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ASHDON NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN S econd Consultation Questionnaire Overview 1. Introduction Due to Covid restrictions the Ashdon Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee had to cancel the second face - to - face consultation planned for May 2020. To enable progress with t he Neighbourhood Plan (NP) without the second face - to - face consultation, we as ked each household to complete a “Second Consultation Questionnaire.” We had gathered a lot of information about the village and noted previous comments from the Ashdon residents . We are on the last lap of this process and we want to check that we ha ve interpreted their views accurately before we draft the Plan for their approval. During 2020 the pandemic has changed our lives in ways that were not imaginable when we held the f irst consultation in the village hall in October 20 19 . We were keen to capture these new thoughts and ideas. Th e last question gives respondents an opportunity to communicate these to us and enlarge on their ideas. Th e questionnaire was distributed to each household in Ashdon Parish in the Winter 2020 edition of the Ashdon Village M agazine . It provided instruction s on how to return the paper copy to us or to complete it online at www.ashdonplan.co.uk . 1 66 questionnaires were Age of Second Consultation Survey returned completed . This Respondants represent s a significant 1% 2% proportion of the households in Ashdon (373 households - 2011 16% Census). Figure 1 shows the 21% ages of respondents. 73 questionnaires (4 4 % ) were completed online, and 93 (56%) 61% paper questi onnaires were returned.
0-75 10-19 20-44 45-74 75+ The questionnaire was advertised in the village Figure 1 Age of respondents magazine, on the Neighbourhood Plan website and Facebook pages , and the Parish Council website and Facebook pages.
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This compares with the 2011 Censu s date age group split: -
2. Questionnaire results
S ECTION ONE VISION AND OBJECTIVES FOR ASHDON Based on what the residents told us at the first consultation, we drafted the following Vision for the Ashdon Neighbourhood Plan (NP) .
Q2. Do you agree with this draft Vision for the A shdon Neighbourhood Plan ?
Over the Plan period Ashdon will evolve whilst retaining and enhancing its natural and historic rural environment and continue to be inhabited by a vibrant sustainable community
Q2 Do you agree with this draft Vision for the Ashdon Neighbourhood Plan? 120% 98% 100% Yes 80% No 60%
40%
20% 2% 0%
Figure 2 Responses to Q2
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Q3 . The following objectives underpin this Vis ion. The following charts provide the responses to how important the residents considered each of the following objective s ?
Village character objectives : Q3a Any new development in the Parish will be modest in scale and appropriate Q3 (a) Any new development in the Parish to meeting village needs. will be modest in scale and appropriate to meeting village needs. 10% 2%
98.2% of respondents regarded this objective as very important or fairly important with 88.5% regarding it as very 88% important.
Very Important Fairly Important
Fairly unimportant
Q3 (b) Any new development will deliver high quality design and be appropriate and Q3b Any new development will deliver sensitive to neighbouring buildings and high quality design and be appropriate and sensitive to neighbouring buildings landscape setting and landscape setting
98.2% of respondents regarded this objective 100% as very important or fairly important with 82% 80% 8 1.9 % regarding it as very important. 60%
40% 16% 20% 2% 0% Very Important Fairly Important Fairly unimportant
Q3 ( c ) The unique hilly landscape and Q3c The unique hilly landscape and openness of the village with its close openness of the village with its close connection to the rural landscape will be connection to the rural landscape will be protected ; this incl ud es key views protected including key views
100% 9 6.3 % of respondents regarded this objective 82% as very important or fairly important with 80% 8 1.8 % regarding it as very important. 60%
40%
14% 20% 3% 1% 0% Very Fairly Fairly Not Important Important unimportant important
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Climate change and biodiversity objectives:
3(d) The NP will address the chall enge Q3d The NP will address the challenge of of climate change at our Parish level. climate change at our Parish level. As part of As part of this it will anticipate the this we will anticipate the impact of increased impact of increased frequency of frequency of heavy rainfall when planning heavy rainfall when planning for flood flood management solutions for the village management solutions for the village. 100% 87%
80% 96.9% of respondents regarded this obj ective as very importan t or fairly 60% important , with 86.7% regarding it as very 40% important. 20% 10% 2% 1% 1% 0% Very Fairly Fairly Not No opinion Important Important unimportant important
Q3 ( e ) The NP will aim for new development to have a low carbon Q3e How important is the NP aim for new footprint (covering energy demand, development to have a low carbon footprint building materials, construction and support innovative solutions. process etc) and support innovative 80% 69% solutions. 60%
9 1.5 % o f respondents regarded this 40% objective as very important or fairly 22% important , with 69.1 % regarding it as very 20% 4% 4% 1% important. 0% Very Fairly Fairly Not No opinion Important Important unimportant important
Q3 (f) The NP will plan to maintain and promote local ecosystems to protect Q3f The NP will plan to maintain and promote local ecosystems to protect wildlife, trees and wildlife, trees and hedgerows hedgerows
100% 98.2% of respondents rega rded this 87% objective as very important or fairly 90% 80% important , with 86.7% regarding it as very 70% important. 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 12% 10% 1% 1% 0% Very Fairly Fairly No opinion Important Important unimportant
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Vibrant community and “ getting around ” Q3g Affordable housing should be available to objectives: meet the needs of local people 80% 69% Q3 (g) Affordable housing should be 70% available to meet the needs of local 60% people 50% 40% 9 1.6 % of respon dents regarded this objective 30% 23% as very important or fairly important , with 20% 68.7 % regarding it as very important. 10% 5% 3% 0% Very Important Fairly Important Fairly Not important unimportant
Q3 (h) Promote a vibrant community in which it i s easier to get around – both Q3h Promote a vibrant community in which it within the community and in and out of is easier to get around both within the community and in and out of the village. the village 70% 63% 89.6 % of respondents regarded this objective 60% as very important or fairly important , with 50% 62.8 % regarding it as very important. 40%
30% 27%
20% 7% 10% 1% 2% 0% Very Fairly Fairly Not No opinion Important Important unimportant important
Q3 (i) Promote health and wellbeing of the Q3i Promote health and wellbeing of the community by protecting and improving community by protecting and improving opportunities for outdoor recreational opportunities for outdoor recreational activi ties activities
80% 89 % of respondents regarded this objective as 62% very important or fairly important , with 61.6 % 60% regarding it as very important. 40% 27%
20% 6% 4% 1% 0% Very Fairly Fairly Not No opinion Important Important unimportant important
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Q3 (j) Promote maintenance and Q3j Promote maintenance and enhancement enhancement of local facilities, clubs and of local facilities, clubs and societies societies. 70% 60% 9 4.5 % of respondents regarded thi s objective 60% as very important or fairly important , with 50% 60.4 % regarding it as very important. 40% 34%
30%
20%
10% 4% 1% 1% 0% Very Fairly Fairly Not No opinion Important Important unimportant important
Employment objectives: Q3k Promote and enhance local employment Q3 ( k ) Promote and enhance local employment opportunities opportunities 60% 51% 84.1 % of respondents regarded this objective as 50% very important or fairly imp ortant , with 50.6 % 40% 33% regarding it as very important. 30% 20% 13%
10% 2% 1% 0%
Q 3(l) Do you have any comments on Section One ?
Specific comments are included in the Report ANNEX .
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SECTION TWO This section asked more detailed questions on the above.
VILLAGE CHARACTER
The Neighbourhood Plan will include policies setting out standards to be met by new development to ensure local character is protected and strengthened. These will be informed by the L andscape C haracter Appraisal and the Village Character Assessment (available to view at a shdonplan.co.uk). These questions are intended to help us with this process.
Q4. Ashdon Parish has a high - quality environment in which people live and work . How important is it that the NP should aim to protec t and enhance this by promoting the following ?
