The Vale of Aylesbury Plan Long Crendon Fact Pack December 2011

Home , Fleet Marston, Long Crendon, Rycote, Stoke Mandeville, Waddesdon

Courthouse and St Mary the Virgin Church

Contents

Section Page

1 Introduction page 3 2 Location and Setting page 6 3 Story of Place page 8 4 Fact File page 10 5 Issues Facing the Parish page 35 6 Parish Constraints page 37 7 Annex page 40

Front Cover Photo: Long Crendon Parish Website http://long‐crendon.com/ (Parsons, 2009)

1. Introduction

Purpose of the document

This Fact Pack document was initially produced in 2010 to help inform the town/parish council about the characteristics of their parish for the ‘community view’ consultation. This consultation was undertaken early on in the preparation of the Vale of Aylesbury Plan as part of a bottom up approach embracing localism and aiming to get local communities more involved in the planning process. The town/parish council were asked to consult with their community on the following:

 The level of future housing and/or employment development up to 2031, including specific types of homes, employment and other development  The location, sizes and phasing of development  The types of infrastructure (social, community, physical) needed to enable development, including where it should be located  Any other issues relating to planning and development This Fact Pack document has also been used to support neighbourhood planning by providing evidence for the context of the neighbourhood plan, including information on housing, employment, infrastructure and the environment.

This Fact Pack document has also been used to support the Vale of Aylesbury Plan Settlement Hierarchy Assessment. This forms part of the evidence that classifies settlements into different categories, where different levels of growth are apportioned to over the next 20 years.

The document also forms part of the background work relating to Neighbourhood Plans as well as the production of the Vale of Aylesbury Plan. The Fact Pack does not form planning policy for Aylesbury Vale.

What the Fact Pack includes

The content of the Fact Pack reflects the size of the parish or town, providing the most detail for larger villages/towns which are likely to experience greater levels of growth, compared to smaller parishes/villages which are likely to experience less growth. Smaller parish’s Fact Packs have a more limited content in the Fact Packs. Fact Packs for larger villages/towns identify the following information:

 Location and setting within the district (relationship to other settlements)  Story of place (how the parish has developed from its origins to the present day)  Issues facing the parish (e.g. infrastructure and local services deficits)  Social demographics (population, age profile, social groups, levels of deprivation and crime levels)

 Economic profile (allocated employment sites, change of use to employment looking back 5 years, sectors of employment, levels of economic activity, distances travelled to work and broadband speeds)  Local service provision (retail, healthcare, leisure, public open space, tourism, and education)  Housing profile (dwelling types, tenure, occupancy, past completions and commitments, average house prices, housing needs waiting list and gypsy and traveller sites)  Transport infrastructure (road network, cars per household, public transport provision)  Environmental constraints (maps to identify agricultural land quality, landscape sensitivities, biodiversity constraints, flooding and historic constraints) Fact Packs for smaller parishes/villages identify the following information:

 Location and setting within the district (relationship to other settlements)  Social demographics (population and age profile)  Housing profile (dwelling types, tenure, occupancy, past completions and commitments, average house prices, housing needs waiting list and gypsy and traveller sites)  Economic profile (employment change of B use classes looking back 5 years, sectors of employment and levels of economic activity)  Issues facing the parish (e.g. infrastructure and local services deficits)  Environmental constraints (maps to identify agricultural land quality, landscape sensitivities, biological constraints, flooding and historic constraints) Where possible information in the Fact Pack has been supplemented with information from the town/parish council to draw upon local knowledge, particularly for the section on issues relating to the parish. Some town/parish councils have also published the document on their website for the community to view and use.

In addition to this Fact Pack, a district wide Fact Pack has been written to develop an understanding at the strategic level on the availability of infrastructure, services, facilities, planning issues and environmental constraints. This can be viewed on our website1.

Availability of data

Statistics identified in the Fact Pact are primarily from Census data (2001), AVDC monitoring data (updated annually) and research carried out by Buckinghamshire County Council. There are also a number of websites that have been used to retrieve information, such as crime statistics, broadband coverage and housing sales. Where possible, parish level data has been used. If this level of data is not available super output area (SOA) boundaries or ward boundaries have been used (often these cover a larger area than just the settlement). The boundaries of the parish, SOA and ward can be viewed on map 1 in this document.

1 District Fact Pack http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/local-development-plans/planning-policy/vale-of- aylesbury-plan-/fact-packs/

This Fact Pack is a ‘living document’ which is intended to be regularly updated. Information contained within the Fact Pack is correct at the time of writing. It is acknowledged that some of the information may change over time and the Fact Packs will be updated accordingly.

2. Location and Setting

The village of Long Crendon is located in the south‐western corner of the Vale of Aylesbury. It lies approximately two miles to the north‐west of Thame and nine miles south‐west of Aylesbury. The B4011, which cuts through the south‐western edge of the village runs from Thame to Bicester and is heavily used by lorries and trucks.

Long Crendon sits at the southern end of the Chiltern Ridge overlooking the Thame Valley to the southeast. This ridge is well defined and runs in a roughly north‐south direction. The ridge is highest at its northern end, relatively narrow across with steep slopes dropping down into the valleys. At its southern end, the ridge is broader and the gradient of the land is much gentler as it slopes down towards the Thame Valley.

It is a large village which is laid out along the principal roads of the High Street, Bicester Road, Thame Road, Chearsley Road and Frogmore Lane. Post war development has had a significant impact upon the village, but is largely contained to the north‐west and south‐east of the High Street. The historic layout of the village is therefore relatively well preserved.

Today, the village has become a convenient and attractive place from which to commute to economic centres such as Aylesbury, Oxford, Bicester or further afield to London and the Midlands.

