Kirton & Parish Plan – Summary Report and Action Plan Kirton & Falkenham Parish Plan

Results from the Household Questionnaire

Your say in the future of your village

Summary Report and Action Plan incorporating results from Youth and Business Questionnaires

Issue: 1.3 dated 8 May 2008

Supported by:–

Kirton & Falkenham Parish Council

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Contents

Introduction 6 Parish Plan Steering Group 6 Preface from Mr Ray Herring, Leader, Coastal District Council 7 Letters of support 8 Parish Council Statement 8 Financial backing 8 Initial support 8 Overall responsibility for seeing action points are implemented 8 Description of the community 8 Population 9 Aim & Objectives 10 Calendar of Events 10 Methodology 11

Responses to the Household Questionnaire 12

General 13 H11 Population responding aged 16 and over (428 households) 13 H10 Population of responding households under the age of 16. 13 H01 Home ownership 13 H02 Types of house 13 H03 Number of individuals (if any) in household who are currently in need of alternative accommodation in the local area. 14 H04 Number of people in household who attend the following as pupils/student 14 H05 See Traffic & Transport section 14 H06 See Traffic & Transport section 14 H07 See Traffic & Transport section 14 H08 Views on the standard of the following utility services as applying to own house? 14 H09 Are there enough litter/dog/grit bins in your area? 15 H10 Please indicate the age & sex of people in your household who are under the age of 16. 16 H11 Please indicate the age & sex of people in your household aged 16 and over 16 H12 How long have you lived in Kirton / Falkenham / Trimley ? 16 H13 How did you come to live here? 16 H14 What is most important to you about the villages? 16

Crime & Safety 17 H15 Victims of the following attempted/actual incidents in the villages in the last 5 years17 H16 People who feel apprehensive or unsafe in any areas in the villages 17 H17 Adequacy of crime and safety measures in the village 18 H18 People who think there are any major hazard spots on the roads in their local area19

Development 21 H21 What kind of accommodation do you think the area needs? 21 H22 Should the following be encouraged in and around the villages? 21 H23 To what extent would you like to see changes in any of the following features in your village? 21 H24 Would you like to see a Design Code for developments in the villages? 22

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Disability provision 23 H25 Disabilities 23

Employment 23 H26 Employment situations 23 H27 Barriers that are preventing people from taking up employment, training or study opportunities 24

Education & Training 25 H28 Need for education & training facilities in the villages 25 H69 Offers of Training/Tutoring in the villages. 25

Environment 26 H29 Importance of the quality of the countryside around the parish 26 H30 How often people use the footpath and/or bridle-paths in the parish 26 H31 How important to you are the following features in the countryside of the parishes?26 H32 Churchyards: balance between formality and conservation 26 H33 Views on the amounts of litter in the villages 27 H34 Personal action on litter dropped and/or fly-tipping 27 H35 Wish for changes in the natural environment of the parish 28 H36 Adverse effects on your quality of life 28 Summary of environmental responses 29

Information & Communications 30 H37 Sources of information about events taking place in the local area 30 H38 The Kirton & Falkenham Review as a useful source of information 30 H39 a. How well does Kirton & Falkenham Parish Council publicise its meetings, deci- sions and activities? 31 H40 Use of the internet 32 H41 Reasons for not using the internet 32 H42 a. Would the villages website www.kirton-suffolk.info be improved by advertising more local information and events? 32

Leisure & Sport 33 H43 Do you think it is important to have a village pub? 33 H44 Reasons for never or rarely using The White Horse 33 H45 Do you think we need additional open spaces for recreation & relaxation? 33 H46 How often do you use the Recreation Ground facilities? 34 H47 Involvement with current leisure activities in the villages 34 H48 Demand for new sports and leisure activities in Kirton and Falkenham 34

Local Government 35 H49 Performance of the Parish Council 35 H50 Satisfaction with Parish Council expenditure 35

Local & Social Services 36 H51 Attendance at local hospitals for treatment in the past year 36 H52 Rating of services used during the last year 36 H53 Opinions on the following services in the area 36 H54 Good Neighbour Scheme that would help people who are elderly, infirm or have a disability and provide assistance with minor household tasks 37

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H55 Community Responders Scheme 37 H56 Reasons for using the Village Shop 37 H57 Use of former local Post Office 37

Church & Chapel 38 H58 How important are the village churches/chapel to you? 38 H59 Which, if any, of the Kirton & Falkenham churches/chapel do you consider as your “home” church? 38 H60 If you do not attend a church/chapel in Kirton or Falkenham on a regular basis, why is this? 38 H61 Do you feel the local churches meet the needs of each of the following groups? 40

Transport, Traffic & Parking 41 H05 How many roadworthy vehicles are kept by your household within the villages? See also Traffic & Transport section 41 H06 If your household has any vehicles, are there problems parking these in the vil- lages? 41 H07 Please indicate whether you have concerns about traffic volume, speed & vehicle size within the parishes. 41 H62 Main means of transport 42 H63 Where are your vehicles usually kept? 43 H64 People prepared to take part in a car-share scheme 43 H65 Opinions of the local bus service 44 H66 Do you have difficulty in getting to any of the following? 44 H67 Factors preventing use of the existing bus services (including school services):– 44 H68 Which of the following places would you travel to regularly on public transport if there were more frequent services to and from Kirton/Falkenham? 45

Other 45 H70 Tell us about anything else you think may be relevant to the Parish Plan. Tell us what is good about the area, as well as places and things you think could be im- proved. 45

Volunteers (H69) 46

Tabulated Action Plan 47

Appendices 54 Bibliography/references 54 Contact details of Parish Council/Voluntary Organisations within the community 54 Glossary of Acronyms and uncommon words 54

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Introduction

Parish Plan Steering Group Geoff Christian1 Chairman Business, Utility services & housing 01394 448816 John Cole Safety, Traffic & Transport 01394 448647 Susan Harvey2 Local government, local & social services 01394 448780 Janice Hine3 Youth, local & social services 01394 448898 Lauren Hine Youth Trevor Matthews Church & Chapel, Data input 01394 448469 Charles Posford Development & environment 01394 448448 Martin Richmond-Hardy Database (design, data input and analysis) & publications 01394 448213 Information & communication Key contacts:– Geoff Christian Telephone: 01394 448816 47 Rectory Lane Email: [email protected] Kirton IP10 0PY Martin Richmond-Hardy Telephone: 01394 448213 Email: [email protected]

1 former Parish Councillor, former Deputy Chairman Parish Council

2 Parish Councillor

3 Parish Councillor (appointed 2007)

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Preface from Mr Ray Herring, Leader, Suffolk Coastal District Council

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Letters of support Letters of support were also received from:– Patricia O'Brien Suffolk County Councillor Peter Hawkins Community Police Officer Mary Mitson Woods Chief Executive of Suffolk Association of Local Councils Mary Dixon SCDC Councillor who also pledged we will have support from Steve Brown Development Plans Officer Falkenham Parochial Church Council Kirton Parochial Church Council Kirton Methodist Church Rob Coxon SCC Education Transport Coordination Manager

Parish Council Statement The Parish Council gave its support for a Parish Plan at the initial Public Meeting. The Parish Council will take responsibility for the relevant action points and encourage other lead organisations and individuals to work towards the completion of the plan.

Financial backing Parish Council grant of £720 or 29% of the cost of the project Defra grant of £1,732 or 71% of the cost of the project

Initial support At a public meeting, called by the Parish Council and held in the Recreation Ground Pavilion on 4 Oc- tober 2005, it was agreed unanimously that a Parish Plan would be developed for Kirton & Falkenham.

Overall responsibility for seeing action points are implemented The Steering Group are responsible for identifying the issues and an outline of required actions. Fea- sibility of the proposed actions and their detailed implementation will depend on an individual or or- ganisation taking ownership. No owner – no action. It may often be appropriate for someone other than a Steering Group member to take ownership of a particular issue/action. It has been the experience of other Parish Plan exercises that the Steering Group should step back and not stay too involved in the subsequent activities in order to allow appropriate minds and abilities to approach the various implementation and operational phases of the Parish Plan actions. That is not to say the SG should have no involvement but should confine themselves to individual projects to which they can best contribute, rather than try to hang on to overall control.

Description of the community Kirton and Falkenham are two parishes served by one Parish Council and situated in the penin- sula on the west side of the River Deben and east of the A14. Roughly, Kirton abuts to the North, to the West, Trimley St. Martin to the West and South, and Falkenham to the South. Falken- ham abuts Trimley St. Martin, Trimley St Mary and Felixstowe to the South. Felixstowe is about 5 miles away by road and Ipswich and Woodbridge about 10 miles. Kirton is the larger parish of 829 hectares and 1,086 population from the 2001 Census, whilst Falkenham is more of a scattered hamlet with 619 hectares and 180 population. Both parishes have ancient churches (St Ethelbert, Falkenham and St Mary & St Martin, Kirton) and evidence of pre-Roman settlements. There is also a Methodist Chapel in Kirton. The parishes are predominantly agricultural in nature and whilst Falken- ham’s population has remained fairly static in the last 500 years, Kirton’s has increased considerably in the 1960s and 1970s. Both villages have magnificent sloping and undulating landscapes down to the Deben which are incorpo- rated in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and bear other special designations. Residents and visitors

Main Report Issue 1.3.pages Page 8 of 56 Kirton & Falkenham Parish Plan – Summary Report and Action Plan enjoy walking, riding and the abundant wildlife. In essence the parishes provide a quiet recreation area for local people as well as for many from Felixstowe and Ipswich districts. Kirton has a small shop but unfortunately lost its Post Office in July 2006. The heart of the village is the Village Green near which are a Public House (The White Horse), a blacksmiths and an electronics company. Agricultural activity is undertaken by three farms. The Recreation Ground, with children’s play area, is well supported and has recently seen a new pavilion erected with updated facilities for sports people, catering and has a sizeable room where Parish Council meetings, amongst others, are now held. There are two other public meeting places, the Church Hall and the Kirton and Falkenham Village Hall, both of which are well used. In addition, the Methodist Chapel has a small meeting room. Amongst the 18 active clubs and societies are the Bowls Club and the Gardening Club. The 28 Allotments are all taken up on the Nassau Trust charity land. A limited bus service operates through Kirton to Felixstowe, Ipswich and Woodbridge. In contrast, Falkenham has no facilities (apart from its church), its Public House (The Dog) having been closed in the 1970s. As with Kirton, though, there are public telephone and post boxes. There are four ag- ricultural businesses operating in the parish. Communications amongst residents and of local events are well served by the Parish Council Newsletter, the monthly Kirton and Falkenham Review run by Kirton church (St Mary & St Martin), notice boards in both villages, and through the Kirton website (www.kirton-suffolk.info). Now that few residents are involved with the land, the population is mainly a mix of people employed out- side the villages and, of course, children and the retired. Apart from Kirton’s increase in housing, there have been no major changes in recent years. Construction of affordable housing has recently been completed on what was a portion of the Nassau Trust charity land. A small part of Trimley St. Martin, near its Primary School, is geographically linked to Kirton and therefore included in the Parish Plan Questionnaire but as a separate area (14 responses). This school serves most children of primary schooling age from Kirton and Falkenham.

