council. The Parish Council have been quoted (actual more detailed estimates have been requested and we are awaiting updates on this) £1,100 per square foot to build, there are approx 372 square metres of land being gifted from AVDC, which equates to £1,100 x 372 sqm = £409,200. However, there is an additional amount of land currently owned by the Parish Council which is to be utilised (we have made a conservative estimate of this space due to not being supplied with absolute measurements from the architect), therefore we have used the base figure of £409,200 x 1.4 = £572,880. The 1.4 being an estimate of the size of the additional building required for the full extension. 6.6 There needs to be mention of the current location of the patio doors on the existing plans. These open out onto land which is not being gifted by AVDC. 6.7 Table 6.8 summarises the cost assumptions that will be involved in the Community Centre and meeting room operation. These have been informed by the current café operation and amended as required. Most of the costs are relatively fixed, with the exception of catering consumables and staffing. We have made allowances for maintenance but we would expect this to be refined as the building design progresses and the whole life costing are developed. This building design development should also refine the energy consumption costs. 6.9 The maintenance allowance might not be sufficient to cover any significant vandalism damage. We expect that the eventual design will minimise the opportunities for damage and that the insurance will take some of the risk.

Table 6.8 Summary of cost assumptions based on stakeholder information (from the business plan) per annum Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 Cost of build (estimated) £572,880 Maintenance £4,000 £4,000 £4,000 £4,000 £4,000 heating/lightin g Estimated costs £15,000 of bar Maintenance of £2,000 £2,000 £2,000 £2,000 £2,000 Bar/equipment Audio visual £5,000 equipment Staff costs £3,000 £3,000 £3,000 £3,000 Total Per £592,880 £6,000 £9,000 £9,000 £9,000 £9,000 Annum Where Year 0 = build year 6.10 If there is an opportunity to incorporate renewable energy into the building design this will assist in reducing the running costs as well as providing revenue through energy sales through the Feed in Tariff. 6.11 Included in the costs is an amount for staff to man the bar. This is a potential opportunity area for growth, the current situation is reliant on volunteers, but the bar area to grow and be available for use, it needs to be opened during the day, to reach its full potential and to get sufficient volunteers to be able to do this, is a tall ask, therefore there is a very conservative estimate of costs for staffing the bar. If there are sufficient volunteers willing to run the bar during the day and at weekends, these costs can then be avoided. This could just be for coffee mornings and to provide a focal point during the day for all residents. There is also the potential to offer food which is another potential area for growth in the future.

Headline points stemming from the revenue and cost assessments

6.12 Table 6.13 summarises the revenues and costs associated with the operation of the Community Centre and its meeting rooms. 6.14 Costs associated with the running of the Community Venue have been estimated based on information supplied by stakeholders and members of the Hall Development Committee. 6.15 It is important to re-emphasis that the salary costs are only based on the employing someone to man the bar during weekdays, evenings and weekends, which was recognised as being a growth potential for revenue. It is not mandatory to do this. In addition to the bar opening hours being increased to capture revenue throughout the day, there is also a potential for food to be served at peak times, this is another potential growth area not included in the study. 6.16 Estimated revenue generated by the bar does not include any additional revenue created by the bar being open weekdays. 6.17 The loan repayments that the Parish Council will pay are not included in these calculations because the ability of the community centre to breakeven does not bear any relation to the Parish Council being able to cover the loan payments of any loan taken out to secure the funds for the Hall Development. 6.18 The gym/office/shop revenue is a very conservative estimate. There is considerable debate as to whether Calvert Green needs a gym and the revenue assumption is based on the rental obtained per annum hiring out the space as an office. If the space is to be used as a gym, then the revenue obtained could be greater than estimated in the above table. The community is also in need of a shop, the space earmarked for the gym could easily be turned into such should the community decide this is the better option for the community. 6.19 It is estimated that the project will generate a profit in the first five years, however this is because the Parish Council will be taking responsibility of covering the repayments of the loan, which is estimated to be approximately £300,000, if they cannot secure funding from other areas. The Hall extension project is likely to cost nearer to £600,000 than the original £300,000 assumed. Therefore the Parish Council need to secure more grants for the project than was originally assumed. If this doesn’t happen, the project cannot go ahead as planned. However, the project can be built in phases, with the possibility of funding be secured for each phase of the build. This should be determined by the priorities of the community.

Table 6.13 Shows estimates and growth potential of the project at a very high level Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 Expenditure per annum

Cost of build (estimated) £572,880 Maintenance £4,000 £4,000 £4,000 £4,000 £4,000 heating/lighting Estimated costs £15,000 of bar Maintenance of £2,000 £2,000 £2,000 £2,000 £2,000 Bar/equipment Staff costs - bar £3,000 £3,000 £3,000 £3,000 Audio/visual £5,000 equipment Revenue per annum New Homes (£200,000) Bonus Grant WREN Grant (£100,000) Contribution (£20,000) from CGPC Contribution (£30,000) from CGCA Estimated (£18,000) (£18,900) (£19,845) (£20,837) (£21,879) Revenue from Bar Estimated (£468) (£500) (£525) (£551) (£579) revenue from Meeting rooms Potential (£3,000) (£3,150) (£3,308) (£3,473) (£3,647) Gym/Office rental/shop Total £242,880 (£15,468) (£13,650) (£14,678) (£15,861) (£17,105) (Surplus)/Defici t per annum

Year 0 being the build year, costs and revenues are estimates and a full business plan is being developed. Grant applications are estimates and the shortfall will be made up of a loan that the Parish Council will take responsibility for meeting the financial obligations. If the Parish Council can secure grants for the full value of the building costs, there will be no requirement for a loan to be sought.