Location map

Super Output Area 7684

Super Output Area 7682

Super Output Area 7681

Super Output Area 7683

Key

Ward boundary Super Output Areas Boundaries Parish Boundary

Facts and figures have been identified relating to three different geographical boundaries depending on the source of the information. In general all Census data is provided at parish level, AVDC Local Area Profile data relates to Super Output Areas (SOA) and Hometrack Housing Intelligence System data relates to the ward level. Please note the 2011 Census will take two years to publish, as such this data will not be available until 2013.

In the case of Long Crendon, the parish, ward and Super Output Area form three different boundaries. There are two Super Output Areas covering the parish – 7681 and 7682.

3. Story of Place

Origins of the settlement

Archaeological evidence suggests that the origins of Long Crendon extend back to at least Roman Occupation and possibly the Iron Age. The name Long Crendon is thought to come from ‘Creodun’, a Saxon word which means ‘Creoda’s hill’. Creoda was the son of Cedric, the first King of the West Saxons.

The village lies at the junction of a presumed minor Roman road from Thame to Alchester (west of Bicester), with a known Roman road from Dorchester‐on‐Thames via Long Crendon to Fleet Marston where it joined Akeman Street (a major route from St. Albans to Cirencester).

During the Saxon times the village developed around the area now occupied by the Square. At the lower end of the village three manors during the 15th and 16th centuries were build and several medieval buildings still survive today.

The 17th century saw the development of the needle making industry in Long Crendon which brought diverse employment and wealth to the village. This lasted through to the mid 19th Century when the industry moved to the Midlands.

In the 1930s the Crendon Concrete Company was set up at Drakes Farm, a short distance to the south‐east of the village. What started as small scale gravel extraction expanded into a highly successful industry producing concrete framed agricultural buildings and providing much needed employment during the depression years in Long Crendon. Competition in the late 1980s followed by a recession in the early 1990s eventually led to the closure of the Crendon Concrete Company in 1994. The site has subsequently been transformed into a successful industrial estate.

Post 1945 development to 2000

After World War II the population of the village increased significantly and a number of new housing estates were built concentrated originally with the system‐built houses at Hilltop and Harroell and then infilling the areas between the Bicester and Chiltern Roads and Thame Road and the High Street. Despite some limited examples of modern infilling High Street remains relatively unaltered by more recent development and retains its strong cohesive character.

The historic character of other streets within the village has been fragmented by the impact of modern infill development. This is particularly noticeable along Bicester Road and on Chearsley Road, where modern development has had a significant impact upon surviving historic buildings. Overall the formerly strong linear character of the settlement has been muted by later development.

Developments during the last 10 years

During the last ten years there has been development of five houses along Bicester Road (08/01075/APP) and five dwellings built at Carters Lanes (06/01708/APP). There has also been a small number of single dwelling developments.

Current Planning Consent

There is currently planning consent for 6 dwellings within the parish as of March 2011.

4. Fact File

Demographics

 Long Crendon parish has a population of 2,500, split between males 49% and 51% females (Census, 2001).

 The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics for the Super Output Area 7682 and 7681 estimates the population at mid‐2009 to be 2,501 .

Age profile

800

people 600

of 400 200

Number 0 People aged People aged People aged People aged People aged People aged People aged 0‐4 5‐15 16‐24 25‐44 45‐64 65‐74 75 and over

Source: 2001 Census, www.ons.gov.uk, © Crown copyright

 Long Crendon has a high number of older members of the community. In particular, a much larger number of people between the ages of 51‐64 and 65+, when compared with the average for the district as a whole.

 These two age bands account for 38% of the total population.

Population Change from 1951 and 2001

 Long Crendon parish saw the greatest population increase between 1961 and 1971.

 Since 1991 there has been little change in population numbers.

 Most of the population live in the village, the rest live in a small terrace of dwellings at Easington to the north of the village, or in a few scattered properties throughout the Parish.

 The parish currently has 1,070 dwellings (AVDC, April 2011).

Long Crendon Population Change from 1951 to 2001

3000

2500

2000 People

of 1500

1000 Number 500

0 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001

Year

Source: 2001 Census, www.ons.gov.uk, © Crown copyright

Social Groups

A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods (ACORN) developed by the Bucks Strategic Partnership shows the distinct groups of people that live within Buckinghamshire. The county is made up of 10 groups of households whose residents all have very different demographic characteristics and lifestyles. This means that from the results it would be possible to identify that more affluent groups are likely to have very different public service needs from those less affluent groups. The different ACORN group types are explained at http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/research/bucks_acorn.page

(Please see graph overleaf)

ACORN Social Groups for Long Crendon Ward

5% 8% 4% 2% Wealthy Mature Professionals Villages with wealthy commuters 11% Well‐off managers 24% Affluent Greys Flourishing Families Secure Families Settled Suburbia/Prudent Pensioners 21% Moderate Means Hard Pressed 19% 6%

Source: Bucks Strategic Partnership, 2010

 Nearly eight out of ten people (78%) live in the five most affluent ACORN Groups in Buckinghamshire. The ‘Villages with Wealthy Commuters’ Group is the largest of these accounting for a quarter of the wards population (25%), followed by the ‘Flourishing families’ Group (21%), the ‘Well‐off Managers’ Group (19%), the ‘Wealthy Mature Professionals’ Group (8%) and the ‘Affluent Greys’ Group (6%).

 The ‘Flourishing Families’ Group can be further described by three ACORN Types. The ‘Well‐off managers living in detached houses’ is the largest of these accounting for 9.8% of the wards population, followed by the ‘Larger families living in prosperous suburbs’ category (6.0%) and the ‘Affluent working families with mortgages’ category (4.8%).

 The ‘Affluent Greys’ Group (6%) is made up of two specific ACORN Types ‐ areas that are more likely to be ‘Farming Communities’ (4.0%) and areas with above average proportions of ‘Older affluent professionals’ (1.8%).