Population A breakdown by age group of the 2001 Census compared with the 2006 survey responders follows:–

Census 2001 Survey 2006 Kirton + Falkenham Kirton + Falkenham + part of by school

Age Popula- % Respondents % of re- band tion (~75% house- spon- holds) dents

0 – 4 58 4.6 43 4.2

5 – 15 172 13.6 122 12.0

16 – 24 110 8.7 100 9.8

25 – 44 313 24.7 206 20.2

45 – 64 400 31.6 369 36.2

65 – 74 118 9.3 117 11.5

75 and over 95 7.5 62 6.1

Totals 1266 100 1019 100

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2001 Census (K+F) 2006 Survey (K+F+part T)

Percentage population by age range: 2001 Census vs 2006 survey 40

30

20

10

0 0–4 5–15 16–24 25–44 45–64 65–74 75+

Although there was not a 100% return for the 2006 survey, the drift to an aging population is apparent from the decline in the percentage of under 16s and the increase in the 45–74 age range.

Aim & Objectives Vision We would like to see the communities covered by the Parish Plan remain attractive places in which to live. While some changes are inevitable, we want the parish plan to ensure they are not to the detriment of the communities or the built and natural environ- ment, and that deficiencies or problems highlighted by the survey are properly addressed. Mission Statement At a public meeting, called by the Parish Council and held in the Recreation Ground Pa- vilion on 4 October 2005, it was agreed unanimously that a Parish Plan would be devel- oped for Kirton & Falkenham. The aim is to identify the needs of the local community, comprising the villages of Falkenham, Kirton and part of Trimley St Martin north of the A14 by the village school, and thereby to draw up a prioritised action plan.

Calendar of Events Public meeting 4 October 2005 Initial meeting of Steering Group 12 October 2005 Parish Council agree to grant £720 31 October 2005 Application for DEFRA Grant 21 November 2005 Budget approve and Grant obtained 8 December 2005 Cheque from DEFRA (£1732) 22 December 2005 (funds held by Parish Council) Development of Questionnaires November 2005 – July 2006 Development of Database November 2005 – December 2007

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Training of Distributers 17 July 2006 Distribution of Questionnaires July – September 2006 Collection of Questionnaire August – October 2006 Data input August 2006 – February 2007 Numerical analysis February 2007 – June 2007 Youth Report & presentation [Ref.1] 9 March 2007 Household numerical data report June 2007 Church & Chapel sub-report June 2007 Text categorisation & analysis February 2007 – October 2007 Business Report [Ref.2] September 2007 Brief report to all households 2 October 2007 Briefing to Parish Council and approval of action points 21 January 2008 Main Report April 2008

Methodology All village organisations were consulted prior to finalising the questionnaires in order to identify particu- larly critical subject areas. Other Parish Plans and questionnaires were studied for guidance on con- tent and style. Survey Methods Three questionnaires (Business, Household, Youth) were developed following focus group meetings with a number of village organisations. Data input and analysis Martin Richmond-Hardy developed a relational database using FileMaker Pro, which was easily adaptable to changing and additional requirements and to the production of analyses and summary reports. This database was used to compile and prioritise the sets of questions for all three question- naires, to log the returns by each Collector and to record the individual completed forms. To ensure confidentiality, completed forms were unnamed and given a unique index number prior to data entry.

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Responses to the Household Questionnaire

This section of the report covers the outcomes from the Household Questionnaire. Paragraph numbers H## indicate the relevant Household Question ##. Responses to the Business and Youth Questionnaires have been given in separate reports.

565 dwellings in Falkenham, Kirton and Trimley St Martin (those houses north east of the A14 near Trimley St Martin school) were visited and offered a form to complete.

Falkenham Kirton Trimley St Martin Total 70 470 25 565

440 questionnaires were returned, of which:– substantially completed forms 404 partial completed4 23 Usable total 427 spoiled5 1 blank6 12 Unusable total 13

Respondents7 860

Usable returns as % of households 75.6%

There were between 1 and 4 respondents per household. Not all questions were answered but the numbers in the following data represent those who answered a particular question.

This report does not give the full response to every question nor give breakdowns by village but aims to highlight the principal issues raised.

This report also addresses the main issues arising from the Household, Youth and Business Ques- tionnaires, draws some initial conclusions and suggestions but further debate is required before a detailed plan can be proposed. Copies of the Main Issues Report are available for downloading in pdf format from www.kirton-suffolk.info. Printed copies will be available for loan from the Parish Clerk and members of the Steering Group.

4 partially complete: fewer than about a third of questions answered in whole or in part

5 Spoiled: most answers indecipherable or not relevant to the question

6 13 blank forms were returned in the sealed envelopes; others, which were returned to the collectors or re- fused, did not count towards the blank total.

7 Number of respondents (aged 16 and over) evaluated from responses to H11

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General

H11 Population responding aged 16 and over (428 households) Age range Female Male Not stated Totals %* 16 – 17 19 7 3 29 2.8 18 – 24 27 31 13 71 6.9 25 – 44 94 81 31 206 20.1 45 – 59 117 115 48 280 27.3 60 – 64 38 38 13 89 8.7 65 – 74 54 49 14 117 11.4 75 – 84 22 27 7 56 5.5 85+ 1 2 3 6 0.6 not stated 0 0 6 6 0.6 Totals 372 350 138 860 83.9 * Percentage of all population declared in the survey; total declared response is 860 aged 16 and over plus 165 under 16 (from H10), i.e. 1,025 (includes 14 Trimley households). Total population of Kirton & Falkenham at the 2001 Census was 1,266.

H10 Population of responding households under the age of 16.

Males Total Females Total Total 0 – 5 6 – 10 11 – 15 Males 0 – 5 6 – 10 11 – 15 Females under 16 Falkenham 4 2 11 17 2 6 3 11 28 Kirton 18 23 33 74 19 21 20 60 134 Trimley 1 1 1 1 2 3 Totals 22 25 45 92 21 28 24 73 165

H01 Home ownership The majority of the homes throughout the villages are owner occupied with just 15% overall being rented or tied. Main owned residence 364 Rented 50 Tied 6 Second home 0 Total 420

H02 Types of house In each village, the highest proportion of the housing was detached house and bungalows, amounting to 61% overall. Semi-detached housing provided another 35%. In all three parishes, the majority of the homes had 3 bedrooms, with most of the others having 2 or 4 bedrooms. 307 of 428 forms gave an- swers to the question. Terraced house 3 Semi-detached house 118 Semi-detached bungalow 33 Flat/maisonette 5 Detached house 177 Detached bungalow 84 Other 6 Total 426

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H03 Number of individuals (if any) in household who are currently in need of alternative accommo- dation in the local area. Of the 383 households who replied to this question, 40 had household members who needed alterna- tive accommodation in the area; 26 of these were for independent sons or daughters, and 7 were for the complete household. Everyone 7 Independent son/daughter 26 Parent(s) 4 Another relative(s) 1 Someone else 2 Total 40 Nobody 383

H04 Number of people in household who attend the following as pupils/student Overall, 300 households had no members in any kind of school or training. Of those that did, the main ones were:– Play Group 9 Nursery School 9 Primary School 50 Secondary School 46 School for special needs 3 Sixth form 16 Further Education (FE) 14 University (HE) 26 Other training courses 6 Not applicable (tick) 300

H05 See Traffic & Transport section

H06 See Traffic & Transport section

H07 See Traffic & Transport section

H08 Views on the standard of the following utility services as applying to own house? There were 408 responses to this question. The following analysis gives the percentage of those who thought the service good, rather than poor or unusable, ignoring the responses indicating no opinion or not applicable.

Mains water supply 98.5% good. Few comments. Mains drainage/sewerage 82% good. Several comments about flooding. Mains electricity 94% good. Several comments about power cuts. Gas supply 99% good. Refuse collection 95% good. Only two comments requesting more frequent waste collection. Street lighting 58% good. Several comments with extremes of opinion, some saying it is a big need, and others saying it is inappropriate in villages, with light pollution a problem. Roadside care / street cleaning 60% good. Few comments. Recycling 61% good. Several comments, including need for more frequent collections, especially of brown bins, and limitations of current scheme. Postal service 95% good. Negative comments refer to lack of Post Office.

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Analogue radio reception 80% good. Digital radio reception 55% good. Analogue TV reception 70% good. Several comments about poor Channel 5 reception. Terrestrial digital TV reception 30% good. Several comments about difficult Freeview recep- tion, particularly the ITV channels. Telephone service 98% good. Mobile phone reception 47% good. All networks have good and poor ratings, the best seeming to be BT, T-Mobile and Virgin, although these had rela- tively few customers in the survey. A handful of comments stated that despite the bad performance, they would not wish to see more mobile phone masts. Dial-up internet 79% good. BT, with the largest user base, was average, Tiscali was the best rated and Orange the worst, although with a much lower number of users. Broadband internet 89% good. BT, again with much the largest user base, was av- erage. Tiscali and AOL, with the next highest number of users, were good.

Service/utility Good Poor Unusable not applicable N/O Mains water supply 384 6 0 2 12 Mains drainage/sewerage 285 60 3 43 10 Mains electricity 370 23 0 0 10 Gas supply 327 3 3 58 9 Refuse collection 377 20 0 2 5 Street lighting 122 79 10 178 14 Roadside care/street cleaning 191 125 3 40 33 Recycling 219 139 3 5 26 Postal service 379 19 2 1 4 Analogue radio reception 259 61 3 20 42 Digital radio reception 103 61 22 96 85 Analogue TV reception 231 94 3 28 29 Terrestrial digital TV reception 53 84 37 123 52 Telephone service 364 8 0 1 9 Mobile phone reception 178 146 11 21 10 Dial-up internet 98 26 0 156 49 Broadband internet 174 19 2 124 30

H09 Are there enough litter/dog/grit bins in your area? The following answered “yes” Litter bins 253 Dog bins 244 Grit bins 276

The 51 comments about litter bins covered nearly the whole of the villages, with 10 asking for better bins at the shop/Falkenham Road. Other problem areas, mentioned by at least 3 households, were the school, Church Lane/Church Hall, Meadowlands, Park Lane, Weir Place, Bucklesham Road and Falkenham. Dog bins are also a major bone of contention with 62 comments, many quite forceful. Many wanted bins at the ends of paths and bridleways used by dog walkers, particularly those off Bucklesham Road and Back Road. The other sites suggested by several people were Falkenham, particularly near the church, Park Lane, Bucklesham Road, Weir Place and the junction of Back Road with Kirton Road.