7 CONCLUDING COMMENTS 7.1 The purpose of this study was to assess the financial viability of the on-going costs of the proposed Hall extension and development of the existing Community Centre. 7.2 Our concluding comments are as follows:

 There is tremendous support for the development of the Community Centre see appendix three, Questionnaire to residents. There is buzz and excitement about the full potential of the Community Centre not simply as an income generator for the Community but also as an opportunity to add to the strong community cohesion of the area.  There are some important guiding principles provided from the various consultations undertaken in relation to the way the Community Centre and bar in particular should be developed. It should be carefully designed and managed to make it welcoming to all. Finally, this should be seen as the ‘people’s Community Centre’ and considerable thought is needed in the naming, branding and marketing.  As a result of our assessment, we would add an additional element to the proposal, is the consideration to develop the existing MUGA. This is in an ideal place and surrounded by trees. There is no requirement at present for any additional sports facilities should this area be enhanced and developed to cater for more sports, including Netball, Football and Tennis (if possible).  The existing hall is too small to cater for the demand of the community and not operating at its full potential due to space restrictions. There is likely to be considerable unmet demand simply from providing a bigger and better venue, the trend for this demand is expected to grow reflecting wider initiatives. However, there will need to be a strong events programme to capture new growth and strong commercial management of the development if this is the wish of community in the future.  There is a small demand for community space, particularly in the week days and new ‘demand’ could be generated to capture this in particular during school holidays. However, the critical role of the Community Centre will be in helping to generate customers for the bar, particularly at off peak periods.  The Community Centre needs to maintain a flexible space, with scope to extend into one large room or at least two smaller rooms. The space should be fitted out with a view to attracting various community related user ranging from toddler play and could even be used for adult learning, should there be demand to do so. Exercise classes, wedding and other celebrations through to weekend events such as art exhibition launches, art deco fairs and the like. We do not expect the venue to have a massive commercial client base.  The financial model (sections 6 and 7) assumption inputs using the best information possible. However they must be considered as indicative, no responsibility can be taken if the out turns vary from the figures presented.  The project is currently proposed to be built in stages, this is to ensure that the Parish Council don’t overstretch themselves financially and to obtain as many grants as possible to aid the funding of this very much needed project.  Since the study has taken place, AVDC are investigating the possibility of gifting all the green areas in Calvert Green to the Calvert Green Parish Council. 7.3 In considering these figures it is important to note;

 These figures must be considered as indicative, no responsibility can be taken if the out turns vary from the figures presented below.  This assessment does not include a formal VAT assessment. While we believe that the amount of unrecoverable VAT will be minimal this will need to be confirmed by an expert VAT assessment in due course.

Appendix One - Desired Outcomes of the Community Hall Extension

Based on the responses received as part of the village plan, supplemented by recent inputs from key user groups and residents, the following facilties should where possible be included

21 Feasibility Study Calvert Green Hall Extension 2014 in the plans for the development of the Hall. These are in no particular order, although a number are classed as Essential, Highly Desirable and Desirable and are marked as such;

 Bar – This would be a key element of the Village Social Club and should be large enough to cater for large functions in the meeting room/s or main hall. Essential  Changing rooms – Male and female changing facilities to include showers and lockers. Desirable  Cloakroom – A proper cloakroom is to be provided with provisions to hang up coats etc. Highly Desirable  Fitness Suite – A small fitness training area with the space for up to 8 peices of training equipment, a free weights and a warm up/cool down area. This should have swipe card access. Desirable  Kitchen – Large fully equipped kitchen capable of catering for 100-150 and including a large service hatchway into the Hall. This should also provide limited cafe services. Essential  Lounge Area – A fairly large area located near the bar to provide a place for people to relax. This area is to have windows. Essential  Meeting Rooms – Provision of a large meeting room which could be divided down by folding partitions into 3 small or a medium and a small meeting room. This should be separate to the main hall ensuring multiple use of the hall. This space should be accessible easily from the kitchen and it required be able to be used for a dinner party. Essential  Office – Sited near the entrance for use by the hall manager or others as decided by the Parish Council and CGCA. Essential  PA System – Should be fitted throughout. Highly Desirable  Patio – A patio area to be provided on the green side of the hall, complete with built in BBQ area. Desirable  Reception – A communal meeting place near the entrance. Essential  Sports Hall – Similar or larger size to current main space with timber floor and high ceilings to enable most indoor sports. Essential  Stage – A small stage area complete with storage area/wings. Desirable  Storage – A major shortfall of the current Hall. Suggest at least 3 storage areas, one large for the new sports hall/stage area, one for the meeting rooms area and another in the reception area. There would be separate storage areas for the kitchen and bar. Essential  Toilets – Improved toilet facilities, male, female and disabled access with baby changing facilities. Essential

Appendix Two – Calvert Green Village Plan

Actions - Community & Amenities June 2011 Action Action Priorit Funding Potential Proposed Proposed Aim Number y Partners Timescal Lead e

Community Involvement

C2 Provide a welcome H TBA - From WI To welcome new pack for new residents August residents and 2011 CGCA encourage them to be involved in the community

C2 Re-launch M N/A NHW group 2011 CGCA To improve neighbourhood watch community spirit and ensure details in PCSO and safety the welcome pack

Children and Young People

C3 Offer an initial period of H N/A Groups Underway CGCA To increase free Hall hire to anyone providing activities for who wants to start activities for children and young activities for youth Youth / people groups and families Family e.g. Cubs/Brownies etc.