 One in ten people (11%) live in areas classified by the ‘Secure Families’ Group. The ‘Hard Pressed’ Group accounts for 5% of the ward and is mainly made up of areas that have above average proportions of ‘Older people living in low incomes in small semis’ (4.3%), but also has smaller proportions of ‘Low income larger families living in semis’ (0.4%).

 The ‘Moderate Means’ Group accounts for 4% of the population and can also be entirely described as ‘Skilled workers living in semis and terraces’ (4.1%).

 The ‘Settled Suburbia or Prudent Pensioners’ Group accounts for 2% of the population.

Deprivation

The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) provide an analysis of the levels of deprivation according to seven key indicators: income, employment, health, education, housing, crime and living environment (ONS, 2007). This is identified by Super Output Areas (SOA) for each parish and wards. The ward under which Brill falls into is covered by two super output areas, as shown on the map on page 4. . The Super Output Area for which the parish of Long Crendon is shown is Super Output Area 7682, as shown on the location map.

A scoring out of 20 is shown for each category of deprivation, where 20 would be the most deprived possible out of all SOAs of the country and 1 would be the least deprived. Each bar represents 5%.

The indices overleaf demonstrate that in relation to total deprivation Long Crendon has low levels, specifically deprivation of income, employment and education. However, in relation ‘barriers to housing and services’ deprivation are fairly high when compared to the rest of the District, measuring almost half way along the scale. Overall Long Crendon falls within the top 5% nationally for indices of deprivation.

Overall Deprivation Measures the following seven key indicators:

1) Income Deprivation Measures unemployment, incapacity benefits and disability allowance

2) Employment Deprivation Measures access to jobs

3) Health Deprivation Measures population’s health

4) Education Deprivation Measures skill levels and access to education

5) Barrier to Housing and Services Measure access to affordable housing and services

6) Crime Measures levels of burglary, theft, criminal damage and violence

7) Living Environment Deprivation Measures both indoor and outdoor living conditions including condition of housing, air quality and road traffic accidents

Sources: Communities and Local Government; Office for National Statistics; Valuation Office Agency, (2007)

Employment

Employment Sites

 There are four industrial estates/business units within the parish boundary including; Long Crendon Industrial Estate (Drakes Drive); Notley Farm Estate; and Woodway Farm Estate; This comprises of around 85 businesses, employing over 800 people (Long Crendon Parish Plan, 2009).

 Long Crendon Industrial Estate is a modern redeveloped employment site divorced from village, which mainly has B1/B2 users.

 Notley Farm is also on the outskirts of the village. It has large function and conference room facilities. There is a range of unit sizes from 200 sq.ft. Uses include Industrial warehouse/workshop.

 Woodway Farm is an Isolated ex farm complex on B4011 north of village, where there are a number of small units, mainly B1 and B2 uses, including a car repair motor bike repair/restoration service, carpentry workshop and antiques shop.

 The Marsh Crane site

 In the village there is Crendon Motors along Bicester Road, Offices in the High Street, Link Life staffing at Chearsley Road and BT premises also along Chearsley Road.

Employment Completions

 The graph overleaf shows net employment completions which are identified as B1, B2, and B8 use classes for Long Crendon parish. This includes offices, research and development, light industry, general industry, warehousing and distribution. Net floorspace takes into account demolition and loss of B class uses. Please note at the district level B use employment is likely to only contribute to 50% of total employment with the other employment generated through non‐B uses, such as retail.

 The graph shows there has been an increase in completed employment floor space over the last five years. Since then there has been no loss or increase in floorspace. There is at (January 2011) 4,623 m² of planning permissions which have not yet been implemented.

Long Crendon Employment net floorspace

2009‐10 67

2008‐09 0

2007‐08 106

2006‐07 111

2005‐06 0

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Net Floorspace (m²)

Source: AVDC, 2010

Sectors of Employment

 The graph below for the Super Output Area (see map on page 5) shows the most common sector of employment for Long Crendon parish is real estate/renting and business, which accounts for 24% of the population. A further 16% working in wholesale/ retail and 12% in manufacturing.

Sectors of Employment

30% 25% 20% 15% SOA 7682 10% 5% 0%

re ss tu tion e uring etail ul t uc R Admin ric tr Catering inancial g le/ / F Busin A ns a Co otels Public Manufac H Wholes Transport/Comms

l Estate/Renting, ea R

Source: 2006 AVDC Local Area Profiles using 2001 Census data

 There is a high proportion of managerial and professionals (40%) (Census, 2001). 10% work for small employers and own‐account workers, with 15% classed as working in ‘semi‐routine and routine occupations’.

Economic activity

 In Long Crendon parish the majority of the population are in employment accounting for 68% (Census 2001)

 There are very low level of unemployment (1%), although there is quite a high percentage economically inactive people, this includes children, students, disabled and the elderly (Census 2001).

Economic activity

All people aged 16 to 74: 31% Economically active : Employed All people aged 16 to 74: Economically active : 1% Unemployed 68% All people aged 16 to 74 : Economically inactive

Source: 2001 Census, www.ons.gov.uk, © Crown copyright

Mode Travelled to Work

The majority of the population use a car or motor vehicle to travel to work (75%) from data in the 2001 Census. A small proportion use public transport (5%).

Mode of travel to work All people aged 16 to 74 in 5% employment: Travel to work 20% by public transport

All people aged 16 to 74 in employment: Travel to work by motorcycle; car or van

All people aged 16 to 74 in employment: Travel to work 75% by other means or work at home

Source: 2001 Census, www.ons.gov.uk, © Crown copyright

Distance Travelled to Work

The 2001 Census data showed the average distance travelled to a fixed place of work to be 21.4km. The 2006 Local Area Profile (using 2001 census data) shows there is a variation amongst the population. 11% of people across the whole of Aylesbury Vale work from home,

whereas 15% of people in Long Crendon work at home. A large number of people fall in to the 2‐5km, 5‐10km and 10‐20km bands, The area surrounding Long Crendon itself shows 23% of people travelling 2‐5km, just 6% travelling between 5‐10km and 21% between 10‐ 20km. 14% of the population can be considered to commute out of the parish for work each day, as they travel over 40km. This compares with a district average of 12% of people commuting out of their wards.