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There were 24 comments about grit bins with little overall consensus. However, 3 households thought one was required at the Church Lane/Falkenham Road junction (this is now in place) and also in Weir Place. Other places mentioned more than once were the Back Road/Trimley Road junction and Gus- ton Gardens.

H10 Please indicate the age & sex of people in your household who are under the age of 16. See General section.

H11 Please indicate the age & sex of people in your household aged 16 and over See General section.

H12 How long have you lived in Kirton / Falkenham / Trimley ? The following data show that in all three villages most people stay for many years once they have set- tled in, presumably indicating that they are generally satisfied with the overall quality of life. Less than a year 46 1 – 5 years 162 6 – 15 years 231 16 – 25 years 196 26 – 50 years 213 51+ years 33

H13 How did you come to live here? Love of country life 323 Love of village life 244 Employment 171 Came with family 137 Availability of housing 127 Relatives live(d) nearby 120 Setting up home 116 Marriage 92 Born here 73 Retired here 36 School catchment area 25 Other 36

H14 What is most important to you about the villages? The countryside 530 The location w.r.t. nearby towns 267 The community 191 Other 25

Written comments mentioned the quietness and feeling of safety, and also that people were friendly.

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Crime & Safety

H15 Victims of the following attempted/actual incidents in the villages in the last 5 years Antisocial behaviour is of concern particularly in Kirton. Theft, burglary and robbery complaints are relatively high in Falkenham given the much smaller population. Vehicle related incidents total 71 mainly located in Kirton and this again is of concern. Fortunately assaults over the past five years are very rare. Comment: One stake holder is obviously the police and also we need to consider the role of youth activity provision in the village to contribute to a reduction of antisocial behaviour and ve- hicle crime. Antisocial behaviour 75 Theft/burglary/robbery 41 Vehicle vandalism 40 Road traffic accident 33 Vandalism (non vehicle) 30 Trespass 24 Vehicle burglary 23 Vehicle theft 8 Assault 2 None of the above 562

H16 People who feel apprehensive or unsafe in any areas in the villages In an area with no street lights 162 In an area without pavements 128 Walking (night time) 118 Cycling 36 Walking (daytime) 16 In your home 7 In an area with street lights 2

Respondents were asked to indicate the areas in which they feel unsafe or apprehensive. The follow- ing is a breakdown of these areas and the reasons. Lack of Street Lights – Area Response Oakdene 1 Guston Gardens 1 Weir Place to Park Lane 1 Meadowlands 1 Falkenham Rd 6 Park lane 7 Trimley Road 1 Back Road 6 Church Lane 12 Rectory Lane 5 Alley Road 1 Burnt House Lane inc. unmade road comments 5 Any area 20 Weir Place 1 Village Green 4 Total 92

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Lack of pavements – Area Response Weir Place to Park Lane 1 Meadowlands 2 Falkenham Road 6 Village Green 2 Trimley Road 2 Guston Gardens 1 Back Road 12 Bucklesham Road 3 Church Lane 2 Rectory Lane 3 Any Area 14 Total 48

Due to speeding vehicles – Area Response Falkenham Road 8 Village Green 5 Trimley Road 3 Back Road 11 Bucklesham Road 1 Church Lane 1 Any Area 4 Total 33

Feel unsafe – Area Response Back Lane 1 Kirton Road 1 Falkenham Road to Back Road 1 Church Lane 3 Any area at night 12 Total 18

Anti Social behaviour – Area Response Recreation Ground 3 Village Green Bus stop 3 Kirton Road 1 Church Hall area 7 Any Area 5 Total 19

There were six comments from cyclists who felt unsafe due to vehicle lights at night, lack of cycle paths, close overtaking by vehicles, badly made up roads and traffic in general due to blind bends and narrow lanes. The balance of residents feel that the villages are perfectly safe at all times and in all areas.

H17 Adequacy of crime and safety measures in the village Adequate Inadequate Police presence 329 371 Consultation between police and and local people 403 193 Neighbourhood watch 364 189 Drug/drink education/prevention 196 185 Other 18 16

The few text responses indicated control of speeding vehicles and using mobile phones whilst driving in the villages was inadequate. The neighbourhood watch was not formalised Unaware of any drink/drug education in the villages

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H18 People who think there are any major hazard spots on the roads in their local area Yes 549 No 160 No opinion 63

Number of Number of Issue comments comments to H18 to all Questions Parked vehicles in Falkenham Rd 59 164 of which, Parked cars by Green/Hollies 48 76 Parked vehicles in Bucklesham Road 8 9 Parked vehicles at/near School 39 71 Innocence crossroads 57 66 Green crossroads 21 76 Back Road/Falkenham junction 26 75 Speeding Bucklesham Rd 32 60 Speeding Trimley Rd 20 46 Speeding Falkenham Rd 18 44 Speeding near School 26 49

Note the recurrence of these issues in the responses to other questions. In general, speeding, haphazard parking causing reduced driver visibility, vehicles too large for the village roads/lanes and the school area were main areas for concern in response to this question. The areas identified by you as being a major transport hazard area are listed below in order of re- sponse 1 General Speeding in the village. Areas specifically mentioned included: • Falkenham Road • Bucklesham Road especially when entering the village. • Trimley Road • Rectory Lane • Back Road 2 Trimley St Martin school pick up area. Hazards included: • Access for residents. • Danger from traffic to children and parents. • Speeding vehicles • Lack of pedestrian crossing and lollipop person. • Lack of off street parking during pickup and set down times. 3 Village Green, Falkenham Road and top of Rectory Lane area. Hazards included: • Parking adjacent the Village Green severely restricting drivers view of on coming traffic. • Buses stopped at the Green bus stop restricting visibility on the Trimley Road when trying to exit Falkenham Road. 4 Innocence Lane, Kirton Road cross road. Hazards included: • Lack of visibility due to hedges and trees • Vehicles performing U turns at the cross roads especially at school pickup and drop off times. 5 To a lesser extent the following areas were mentioned as hazards due mainly to parked and speeding vehicles or poor visibility due to over grown verges and hedges etc. • Village Shop • Corner Rectory and Church Lane • Park Lane (Agricultural vehicles) • B&M Concrete, large vehicles reversing into Falkenham Road. Responses for specific hazardous areas.

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Hazardous Area Response General Speeding in the Village 102 Trimley St Martin School Area 74 Village Green – Falkenham Rd & top of Rectory Lane Area 71 Innocence Lane – Kirton Rd cross roads 59 Corner of Church and Rectory lane 3 Park Lane 11 Falkenham Rd no path 5

A minority suggested remedial action, which included the following. • Official school crossing with lollypop person. • More speed limit signs. • Allow parking on the Village Green. • Widen the pavement from village to school. • Tend verges, bushes, hedges within the village more frequently to improve driver/ pedestrian visi- bility. H19 Additional requirements in relation to road safety More pavements 307 More street lights 291 Cycle paths 203 Other measures 85 Dropped kerbs 68 Lollipop person 60

Seventy of the returned questionnaires contained comments regarding this topic. These comments mainly focused on slowing traffic down and improving parking in the school area and improving pavements from the village shop to the school (Falkenham Rd and Back Road) with inclu- sion of a cycle track if possible. The use of speed cameras, speed restriction signs, centreline road markings were also mentioned for the Bucklesham Road through to the A14. Several comments remarked that the village was fine as it was and no additional changes were re- quired. H20 Need for speed control measures Flashing speed warning sign 289 Reduction of speed limit to 20mph 206 Traffic calming 128 Speed cameras 82 Other 24 None of the above 4

b. The main locations in the villages which were singled out for a traffic speed control measures.

Kirton Trimley Road 125 School drop off area 68 Back Road 24 Falkenham Rd 24 Rectory Lane 13 Village Green Junctions 9 c. Which types of vehicle do you think are guilty of speeding. Overwhelmingly, cars and motor cycles were singled out for speeding in the villages as shown below.

Cars 149

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M/Cycles 76 Vans 37 Buses 29 Lorries 18 4X4 8 Tractors 6 Young Drivers 35 All types 42

Development

H21 What kind of accommodation do you think the area needs?

Affordable housing 166 No further homes are needed 130 Small family homes 106 Sheltered accommodation 70 Homes for single people 67 Nursing home 34 Homes for people with disabilities 34 Large family homes 22 Other 5

This shows a significant need for affordable and small accommodation units, and housing adapted for disabled use (in relation to the number of disabled) as well as sheltered and nursing homes. Respondentsʼ comments: Don't make the village too big or it will be spoilt. There should be a mixture of all types of housing to buy or rent. Communities are kept alive by having diversity of accommodation.

H22 Should the following be encouraged in and around the villages?

In favour Reservations Not totally Definitely Stated opposed not “No opinion” Tourism development / attraction 76 145 221 381 100 Small business development 238 194 432 185 98 Small scale industrial workshops 173 172 345 264 88 More jobs in the local area 316 97 413 125 151 More shops 328 128 456 153 108 More pubs/restaurants/cafés/take-aways 168 105 273 323 91

There is a positive response for more small businesses, more jobs and more shops in and around the villages. There is support for the local shop and bringing the Post Office back. Respondentsʼ comments: The road network is not suitable for big increases in traffic. Industrial units on the outskirts of the village and more shops in main village. There were several requests for the pub to provide food.

H23 To what extent would you like to see changes in any of the following features in your village?

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Less No change More Housing generally 49 462 140 Area covered by the existing building development envelope 62 417 60 Street lighting 40 340 295 Bright security lighting 130 422 52 Pavements 28 313 316 Car parking facilities 30 447 144 Mobile phone masts 191 374 71 Concrete kerbing 83 414 100 Overhead electricity & telephone wires 328 304 5 Roadside signs 118 420 87 Other 6 20 12

Overall people seem content with what they have at present, with the exception of overhead electric- ity and telephone wires which they would prefer to be under ground. There is a strong demand for more street lighting which, from the comments in relation to personal safety, relates to certain specific areas such as Church Lane, used as routes to village facilities (halls, shop, recreation ground, bus stop).

H24 Would you like to see a Design Code for developments in the villages? A Design Code for domestic premises defines the layout, shape, scale, materials and details which respect local identity and which preserve and enhance the local environment. It encourages quality and custom-designed features rather than relying on standardised and mass-produced products.