Q4(a) New development should reflect Q4a New development should reflect the the existing (characteristic) building existing building height and scale of Ashdon height and scale of Ashdon buildings – buildings typically 1, 1.5 or 2 storey typically 1, 1.5 or 2 storeys . 1% 1% 98. 7 % of respondents regarded this objective as very im portant or fairly 24% important , with 74 .5% regarding it as very important. 74%
Very Important Fairly Important
Fairly unimportant Not important
Q4(b) The historic distinctiveness of the Q4b The historic distinctiveness of the Ends should be preserved. Ends should be preserved
81.3 % of respondents regarded this objective as very important or fairly important , with 11% 55.4 % regardin g it as very important. 8%
26% 55%
Very Important Fairly Important
Fairly unimportant Not important
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Q4(c) Green spaces in the village are an important part of Ashdon’s Q4c Green spaces in the village are an important part of Ashdon’s character and should continue character and should continue to be to be valued and protected valued and protected 1% 98. 8 % of respondents regarded this 15% objective as very important or fairly important , with 8 3 . 6 % regarding it as very important.
84%
Very Important Fairly Important Fairly unimportant
Q5. Do you agree that the four road entrances into the village should be important as “first impressions” and determine the sense of arrival, setting the scene coming into the village?
86.1% of respondents agreed.
Q6. How important is it to you that unnecessary light pollution is avoided to preserve the dark skies in Ashdon? (We do recognize lighting is needed for safety reasons in some parts of the village)
87.9% of respondents agreed.
Q7a Would you support the N P seeking to designate Rectory Lane and Dorvis Lane as ‘Protected Lanes’? This would recognise and protect their status as historic, sunken lanes.
93.3% of respondents agreed.
Q7b Are there other lanes that you feel should be protected?
The followin g additional lanes were listed by respondents : -
1. Kates Lane 7. Radwinter Road 2. Puddlewharf Lane 8. Burnt House Lane 3. Stallentines Lane (Water End) 9. Halt Lane (Is this Fallowden Lane? ) 4. Spriggs Lane (Water End) 10. O verha l l Lane 5. Fallowden Lane 11. New House Lane 6. Rock Lane 12. Windmill/ Mill Lane
The detailed comments are listed at report ANNEX
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SECTION THREE CLIMATE CHANGE & BIODIVERSITY
Q8. Should the N P promote a high level of energy conservation and environmental sustainabi lity in new building?
9 2.1 % of respondents agreed.
Q9 (a) Should new development include features designed to benefit village wildlife?
9 2.7 % of respondents agreed.
Q9(b) Do you agree that development proposals should not result in unacceptable loss o f , or damage to , significant trees, woodlands or hedgerows during , or because of , development (other than in exceptional circumstances where a community benefit outweighs their loss)?
9 7 % of respondents agreed.
Q9(c) Should the N P seek to maintain and en hance the connectivity of all green corridors (providing a means of travel and a breeding ground for wildlife)?
96.9% of respondents agreed.
SECTION FOUR EMPLOYMENT
Q10. In normal times, do you work/go to school or college in the following locations?
Re spondents answered as follows: - At home 23% In London 4.7% In Ashdon 9.4% Elsewhere 12.7% Within 10 minutes of Ashdon 16.9% Not applicable 23.5% In Cambridge area 9.9%
Q11. During the pandemic, many residents have been working from hom e.
Q11( a ) . Has your workplace or pattern of work changed?
49.3% answered yes , 50.7% answered no.
Q 11(b) . If yes, how has it changed?
See comment s section at end of this report.
Q 11 ( c ) . If yes do you think this change will continue post Covid?
61 .4% answered yes , 38.6% answered no.
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Q12. Would you be supportive of encouraging more local employment opportunities in the Parish?
87.1% answered yes , 12.9% answered no.
SECTION FIVE VIBRANT COMMUNITY AND “ GETTING AROUND ”
Q13. Would you be supportive of promoting Ashdon Parish as a destination for visitors? This might help local businesses and provide more facilities for residents and visitors.
73.9% answered yes , 26.1% answered no.
Q14. Do you think there is a lack of facilities for children and you ng people in the Parish?
61.9% answered yes , 38 .1% answered no .
Q15. Do you use the current public bus service?