Commuting from Aylesbury Vale Wards

Source: Aylesbury Vale Employment Land Study (AVDC, 2008) Note – the colour of the arrows correspond to the roads on the key

Approximately a third of the residents commute to Aylesbury Rural, with another third commuting along the M40 corridor and to Oxford area. A small proportion of residents commute to Aylesbury town, London, M25 corridor and elsewhere.

Broadband Speeds

Broadband connection is an important consideration when considering employment. There is no formal way of assessing Broadband speed and coverage. However we have drawn on some of the commercially available speed checking services to give a guide as to the coverage and speeds available in the parish. This does not mean that this is necessarily an obtainable level of service, but is as close as we are able to provide as an indicator.

Using www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk it would appear that Long Crendon has a good coverage and speeds obtainable appear to be in the range of 0.22 to 5.43 Mbps.

Shops and Services

Retail units are concentrated around The Square comprising, Fish and Chip Shop, Carpet store, Post Office, General Store, hairdressers, Indian restaurant & Coffee Shop, butchers and toy shop. Another hairdressers is located along the Bicester Road.

Public Houses include the Mole and Chicken at Easington, The Angel on Bicester Road; The Churchill Arms (Thai Restaurant & bar) and The Eight Bells on the High Street.

Places of Worship include St Mary’s Church, Church End; Our Lady of Light Catholic Church, Chearsley Road and a Baptist Chapel along the High Street.

Health Care

The 2001 Census shows 75% of people to be in good health and 13% of the population to have a limiting long‐term illness (Census, 2001).

Within Long Crendon there is one doctors surgery called Trinity Health at New Chapel Surgery, along the High street. In additional there are nearby Surgeries at Brill and Thame: o Thame Surgery, East Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 3JZ o The Rycote Practice, East Street, Thame, Oxon 0X9 3JZ o Brill Surgery, 22 Thame Road, Brill, Bucks, HP18 9SA

It should be noted that Trinity Health effectively connects the high street to the Brill and Thame surgeries. The nearest Hospital Stoke Mandeville Hospital Aylesbury and Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals. There is also a dentist at the corner of Bicester and Chearsley Road.

Leisure Facilities

 Recreation Ground off Chearsley Road includes Pavilion & changing facilities, football pitch, cricket Square, Bowling Green, Tennis Courts and children’s play area.  Teenage play area, land off Peascroft/Harroell  Golf Driving Range Thame Road  Allotment area off Harroell, which is well used and has room for expansion  The Pavillion  The Catholic Church, Baptist Church and Village Centre  Church House used for community uses, High Street  Community Centre and Library, High Street  The library has a selection of books, magazines, audio books, DVD’s and Computer software for loan. There is also access to the internet, a Photocopier, Hearing loop and Wheelchair access. The opening times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am to 5pm (closed between 1 and 2) and Saturday between 10am to 1pm. As off November 2010, Buckinghamshire County Council has proposals to potentially rethink library provision in the district. This may affect existing provision in the parish. Please see http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/libraries/Branches/long_crendon.page

Access to Green Space

The following are locations of green space for which the accessibility audit has been carried out:‐

Green Space Size Recreation Ground 3,548m2 St Marys Church 3657m2 Open Space Abbots Ridge 276m2 Open Space Peascroft 8,828m2 Open Space Lower End 1,385m2 Allotments Harroell 4,414m2 Open Space Harroell 15,884m2

The table overleaf shows current provision against Accessible Natural England Standard (ANGSt) by Natural England which is considered a national benchmark and forms part of Government guidance on green space provision. The standard emphasizes the importance of accessible green space to local communities.

ANGSt Standard Sufficient Existing Provision 2ha‐20ha green spaces located within 300m of dwellings No. There are no sites to the north (Lower End) or east (Church End) within the village.

20ha‐100ha green spaces located within 2km of dwellings No. A new site within Long Crendon ward is required for this standard to be met. 100ha‐500ha green spaces located within 5km of dwellings No. A new site within Haddenham, or Long Crendon Ward is required for this standard to be met. 500ha+ green spaces located within 10km of dwellings No. A new site is required for this standard to be met within the district.

Playing Pitch/Allotments Standard Sufficient Existing Provision LEAPs 3 LEAP and 1 NEAP No. For existing urban development 3 further LEAP’s are required and 1 NEAP in the centre/north of the village (by school). Allotments 9 plots per 1000 population Unknown

Tourism

The village is located on the banks of the River Thame, which is spanned by a four‐arched bridge. Long Crendon has a number of historic buildings including the Courthouse which was once owned by Henry Vlll and now belongs to the National Trust. Other historic buildings include the 15th century Manor House, 19th century Long Crendon Manor and Notley Abbey, which dates from the 15th century. The village was renowned for it's delicate fine Lace making, and needle production in the 17th Century, and perhaps more recently for the Midsummer Murders television production.

AVDC monitor the number of visits for several tourist attraction within the district, however there are none within or nearby to Long Crendon parish.

Crime

The below data is based burglaries, theft, criminal damage and violence (April 2002‐March 03). The column on the left shows a ranking of the relevant Super Output Area against all Super Output Areas nationally (there are around 32,500). An IMD score of 1 would mean the SOA is the highest crime area in the country. Whereas a ranking of 32,500 would be the lowest crime area based on these particular crimes

Crime Deprivation

33000 32000 31000 Deprivation 30000 29000 28000 Multiple

27000 26000

Indices 25000 7682 7681 7683 7684 Long Crendon Ward Super Output Area

Source Indices of Multiple Deprivation, 2007

Like in many of the other rural areas around the district, there is a low level of crime deprivation. In particular the large rural area to the west of Long Crendon shows the lowest crime rates, and ranks within the top 4% nationally (Local Area Profile, 2006).