256 people stated that they would like to see a Design Code of Practice; 111 said NO and 57 stated “no opinion”. Specific concerns are given below:–

Very concerned Fairly concerned No concern No opinion External appearance 202 249 28 31 Building materials 147 253 62 46 Siting of garage 84 211 132 72 Siting of off-road parking 165 174 110 58 Outside lighting 118 181 141 62 Other 21 4 3 9

The tables show that the majority of people are fairly concerned with all the issues. External appear- ances are important. Respondentsʼ comments: A design code is too late as there are too many opinions on what constitutes our local identity. More off road parking on peopleʼs property. The village green is referred to as a car park. All new builds should be as eco-friendly as possible with special attention given to wind and solar power and insulation.

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Disability provision

H25 Disabilities The response indicates a significant minority of people in Kirton and Falkenham with disabilities. The NHS is a stakeholder here, along with representatives of our various meeting rooms and recrea- tional facilities. Care in the Community is a particular issue here. Hearing impairment 60 Long term illness/condition 59 Physical disability 54 Sight impairments 34 Learning difficulty 11 Psychological illness 5 No disability 598

There are additional comments in relation to transport issues for the disabled and access to buildings.

Employment This section of three questions gives an insight into the employment situation, the barriers to taking up em- ployment training or education and the perceived need for education and training facilities locally in respect of the people living in Kirton and Falkenham and the section of Trimley St. Martin covered by the Parish Plan. A further Question requests information regarding people able to offer training or tutoring within the villages.

H26 Employment situations A total of 381 respondents were employed and 93 respondents were self employed or employing oth- ers. Retired people numbered 239. Carers numbered 32, unwaged housewife/husband 66 and per- manently sick/disabled 27. A total of 47 were in full time education 8 in part time education and one person was on a government training scheme. The unemployed in the villages numbered 21 which equates roughly to 2% of the population of working age. The figures show a high level of self employed people in this area which was not apparent from the completed business questionnaires and a very low level of unemployment. All the 20 local businesses who responded in the Business Questionnaire reported no problems in employing suitably qualified staff. Another significant figure is the high percentage of retired people and the number of people both paid and unpaid involved in caring. A total of 68 people who responded were over the age of 75 from an overall total of 852 so it is probable that the need for care in the community and facilities for older peo- ple will not diminish. In our age groupings the largest group were aged between 45 and 59 and numbered 276 so the prob- able influx of younger people with the affordable housing being built is important in maintaining a sus- tainable village with a good mix of age groups of employment age. The responses show a high level of self employed people in this area which was not apparent from the completed business questionnaires and a very low level of unemployment. All the 20 local businesses who responded in the Business Questionnaire reported no problems in employing suitably qualified staff. An employee 381 Retired 239 Unwaged housewife/husband 66 Self employed – not employing others 58 In full time education 47 Self employed – employing others 35

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Permanently sick/disabled 27 Unemployed 21 Unpaid carer 13 A full-time carer 11 A part-time carer 8 In part-time education 8 Other 6 In government training 1

H27 Barriers that are preventing people from taking up employment, training or study opportunities It is significant and heartening that 682 respondents felt this question was not applicable. The main barrier reported was ill health or disability with 26 people giving this as a reason. A total of 11 people reported lack of access to transport. This is a very important factor in villages with a token bus service the starting and finishing times and frequency do not accommodate the needs of most peoples working hours and this is especially the case with shift work, very common in a port en- vironment. Lack of information / advice affected 9 people and this is something that could be resolved with the aid of relevant stakeholders. Lack of the right type of qualification or training was the response of 8 people and 6 felt they did not have the right expertise. Child care featured with 7 mentioning the cost of child care locally and 5 mentioning the lack of it lo- cally. A playgroup in Kirton closed for lack of support so this is a difficult problem to resolve. Not applicable 682 Disability or ill health 27 Lack of access to transport 11 Other 11 Lack of information/advice 9 I donʼt have the right type of qualifications/training 8 Cost of child care locally 7 I donʼt have the right expertise 6 Lack of child care locally 5 Lack of alternative care for adult dependent 1

The few text responses indicated that lack of suitable public transport times did not allow some people to leave the village on time for full-time work. Lack of a village playgroup. Lack of school bus to

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Education & Training

H28 Need for education & training facilities in the villages A large majority of respondents totalling 561 felt these facilities were not required. However there was considerable support for adult education evening classes, this probably reflects the general reduction in available evening classes. The need for after school clubs is probably caused by difficulty in obtaining transport after school times. It is significant that, whilst 38 respondents said a playgroup was needed, the last playgroup in the village closed due to lack of support. Nursery school 20 Playgroup 38 Registered childminders 14 Day care (for attending college) 2 After school clubs 41 Holiday play scheme 41 Adult education evening class 90 Vocational training 13 Tutoring 5 U3A (University of 3rd Age) 32 Other 1 Not required 561

H69 Offers of Training/Tutoring in the villages. A total of 16 respondents 14 from Kirton and 2 from Falkenham said they were in a position to offer training/tutoring in the villages. See also the Volunteers section.

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Environment

H29 Importance of the quality of the countryside around the parish Very important 689 Important 136 Not very important 9 No opinion* 10 * does not include those who didnʼt answer the question

H30 How often people use the footpath and/or bridle-paths in the parish At least once a day 236 28% At least once a week 254 31% At least once a month 185 22% At least once a year 90 11% Never 64 8%

Percentage figures are for the 829 people who answered the question

H31 How important to you are the following features in the countryside of the parishes? In order of "Important" + "Very important" of feature, the replies were:

Important + Total Very important Very important responses No. % No. %

Wildlife 812 98 621 75 828 Trees 793 97 609 75 815 Meadows and green fields 788 97 576 71 811 Woods 784 97 570 71 807 Hedges 784 96 579 71 813 River 727 91 527 66 796 Watercourses and ditches 695 87 461 58 799

H32 Churchyards: balance between formality and conservation Most people (about 450) felt the balance was about right, though about 245 had "no opinion". Two small groups each wanted more or less formality. Falkenham Kirton churchyard churchyard more formal 8 19 about right 401 484 less formal 8 17 no opinion 251 242

Conclusion: No change to balance There were 24 suggestions for improvements or change summarised as follows:– for a tidier looking churchyard 11 for more seating 6 for control of headstone materials 2 for more wildlife concern 2 for plastic/silk flowers not to be used 1 for better access for disabled 1 for control of dog fouling 1 Specifically:–

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Falkenham churchyard • Headstones of granite, whether polished or rough should be banned. • Removal of unsightly, antisocial, unchristian chicken wire. • More seats at Falkenham • Tidy up compost heap (Falkenham) Kirton churchyard Seating More seating (3) and kept clean and in good order. Graves Keep tidy (5) Adopt-a-grave (4) No plastic or silk flowers. All kerbing around graves should be removed to make grass cutting easier. Access difficult for wheelchairs etc. General It is fantastic, although I have an endless battle with people wanting to keep it all cut. Keep it rustic and used. Banning dogs fouling in graveyards. Its all down to people power. There seem very few people to help. To those that do, work well. Value in leaving some areas uncut for wildlife benefit.

H33 Views on the amounts of litter in the villages Litter Dog litter Dog litter in plastic bags 1 Much less 181 191 219 2 Less 288 230 133 3 Acceptable 232 222 123

In response to Where are the problem areas? there were 193 sites identified, summarised as fol- lows:– General throughout parishes 32 Recreation Ground 32 Church Lane, Kirton 23 Falkenham Road, Kirton 22 Foot and bridle paths generally 22 Trimley Road, Kirton / Kirton Road, Trimley 16 Back Road, Kirton 12 Park Lane, Kirton 12 Bus shelter, Kirton 8 Innocence Lane, Kirton 4 Other diverse areas 10

H34 Personal action on litter dropped and/or fly-tipping Report fly-tipping incidents 508 Confront/report the culprit 322 Pick it up 283 Support payment of someone to keep the village tidy 230 Join an organised litter-pick 179 Never litter pick 28

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Only 28 said they would never litter pick. 462 said they would litter pick. The question arises as to why there is so much litter in the parishes and why so few join in litter picks. 179 said they would join in organised litter picks but on previous years, when arranged and advertised by the Parish Council, only about 12 have turned up. 230 said they would support payment of someone to keep the village tidy. One respondent is of the view that we already pay Council Tax to deal with the problem. Another that it sends wrong message to those who offend as if they could carry on regardless whilst others pay the price - financially and environmentally.

H35 Wish for changes in the natural environment of the parish Item More or No change Less or much more much less New hedges 434 221 5 Tree Preservation Orders 407 217 22 Trees 393 280 8 Nature reserve 375 212 5 Naturally spreading hedges 345 252 32 Woodland 316 353 8 Ponds 279 314 5 Public footpaths 271 383 7 Bridleways 160 412 39 Footpaths (not bridleways) used by horses 148 321 124

There is obviously a very strong feeling that the natural environment should be enhanced, with over 50% in favour of increasing the first five items. 63% for Tree Preservation Orders implies the wish for a tree survey to be carried out and submitted to SCDC for action to statutorily protect more trees for their amenity value. This should avoid (so long as the list is kept under review) the dreadful situation that occurred at The Maltings in 2006. Note that a sizeable element (21%) would like to see footpaths retained for pedestrians only and horses kept off them. Conversely there is a strong element (26%) who would like to see more bridle- ways than exist at present. Research would need to be done as to whether some existing footpaths should be converted to bridleway status or whether there should be a drive to get new bridleways set up in the parishes.

H36 Adverse effects on your quality of life Road congestion 106 A14 road noise 102 Aircraft 100 Dock light pollution 99 Dock noise 42 Road light pollution 35 Noise from agricultural activities 33 Other 47 None of the above 475

Other effects included barking dogs (4) and noisy neighbours (2).

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Summary of environmental responses Questions 29, 30, 31 and 35 reveal the immense importance of the rural environment to residents. A comparison of Q31 with the similar lines of Q35 follows:

H31 Importance of features H35 Extent in changes Important + Very important More + Much more No. % No. % Wildlife 812 98 Nature reserve 375 63 Trees 793 97 Trees 393 58 Meadows and green fields 788 97 Woods 784 97 Woodland 316 47 Hedges 784 96 New hedges 434 66 River 727 92 Watercourses and ditches 695 87

There is quite obviously overwhelming and positive support for not suburbanising the parishes, for re- taining their rural character and enhancing them through new planting and creating wildlife habitat. There is also a flavour, through the response to H36, that any further development of the Felixstowe peninsula would not be welcomed.