Respondents answered as follows: - I use it every day 0% I use it weekly 4.3% I do not use it 95.7%
Q15 (b) To use the bus service on a mor e frequent basis how does it need to improve?
Detailed comments can be found in the ANNEX but reasons given for non - use are as follows: 1. Needs to be more frequent and reliable 2. Needs to cover commuting hours to Saffron Walden, Audley End and Cambridge 3. More services to Saffron Walden in the middle of the day to allow a 2 or 3 hour trip 4. Affordability 5. More bus stops 6. Better timeta ble 7. New service to Cambridge Park or to Linton to connect with Bus 13 to Cambridge/Haverhill
100% car dependency to live in Ashdon was noted. Smaller buses were suggested to make a service more economical to run.
Q16 As an NP group we can’t do a lot t o influence public transport provision or speeding traffic , but we can l obby for improvements. However, we continue to be supportive of any initiative that encourages sustainable transport. We can support some specific initiatives.
Q1 6 ( a ) . Would you be supportive of an off - road cycle route from Ashdon to Walden?
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87.1% an swered yes , 12.9% answered no. Q16c If yes you would use and off - road cycle
track, what would you use it for (mark all Q1 6 ( b ) . Would you use such a route? that apply)
38% 63.6% answered yes , 36.4% answered no. 40% 35%
30% Q1 6 (c) . If yes, what would you use it for: - 21% Respondents answered as follows: - 20% Commuting to work 5.7% Shopping 35.2% 10% 6% Social and Leisure 21.3% 0% Fi tness 37.7% Commuting Fitness Shopping Social & to work Leisure
Figure 3 Responses to Q16c
Q1 6( d ) . Would you be in favour of a path that c onnects Church End and Church Hill avoiding th e dangerous bend by the Church?
95.1% answered yes , 4.9% answered no.
Q1 6( e ) . Would you be in favour of a new pavement outside The Clayes?
87.4 % answered yes , 12.6% answered no.
Q1 6 ( f ) . Is there anywhere else where you feel a safe pavement is needed?
Full comments are included at the end of this report.
Places listed for safe pavements were as follows: - 1. Lower part of Radwinter Road 2. Radwi nter Road up to children’s nursery 3. Rogers End towards Steventon End Road 4. Opposite old Bricklayers Arms – Holden End 5. Steventon End to the village
There were also comments about the poor repair of the existing pavements and comments on not ‘urbanis ing’ the rural environment with too many pavements.
There were also comm ents about addressing the actual reason for the pedestrian safety issues on the rural roads by reducing speeding traffic and removing Ashdon as a ‘rat - run’ (this was an important fea ture of the first consultation results as well ) .
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SECTION 6 THE LAST NINE MONTHS …..
Q1 7 . In relation to the pandemic, is there something that this year has taught you, or something that you have really valued about living in Ashdon?
Detailed comme nts are included in the report ANNEX . They include p oints raised on the : - 1. beauty of th e rural landscape , wonderful countryside, wildlife, and amazing views 2. extensive network of footpaths and bridleways 3. health and well - being benefits (physical and mental) of access to the open countryside 4. peace and quiet of the area 5 . supportive village community , and kindness and friendliness of neighbours 6. village allotments and other open spaces 7. outside gy m 8. reduction in traffic in the pandemic 9. lac k of planes in the pandemic 10. g reen recreation space at All S aints 11. parochial ca re from All Saints and the Baptist Chapel 12. how much the shop, Post Office and pub (all now closed) are missed.
AND FINALLY… Please use the space below if you have any furth er comments about anything in this survey . The se detailed comments are included in the report ANNEX .