Education

Pre School and Sure Start

There is one pre‐school and one nursery in Long Crendon:  Long Crendon Pre‐School & Out of School Club, at Long Crendon school, Chilton Road.  Tiny Acorns Nursery, at Long Crendon County Combined School, Chilton Road.

Primary Schools Long Crendon falls within the Haddenham Primary Planning Area. There are nine schools in the Haddenham Primary Planning Area which in 2009/10 had a combined capacity of 1521 pupils. The number of attendees was 1363 therefore there was spare capacity of 158 places (10%).

Source: Buckinghamshire County Council, 2010

Long Crendon has one primary School, located along Chilton Road. This is a Community School, age range between 4 and 11, with mixed gender. The school has a capacity of 210 pupils, although at March 2009 the number of pupils attending the school was 216, therefore exceeding the capacity by 3%.

Buckinghamshire County Council website comments state, “The school is set in stunning grounds with special features for the children to care for their environment. The classrooms are large and light with specialist facilities for ICT; Music; Art and a large hall. Two new structures have developed the non‐fiction library and swimming pool changing rooms. PE and Music opportunities are particularly strong features of this school.”

Secondary Schools The nearest Upper Schools are Thame (Oxfordshire) & Aylesbury/Waddesdon (Bucks).

 Thame – Lord Williams – 2010 Capacity, 2080 pupils (2010, Ofsted) ages 11‐18  Waddesdon Church of England – 960 capacity, 970 pupils (2009, BBC)

Further Education The nearest Colleges are at Aylesbury, Amersham, High Wycombe & Oxford.

Adult Education centre’s are located at Long Crendon (3 Venues), Haddenham (3), Cuddington (1), Brill (1), Aylesbury (34).

Education Trends and Statistics

Key Stage 2 is ages 7‐11 (Junior School) within the Primary Curriculum. Level 4 is one of the higher standards of achievement for teaching effectiveness.

At Key Stage 2, 98.5% of pupils in Long Crendon Ward achieve Level 4 or above in English, compared to a regional figure of 81.3%. In Science, 92.5% achieve Level 4 or above compared to a regional figure of 87.6% and in Maths, 79.5% achieve Level 4 or above compared to a regional figure of 78% (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2009).

At GCSE level, 69% of school pupils in Long Crendon Ward achieved 5 or more GCSEs graded A to C, compared to a regional average of 65% (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2009).

Housing

Housing Type

The average household size is 2.5 persons, which is inline with the district average of 2.51. Long Crendon parish has an average number of rooms per household of 6.3 (Census, 2001), which is just above the district average of 5.8.

Dwelling type 6% Detached house / bungalows

Semi‐detached / terraced 50% houses / bungalow 44%

Flat maisonette or apartment; or caravan or temporary structure

Source: 2001 Census, www.ons.gov.uk, © Crown copyright

 94% of dwellings are houses or bungalows.  Half of all properties are detached.

Tenure

Tenure Households with owner‐ 7% occupied tenure

19% Households with tenure rented from Council (local authority) or Housing Association / Registered Social Landlord 74% Households with tenure rented from private landlord or letting agency or other tenure

Source: 2001 Census, www.ons.gov.uk, © Crown copyright

The chart above shows that nearly three‐quarters of homes in the parish are owner‐ occupied. Nearly all of the accommodation is owned outright or with the help of a mortgage. In the ward as a whole, 34% of the housing is owned outright, 43% is owned with a mortgage and 16% is rented from Registered Social Landlords (Local Area Profile, 2006).

Household Occupancy

The below graph shows household occupancy rates from Long Crendon parish. 97% of households are classified as ‘occupied household space’. The graph shows 3% of households are vacant. For clarification a ‘vacant’ household space is an unoccupied space which is not a household’s usual residence and is not a second residence or holiday accommodation. There are no holiday homes or second homes in Long Crendon parish.

Household Occupancy 0% 3% Household spaces with residents Vacant household spaces

Second residence / holiday accommodation

97%

Source: 2001 Census, www.ons.gov.uk, © Crown copyright

Market Data on Completions and Sales

Year ending 31st 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 March: Total Dwelling 1 0 4 5 8 6 2 Completions Affordable 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Housing Rural Exception 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Schemes

As at 31st March: 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Commitments 9 6 7 14 7 7 6

(Source: AVDC, 2011)

Since 2006 there have been no affordable housing completions or rural exception schemes. Since 2006, 24 dwellings have been built and 56 dwellings have been committed.

Average Household Price over last 5 years

Average House Hold Price from 2005

£600,000

£500,000

£400,000 Value

£300,000

£200,000 Household £100,000

£0 January July January July January July January July January July January July 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 2007 2008 2008 2009 2009 2010 2010

(Source: Hometrack, September 2010) Please note this graph does not take into account the sizes of dwellings sold, which will inevitably impact on the price of the dwelling.

The graph above for the Long Crendon ward shows in recent years household prices have fluctuated. The highest average house price was in July 2007 with an average of £510,729. The lowest house price was in July 2009 with an average price of £316,781.

Housing Sales

Annual Dwelling Sales

160 151 140 120 103 100

Dwellings 78 80 72 of

60 52 40 Number 17 20 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

(Source: Hometrack, September 2010)

In 2010, there were 17 property sales in Long Crendon Ward. This equates to 0.8% of the private housing stock turning over, compared to a regional average of 1.2%. 134 less dwellings were sold in 2010 compared to 2006.

New Build price comparison

Price comparision for new builds compared to previously occupied dwellings

£600,000

£500,000 Previously Occupied Flat Prices £400,000 value

Previously Occupied House £300,000 Prices £200,000 New Build House Prices Household £100,000

£0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

(Source: HM Land Registry, September 2010) Please note not all the data is available for each year. This graph does not take into account the sizes of dwellings sold, which impacts on value.