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Information & Communications

H37 Sources of information about events taking place in the local area K&F Review 616 Village Store 421 Free paper1 368 Local newspaper 359 PC Newsletter 352 Public notice boards 311 Local radio 152 Village website 56 Other 43 mainly word of mouth (17) Internet/e-mail 29 Note 1: Free papers are not delivered to all of Falkenham Other sources • Word of mouth (17) • Church notices (1) • Pub (5) • Felixstowe library • Posters / notices on private fences, telegraph poles etc. (3) • General letter drops. (1) • Tourist Information Office

H38 The Kirton & Falkenham Review as a useful source of information Village news 640 Future events 595 Advertisements for local services 482 Church news & diary 430 Church information & contacts 397 I donʼt receive a copy 93

There were a number of comments or suggestions for improvements • Distribution: 5 • Content positive and negative comments plus several suggestions, • Format 3 • Quality 7 positive, 5 negative

b. Comments or suggestions for improvements Distribution • Review should go to all households. • Combine the Review and Parish Council Newsletter into one publication. • Everyone in the village should receive a copy of The Review once a year [they do]. • Make available on the internet to cut down on printing / copying costs(2) • All deliverers should be got together once a year, thanked personally and reminded of their duties. Content • Church bias: Thereʼs little information on general activities - itʼs very church focussed (3). • Births/marriages/death announcements for all residents (2). • Location of events not always shown. [Diary] • Villagers should be encouraged to submit more articles (3), e.g. a ʻletters to the editorʼ section • More advertisements for local services • Contacts for Falkenham Church [done]. Diary dates for all meetings [done]. • Addition of clubs and relevant contacts would be useful. • More local history articles. • PCC dates do not appear in Review. [they are in the Diary]

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Format • Larger print would be better (2). • Front cover would benefit from a fresh look – more appealing to all ages. Quality: positive comments • The Review is an excellent news media. • I look forward to it every month. Itʼs always interesting. Thank you for all your hard work. • Extremely well-received and a boon to members of the village community • The Review is a credit to those who produce it. • Very good magazine. • Could not live without it!! • Excellent. Quality: negative comments • Not sure of the new format for Diary - spelling poor • Spelling mistakes (3) • Correctness of information (2)

Conclusion The Review is the most important medium for communicating what is happening but pub- licity in local and free newspapers and the PC newsletter is important. The value of a vil- lage shop as a local communication centre is significant. Consider funding distribution of the Review to every household in Falkenham, Kirton and “Trimley-by-the-school”. Most valued for village news and future events; these and advertisements for local serv- ices are more important than church information. Increasing the amount of church-related articles may lose subscribers – it's not primarily what they are paying for.

H39 a. How well does Kirton & Falkenham Parish Council publicise its meetings, decisions and ac- tivities? Rating Very well 202 Reasonably well 360 Poorly 82 No opinion 160 b. What additional information would you wish to see? Meetings • Agenda for meetings should be more widely published (e.g. on the village website and notice boards), particularly those with major impact, e.g. road plans, developments. • The reasons for decisions made should be stated in reports. Councillors • Need to know areas of interest (self-interest) of Parish Councillors & areas of potential conflict. Maybe they should abstain more. • Publicise how to contact people on the council if you wish to raise an issue for the agenda in the vil- lage shop/pub etc., rather than just in the Review. • Eligibility to be a member • Publication of meeting notes appear concerned by lack of village representation (members of public attending) but council members can be unfriendly and unwelcoming when public do attend. Planning • Planning report. Parish Council comments supporting or against planning applications. Results of planning determinations by District Council. • More open planning meetings. • Lacks information on planning permission given. • Planning application list in Parish Council newsletter.

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Means of communication • Perhaps a letters page in the Kirton & Falkenham Review. • Free distribution of information to all households. • Subscribable e-mail mailing list. • Parish Council newsletter is excellent Financial • Breakdown of expenditure, where it is going. Maintenance of the village as it stands more so than future plans. Issues • Cars and lorries parked on the village green • More information about household waste / recycling. • When roads will be disrupted by fun runs etc. • Sewers.

See also H50

H40 Use of the internet Where used at home 363 I use it at work 218 I use it at school 33 at a library 23 at an internet café 3 How often used at home regularly (more than 1/week) 255 integral to the way I work/play/shop 219 never use it 204 occasionally 104

H41 Reasons for not using the internet I have no interest 135 I would like to but donʼt have a computer 41 I would like to but not sure how to 27 I would use it but itʼs too expensive 14 I would like to use a public internet terminal 9 Other 15 80 people expressed interest in a computer club (H48)

H42 a. Would the villages website www.kirton-suffolk.info be improved by advertising more local information and events? Yes 188 No 31 No opinion 461 No internet access 93

This requires people to send information about their forthcoming events to the webmaster. Some is picked up belatedly from the Review : dates in the K&F Review Diary are derived from the web diary. b. Comments Two people were unaware of the website (although it has been advertised in the Review and PC newsletter for some years). None of the 5 volunteers to help with the web site provided contact information.

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Leisure & Sport

H43 Do you think it is important to have a village pub? There is a high level of support for a village pub in all three communities, with 689 people expressing their support, 51 feeling it unimportant, and 93 people not being concerned. Yes 689 No 51 No opinion 93

H44 Reasons for never or rarely using The White Horse Despite the strong support for a local pub, a large number of people seldom used the White Horse. 296 people rarely or never go to pubs, but of those that do, 293 preferred other pubs in the area and 278 required food. There were 84 written comments about the pub, providing further reasons for not using it. The major reason was that new customers found it rather unwelcoming with a very male-orientated atmosphere. Females found it rather intimidating and it was felt that families were not catered for at all. It was also felt that it could do with a general makeover, including inside toilets, but that it should remain a country pub. Many people also emphasised that the availability of food was important. Other comments were that it was rather smoky [no longer an issue with recent legislation] and that an outside seating area would be nice. Prefer other pubs in the area 293 Doesnʼt do food 278 Donʼt often go to pubs 206 Other 97 Donʼt go to pubs 90 Too far to walk 27

H45 Do you think we need additional open spaces for recreation & relaxation? Yes 178 No 588

Overall 588 people (77%) thought that no further open space was needed, with 178 people wishing for more. The associated open question on what to do with the existing spaces provided many ideas, from a total of 125 people. Many people would like to see the village green further developed to make it even more attractive and useful, including a village pond, flower beds and more seating. Some would like fencing around it to make it more suitable for young children, with possibly a small play area. Opinions on car parking on the green were almost equally divided, but with relatively few comments. The recreation ground and pavilion attracted many comments. A wider range of sporting facilities were suggested, with most support for a tennis court, followed by cricket, basketball and badminton. It was also felt that a social/sports club at the pavilion for both adults and youngsters would be good, with several people pointing out that there were few activities currently for young people in the villages. Facilities for cycling/skateboarding were suggested. There was some support for some sort of farmers/produce/craft market within the village. The other major area of comment was that some would like to see more events staged throughout the year, such as bonfire night, music, May Day, village parties, etc.

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H46 How often do you use the Recreation Ground facilities? at least Daily 34 at least Weekly 84 at least Monthly 104 Rarely 363 Never 224

Of the 809 responses to this question, 222 people (27%) stated that they used the recreation ground at least monthly. This figure does not include the youngsters of 16 and less who completed their own questionnaire, and who may well be the major users of the facility.

H47 Involvement with current leisure activities in the villages Altogether, 386 memberships of various organisations, clubs and activities in the villages were re- ported. In order of popularity, the main activities are:–

Gardeners Club 98 Deben Flower Club 14 Friends of Kirton Church 59 Ladies Keep Fit 14 Bowls – outdoor 29 Women's Institute 13 Whist 29 Baby clinic 10 Bowls - short mat 19 Kirton Kestrels 10 Thursday Club 18 Mothers' Union 10 Open Circle 17 Bell ringing 6 Uniformed organisations 17 Over 60s 6 Mother & Toddler 15 Line Dancing 2

H48 Demand for new sports and leisure activities in Kirton and Falkenham Many people would like to attend a new range of activities in the villages. Possible new activities in order of preference are:

Rambling Club 103 Other (please state) 41 Yoga 97 Model engineering 38 Craft Club 88 Womenʼs Group (evenings) 38 Computer club 80 Table Tennis Club 29 Art Club 73 Youth Club 29 Cycling Group 59 Young Peopleʼs Drama Group 26 Music Society 43 Band 16 Drama Group 42 Judo 15 Residents Association 41 Young Mumʼs Group (daytime) 8 Young Mumʼs Group (evening) 7

Another 38 written comments were made with many further suggestions, the only real consensus be- ing for tennis and cricket clubs, with 4 suggestions for each. As a result of starting the Parish Plan project a youth club and a drama group have been formed.

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Local Government

H49 Performance of the Parish Council

Satisfied Dissatisfied Need more No opinion information Planning 289 64 150 207 Presentation of the village 459 36 62 132 Presentation of the Village Green 493 76 32 108 Management of the Recreation 465 33 54 153 Ground Promotion of entertainment and the 377 40 80 186 arts, village celebrations Attract tourists and visitors (village 357 75 53 208 signs/Christmas lights) Achieving desired responses from 211 41 118 285 service providers Listening to parishioners 257 67 89 249 Proactiveness (initiative) 216 58 114 249

H50 Satisfaction with Parish Council expenditure In response to question H50: The local Parish Council is empowered to raise money through the council tax (currently £12,500). Are you satisfied with the way this money is spent? 309 people stated that they needed more information. F+K Total Satisfied 265 Dissatisfied 20 Need more information 309 No opinion 182

The Steering Group had intended to include a summary pie chart in the questionnaire but thought that it was not up to the Steering Group to interpret PC information. The results from the question indicate that such information needs to be provided.