C4 Support Youth Club. H TBA Underway CGCA To increase The following were activities for specifically mentioned: children and young people  Dancing  Film nights C5 Encourage AVDC or H N/A AVDC From 2011 Parish To increase BCC holiday activities Clerk to activities for to come to Calvert BCC coordinat children and young Green e and people communic ate

C6 Clarify residents’ M N/A Community August Parish To improve concerns and write to Impact 2011 Council transport links BCC to state perceived Bucks – especially for issues with bus service Transport teenagers and levels Officer residents without car

Community Image

C7 Improve Signage to H TBA BCC TBC Parish To improve Calvert Green Council transport links

C8 Improve entrances to M TBA BCC? 2012 Parish To enhance Calvert Green – e.g. Council community spirit contemporary sign to and pride in our reflect the industrial village history of Calvert. Possibly a competition to design a new entrance

Sports and Fitness

C9 Investigate the H TBC 2012 Parish To improves provision / support of Council access to sport for sports facilities for residents Youth. The following sports were highlighted in the surveys:

 Tennis  Football  Cricket  Swimming  Bowls C10 Reduce Hall hire H N/A - From 2011 CGCA To encourage charges for individual residents to be bookings for active and use the badminton. Hall

C11 Investigate and M N/A Underway CGCA To encourage encourage provision of fitness classes in fitness classes in the the Hall Hall e.g. Yoga by offering reduced price hire for start-up and free advertising.

C12 Provide a trim trail M TBA David 2011/12 Parish To encourage and/ or woodland trail Wilson Council residents to be for Calvert Green active and make BCC Environm best use of our ent Sub- countryside Community Group surroundings Impact Bucks

Broadband

C13 To investigate H TBA BELP 2011 IT Sub- To improve improvements to the (Bucks Group communications Broadband provision to Economic & and enhance the village Learning online facilities for Partnership residents – e.g. ) homeworking

Actions - The Environment Action Action Priorit Funding Potential Proposed Proposed Aim

Number y Partners Timescale Lead

E1 Establish Environment High None Community Summer Environmen To co- Sub-Group 2011 t Sub-Group ordinate and lead all Environmental lead activities

E2 Allotments: High Required Community 12 months Allotment Community (feasibility Association self-  Establish WRG Summer sufficiency allotment 2012) association UK National  Identify land Allotments parcels for use association Education  Ownership of BCC land

 Feasibility of Aylesbury Community land use Vale bonding  Soil testing  Community Volunteer composting/ organisation wormery s  Fruit Orchard E3 Bat boxes and Bird High Required North Bucks 6 months Environmen Wildlife Boxes: Bat Group t Sub-Group sustainability

 Identify costs RSPB and sites BCC Education  Identify potential funding Barn Owl Feasibility study  Society

Aylesbury Vale

E4 Best Kept Village: Medium Required BALC (Bucks Summer Parish Community Assn. of 2011 Council cohesion  Criteria Local onwards research Councils)  Group to lead Community and organize BCC morale  Marketing Parish  Funding Council requirements  Identify WRG rewards of winning E5 Large Specimen Tree High Required AVDC 10th July Environmen Community Planting: 2011 t Sub-group morale National (Sunday –  Identify Tree Council possibly suitable native Summer trees e.g. cherry, Fayre day) chestnut. Oak and marks  Identify areas the 10th to plant e.g. anniversary Rustics of Calvert  Plant 10 trees Green to mark 10 years of Calvert Green – “10 trees for the

10th”.

E6 Road Gritting: High Required Parish Winter Parish Safety Council 2011 Council  Feasibility onwards Accessibility BCC  Use of grit boxes E7 Connecting Village Medium Required BCC 12 months Parish Community routes including Council access woodland walk: Rights of Environmen Way t sub-group  Feasibility study using current Parish Improved maps and Councils relations with bridleways etc other villages  Working party WRG set-up to clear routes Other  Set-up map interested boards to identify parties e.g. route and ramblers communicate to residents E8 Additional waste and High Required Parish 12 months Environmen Community dog litter bins: Council t sub-group tidiness

 Identify locations WRG – green Parish Environmental  Feasibility of waste bins Council recycling litter bin Feasibility of  Allotment static recycling association bins for cardboard and clothing Air  Feasibility of Ambulance – home composting Clothing bins bins in communal areas (possible link with allotment association) E9 Untidiness: Medium Possibly W.I. – Big 6 months Environmen Pride in the Tidy Up t sub-group community  Set regular Campaign community litter picking days  Raise issue with Parish Council Parish Council