New build house prices are consistently more expensive that previously occupied dwellings for the Long Crendon ward. Flats have shown to cost considerable less than houses, showing less variation in price in comparison to house prices.

Affordability

(Source: Hometrack, September 2010)

The above chart is an affordability graph based on mortgage three times income. This graph shows in order to buy a flat/maisonette for a first time buyer, you need to be earning at

least £30,000 to £35,000. To buy a flat/maisonette for an owner occupier, you need to be earning at least £25,000 to £30,000.

Housing Need

In the Long Crendon parish, there are 34 households on the waiting list for Council housing (Source, AVDC October 2010). The total number of households on the council housing waiting list is 4,410. Please note that within this figure there are 1,022 people on the waiting list from outside the district and 120 households where the Council has so far been unable to map their location due to unrecognisable postcodes (please see annex 1 for map of district housing waiting list).

Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Sites

There are no designated gypsy and traveller sites within Long Crendon. The nearest is located in Baghill Lane, Haddenham.

Transport and connections

The B4011 connecting between the A418 at Thame and the A41 east of Bicester runs through the western edge of the village. The A418 runs to the south of the parish and provides main road links to Aylesbury, Oxford and Junction 8 of the M40 Motorway (some 8 km away).

The below graph looks at the number of cars owned per household based on data from the 2001 census. The graph shows that 89% of households own at least 1 vehicle, with a high proportion (40%) owning at least two vehicles. This is likely to be due to the rural nature of the village, compared to the rest of the district a higher proportion of household own two or three vehicles.

Number of cars/vans per household

14% 11% No cars or vans

One car or van

Two cars or vans 35%

40% Three or more cars or vans

Public Transport

Long Crendon has a limited bus service to Aylesbury and Thame. Services 110 & 111 provide a number of buses in the morning through to the afternoon and some services are operative only during school term. Service 110 provides a shopping service to Aylesbury and Thame on a Saturday , but there are no Sunday services. Service 112 provides one bus a day on Wednesday and Friday to Aylesbury & Thame. Service 113 provides three buses a day on Tuesday & Thursday to Thame & Princes Risborough. Basic bus stops (pole, flag and timetable) are located on Bicester Road, Carters Lane, Chearsley Road, Chilton Road, Thame Road, The Square, as seen on the map overleaf. Bus services shown can be searched at on the Buckinghamshire County Council website at http://www.transportforbucks.net/Buses‐ and‐trains/Bus‐timetables.aspx

A bus stops map (excerpt shown bottom left accessed 13 12 2011) can be found online from Buckinghamshire County Council http://www.nextbus.travel/

Community Transport There are three community bus/car services potentially covering Long Crendon – Aylesbury Vale Dial‐A‐Ride; Winslow & District Community Bus; and Chearsley Car Service.

Railway The nearest railway station is the Haddenham and Thame Parkway at Haddenham some 5.5km east of the village, on the Chiltern Line – London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill giving direct links to London & the Midlands.

Footpaths

There is a network of footpaths linking between Long Crendon and surrounding settlements, with a concentration along the River Thame valley to the south of the village. The village lies astride the cross county footpaths of the Bernwood Jubilee Way and Thame Riverside Walk.

Water Cycle and Flood Risk

The Environment Agency, Water Company and AVDC advise the following for Long Crendon:

 Wastewater Treatment Works – There are major constraints to Long Crendon Wastewater Treatment Works which require a process capacity check and investigation.

 Wastewater Network – There are major constraints. The system has no capacity. There are odour issues from Long Crendon WwTw and capacity issues at a sewer pumping station.

 Water Supplies – There are some constraints but can be overcome. Thames Water don’t anticipate major infrastructure upgrades but some local network reinforcements are needed.

 Water Quality, Flood Risk and Surface Water Management – No constraints

Major constraints does not mean that development is not possible, however future detailed work may be required if a significant development was planned.

Fact File Summary

 Steady population growth from 1951 to 1991, population growth has had little change from 1991, with a population of 2,500 (Census, 2001);

 Low levels of deprivation within the parish, particularly low when compared nationally and with surrounding parishes;

 Low levels of unemployment within the village with good employment opportunities from the three industrial estates;

 Villagers are dependent upon private car for commuting and travel due to limited public transport connections and infrequent service;

 The village is served by good local facilities and has a few key services for villagers specifically convenience stores, post office, doctors surgery, community centre and sports and leisure facilities;

 The village also has a primary school which is at capacity. The nearest secondary school is in nearby Thame and Waddesdon;

 There is a high proportion of detached houses (50%) and flats, with (44%) semi‐ detached and terraced. The age profile for the village shows the majority in the 50‐ 65+ age band, approximately 35%;

 House prices have steadily fallen since July 2007, peaking at £510,729, they have fluctuated steadily. In 2010 the latest average figure £316,781;

 In the Long Crendon parish, there are 34 households on the waiting list for Council housing.

 Low levels of crime, particularly when compared nationally;

 Fairly limited public transport, with limited bus services to and from Long Crendon, Thame, Haddenham and Oxford.

 The Wastewater treatment works have shown to have major constraints to further growth.

5. Issues facing the Parish

The following issues are identified by AVDC officers from parish council, Local Area Forum, Conservation Area publications and other information sources. They are issues considered to be most relevant to planning. The intention is for the parish council to add to and/or amend the issues shown as appropriate’

The Conservation Area

Long Crendon Conservation Areas Plan (2009)

 The centre of Long Crendon is a largely designated by a Conservation Area. The definition of a ‘Conservation Area’ is an area designated by the Council in order to control development in areas of special character, historic or architectural importance. The overall objective is to avoid neglect, protect inward and outward views, ensure development is sympathetic and complements the character of the area, and where possible enhance the area’s character.