Issues raised include the follow ing :
1. Speeding and need for traffic calming and 1 2 . Maintenance of verges, trees and hedgerows frustration that NP can’t address these issues. 1 3 . More bungalows needed. 2. State of pavements 15. Comments on affordable housing provision 3. Light pol lution 16. Concerns over lack of parking facilities 4. Flooding – riv er and surface water runoff and 17. Comments on cycle paths and cyclists impact of recent planning applications on 1 8 . Dump ing of spoil f ro m developments eg flooding issues Butlers lane and Tesco site 5. Managing change whilst preserving rural 1 9 . Road closures due to water leaks and sewage landscape issues 6. Road drainage maintenance 20. Support for school and comments regarding 7. General maintenance of village eg concrete attracting families to Ashdon railings in vi llage centre and village greens 21.Support for community shop/hub but 8. P reservation of trees and hedgerows reservations on impact on Village H all usage 9. Concern over development on agricultural 22.Support for pub and concern over its closure fields and in prominent position that would 23. Suggestions on better use of recreational spoil the timeless landscape. facilitie s 10. Concerns on cutting down of trees and hedgerows by developers. 1 1 . Damage to narrow country lanes and verges
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ANNEX Q 3(l) Do you have any comments on Section One? Timestam p Q3. (l) Do you have any comments on Section O ne? 29/11/20 19:41 I think development could be more ambitious than just 'modest' 29/11/20 20:00 If the community is to be vibrant, with a sustainable pub, shops, churches, clubs, youth activities, school, etc - it will be necessary to have more houses, more people. For this reason, the NP does not have to be 'modest'. 01/12/20 15:40 No problem with providing affordable housing but depends on where this is. 02/12/20 08:24 In relation to (a) it is unclear what is meant by modest. If Ashdon is to support a vibrant community as set out in the other objectives , then it needs people , and this may mean more housing development. In relation to (g) affordable housing should not j ust be limited to local ie Ashdon residents but available to others in need accord ing to the District Council's housing allocation policy. 03/12/20 11:28 Although the "Ends" nature of the village should be maintained where possible, it should not over rid e development along interconnecting roads if no land is available except on those r oads. Developments should however be screened by trees and hedges from the road. 04/12/20 14:40 Ash d on NP needs to consider that it has close neighbours where people work, shop and play. The NP needs to be integrated into the facilities and services of th e broader community and not take too narrow a view. Also I was concerned that “high quality” housing and “low carbon footprint” could be code for “very expensive”. We need a range of housing for all incomes. 06/12/20 14:12 to (d), given the recent severe flooding in Steventon End, and the rivers that run down Radwinter Road towards the bridge whenever there is heavy rain - this is something that needs to be immediately addressed and is not something that can wait for the future!! 16/12/20 14:10 Protection of ha b itats and eco systems v important and no easier links in and out of village should override local habitats and eco systems , however desirable they may be 19/12/20 12:02 It ’ s a unique environment in dan ger of being spoiled by poor quality , box housi ng. 29/12/20 11:33 I believe any development should be modest, but I think it's important to note that it's not practical there shouldn't be "any". Development should be within the boundaries of the village and expansion or encroachment onto the local fie lds discouraged. Affordable Housing for local people is important, but it's difficult to ensure local people benefit (if that is the objective) and if this is agreed then the definition of 'local' is a challenge (is someone that lived here 10yrs ago for a couple of years 'local', who will define and manage this as the Parish Council usually struggles to provide guidance to local planners and isn't necessarily the best arbiter in this regard). 'Getting around' is also important, but again it's balancing th is with preserving the local environment (as all of these things are). 29/12/20 12:26 Climate change and biodiversity: Can the plan recognise that efforts will have to be made by residents, particularly in the listed buildings and conservation areas, to reduce emissions? How can this be balanced with the aims of mainta i ning the aesthetic? 30/12/20 11:25 Your question n aire is a load of c**p. There is no need to read each point you KNOW which answer is needed. Its brainless . 