E10 Sustainable energy: Medium Required Parish Tbc Environmen Sustainability Council t sub-group  Consult with Race Energy  Community Hall WRG development to take account of sustainable energy issues

Actions - The Hall Action Action Priorit Funding Potential Proposed Proposed Aim Numb y Partners Timescale Lead

H1 Village hall to make sure H TBA Environment 2011-14 Hall To ensure that solar and water harvesting Group Group Calvert Green is included at planning stage – as green energy audit Community environmentally Impact friendly as Bucks possible

Parish Council

H2 Take into consideration the M TBA Hall user 2011-14 Hall To ensure that most popular improvements groups: e.g. Group adults for the Hall from the Village preferences Plan questionnaire by CGCA expressed Adults (items with over through the 50% strongly support are CGWI Village Plan listed here): questionnaire Youth Club are taken into Bar & social area account  Baby &  Improved outdoor Toddler space group  Fitness training room  Improved lighting  More toilets  Larger kitchen  Lounge area

H3 Take into consideration the M TBA Calvert 2011-14 Hall To ensure that Youth views from the Green Youth Group Youth questionnaire where the Club preferences most popular improvements expressed were: through the Calvert Green  Larger activity Village Plan area questionnaire  IT area are taken into account  Stage  Fitness training room  Lounge area H4 Investigate the possibility of M TBA Plunkett TBA Hall To consider the a shop within the improved Foundation Group best option for Hall a shop Calvert Green

H5 Hall group to ensure that H TBA Hall user TBA Hall To ensure that Hall users are consulted groups: e.g. Group users of the hall and kept informed about are kept aware developments CGCA of developments CGWI and have the ability to feed Youth Club ideas into the process Baby & Toddler group

Appendix Three – Questionnaire to residents

Consultation Results The Steering group carried out a consultation exercise. A major part of this was a questionnaire. We made this available on the internet via the Community website. The consultation was advertised by leaflets and emails, in the village newsletter and by steering group members knocking on doors. We had 158 replies to the questionnaire, a response rate of over 50% which we are very pleased with.

We list below the responses to some of the questions in the survey, arranged by topic. All figures in the sections below are based on the number of responders.

The full consultation results are available on the website and in the appendices to the Village Plan document. This section of the Village Plan represents a summary. Some of the data was difficult to represent in graphical form but we have done this where possible.

Demographics Calvert Green did not exist at the time of the last census. There will be no results available from the 2011 census for a number of years. Hence demographic information was collected to help with forward planning.

Although the results can’t be taken as completely representative, as it necessarily only includes people who responded to the questionnaire, it would appear that:

 around 1/3 of Calvert Green residents are aged under 25  the largest proportion (over ¼) of residents are aged 35-44

Q3 – less than 1% of respondents have Calvert Green as their 2nd home.

Q4 – 83% of respondents live in a detached house

Q6 – how long have you lived in Calvert Green?

An annual turnover of 10% is considered typical.

Q9 – where do you work? (207 responses)

This data is incomplete as the questionnaire did not gather enough information to assess whether people worked for example in Oxford. Many local work destinations, such as Bicester, are included in the ‘Elsewhere’ figure. Future surveys will gather more detailed information if required.

Q26 – Do you feel safe?

58% of people said they felt safe with the current level of policing in Calvert Green. 28% were not sure and only 13% did not feel safe.

Q27 - Neighbourhood watch

54% of respondents said their household was a member of the Neighbourhood Watch scheme. However 33% are not members and a further 12% don’t know about the scheme. There is an action to re-launch the scheme in the Action Plan.

Transport Public Transport

Local bus services to Aylesbury, Buckingham and Bicester run through the estate.

Although there is rail line to Calvert there is no station. The Parish Council are in discussions about a possible future reopening of Calvert station. This would be a huge benefit to commuters and young people who find it difficult to access local towns.

Calvert Green benefits from having little through traffic. The roads are not yet all adopted from the developer.

The County Council does not clear or grit the roads or pavements of Calvert Green.

Although immediate roads are minor, and sometimes in a state of disrepair, the road links beyond that are quite good. We have easy access for example to the A41, A43 and M40.

Q7 – Roadworthy vehicles

 100% of the responders have a car.  55% of responders say they also have at least 1 bike in the household.  14% have a Van  9% have a motorbike or scooter

A car is overwhelmingly the main mode of transport for households (Q12)

Q11 – What do you use your vehicle for?

Q13 – How often do adults use the public bus?

 62% of responders said they never used the public bus  28% rarely use the public bus  Reasons for not using the public bus are shown in the consultation results in Appendix C.

Q16 – Would you use a train station at Calvert Green?

Environment A wildflower meadow and nature reserve is being created to provide a home for the wildlife displaced by the building of 97 new homes. This land, currently owned by David Wilson Homes, will be donated to the community once the relocation has been completed.

Q21 – Environmental activities – 119 responders

Activities and Events Q17 – Do you take part in any of these regular activities?

Q18 – Would you do these activities?

Q20 – Would you attend these events? – as q18

Key Results From the Youth Survey

Age of young people represented by the survey:

What Facilities Would Young People Support?