 Due to Long Crendon’s elevated position and particular landmark tower of St Mary’s Church, Long Crendon can be seen from some distance outside the village boundary. There are particularly fine views of the village gained from the A418 to the south‐ west and north‐east of Thame; along the Long Crendon Road from Shabbington to the south‐west and approaching the village from the north‐west along the Bicester. Recent development has lead to the erosion of the rural character with new development being too intense and as such not reflecting rural character of the village.

 There are also important views looking out from the village; To Thame and the Chilterns; To and from Lower End; Frogmore Lane/Sandy Lane to and from Shabbington; and Junction of High Street and Burts Lane. It is important that these views are protected.

 Within Long Crendon there are many important listed building. These include not only listed buildings but also unlisted buildings that make a positive architectural, historical or visual contribution to the village.

District‐wide Conservation Area Management Plan (May 2009)

The Plan sets out the following issues apply to all conservation areas:

 Encouraging the use of traditional materials  The restoration and management of particular features  Control over land uses  Traffic Management  Street Improvements and the public realm  Encouraging ownership and community involvement  Management of the natural environment

The Long Crendon Parish Plan 2008 identified the following issues:‐

 The ‘need for affordable housing that remains affordable’ is flagged up as an issue in the Parish. There are currently no identified sites for affordable housing.

 A lack of car parking for the village’s shops and services has been identified. The doctor's surgery is also based on a restricted site on the High Street with no parking. The doctors surgery would like to move to new premises where services could be expanded with on‐site parking.

 The maintenance of open spaces has also been identified as an issue. New facilities are needed for the Harroell play including new swings, climbing frame/slide, skate/cycle ramp, overhead wire glide and other items. In the Recreation Ground more picnic tables, a new large slide/climbing apparatus, Kick wall, Café, Sports Track, Skate board ramps, Cycle ramps, Park Warden to keep park safe and Toilets have been identified to improve the play facility.

 More services and facilities

Improvements to the Village Website, 2009

 A Business Directory has been introduced and this helps to overcome publicity concerns raised in the Parish Plan consultation.

The Area 11 Speed Review

 This has led to changes to the speed limits on major routes in the parish. Requests for extra pedestrian crossing points were rejected on the grounds that there was insufficient space to build these on the Bicester and Chearsley Roads however alternative proposals are being considered.

Meeting with Parish Council representatives, 30th November 2011

 The parish looks towards Oxfordshire for services and facilities including schools  There may be an issue with the capacity of the sewerage works  The parish community have agreed with Community Impact Bucks there is a need for a rural exception scheme however of 14 identified sites none have been found to be suitable so far  Schools are full up and are likely to be taken up by the growth of Thame and Chinnor. Therefore where will children in the Southwest parishes of Aylesbury Vale go?

6. Parish Constraints

The following constraints have been identified from the maps located on the next few pages.

Agricultural Land Map

Agricultural Land

The Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) provides a method for assessing the quality of farmland to enable informed choices to be made about its future use within the planning system. It helps underpin the principles of sustainable development. DEFRA produced guidance on the ALC in the planning system in 1998 and the most up to date data, was produced by Natural England in 2002.

The land within Long Crendon and its immediate surroundings comprise grade 3 agricultural land. Beyond the village, specifically to the north of the village is of higher, grade 2 agricultural land value. Where necessary, detailed work will be needed to distinguish between grades 3a and 3b for site based assessment.

Topography

Contours showing land at heights at 5 metre vertical intervals from Ordnance Survey maps. Land heights are above ordnance datum (sea level). Long Crendon sits at 60 metres above sea level rising towards the south‐east rising to. The village sits at the southern end of the Chiltern Ridge looking down on the Vale countryside and surroundings.

Environmental Constraints Map

Biological Notification Area

Biological Notification Sites preceded Local Wildlife Sites as a local non‐statutory designation. All Biological Notification Sites are in the process of being re‐surveyed and assessed under Local Wildlife Site criteria.

To the north west of village at St Mary’s Church, a small area is designated as a ‘Biological Notification Area,’ These are a Local non‐statutory designation for important biological sites, which have not been renamed as Site of Important Nature Conservation.

Notable Species Site

Notable Species are locations of Important Ecological Species set out by the Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire Biological Records Centre. The Notable Species are sensitive information and as such the species of wildlife cannot be stated in the fact pack. However, the Environmental Records Centre can be contacted to given a case‐by‐case response – contact [email protected]. The Centre also has an information request form that people

can fill in to provide the details of their search enquiry. This can be downloaded from their website at the following address: http://www.buckinghamshirepartnership.gov.uk/partnership/BucksMKERC/data_search.pag e

Flood Risk

This is areas susceptible to Flood Zones 2 or 3 as defined by the Environment Agency. These areas are updated by the EA quarterly.

In the south of parish the River Thame is an area in Flood Zones 2 and 3 where new housing and other development should not be built. The Long Crendon village itself has no specified areas of flood risk, however does have small areas that are susceptible to some surface water flooding. This is when during high rainfall events the drainage capacity is likely to be exceeded.

Historic Constraints Map

Conservation Area & Listed Buildings

From looking at the map shown on the following page it can be seen that Long Crendon has a large number of historic constraints. The Conservation Area covers a just over half of the proportion of the village, specifically Bicester Road, Chearsley Road and the High Street. A Conservation Area is an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. They are designated by AVDC. The first CAs were designated in 1967 and there are now over 8000 in England.

Listed Buildings are listed by English Heritage and help and conserve the structure, use and setting of a building important to history or architecture. The older a building is the more likely it is to be listed.

Archaeological Notification Areas

The village has a large number of Archaeological Notification Areas covering all of the CA and land towards the south of the village. These are areas where there is specific archaeological evidence recorded at the Buckinghamshire Historic Environment Record centre. Data managed by the County Council.

Historic Land Use

There are also pockets of historic land use including the recreation ground. Historic Land Use is where there are records of a previous development of historic importance which are no longer present.

