A Local Plan for Droitwich Spa
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A Local Plan for Droitwich Spa THE VISION A MORE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY The vision for the Droitwich Spa Town Plan is for a more sustainable community. This means maximum self-sufficiency in all services and facilities so that the town has the infrastructure and sense of community to support the current and future inhabitants of our town. We want residents to enjoy living here, to be satisfied with their lifestyle, take part in activities and be proud of the town. We want the town to have a desirable image which makes people aspire to live and work here or just come and visit. Droitwich Spa Town Plan Contents Chapter 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2 Neigbourhood and Communities ............................................................................ 13 Chapter 3 Highways and Traffic ............................................................................................. 16 Chapter 4 Education............................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 5 Jobs and Opportunities .......................................................................................... 22 Chapter 6 Community Health ................................................................................................. 26 Chapter 7 Leisure in General and Leisure and Health ............................................................ 28 Chapter 8 Leisure Group Report ............................................................................................ 31 Chapter 9 Green Spaces & Green Necklace .......................................................................... 42 Chapter 10 Town Approaches & Signing .................................................................................. 45 Chapter 11 Town Centre & Shopping ....................................................................................... 49 Chapter 12 High Street ............................................................................................................. 55 Chapter 13 Historic Buildings ................................................................................................... 57 Chapter 14 Conservation Areas ............................................................................................... 62 Chapter 15 Canal Regeneration ............................................................................................... 65 Chapter 16 Housing & Spatial Strategy .................................................................................... 66 Chapter 17 Development Sites ................................................................................................. 68 Chapter 18 Pollution & Waste Disposal .................................................................................... 74 Chapter 19 Droitwich Drainage Area, and Description of the Sewerage System ..................... 77 Chapter 20 Policing .................................................................................................................. 89 Chapter 21 64 Ways to improve Droitwich Spa ....................................................................... 91 APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................. 92 A Plan of Droitwich Spa .............................................................................................................. 92 Archaeology ................................................................................................................................ 94 A Power Point Presentation on Art in Droitwich Spa ................................................................... 99 A Note ....................................................................................................................................... 100 Droitwich Spa Town Plan Chapter 1 Introduction ‘Just Imagine’ Event of April 2005 and Droitwich Spa Town Plan, Preliminary Meeting, September 2005 The „Just Imagine‟ event of 20th April 2005 hosted by Wychavon District Council was held with the view to providing information for the Local Strategic Partnership Committee to consider when formulating a new two to three year strategy. Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) are partnerships of community, voluntary, private and public sectors that think strategically and take action to make a difference to local people. Their aim is simply to improve people‟s quality of life – things like health, safety, job and learning opportunities, environment, housing, social life and sense of community. In Wychavon there are three LSPs based around each town and the surrounding rural areas. The LSPs base their work on local needs determined through events like ‘Just Imagine’, health checks, questionnaires, parish plans, local Councillors and other intelligence. Each year, Wychavon District Council gives the Droitwich Area LSP a small pot of money, called the Community Planning Fund, to help it kick-start community projects that meet local needs. The LSP needs to be clearer about what those needs are so it can plan to meet them and make more effective use of the Community Planning Fund, building on its successes to date. 1 Droitwich Spa Town Plan Just Imagine Event: 20 April 2005. Summary of issues identified. This following summarises all the issues that participants at ‘Just Imagine' identified as being needs or priorities for Droitwich and the surrounding rural areas. The asterisks (*) indicate those issues identified by more than one person. The issues are grouped under the five Community Plan themes. Through the smaller group discussions and prioritising exercise participants narrowed these down into a list of key priorities for the LSP to take away and develop into a two to three year strategy. A list of these is included in the ‘Just Imagine' event write-up. 1 Reducing crime & community safety. Activities and meeting places for young people - groups of young people in public can be viewed as threatening. ****** It's a very low crime area, need to improve public perception/misunderstanding of „real crime‟ levels. **** More visible policing - around estates and rural areas, in parts of town, at night and weekends on the housing estates. *** Official recognition of crime being dealt with (being seen to be done) and two way relationship with local police. *** Helping people feel safe/reassurance - especially the vulnerable. ** More neighbourhood wardens. Westlands - centre is really run down, needs improvement to help it feel safer. Extend Neighbourhood Warden Scheme to cover evenings/more youth workers. ** Drug use in rural areas - needles discarded etc and personal theft results from it. Droitwich and rural areas - crime with the introduction of ASBO things are improving. Their job changes by taking up training courses. Better lighting on outlying (older) estates. Vandalism of bus shelter on A38. Spate of young people on motorbikes on canal towpaths, playing fields and footpaths/alleys- signs/half barriers needed. Residents' forums. 2 A better environment Encourage ownership of local environment and community action to improve it and develop pride in local areas. ******* Litter. *** Neighbourhood watch. ** Deterring criminals, preventing vandalism etc. ** Improve/replace subways. Speed checks around estates and rural areas. Improve noise reduction on motorway. Biodiversity. Continue with LSP and support initiatives e.g. Green Necklace. ** Neighbour issues e.g. noise, parking and dog dirt. Green/open spaces. Maintain and improve green spaces perceived to be reducing per capita with Government housing demands and the resultant increasing population. ******* Imaginative use of open/green spaces for community uses, e.g. park keeper to simulate activities for children & young people. **** 2 Droitwich Spa Town Plan Green Necklace Route virtually complete - need to acquire land or permissive paths by Copcut Island, two fields up Pulley Lane. Smarten up approaches/'gateways' to Droitwich and villages, e.g. railway bridge, Copcut Island. Planning & Development. Include rural areas in planning services. Protect green spaces and current greenbelt boundaries - in face of housing demands. **** Think environmentally about as many schemes as possible! Incorporate positive thinking. There's a threat to green spaces that exist e.g. plan for pub on playing fields and woodland in Chawson Valley by canal. Various specific examples given. Parish Plans - links with district council and ensuring they are ongoing/long term. 3 Quality jobs & opportunities. Housing. More affordable housing in town and rural areas - for priority groups, first time buyers, particularly families. ***** Supported housing scheme for young parents/young single mums. More sheltered and very sheltered housing. More help for families who want to exchange properties belonging to a Housing Association. Purpose designed & constructed housing for older people to downsize/buy, especially in rural communities. Councils/parishioners need to feel they matter in areas of planning. Increase access to benefit advice for those on low incomes. Rural issue - preventing further loss of town amenities (rugby club, school fields) to fill housing quotas. Economy & jobs. Improve town centre and celebrate -town's heritage. *** Empty shops & retail provision - especially in town centre and on Westlands. Encourage good specialist shops and maintain and support independent retailers.