10/01/21 02:26 It is extremel y important to adhere to previous decisions by the P arish C ouncil to provide recreational space and sporting facilities for local people (as stated in section i above) including in the affordable housi ng development in Ashdon village, in and around All Sai nts Close. This is especially important for children and young people, which the Parish Council acknowledged when they undertook to provide facilities for the All Saints development in the Housing Plan ning Community Committee document of 2007, overseen and witnessed by the current Parish Council Clerk. To that end the All Saints Playing Field was leased by the Parish Council in 2007 to provide recreational space and should continue to be used for th at purpose and not used for more housing, as there has not been a reduction in houses or residents in that area. Important affordable housing developments should be allocated another space, and there is an alternative site currently being offered next to A ll Saints Playing Field. The P arish C ouncil also undertook in the 2008 lease to drain the field so it could be used for recreation in the wetter months. The P arish C lerk should have made sure this was done in order to comply with the legal
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requirements of the lease. It was not. It should be drained now so that it can be used all year round. 10/01/21 14:43 The desirability of retaining a view (c) is a moot point and often used by "Nimby's". You aren't taxed for a view so you have no right to it. It has no need to be in this plan. Additionally , I disagree that any d evelopment should necessarily be modest. Sho uld it meet the current or future needs of the village? 10/01/21 16:39 I worry about the urbanisation of our beautiful village. Any new development should avoid any destruction of trees or wildlife, particularly those plants that have stood for much longe r than many of us have been alive. This blatant disrespect for our local environment needs to stop and we need to learn to live more harmoniously with nature. 10/01/21 17:43 I think maintaining the rural landsca pe is the most important goal. The country side needs to be maintained and any new development should be restricted to brownfield sites (e.g. H all F arm). The short term profit for farmers and other landowners should not destroy the countryside for future ge nerations. Once land is develope d on, it will never return to its original form so it must be maintained as a priority. It is critical that the NP protects the traditional setting and character of the village in the natural landscape, prote cts and enhances natural habitat all within a sustainable climate change agenda 10/01/21 18:48 - all the other points important but less so. Q1g - local people? I have seen people from other parts of Essex move into affordable housing in Ashdon, to the de triment of families living in As hdon. Priority should be given to people who 14/01/21 16:41 already live in the Ashdon Parish. 15/01/21 17:26 No 15/01/21 21:25 The water run - off from the proposed site is significant. My garden backs onto it and floods when there is a l ot of rain. This will be far worse if houses are built on the proposed site. 17/01/21 07:14 No CK9 All of the above are important I've tried to give some level of difference. Affordable housing. Just what is affordable? CK11 This is a rural village and should not be allowed to grow into a suburb of Saffron Walden. CK15 f: Need to maintain 'greens' at Steventon End and roadside trees – danger to powerlines. g: Not clear on what affordable mean s depends on income + preferred lifestyle. J: Windmill V6 No V8 Ashdon is a village not an urban sprawl. We need to protect our status and environment V11 New development to be built is of great need, a couple of Bungalows would be ideal, maybe one bedroomed to enable people to downsize from a 2 bedroom house to a 1 bedroo med bungalow. Gardens needed for any new builds, people need a garden space. V12 Not sure what employment opportunities have been considered. If holiday cottages in local housing comes under this heading, I do not approve. V15 To preserve the village URGENT road traffic safety measures must be implemented ASAP for the well - being of residents, domestic and wild animals V17 The village needs affordable housing. It does not need speculative development of 'unaffordable' housing by both local lan downers and developers and 'national' developers. The village needs to grow organically to thrive. It is imperative that the centre of the village is re - envigored ie: pub/shop/hub/cafe and the school protected. V22 I am sad that we lost one tennis court as it was a great family activity and brought the village together. I have never seen anyone use the adult outdoor gym equipment ! - perfect space for tennis court. I think we have lovely walks in the area, but in places need better signs as people found o n private land. More litter this summer! V26 Account should be taken of Ashdon as a main route between Haverhill and Saffron Walden – and suitable traffic calming, traffic limitation, etc measures put in place, especially if village population were to inc rease. V29 All housing should be affordable. Not to perpetuate “have & have no ts”. Using the word “vibrant” is a mistake – we are not all shakers & quakers – stable would be better. V32 Very fine objectives – but difficult to put anything but “Very Impor tant” V33 Excellent objectives, but will they be implemented? V36 (a) Do not agree with part 2 of statement. This is imprecise + unhelpful.
