Isleham Parish Plan 2009

Isleham ParIsh Plan 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION 4 2. OBJECTIVES 4 3. SURVEY SUMMARY 4-5 4. VILLAGE HISTORY 6-8 5. ISLEHAM WASHES 9-10 6. EDUCATION & WORK 11 7. TRAFFIC/HIGHWAYS/FOOTPATHS 12 8. PATHS & LIGHTING 13 9. ENVIRONMENT 14 10. COMMUNICATION 14 11. TRANSPORT 15-16 12. HOUSING 17 13. SAFETY IN THE COMMUNITY 18 14. COMMUNITY 18 15. PARISH COUNCIL/LOCAL GOVERNMENT 19 16. SPORTS & SOCIAL ACTIVITIES 20-21 17. SHOPS & SERVICES 21-22 18. CHURCH & CHAPEL 23 19. ACTION PLAN 24-26 20. VILLAGE DIRECTORY 27 21. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 27 3 Isleham ParIsh Plan 2009 1. INTRODUCTION Parish Plans are being produced by many communities across the country and Isleham is no exception. The last village appraisal look place in 1999 and so it was felt that 2008-09 would be a good time to undertake a further survey to see how things have changed, developed, improved or worsened in the last 10 years. The process of creating the plan has given everyone the chance to say what they think about the social, economic and environmental issues affecting our community. An important aspect of the Parish Plan is that it can form strategic links with influential organizations, such as the District Council. The Parish Council’s contribution iThe Isleham Parish Plan began in March 2008 with a meeting at the village hall with a representative from Cambridgeshire Acre, the parish clerk, a few parishioners and 2 parish councillors. A grant towards the cost of producing the plan was received from Cambridgeshire Acre in the form of funding of £1500. The Parish Council’s contribution included the Clerk’s time as well as office supplies used in preparation of both the survey and the completed questionnaire. The survey was delivered and collected by a team of volunteers including those on the committee. 2. OBJECTIVES • To have a clearer view of how the residents feel about the village; what it is like to live here; what strengths and weaknesses, concerns, problems and needs there are. • To enable local residents to express their opinions about how they would like to see Isleham develop. • To gather evidence that supports changes suggested by local people. • To provide the principal authorities (ECDC/CCC) along with Isleham Parish Council accurate evidence of need enabling them to target their resources and services to meet Isleham’s requirements. • accurateTo recognise evidence that many developmentsof need enabling in Isleham them can be tobrought target about their by theresources involvement and of the services to mcommunity. 3. SUMMARY 294 Households answered the survey representing 716 people including children living in these households. The sexes were again evenly represented with 50.9% males and 49.1% females. 117 were children aged 0-15 with a slightly higher proportion of girls than boys (56.4%/43.6%). What age group do you belong to? 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 p 0 Under 5-10 11-15 16-17 18-24 25-44 45-59 60-64 65-74 75-84 85+ 5 years 4 Isleham ParIsh Plan 2009 How long have you lived in Isleham? The majority of respondents have lived in Isleham for 1-25 years 30 (62.9%). The remainder have lived in the village for 26-50 years 16.9%; 25 51+ years 4.0% and those who have lived here their whole life 16.2%. 20 % 15 10 5 0 Less than 1 - 5 years 6 - 15 16 - 25 26 - 50 51+ years Whole life 1 year years years years A Brief Analysis of the Questionnaire 83% think the school is very important 71.5% work outside Isleham 55% of people use the shops weekly 37% of people use the Post Office weekly 72% read every issue of the Informer of these 46% readers would like more items on leisure Although only 5.3% of people have problems collecting prescriptions 73.4% would collect them from the Post Office if this were possible. 68.5% concerned about lack of off road parking 66.9% concerned about speeding 48.6% would like to see a good neighbour scheme and 55% of people would help occasionally with it 67.5% think there should be a neighbourhood watch scheme in the village and 50.3% would join it. 61.8% are concerned about vandalism 74.5% are concerned about litter and graffiti 70% would like a greater police presence 69% felt that religious groups make a positive contribution to the community 67.5% think litter is a problem in the village 83.5% want dog waste bins 73% want a public report in the Informer and 50% wanted an information sheet 5 Isleham ParIsh Plan 2009 4. VILLAGE HISTORY DEVELOPMENT OF ISLEHAM RELIGION Isleham probably developed due to its isolation on a chalky outcrop surrounded on three sides by waterlogged Fenland, and a need to fulfill a