34 Appendix A – Hall Development Plan – Original thoughts Appendix B – Comment Responses to Questionnaire Other Places Of Work

1 in Woodstock, 1 in Bicester, 1 mostly Oxford

Hemel Hempstead

Oxfordshire

Surrey

Dunstable, Beds

Bicester

Hertfordshire

Henley-upon-Thames and around Oxfordshire

Northamptonshire

Newbury

Watford

Slough

Northampton

Oxfordshire

Oxford

Bicester

Berkshire

Oxfordshire

All over Bucks,Oxford

Oxford

Service engineer - uk based Didcot – Oxon

Didcot, Oxon

Oxford

Watford

Steeple Claydon & Chesterton

Oxford

Oxford & Dunstable

Oxford

Banbury

Oxford Oxford

Bicester

Windsor and Oxford all home counties

Oxford

Birmingham

Oxford

Cambridge

Egham, Surrey

Oxford

Marlow and High Wycombe

Bicester

Oxford

Oxon, Herts

Various (south UK)

Worldwide

Dunstable

Oxfordshire

2 x Banbury

Near Banbury, Oxfordshire

Northampton

Why Don’t You Use the Bus Service

No need

Work to far away to be of any use

NO NEED TO AND DOES NOT MEET OUR NEEDS

No requirement

Doesn't go where we need to go. car easier

We have never had the need to use this bus service use car - buses don’t go where we need

Use car

More convenient to use car we use the cars

We have cars It takes 3 buses and a travelling time of120 mins (plus time to wait for connections) to make the first of the journeys I do each day; there are insufficient hours in my day to allow me to do this. the same journey takes me 40-50 mins by car and I am obliged to do this 4 times each day. The other adult drives to a rural spot in Northamptonshire; public transport not possible, or commutes from Aylesbury to London by train.

Find it easier with 2 small children to take the car - especially when bringing back weekly shopping from Tesco!

Because the timings are not suitable

To expensive, Not often enough, not direct both car drivers so no need to have other transport

Own vehicle

Because we both have cars

Convenience car is easier. infrequent bus service. places of work/school not on a bus route

Does not run to Didcot

Convenience

Doesn't support our needs for transport car more convenient given complexity of routes to school and work bus does not go anywhere we go

Have a car

Buses depart too late for the morning train from Bicester + problems also on return from Bicester. Nature of job means it is not feasible to use the bus service.

Not concurrent with times required for travel

Car is more convenient, especially with young children. because they drive

Service is rubbish

Stop buses coming through the village -1 stop at either end

To inconvenient

Have cars

No direct route to Oxford and too long to get to Buckingham

No reliable bus service to Milton Keynes prefer to use car as bus service infrequent and can't always get to destination by bus

Both our employment needs are for vehicles quicker by car

Not needed to so far poor bus times (does not come early enough or return late enough)

Haven't needed to. no need we have cars does not serve our needs use car

Have no need for it

Other Activities

Morris dancing

Rugby, Needle craft, book club, wine club and pole dancinize

Gardening club, allotment.

We would most definitely be interested in watching cricket

Happy (and qualified) to teach adult ed.

Pilates (activities would need to be in evenings, or have childcare facilities) cubs / scouts

Allotments keep fit etc

Adult Education could be interesting but, again more detail is required before we can say we'd definitely use it.

Archery

Pilates

Aerobics

Motoring club

Slimming Club

Brass Band

London theatre trips more publicity of the WI to younger women in the village perhaps a come along and meet us night. Also a gardening/seed swapping club dance fitness classes would be really good / jazz classes for exercise etc

Keep fit (aerobics) class in the evening would be good

Pilates a lot

Salsa dancing , pilates

A proper gym/fitness center would be used regularly

Comments On Satisfaction With Roads

Roads and Paths are in an appalling condition - surface water everywhere when it rains! To many street lights!

The gritting of Calvert Green has been nonexistent. We need grit boxes immediately.

Earthquakes caused by buses and the skid pans where the bricks are.

Calvert Green has never been gritted, there should be gritting bins

Would be good to have grit boxes, so that we can grit some parts of the roads ourselves.

Absolutely NO gritting done this winter/Surrounding footpaths filthy with litter

We had absolutely no winter treatments & had to dig our way out of Tudors Close. Some of the pavements were originally gritted for use as a bridlepath, these are now in a bad state of repair. Routes connecting to other villages other than the main road are not in existence to my knowledge

Roads need gritting in the winter, more speed signs needed, street lighting too close to houses, cycle walk routes practically non existent

Don’t know of any

Gritting doesn't happen at all; all access roads directly outside need urgent repair

Gritting is a major problem

There is no gritting. Priority signage throughout for Cotswolds Way would like a footpath to connect with Edgcott and a circular walk through the woodland area

We would love to cycle but it is not safe on the local roads.

Please finish the pavements. There are no safe pedestrian routes to other villages.

We need a footpath to Steeple Claydon - I would love to have the opportunity to walk to the Coop with my young boys but its impossible with no footpath/cycle path

I do not recall the roads being gritted at all in the recent bad weather. no gritting and i couldn't leave the estate during the snow. roads are damaged and need repair, also dangerous when having to avoid the pot holes. street lighting outside my property continually flickers, minimal footpaths. and there are no pavements outside of the estate state of the roads

No Paths to other villages, No gritting around Calvert, Road signage is incorrect on some road/close

Pavements are very muddy in Barkley lane and past lakes, roads are abysmal currently with large potholes

No gritting has occurred around Calvert Green

Very bad this year, slight hill, cars had to be towed everyday while it snowed, to get to main road.