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Local & Social Services

H51 Attendance at local hospitals for treatment in the past year 329 respondents attended Ipswich Hospital. Felixstowe General had (251) attendences and the Bartlett (79) – a combined total 330. This shows an equal distribution between the Ipswich Hospital and Felixstowe Hospitals and the significant contribution that the Felixstowe Hospitals play. Bartlett Bartlett Felixstowe Ipswich Physiotherapy Convalescent General Hospital Regular treatment 26 3 13 75 Occasional treatments 46 1 159 184 Accident & Emergency 1 2 79 70

H52 Rating of services used during the last year The top three services in each rating category were: Good Doctor 449 Dentist 309 Optician 294 Reasonable Doctor 175 Dentist 145 Optician 70 Poor Dentist 62 Doctor 23 Chiropody 7 Counselling 7 Physiotherapy 7 Not Used Home Help 326 Meals on Wheels 326 Home Care 325

• District Nurse - Out of the 41 respondents 36 rated this service good. • Home Care & Home Help - Were the only services receiving 100% ʻGoodʼ rating. • Chiropody Service - Ratings for Chiropody varied. 7 out of 51 people rated the service as poor. • 5 respondents received meals on wheels • 36 loaned medical equipment. Good Reasonable Poor Not used Doctor 449 175 23 47 District Nurse 36 5 0 309 Health Visitor 20 11 2 308 Home Care 7 0 0 325 Home Help 4 0 0 326 Maternity care 15 2 0 316 Chiropody 30 14 7 303 Loan of medical equipment 33 2 1 310 Meals on Wheels 2 1 2 326 Counselling services 10 6 7 313 Physiotherapy services 54 26 7 285 Dentist 309 145 62 88 Citizens Advice Bureau 32 17 5 289 Optician 294 70 3 132 Bartlett hospital 42 10 1 303 Felixstowe General Hospital 259 44 1 175

H53 Opinions on the following services in the area The top three services rated: Good Ambulance 221 Fire 186 Police (emergency) 117 Reasonable Community Police Officer 71 Police (999) 63 Ambulance 52 Poor Community Police officer 61 Police (999) 51 Hospital Patient Service 8

• Mobile library achieved only 3 ʻPoorʼ ratings out of 116 responding to this question. • Ambulance achieved only 5 ʻPoorʼ ratings out of 278 responding to this question. • Fire and Coastguard received no ʻPoorʼ ratings. • It is evident that the Police services are rated Reasonable or Poor by around 50% of the respon- dents.

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Good Reasonable Poor Not used Unaware Fire 186 24 0 542 5 Ambulance 221 52 5 491 0 Hospital patient transport service 59 15 8 628 14 Police (emergency) 117 63 51 518 0 Community Police officer 95 71 61 477 39 Coastguard 58 16 0 643 22 Mobile Library 92 21 3 593 30

H54 Good Neighbour Scheme that would help people who are elderly, infirm or have a disability and provide assistance with minor household tasks Out of 205 respondents to this question only 11 people indicated they would like support with house- hold tasks. b. Would you be able to assist with a Good Neighbour scheme? 54 respondents thought they would like to help with this scheme.

H55 Community Responders Scheme Responders work alongside the ambulance service to provide a first response to 999 emergencies within the area in which they live. Run through the East Anglian Ambulance Trust people would oper- ate on an ʻon callʼ basis. This would involve a group being trained to use automated external defibrilla- tors. See www.eastanglianambulance.com. A total of 91 people were interested in supporting this scheme (20) or receiving more information (71). Only 1 person agreed to sign-up to be a Responder and nothing further will happen at this time due to insufficient interest.

H56 Reasons for using the Village Shop Use of the Village Shop (during Summer 2006) was centred on the need for a local convenient retail presence that also helps preserve a community focal point. You need 'last minute' items 542 You like to support local shops 460 It saves time 294 It saves transport costs 256 You like the social contact 134 The local shop gives good value 96 You don't have transport to go elsewhere 26 Other reasons (please state) 11 They deliver 7 I donʼt use it 80

H57 Use of former local Post Office Use of the Post Office (closed summer 2006) received a significant response and over 700 people indicated they have used their services. The majority of Post Office use was for their main services:– Postal, Vehicle and TV licensing. Pensions, Banking and mobile phone top up were all frequently used services. Other uses included:– Premium Bonds & investments (2) , Medical cards and deposits for bank account, accounts and cash deposit facilities for Bowls Club, Gardeners Club and 2 charities, other licences. Postal services 721 Foreign currency 194 Vehicle tax/TV licence/ other bills 611 Pensions/Allowances 103 Information leaflets 211 Girobank/saving certificates 79 Withdrawing cash from bank account 199 Other services (please state) 22 Mobile phone top-up 195 I donʼt use it 54

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Church & Chapel A separate report on this subject area has been presented to representatives and ministers from the two An- glican and one Methodist church.

H58 How important are the village churches/chapel to you? The following numbers of respondents indicated the churches/chapel were very or fairly important Very Fairly important important Total As an historic building 401 190 591 For baptisms, weddings & funerals 320 171 491 As a focal point for the community 284 221 505 For regular worship 144 100 244 For private prayer 113 90 203 Other 12 0 12 Text responses • Enjoy bell ringing on Thurs/Sunday • Despite many visits when I first moved here, I have never felt Kirton Parish Church to be very wel- coming. I find the regular attenders quite insincere. The village chapel is more friendly. • Religious thoughts – private • Social activities, i.e. plant sales, open gardens • We are not religious but the village would miss the buildings. • Community outreach. • Very important the chapel. We need this chapel.

H59 Which, if any, of the Kirton & Falkenham churches/chapel do you consider as your “home” church? Falkenham Kirton Trimley Total St Ethelbert, Falkenham 67 (83%) 35 (9%) 3 105 SS Mary & Martin, Kirton 9 (11%) 299 (76%) 8 316 Methodist Church 5 (6%) 55 (14%) 2 62 Other 0 4 (1%) 0 4 Not applicable 14 280 13 307

Percentage figures are for those with a stated affiliation (NB some respondents had af- filiation with more than one church) Conclusions: Church affiliation is considerably greater than the electoral roll/average attendance.

H60 If you do not attend a church/chapel in Kirton or Falkenham on a regular basis, why is this? The overall response from the three villages is:–

No formal religious interest 453 Unsuitable service times 28 Own religion not represented 25 Own denomination not represented 23 Local churches not welcoming 20 Prefer a church elsewhere 18 Not family friendly 8 Access problems 6 Other 41

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Text responses Bells Church bells are too noisy - do you have any in Kirton? If not why not? Ringing of bells prevents me entering church through main door & I find them extremely loud inside the church. Dominant church [?] tower bells [?]

Practice Pray at home I prefer to do my worship / prayer in private and don't feel the need to go to a “special” building to do this. We do not believe that you have to attend a church to pray or be a good Christian. I do not feel that attending church on a regular basis is necessary. Do not consider a building necessary for prayer. Only attend from time to time. Not anti-church at all. I only go sometimes We usually attend church at Christmas and sometimes Easter but not regularly each week. Will attend Easter and Christmas Eve services. We attend Methodist Chapel, but not regularly.

Time Children are at school on Saturday, therefore Sunday only family day. Lack of available time Work (3) Family commitments on Sundays, caring for an elderly relative. We always seem to be doing other things when the services are on. Such a busy life

Faith Insufficient faith. Lost interest may come back in future. Not yet decided Lapsed, used to attend regularly and were confirmed in Kirton Church; somehow there seemed to be more need and reason when our children were young and growing up.

Vicar Miss having a resident vicar (2)

Infirmity and old age 4 responses citing infirmity, lack of mobility, age.

Welcome The Methodist chapel is the most proactive and inclusive in its attitude, therefore the only one I would feel comfortable to occasionally turn up for a service and be welcomed. Found church unwelcoming, found chapel friendly but uninvolving as focused on day activities. I wanted more evening involvement so attend another church where am happy, involved and settled. You are either regarded as a member or a stranger, this influences my views on whether to attend or not, i.e. you are accepted or not in the church by the so called “I'm in charge” people. I do not feel that the age group 17-30 is welcome as the youth ideas are not taken into account. If this is not addresses there will not be a church in Kirton by 2030 as this age group is the next generation.

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Spirituality Dislike the modern services which lack reverence. Deeply dislike The Sign of peace “Judas”. [8] Do not like the modern form of worship. I feel there is no reverence any more. Does not feel a Spirit-lead, worshipping community - mostly individuals who come to a “service”. God hardly mentioned in PCC meetings. The work of those keen to promote growth & mission is stymied by a vocif- erous minority opposed to change/disturbance by young people in church. Does the local church (= 2 Anglican + Methodist) have a stated purpose?

Other I don't think this question should have been included. Religious thought – private I am a Spiritualist. [Own religion not represented]. Need more Spiritual- ist meeting places locally.

H61 Do you feel the local churches meet the needs of each of the following groups? Fully Mostly Rarely Not at all Donʼt know Children under 10 50 125 30 9 388 Young people 11–17 15 72 65 43 393 Adults 18–64 43 161 24 4 358 Seniors 65+ 92 144 3 0 358 Disabled 52 98 5 6 411 The sick 53 97 9 11 408 The anxious, worried, bereaved, de- 55 93 15 13 406 pressed Conclusion These are not personal perceptions when outside the age range of the respondent. Nev- ertheless, the age range 11–17 seems poorly served. The levels of dissatisfaction in the adult age range and among disabled, sick and distressed are not insignificant. The best served seem to be 65+. Some general responses • Kirton better for young children • The large age range on this question has caused me to make the response I put. I do not feel that the age group 17-30 is welcome as the youth ideas are not taken into account. If this is not ad- dressed there will not be a church in Kirton by 2030 as this age group is the next generation. • Individuals do excellent work (Sunday Club, sick visiting) but are ill-supported and lack spiritual leadership & direction from the stipendiary clergy. • Bring back Friends of the Village who would know people and talk to them. Then the church would know if needs were being met. Communication – communication.

8 An expression which occurs five times in the New Testament at the close of an apostolic message (Rom. xvi. 16; 1 Cor. xvi. 20; II Cor: xiii. 12; I Thess. v. 26; I Pet. v. 14) in the exhortation "Salute one another with an holy kiss" or an equivalent expression. Nothing to do with Judas.

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Transport, Traffic & Parking

H05 How many roadworthy vehicles are kept by your household within the villages? See also Traffic & Transport section Vehicles kept in the villages are:– Cars 403 Bicycles 171 Vans 45 Motorbikes 39 Caravan / Motorcaravan 27 Other 6 Lorries 3 Electric vehicles 3 Specially adapted vehicles 2 Buses 1

H06 If your household has any vehicles, are there problems parking these in the villages? Parking did not seem to be a significant problem, with just 13 people reporting any difficulties with their own parking. However, there were several comments about parked cars causing problems in Falken- ham Road, particularly by the Green and outside the shop, and also near the school.