requirement for religious contemplation. In 1090 a Benedictine Priory was established as an off-shoot from a Benedictine Abbey in Brittany. Brittany was under English rule at the time. In 1330 St Andrew’s Church was built on the site of several previous churches, with 100% enlargement of the building about 160 years later. This included a porch for the purpose of marriage or exchange of vows with, or without, a priest. Entrance to the church itself was almost exclusively for the use of the clergy until the Reformation. Isleham became a parish in 1566. In the mid - 17th century the following three events occurred in English history: • Oliver Cromwell Rises to Fame – Oliver Cromwell rose to fame as a military and political leader during the English Civil Wars. Following the execution of Charles 1, he became the most powerful man in the land as Head of the Republic between 1653 until his death in 1658. His house still exists in Ely. • The Reformation – Caused religious and political upheaval throughout the land. • The Draining of the Fens. 1693 saw the foundation of Pound Lane Independent Church. It’s non-conformist ranks were swollen by Huguenots and Walloons escaping religious persecution on the Continent of Europe. In 1812 The High Street Church came into existence and is still flourishing to the extent that it has been granted planning permission to build a larger church in Beck Road, minimizing a critical car parking problem associated with having three churches in close proximity. POLICIES AFFECTING RESIDENTS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PARISH 1651-52 saw the completion of a major element of the Fen drainage and the curtailing of catastrophic flooding of land and property by means of sluices to control the combination of high tides with following winds (the river Lark was tidal prior to 1652). The effect of changing waterlogged Fenland into dry agricultural soil generated a loss of income to the wild fowling and fishing communities but greatly increased productive farming land. The River Lark was an important factor in the development of Isleham over many hundreds of years as part of a comprehensive river transport system. It connected to a major shipping facility by sea to the Continental and English ports where cargo was re-loaded on to barges and thence to their destinations. Very few roads existed. Starting at the most Southerly point of the River Lark and Parish Boundary, and travelling Northwards, there were a number of links to Isleham. The first two links were to East Fen Road. One of those links led to a Ferry, an inn, an area where peat (turf) was cut for fuel and a point at which baptisms took place in the river. The next link was a canal and towpath which also had access to a clay pit near East Fen Road. The clay was probably used to line or repair the river banks. Another link was the Sluice Ditch alongside Waterside. This was a popular unloading point for coal and re-loading with clunch. Waterside also provided access to a piece of common land, with river frontage, called ‘The Little Wash’. 6 Isleham ParIsh Plan 2009 Along the remaining length of the Lark Parish Boundary, was a community of Fen people. They had a number of inns, a church, a small shop and a school. Prior to the re-building of the Prickwillow Road, people from the Community used to walk or cycle along the top of the river bank to Isleham. The oxidization of Fenland peat lowered the soil level and turned the rivers into aqueducts which resulted in producing a maintenance problem of the river banks. The railway came to Isleham in 1886. In 1889, the Government introduced a Parliamentary Act which formed the basis of the current planning laws by County Councils. The new laws applied to: roads, bridges, education, public health, mental health, agriculture and town and country planning. The administration division of a County pre- 1889 was by The Hundred Role system. Note: The term ‘Hundred’ related to a group of one hundred families of Freemen at the time of compiling the DoomsdayN Book (1084-1086), by order of William the Conqueror. The County of Cambridgeshire consisted of nineteen units of a hundred. Isleham, with Soham and Fordham, were called: ‘The StaploeT Hundred’. (Isleham became a church and secular division in its own right). Isleham, with S The next hundred years saw the greatest change to the peoples’ way of life. World War 1 saw the development of aircraft. A surplus of military vehicles and their drivers promoted growth of commercial road haulage, buses and the decline of use of the horse and cart. In 1918 there was a change of social status of women.

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