Landscape Map

Landscape Character and Sensitivity

Produced in 2008 by Jacobs as an evidence base for the Local Development Framework. This assessment covers the whole of Aylesbury Vale District outside the built up areas of Aylesbury, Buckingham, Haddenham, Winslow and Wendover and groups landscape into 79 landscape character areas and 13 landscape character types. The landscape character types for Long Crendon are Low Hills and Ridges, Vale and Shallow Valleys

Produced in 2008 by Jacobs as evidence for the Local Development Framework. The study followed up the Landscape Character Assessment looking specifically at how sensitive areas are to change and new development. The following criteria determine how sensitive a landscape is: landscape quality, scenic quality, rarity, representativeness, conservation interests, wildness, associations and tranquillity. There are four categories of sensitive landscape identified in the Areas of Sensitive Landscapes study – the higher the percentage shown on the map, the more sensitive a landscape is likely to be to new development. Long Crendon has a landscape sensitivity mainly of 0‐50% and partly 50‐75% showing there are areas of high sensitivity.

Long Crendon Agricultural Land Use Classification and Topography

Key Parish Boundary Contour Lines Agricultural Land Classification NAME GRADE 2 0 375 750 1,500 Metres GRADE 3 ´ GRADE 4 © Crown Copyright and database right 2011. Ordnance Survey 100019797. 1:17,000 URBAN Long Crendon Environmental Constraints

Key

Parish Boundary Tree Preservation Orders Biological Notification Sites Ancient Woodland % Notable Species Local Wildlife Sites 0 375 750 1,500 Metres Flood Plain Areas Suseptible to Surface Water Flooding District © Crown Copyright and database right 2011. Ordnance Survey 100019797. 1:17,000 ´ Long Crendon Historic Constraints

Key

Parish Boundary Scheduled Ancient Monuments Archaeological Notification Areas Historic Land Use Potential Contaminated Land 0 250 500 1,000 Metres 1:17,000 Conservation Areas © Crown Copyright and database right 2011. Ordnance Survey 100019797. ´ Historic Landfill Sites Listed Buildings Long Crendon Landscape Character and Sensitivity

Key Parish Boundary Landscape Character Types LChT_No, LChType_1 5, Shallow Valleys 7, Wooded Rolling Lowlands 8, Vale 9, Low Hills and Ridges Landscape Sensitivity 0 - 50% 50 - 75% 0 200 400 800 1,200 Metres ´ 75 - 90% 90 - 100% 1:17,000 © Crown Copyright and database right 2011. Ordnance Survey 100019797. District Boundary Long Crendon Infrastructure and Transport Connections

Farm Lower End Cop Hill

Church End

Cop Hill Long Crendon Cop Hill

Recreation Ground

Key

Employment Facility

0 50 100 200 300 Retail

Metres Service This map is based upon Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Bus Stops © Crown copyright.

Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright ´ and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Public Rights of Way Aylesbury Vale District Council 100019797 2010 1:5,000 Public Rights of Way

Annex 1: Housing Waiting List

Annex 2: References

Local Plans Source AVDC Community Led http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/community‐living/community‐ Planning led‐planning/ Community Led Plans ‐ www.clp‐se.org.uk South East Rural Communities Council Local Area Plans http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/our_communities/local_area_plans. page Statistics ACORN ward profile Paper copy. Buckinghamshire County Council, March 2010

Local Area Profile Paper copy, AVDC, 2006 Employment Land Study http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/local‐development‐ 2008 plans/planning‐policy/withdrawn‐core‐strategy/avldf‐evidence‐ base/employment‐evidence/aylesbury‐vale‐employment‐land‐study‐ march‐2008/?LGNTF=71 ONS www.ons.gov.uk BCC education Paper Copy. BCC Cabinet report from May 2010. Also information from BCC, December 2010 School Location http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/schools/ea_Name_search.page Doctors Information from database held by the Primary Care Trust, October 2010 Housing Hometrack http://www.housingintelligence.co.uk/ (membership required) Completions AVDC monitoring data, 2010 (ongoing)

Commitments AVDC monitoring data, 2010 (ongoing)

Affordable Housing AVDC monitoring data, 2010 (ongoing) Completions No. Parish Dwellings AVDC monitoring data, 2010 (ongoing) (Housing Stock) Rural exception schemes AVDC monitoring data, 2010 (ongoing) Employment Losses and gains in last AVDC monitoring data, 2010 (ongoing) five years (B1,2, and 8)

Environmental Constraints Listed buildings http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/

Maps AVDC, December 2010. Produced using ArcMap with license from Ordnance Survey

Conservation Areas and http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/local‐development‐ Management Plans plans/planning‐policy/supplementary‐planning‐ documents/conservation‐area‐supplementary‐planning‐document/ Green Infrastructure Aylesbury Vale Green http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/leisure‐culture/parks‐open‐ Infrastructure Strategy spaces/aylesbury‐vale‐green‐infrastructure‐strategy/ 2011‐2026

Buckinghamshire Green http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/strategic_planning/green_infrastruc Infrastructure Strategy ture.page

AVDC Green Spaces http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/leisure‐culture/planning‐policy‐ Audit guidance‐17/‐green‐space‐audit/

Transport Public transport stops http://www.transportforbucks.net/Buses‐and‐trains/Maps/Real‐ time‐bus‐map.aspx Bus time tables http://www.transportforbucks.net/Buses‐and‐trains/Bus‐ timetables.aspx Community Transport http://www.alt‐transport.org.uk/schemes_av.asp Schemes Other Settlement audit 2008 http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/local‐development‐ plans/planning‐policy/withdrawn‐core‐strategy/avldf‐evidence‐ base/miscellaneous‐evidence/review‐rural‐settlement‐hierarchy Aerial Photography http://maps.google.co.uk/maps Population stats from AVDC, 2010, paper copies available on request for the last 5 censuses 1951