H07 Please indicate whether you have concerns about traffic volume, speed & vehicle size within the parishes. The answers to this question indicated major concerns with the traffic situation within the villages, with all types of vehicle being implicated. Speeding is by far the major problem, but the size of lorries is also a concern. The basic results are as follows, giving the number of households reporting problems in each category: Vehicle Speed Size Volume Cars 256 7 66 Lorries 81 86 38 Buses 54 7 6 Motorbikes 119 3 10 Other 23 3 4

Speeding was perceived to be endemic in all parts of the village by all types of vehicle by an over- whelming 64% responding to this question. Vehicle Size by 15% of the text answers were cause for concern and included large tractors, double decker buses and large lorries. Volume of traffic by 12% of the text answers were concerned by increased traffic in the village. This included comments on the increasing number of cars owned by residents, B&M traffic and the number of vehicles thought to be using Kirton as a short cut to and Woodbridge. In addition to this data, 185 householders felt strongly enough about the topic to add a written com- ment. The most significant topic was again the speeding of cars and vans, with the main problem ar- eas being Trimley Road, Bucklesham Road, Church and Rectory Lanes, and Back and Falkenham Roads. Young drivers were perceived by some as the main culprits. Several households also com- mented on the speeding buses. Other areas of concern raised by a significant number of households were the size and speed of farm vehicles and lorries, the number of vehicles going to B&M concrete, and the problems of congestion outside the school. 182 Comments received for this question are summarised in the following table. Note that some com- ments covered more than one topic.

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Parish Areas Speeding Vehicle Size Vol Traffic B&M Concrete Falkenham A&B 7 6 0 1 Kirton C 26 6 5 6 Kirton D 32 4 4 0 Kirton E 5 0 4 1 Kirton F 9 0 1 0 Kirton G 1 0 0 0 Kirton H 32 9 7 7 Kirton T 5 2 0 2 TOTALS 117 27 21 17

The areas A Falkenham: From Yew Tree Cottage to church and beyond including Sink, Sheepgate Lane, Lower Falkenham Rd and Back Lane towards Kings Fleet. B Falkenham: from Kirton boundary to Yew Tree Cottage C Kirton: Meadowlands, Church Lane (to Rectory Lane junction), Croxton Close, Falkenham Road odd numbers from Rectory Lane to Village Hall. D Kirton: Rectory Lane, Burnt House Lane , Church Lane (section opposite Kirton Church), Bucklesham Rd (section between Burnt House Lane and Rectory Lane) E Kirton: Bucklesham Road from Bucklesham Road from Park Lane to Recory Lane, Park Lane, Weir Place F Kirton: Bucklesham Road from Park Lane G Kirton: Innocence Lane and outlying dwellings H Falkenham Road evens from Green to B&M. Oakdene, Alley Road, Grayʼs Orchard, Kirton (Trimley) Road from Green to Maltings plus Back Road Kirton and Guston Gardens. T Trimley St Martin: Kirton Road from junction with Back Road to houses on far side of Trimley St Martin school Among the possibilities to reduce speeding were more applicable signage, more police presence i.e. radar traps, traffic calming and a reduction in the current speed limit to 20 MPH in certain areas of the village. Congestion at Trimley St Martin School was mentioned by a further 18 replies. There were con- cerns, especially at the time of the daily pick up and drop off of school children, about lack of parking, traffic congestion, speeding in the area, no controlled crossing for pedestrians.

H62 Main means of transport Car 751 Walking 41 Bicycle 34 Van 13 Other 11 Motorbike 10 Bus 8 Car share 6 Taxi 5 FACTS transport 2 Electric vehicle 1

Not surprisingly the private car was most peopleʼs main means of transport in the villages, a whopping 85% who answered this question. Walkers were the next largest grouping at 4.6% which could be an argument for considering new/wider pavements and increased street lighting in the areas indicated elsewhere in this report. There were 882 responses to this question which are tabulated below.

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Car 751 Van 13 Bicycle 34 Motor Bike 10 Electric Vehicle 1 Bus 8 Taxi 5 Car Share 6 FACTS Bus 2 Walking 41 Other* 11 Grand Total 882 *Included, works van, LPG vehicle, wheel chair, bus and using their childrenʼs vehicles, The local bus faired very badly in this question as a main means of transport.

H63 Where are your vehicles usually kept? Off the road by your home or garage 501 In a garage beside your home 226 On the road 30 Off the road on public land 12 In a garage elsewhere 4 Not applicable 31

The four comments linked to this question mention in particular the vehicles parked adjacent to the Village Green on the Falkenham Road (linked to Q18) and in the villages in general. A comment was made concerning the narrow lanes which did not encourage road parking where they lived, forcing them to park in the front garden. The majority of cars in the villages are parked in garages or off the road. The following table reflects the returns for this question. Off the road by your home or garage 501 In a Garage beside your home 226 On the road 30 Off the road on public land 12 In a garage elsewhere 4 Not applicable 31 Grand Total 804

Comment: The above suggests that there are relatively few residents cars that would have to come off the road to ease the parking problems expressed in question 18, or is it non residence vehicles causing parking congestion?

H64 People prepared to take part in a car-share scheme Work 32 Social or leisure 30 Shopping 22 School 20 Total 104

The comments associated with this question (10) indicate that although the concept is good, in reality the system often is not flexible enough for the parties concerned. The results of the question show that enough villagers are willing to implement a scheme.

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H65 Opinions of the local bus service The great majority of respondents did not use the local bus services. Of those who did use the service the majority rated the timetable and access for the disabled, as poor. Overall the service regarding route, reliability, cost, cleanliness, safety, bus stop location and destination were found to be reason- able. No part of the service had the majority of respondents describing it as good.

Good Reasonable Poor Not used Route 56 90 54 483 Timetable 35 64 117 351 Reliability 38 96 59 363 Cost 51 61 59 365 Access for disabled 14 30 52 415 Cleanliness 35 98 34 370 Safety 36 101 30 364 Bus stop location 69 90 36 349 Destination 57 89 39 354

H66 Do you have difficulty in getting to any of the following? Whilst most people have no trouble in getting to the various services the result does indicate the im- portance of keeping a shop within the community. It also indicates a minority of people have difficulty in attending hospital and GP appointments.

Often Occasionally Never Shops 15 27 645 Hospital (appointments) 14 34 633 Hospital (visiting a patient) 12 21 630 Doctor (GP) 12 28 640 Chemist 8 24 642 Chiropodist 5 5 590 Optician 6 18 644 Dentist 8 21 644 Other medical facility 4 10 527

H67 Factors preventing use of the existing bus services (including school services):– Frequency 255 Times 218 Routes 136 Destination 133 Reliability 102 Cost 68 Bus stop location 65 Inadequate access for those with disabilities 24

Frequency and times are the major factors stopping people using the existing bus services and this emphasises the answer given in H65 regarding a poor timetable.

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H68 Which of the following places would you travel to regularly on public transport if there were more frequent services to and from Kirton/Falkenham? Felixstowe 264 Ipswich 260 Trimley railway station 115 Woodbridge 106 Colchester 51 None of the above 254

Other

H70 Tell us about anything else you think may be relevant to the Parish Plan. Tell us what is good about the area, as well as places and things you think could be improved. Many people commented favourably on Kirton and Falkenham, “nice place to live”, “quiet and peace- ful”, “friendly community” and “safe environment”, etc. Whilst several indicated they wished the villages to be kept as they are the need for affordable hous- ing was mentioned, but criticism was levelled at the Weir Place development especially regarding the poor access to it along Park Lane and the taking away of an area where local children play. There were people for and against contentious items such as street lighting and pavements. The de- velopment envelope also had support for staying as it is whilst another wrote it should be flexible. Concern was expressed regarding the Post Office closing and its importance to the community was stressed. Other concerns were parking on narrow village roads and pavements, overgrown hedges, narrow lanes and an inadequate sewage system. A cross section of suggestions made were as follows:- Environment Bury overhead power lines. Encourage the use of renewable energy and recycling. Improve litter situation. Area around sub station and black shed opposite green needs tidying up. Services Bus service needs improving Start a Youth Club The village needs a Café. Surgeries in the village, also visiting Hairdressers, Chiropodist, Citizens Advice etc. Police A Policeman is needed to walk around the village. A Security Officer is needed 24/7. Speed Cameras and CCTV in certain areas. One interesting comment was that Trimley St Martin by the school should be part of the Kirton Parish, it being cut off from the rest of Trimley St. Martin, and they felt they were in a no-manʼs land and democratically unrepresented. Finally, a respondent writes, “well done – a good idea presumably you will publish the contents”.

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Volunteers (H69)

The two villages already have 18 organisations catering mainly for leisure activities including the Womenʼs Institute, to Bowls (Short Mat and Outdoor) and the several young peoples football teams known as Kirton Kestrels all run by volunteers. A full list is given under Question 47 in the appendix. The Parish Plan Steering Group thought that it was important to seek further volunteers who would benefit the Community given the rather isolated rural situation of the two villages, therefore a sheet entitled ʻOffers of help and requests for informationʼ was formulated and included with each Household Questionnaire.. The responses were:- Help offered Question Responses Help with villages website Q42 2 Youth activities Q47 5 New sports and Leisure Activities Q48 10 Good Neighbour Scheme Q54 22 Community Responder Scheme Q55 23 Car Share Scheme Q64 10 Training/Tutoring Q69 8 Other 3

19 people wrote their name and address on the form but did not tick any item nor provide further in- formation. The collating of the Questionnaires took some time so it was decided to write to the people who had responded to the Good Neighbour Scheme and the Community Responder Scheme to keep interest going in the Parish Plan and we organised the Community Responder Organiser for Suffolk and a lo- cal Volunteer Scheme Administrator to carry out presentations at meetings arranged for the two activi- ties. Those who said they could not attend the meeting were sent information. Resulting from the meetings we had one volunteer for the Felixstowe Volunteer Service which also covers our villages and one volunteer for the Community Responder Scheme who withdrew when it was realised she would operate from Felixstowe. Under Other we had a local fireman who volunteered to organise free fire safety checks and we pro- ceeded with this, firemen visiting the monthly village meal and the over 60ʼs Club as we wished to give priority to senior people in our community. Over 20 people applied for the checks and these are now proceeding. Responses for Youth activities are also being followed up as we are hoping to start a Youth Club in the village. We will deal with the remaining items by letter and also when people get together at the public presen- tation of this report. We may have another try at starting a Good Neighbour Scheme in our villages as several people were put off by the nearest scheme being based in Felixstowe. We were deterred initially in proposing a village scheme due to start up and ongoing costs and also the need for an administrator. This may be something for Church and Chapel to take on. Possible Action Points • Extend the Fire safety Check to all sections of the Community by suitable publicity. • Gauge support for a more local Good Neighbour Scheme. • Ensure all people who responded are contacted and sent information as required. (so far 58 letters have been sent out)

The Steering Group are very grateful to all who took part in the survey or who assisted with the project.

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Tabulated Action Plan

Priorities:– 1 = Immediate action (this year) 2 = Start within 2 years 3 = Start within 3-5 years 4 = Start > 5 years 5 = Defer

Issue Issue Category Related Lead Priority/Status # Questions organisation

37 Parish Council to take note of Local democracy H39 Parish Coun- 1 comments regarding cil Minority comments Councillorsʼ eligibility, conflicts of interest, attitude.