Gritting - whilst not expecting a gritting lorry, a supply of grit at strategic points would have been helpful. Road Signage i.e give way markings are absent never seen a gritter here sign into Calvert Green is awful more like those used on industrial estates

There are no cycle paths or footpaths

I wasn't aware of any gritting when it was snowing, but it was quite fun! I don't know about the connecting routes - I wasn't aware of any, but would use cycleways as there's nowhere to take the kids here other than on the roads. gritting??? not clearly signed too dangerous to take children on local roads outside the estate, even to the local shops at Twyford and Steeple, cycle routes would help

No safe path to walk to Steeple Claydon and our estate was not gritted in winter. no sign of any gritting during winter in Calvert Green

Gritting was poor, potholes have been poor. Street lighting could be reduced. difficult when taking children for walks or running

Condition of road surface very poor

Gritting is nonexistent, insufficient pathways to facilitate access to other villages, roads surrounding village in extremely poor condition

A path/cycle route to Steeple Claydon would be good. It is too dangerous to walk with children at the moment.

No footpath exists to other villages!

No path to Chardon or Edgcott no gritting done there isn't any gritting!!!

There is no gritting, and the links to other villages are potentially dangerous and impractical.

I couldn’t get out for three days due to lack of grit and had to borrow another vehicle, cycle paths not really signposted very well.

Would like cycle route to Steeple Claydon and Grendon Underwood, also lower speed limit on Calvert

The roads on the estate were not gritted, the pavements with gravel are a nuisance and I would like to be able to walk to Steeple Claydon but it isn't safe roads and footways need to be completed and then adopted. Street lighting could be switched off at midnight to save electricity

Better signage & routes to local villages cleared & cleaned up.

Winter gritting non-existent, more potholes than good road, need footpath/cycle way to Steeple Claydon

We would love the pavement on our side of the road to be tarmaced and not loose gravel as it is currently - dangerous when kids fall off their bikes

Based on this winter we were not gritted and roads conditions following freezing conditions are terrible causing damage to cars

No walkways by roadsides if want to walk on edge of Calvert apart from having to walk through woods, or if wanting to walk to Steeple Claydon / Botolph Claydon / Edgcott etc there was no gritting of local roads during icy period (confirmed by Bucks CC & Highways Agency) - are we on route planner?; potholes in road (have reported to Highways Agency);

Village vey difficult to get out of in the snow and quite hazardous in places overgrown hedges along footpath which runs next to road heading to Steeple Claydon. Paths very dirty and overgrown hedges next to lakes from crossroads towards Brackley Lane. Poor condition of roads potholes etc to Steeple Clayton etc. No clearing/gritting of roads in winter snow no paths to Steeple Claydon

Our roads NEVER get gritting

Who deals with the grass growing through the flooring of the play areas (Sandstone/Cotswold)? There also needs to be a more pro-active approach to people not being responsible for their dog's mess.

Some roads were under ice for over a week during the cold snap, my road was under ice for 2 weeks!

Complete lack of footpath/cycle ways to neighboring villages

Gritting????????????????

Never gritted, horrible corners in ice by the raised paving there is a lot of rubbish on the wrg routes

Other comments

There must be a shop to accommodate the villagers who do not have cars.

Footpaths to walk safely with a pushchair and small children improve play areas for children, all of the parks are catering for very young children would support the erection of a more classy upmarket Calvert Green sign in the form of a masonry wall with inlaid sculptured lettering rather than the cheap 7 nasty wooden gate signs we have now if facilities such as skate park were placed well away from residential areas, we would have no issue - unfortunately we would be worried about anti-social behaviour and noise if too close to housing but strongly believe community should engage young people

I would strongly support a local shop for daily necessities

Improved broadband connections general sporting facilities laid out on the main green, it's such an unused space at the moment

Is there sufficient space for a school? Same goes for a Pub - there are often problems with pubs - people generally don't like living close to them... Is there a new location for the shop we should have had??

Cricket pitch new houses on the industrial land could give access to the sports field owned by the landfill site

Need to be carefully managed so as not to attract anti-social behaviours/graffiti observed in other local villages. Do not see a shop surviving - poor business case for this.

There must be a shop to accommodate the villagers who do not have cars. We must take in to account the people in the village!!! who do not have the luxury of access to a car to do their shopping. Also we feel that there could be a central drop off point for people who work FULL time but still use the internet for their shopping, and expect their deliveries to be taken in for them on a more than regular basis. After 9 years efforts need to be made to persuade AVDC to get us onto maps! Litter/untidiness is a big problem when approaching the village-some people need to be made aware how unsightly it is to use the land beyond their garden fence as a tipping area. Also, grassed areas on the village approach need to be maintained.

Traffic speed in the estate is an issue - both cars and buses. Large buses not conducive to the roadway

More tree planting around the play area near Rustics Close to shelter it from the sun in summer

The biggest problem here in Calvert Green is the lack of a shop of sorts

It is now urgent that Calvert green gets a shop, papers, food etc., as more than 300 cars take trips to steeple Calydon to maybe buy a paper and milk, etc., this cannot be right, what happens when people cannot drive anymore, or do not have any means to get to shops. I.e. disabilities.