65 Importance of local Access to healthcare H51 Parish Coun- 1 hospitals:– Felixstowe cil General, Bartlett Physio Unit, Bartlett convalescent unit (now closed). Inform Ipswich NHS Trust of relevant data.

3 40 households have one or Affordable housing H03 H21 Nassau Trust Affordable housing more people who require is being constructed alternative accommodation. on Kirton Road. Responses to H21 indicate a There is an significant need for approved planning affordable and small application for an accommodation units, and additional housing adapted for disabled development of 12 use as well as sheltered (70) dwellings in Weir and nursing homes (34). Place and 1 on the Maltings site.

54 Need for a Youth club Facilities for Y07 H48 Level 2, 1 teenagers Felixstowe KAFY Club started

74 Form a Youth Council Facilities for Y08 Parish Coun- 1 teenagers cil

76 Other uses for the Facilities for H45 Y11 Parish Coun- 1 Recreation Ground Pavilion:– teenagers Y12 cil used by KAFY Club Youth club, café, social meeting place for all ages, etc.

42 Need for Rambling Club Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 (103) Recreational Facilities

43 Need for Yoga group (97) Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Recreational Facilities

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Issue Issue Category Related Lead Priority/Status # Questions organisation

44 Need for Craft group (88) Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Recreational Facilities

45 Need for Computer club (80) Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Recreational Facilities

46 Need for Art club (73) Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Recreational Facilities

47 Need for Cycling club (59) Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Recreational Facilities

48 Need for Music Society (43) Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Recreational KAFPA formed Facilities 2007

49 Need for Drama Group (42) + Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Youth Drama Group (26) Recreational Facilities

50 Need for Residents Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Association (41) Recreational Facilities

51 Need for Model Engineering Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 club (38) Recreational Facilities

52 Need for Womenʼs Group Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 (evenings) (38) Recreational Facilities

53 Need for Table Tennis club Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 (29) Recreational Facilities

55 Need for Band (16) Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Recreational Facilities

56 Need for Judo (15) Cultural, Sporting & H48 Individual 2 Recreational Facilities

75 Provide other facilities on the Cultural, Sporting & Y11 H45 Parish Coun- 1 Recreation Ground:– Recreational cil Mountain bike/ Facilities BMX track/trail 51 Tennis court 50 Basketball court 36 Basketball hoop 31 Running track 31 Skate ramp 21 Cricket 19 Biking club 18 See also H45 text responses

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Issue Issue Category Related Lead Priority/Status # Questions organisation

18 Neigbourhood Watch needs Community Safety H17 Individuals 1 better organisation.

17 Adequacy of Police presence Community Safety H17 H53 Parish Coun- 1 & effectiveness cil

20 Innocence Lane, Trimley Rd Community Safety H18 Parish Coun- 1 crossroads: poor visibility cil due to hedges & trees

26 Innocence Lane, Trimley Rd Community Safety H18 Parish Coun- 1 crossroads: vehicles cil performing U-turns at school pick-up times.

59 Drug/drink Community Safety H17 Parish Coun- 3 education/prevention cil

24 Poor visibility left from Back Community Safety H18 H23 Parish Coun- 1 Road/Kirton Rd Falkenham cil

6 Traffic volume, speed & Community Safety H07 H20 Parish Coun- 1 vehicle size within the cil parishes. Need for speed control measures.

58 Speeding vehicles were also Community Safety H16 Parish Coun- 1 prominent issue in Back cil Road and Falkenham Rd and on the main road through Kirton and past the school.

78 Concern regarding bullying Community Safety Y16 Parish Coun- 1 (43) cil

16 Lack of pavements, Community Safety H16 H19 Parish Coun- 2 especially Back Road and Y18 cil Falkenham Rd. (307)

21 Provision of Cycle paths Community Safety H19 Y18 Parish Coun- 2 cil

79 Improvement of access Community Safety Y18 Parish Coun- 2 (pavements & tracks) for cil pedestrians, cyclists & disabled & partially-sighted

11 Street lighting. Lack of Community Safety H08 H16 Parish Coun- 1 adequate lighting particularly H19 cil in Church Lane.

15 Antisocial behaviour is of Community Safety H15 H16 Parish Coun- 1 concern particularly in Kirton cil (notably in Church Hall area, Recreation Ground and Village Green bus stop). See also Issue 78 (Bullying).

Main Report Issue 1.3.pages Page 49 of 56 Kirton & Falkenham Parish Plan – Summary Report and Action Plan

Issue Issue Category Related Lead Priority/Status # Questions organisation

19 Road hazards: parked Community Safety H18 Parish Coun- 1 vehicles: Trimley St Martin cil School, Falkenham Road by Green & shop area

70 Need for improved public Public Transport H62 H65 Parish Coun- 1 transport. Improvements to H67 H68 cil timetable, frequency, access Y27 for disabled.

4 Parking of own vehicles Parking H06 Parish Coun- 5 within the villages did not cil seem to be a significant problem, but there were several comments regarding parked vehicles on the Green (pro & con). See Issue 5. Suggestion: Car park opposite the Green (by electricity substation) for big events?

5 Parked cars causing Parking & Commu- H06 H18 Parish Coun- 1 problems in Falkenham nity Safety cil Road, particularly by the Green and outside the shop, and also near the school.

40 Need for more off-road Parking H23 Parish Coun- 2 parking for visiting vehicles cil and some own vehicles (see Issue 4) Two types of need:– 1. for special events (public or private) and 2. day-to day needs for visitor & own vehicle parking.

84 Changes that could be made Road & Footpath B15 Parish Coun- 1 in the villages to benefit Maintenance cil business: Access roads being kept clear of overhanging trees, roads maintained and width increased.

62 Create new bridle paths or Public Rights of Way H35 Parish Coun- 2 change selected footpaths to cil bridleways.

29 Barriers to employment:– Jobs & Local H27 Parish Coun- 1 mainly transport issues, lack Economy cil of information/ advice/ qualifications, availability of local child care.

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Issue Issue Category Related Lead Priority/Status # Questions organisation

68 Need to keep a village shop. Shopping & Services H56 Individual 1 540 used the shop. Requires a buyer and possibly a community manager.

69 Need to keep a Post Office: Shopping & Services H57 Individual 1 721 used the PO for one or more services

30 Need for education & training Access to training H28 H69 Individual 3 in the villages and skills development

41 Need for basic computer Access to training H41 H48 Individual 1 training and access to public and skills computers. See Issue 45 development

27 Overhead electricity and Built Environment H23 Parish Coun- 2 telephone wires are cil preferred to be under ground.

60 SCDC should commit to no Built Environment H23 Parish Coun- 1 increase in the size of the cil Building Envelope.

28 Need for a Design Code of Built Environment H24 Parish Coun- 1 Practice cil

2 Desire for more accessible Natural Environment H31 H35 3VWG 2 woodland areas. 3VWG formed 2007

33 Nature reserve, pond. Natural Environment H35 Individual 4

61 Take account of importance Natural Environment H31 Parish Coun- 1 to residents of the impact on cil natural environment by planning proposals.

63 Lack of tree preservation Natural Environment H35 Parish Coun- 1 orders. cil

34 Adverse effects on quality of Natural Environment H36 Parish Coun- 1 life to be noted as planning cil evidence.

31 Litter: Organised litter pick Environmental Health H33 H34 Parish Coun- 2 & Pollution cil

7 Inadequacy of foul and Environmental Health H08 Parish Coun- 1 surface water drainage. & Pollution cil Specifically Weir Place. Meadowlands sewer adoption issue.

12 Review quantity & location of Environmental Health H09 Parish Coun- 2 Litter bins & Pollution cil

13 Review quantity & location of Environmental Health H09 Parish Coun- 2 dog bins & Pollution cil

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Issue Issue Category Related Lead Priority/Status # Questions organisation

14 Review quantity & location of Environmental Health H09 Parish Coun- 2 grit bins & Pollution cil

32 Pay someone to keep the Environmental Health H33 H34 Parish Coun- 2 village tidy & Pollution cil

82 Five businesses reported Risk Management B06 Parish Coun- 2 being victims of crime cil

64 Take account of suggestions Access to information H38 Churches 1 for improvements to the K&F Review

35 In view of the importance of Access to information H37 Churches 1 the K&F Review as a prime source of local information, should it be combined with the Parish Newsletter and distributed to all houses free of charge?

81 Lack of awareness of Access to information B04 Parish Coun- 1 Business support cil Organisations

38 Provision of information Access to information H39 H49 Parish Coun- 1 about Planning meetings, H50 cil agenda, decision rationale & outcomes.

39 Parish Council finances: Access to information H39 H49 Parish Coun- 1 Breakdown of expenditure, cil rationale, where it is going.

77 Many young people do not Access to information Y13 Y14 Parish Coun- 1 know how to contact local cil policeman.

8 Digital radio reception rated Access to information H08 Parish Coun- 2 good by only 55% cil

9 Terrestrial digital TV Access to information H08 Parish Coun- 2 reception rated good by only cil 30%

10 Mobile phone reception rated Access to information H08 Parish Coun- 2 good by only 47% cil

36 Parish Council publicity and Access to information H39 Parish Coun- 1 information provision. Some cil improvement required

66 Good Neighbours Scheme Voluntary/Community H54 Churches 1 self-help

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Issue Issue Category Related Lead Priority/Status # Questions organisation

85 There are a number of issues Voluntary/Community H58 H59 Churches 1 arising from the Church & self-help H60 H61 Chapel questions for which a separate report was produced in June 2007. In particular, the age range 11– 17 seems poorly served.

71 Car share scheme Voluntary/Community H64 Individual 2 self-help

67 Community Responders Voluntary/Community H55 Parish Coun- 2 Scheme self-help cil

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Appendices

Bibliography/references 1. Youth Report 2. Business Report

Contact details of Parish Council/Voluntary Organisations within the community See www.kirton-suffolk.info

Glossary of Acronyms and uncommon words DEFRA Department for Education, Farming and Rural Affairs HMG Her Majestyʼs Government KAFPA Kirton & Falkenham Performing Arts KAFY Kirton & Falkenham Youth (Club) PC Parish Council PCC Parochial Church Council - the local governing body of a CofE church SACRE Suffolk Action with Communities in Rural www.suffolkacre.org.uk SCC Suffolk County Council SCDC Suffolk Coastal District Council w.r.t. with respect to

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Kirton & Falkenham Parish Plan – Summary Report and Action Plan

with parts of of parts with TrimleyMartin St Sketch map of the Parishes of Kirton & Falkenham & Kirton of Parishes the of map Sketch

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