The deeds prohibit the storage of caravan, motor home and lorry being kept at the household, residents should be reminded of this. The bus service should serve Aylesbury Vale Parkway Station in time for the trains to London in the morning.

There needs to more for the younger to mid-teens as there seems to be increasing numbers using the children’s play areas during the evening, leaving empty alcohol cans, bottles and cigarette ends, which local people to these areas frequently have to clear up themselves

Some of the ideas expressed here are fantastic and would make a real improvement to the village. In terms of highlighting where we, as a family feel improvements could best be made; The creation of a shop would also be really beneficial for the village. In addition, it was our family that ran the tennis in the village hall for several years, which proved extremely popular with the village's children, but was always limited by the lack of a tennis court. We would therefore really support this proposal. We would also be disappointed if large funds were placed inappropriately, for example into a skate park that only appeals to children, over a sports field or tennis court that could benefit a whole village.

FEEL THAT THE NEW PLANS TO EXTEND CALVERT ARE FALTERED DUE TO THE MOUNT OF SOCIAL HOUSING PROPOSED AS THERE IS NOT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE AREA TO SUPPORT THIS. IT SHOULD BE MORE OF A RATIO OF 70% PRIVATE DWELLINGS TO 30% SOCIAL HOUSING. ALSO THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT THE NEW RAIL WAYLINE WHICH WILL CAUSE LOTS OF NOISE POLLUTION TO THE AREA.

The entrance to Calvert Green should be a more exciting and contemporary structure please - brick and steel would be good to reflect the industrial history

Thanks to all those who give their time to our community. I am grateful there are people there who do all this for us.

A train station linking us to Aylesbury / MK would be beneficial to all the community

I'd love to support more bulb/flower planting on green in Rustics Close/Cotswold Way (around playground) as under-utilized nature space (compared to other greens in village). I'd support funding the employment, perhaps on part-time fixed term contract, of youth/older worker to support community relationships, rather than relying on volunteering. My partner has explored opening a Calvert Green cub/scout pack however we'd only be able to take this forward if could have available village hall for free (until pack up and running). We've explored this previously (to build on Steeple Claydon cub/scout pack and re-locate to Calvert and free use of hall was declined. Cub/Scout pack relies on free funding initially and needs minimum nos of cubs/scouts to survive. If pack could make use of more modern facilities this will enable us to offer a broader base of activities and be more inclusive e.g. meet specific requirements of some younger people in community with disabilities.

I do feel that for the amount of council tax paid in Calvert, the value of services is exceptionally poor value compared with most other locations. well done on doing something for Calvert Is it not about time that something is done about the lack of a shop but MORE importantly the lack of a public house and a cricket/football field? The community surely would benefit from a sports team made up of Calvert Green residents competing in the current leagues with other villages. Sitting and socializing with other residents in the summer watching Calvert’s cricket team take on Steeple Claydon whilst drinking a beer from the Calvert Pub surely is the way forward. If we want community spirit and the unification of residents then I believe this would galvanize us all.

My household will in general support ideas that will benefit the community (e.g. provide young or elderly people with facilities) but not those that would cause disruption in my view or that would bring people in for other areas. Above I said that I would not support the swimming pool for instance as I feel that it not provide as good a facility to the community as would some of the other ideas and would bring in traffic from other areas as well as the upkeep costs.

There is quite a lot of rubbish in Calvert Green, we could do with better bins and more comfortable benches. The area around the hall is very messy and looks terrible.

Appendix C – Comments from Youth Questionnaire

Other Primary Schools Attended

Ashfold

Waddesdon Village Primary field house nursery Buckingham

Buckingham primary school

Padbury Pre-School

Oxford

Buckingham Pre-school Playgroup

Akeley Wood School

Beachborough

Quainton C of E School

Mursley and swanbourne c of e school quainton c of e saint Edwards catholic junior school, Aylesbury

Kings Meadow Primary School Bicester

Mulberry Bear Nursery and Pre School at The Open University, Milton Keynes

1 at St Edwards RC Aylesbury 2 at St Pauls RC Milton Keynes

Quainton School

Ashfold Prep School

1 x Bourton Meadow Buckingham and 1 x nursery in Aylesbury

Winslow C of E combined school

Winslow Other Secondary Schools Attended

Oxford

Milton Keynes, Bletchley, College

Thornton College

Saint Paul’s Catholic School, Milton Keynes

Bicester Community College

2 at St Pauls Milton Keynes

Waddesdon School

Comments

Parkour-(free running arena) camping ground

Cycle routes and woodland walks improved

Feel there are sufficient play areas (children agree); concerned about anti-social behaviour & graffiti round bus shelter/pavilion - need to be managed effectively; also noticed teenagers having sex in cars on regular basis recently in Village Hall car park

Have a massive camp out on the green where people can camp out. also a free running area

I think that a shop is quite important, as Calvert Green is not situated very close to a brilliantly useful shop other than Buckingham Tesco; it is quite isolated. In addition, there is a large, empty space near the end of Cotswolds Way which is a perfect space for a small corner shop with necessities such as milk, newspapers and other provisions. I also think that we need to provide more bins for dog owners, and for litter. This would be very important if we were to get a shop, as it would look awful if litter from the shop was scattered around the close houses.

Use of the bowling green and WRG facilities, opening up the buffer zone to make a wildlife area for the children

Although my children are still too young to benefit from most of the facilities listed above I am sure they would use them as they get older.

Out of the proposals a tennis court is the one that really stands out and would be a brilliant addition.

HAVE TO BE CARE FUL TO ENSURE WHAT EVER FACILITIES ARE PUT IN PLACE THEY WILL NOT CAUSE ROWDNESS there is not much for teenagers to do in Calvert - more please

Thanks for enabling us to share our views - we've taken time to include feedback from our neighbours children too.

I demand a swimming pool!!!! i would really like a shop a swimming pool and a tennis court but we have enough play areas!

Please make skate park and train station!!!!!!!!!! Appendix Four – Risk Assessment of the Hall Extension

Risk High Medium Description of Risk Number Low Likelihood The Parish Council ceases to exist, who then becomes responsible 1 Low for the loan The Parish Council cannot meet its financial obligations, who then 2 Medium becomes the owner of the loan We have to raise the Precept for the residents to fund the Hall's 3 Medium continued operation There is a stakeholder conflict of interest regarding amenities and 4 High running of the hall 5 High Fraud occurs The gym is not used as much as anticipated and therefore fails to 6 High breakeven The bar becomes an issue for the local residents, through vandalism 7 Low and opening hours 8 High The Parish cannot raise the funds to make the project viable There are major infrastructure issues with the build and costs 9 Medium escalate The tennis courts/multi site sports facility fails to get planning 10 High permission and therefore the grant associated with this build is rejected

11 High With the gym unmanned there is potential for a H&S issue Personal safety is an issue with the gym opening late in the evening 12 Medium and being unmanned throughout the day.

13 High Ongoing maintenance of the Multi sports court

The Events/Hall committee fail to generate the necessary level of 14 High income required to breakeven due to lack of volunteers to hold extra events AVDC fail to gift the land to Calvert Green Parish Council - which 15 High means if its leased there will be additional costs associated with the new hall Land survey needs to be carried out before planning permission and any work is carried out to ensure that the new hall can be built 16 High around the existing site - this could put the whole project in jeapordy

Appendix Five - Cover letter for proposed hall design

c/o Northwood

45 Kiln Close

Calvert Green

BUCKINGHAM

Bucks MK18 2FD

Calvert Green Parish Council c/o Parish Clerk

Cotswolds Way

Calvert Green 29 July 2013

Dear Parish Clerk

CALVERT GREEN VILLAGE HALL EXTENSION - PROPOSED DESIGN

References:

A. Calvert Green Village Plan dated June 2011.

B. Calvert Green Village Hall Extension – Project Brief dated February 2013.

C. Meeting Hall Extension Committee/Parish Council 19 July 2013.

1. Although work on the Village Hall extension has been ongoing for a number of years, the formal formation of this committee in December 2012 saw an increase in effort to provide the residents with a Village Hall fit for purpose and able to meet the needs of a growing community. Based on the requirements highlighted at Reference A and supported by regular discussions with key stakeholders groups and the wider community a Project Brief was provided to the Chartered Surveyor, who based on those requirements generated a number of design proposals. An Open afternoon was held in April and residents had the opportunity to comment and highlight their preference. Option 3 with a number of well thought through amendments was the overwhelming favourite and this was provided to the committee in mid May and after further discussion and some minor changes the proposed design was forwarded to the Parish Council for review and approval in order to commence the planning application process.

2. Although the Parish Council had membership of the Hall Extension committee, it was unfortunate that no Parish Councillor was able to attend any of the committee meetings since February. This meant that there were a number of concerns among the councillor over how the decisions of the committee had been arrived at. It was therefore felt prudent to hold a meeting, at Reference C to discuss those concerns. The meeting was held and 3 key changes were requested for the p proposed design. These have now been incorporated in the design and a copy is attached for review and approval by the Parish Council. Once the design is approved the committee will instruct the Surveyor to commence the planning application process which will take a minimum of 8 weeks to complete if successful.

3. Two of the changes are wholeheartedly supported by the committee; the conversion of the office to a store for the meeting rooms and the removal of a door into the main sports hall and the subsequent re-positioning of the disabled toilets. There are significant concerns over the addition of a second kitchen to support the bar/lounge area. It is felt that this is excessive to the requirements of the village residents and the hall and the space could be better utilised. The Village Hall should be for the benefit of the residents and not a profit making commercial concern. That said the committee has agreed that the design as attached should be submitted for planning approval but that there needs to be further discussion over the additional kitchen, it’s size and use. This will undoubtedly be clarified by the Business Plan which the committee will draft over the next 2 months.

4. Therefore, with the caveat of further discussions over the second kitchen, its layout, size and use, the committee recommends that the Calvert Green Parish Council approves the attached design proposal and once approved the planning application process will be commenced.

Kind regards

Signed on original

Tony Pringle

Chairman

Calvert Green Hall Extension Committee Appendix Six - Proposed Plan - Gifting of land from AVDC and the existing Community Centre Appendix Seven – Plans Approved by AVDC for the Calvert Green Hall Extension