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V41 For Ashdon to thrive we need more development, but I agree this needs to be in keeping with neighbouring hous es. Recreational areas are an extremely important aspect of our village. They are there for a reason, not to be built on. V42 Any new buildings or developme nts should be kept in traditional looking styles to be in keeping with the village. V43 Hard to di sagree with worthy, idealistic aspirations t o w ar ds biodiversity, sustainability and rural preservation, but it would appear hard to enforce values in the face of unscrupulous developers & more relaxed planning consent. V45 New buildings should have ecolog ical & energy efficient design criteria M11 The seemingly negative view in Q3(k) is the need, in the 21st century, to encourage young people to explore o pportunities avoiding a narrow perspective. M14 We desperately need new homes to bring more new famil ies to the village. The village school isn't getting enough pupils. We don't want it to close! M15 In the past as part of a village project I proposed a village wind generator. Possibly sighted on the hill opposite the windmill so old and new would be see n as historical progress! Revenue generated would pay back investment and support village projects like the windmill. Other communities have ac hieved this very successfully. M20 Rather a statement of the obvious? M22 N/A M25 Development should not take place at expens e of village character and landscape. Like combination with climate change objective. We need to think of future generations not just current generation! M26 Ashdon needs a shop, a Post office and a Public House or a first class bus service to go elsewhere. M27 All very 'fluffy' objectives lacking any detail as to what they really mean. I suspect answers can be 'read' in a number of ways M29 G - K - we have seen 'local' people being offered housing, who do not have links to Ashdon and they a rrive from towns that are more than 5 miles away. This does not benefit Ashdon residents and does nothing to help affordable housing for Ashdon residents. How does NP propose to define 'local' people?
Q7b Are there other lanes that you feel sh ould be pro tected?
Timestamp Q7. (b) Are there other lanes that you feel should be protected? 29/11/20 19:41 Kate s Lane ( 20 responses with no additional comments or suggest ions ) 03/12/20 11:28 Rectory Lane and Puddlewharf Lane may need to be considered to protect them from being encroached on by devel o pment. 04/12/20 1 4:40 Kates Lane and the Lane through Water End (not sure what it is called). 05/12/20 12:49 Water End and Spriggs Lane require careful consideration. Whilst Water End has the protection afforded by it s special verges, the entire lane requires protection t o prevent the continuing erosion of the rest of the verge. 06/12/20 14:12 Water End ( 3 responses with no additional comments or suggest ions ) 06/12/20 20:36 Spriggs Lane ( 3 responses with no additional comments or suggest ions ) 16/12/20 14:10 Fallowden Lane - hedgerows down the lane provide valuable habitat for birds and other wildlife and all landowners be they far mers or domestic dwellings have a responsibility to preserve habitats for rarer species which are known to live in various parts of the Lane and beyond on private land 29/12/20 11:33 None that immediately spring to mind. I think it ’ s helpful the Ends ar e protected but not at the expense of allowing urban sprawl (i.e. I believe development should be within the envelope of the village and not allow ed t o encroach areas beyond). 30/12/20 11:25 Rock Lane - not a co un cil maintained lane, but still beautiful a nd well worth keeping 03/01/21 21:21 Puddlewharf and Water End Lane 04/01/21 19:49 Water End, Puddlewharf 07/01/21 13:20 Radwinter Road and Water Lane 09/01/21 06:53 Fallow den lane ( 6 re s ponses )
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09/01/21 09:20 Kates Lane, Water Lane 10/01/21 18:48 Radwinter Road and Kates Lane 11/01/21 20:41 Fallowden Lane ( 6 responses with no additional comments or suggest ions ) ) 15/01/21 21:17 Kate's Lane, Fallowden Lane. 21/01/21 19:18 Water Lane, Water End. Kates Lane. Rook Lane, from Water End to the Museum (I think this way should be closed to horses from Nov to the end of Feb to protect the footpath from damage, pedestrians from sliding in the mud and the bank from falling in the stream below ) . Burnt House Lane. CK5 Puddlewharf Lane? Water End CK8 Halt Lane CK9 Water End , Spriggs Farm? CK15 1 Mill Lane , 2 Overhall V8 Water End - It is an END! V12 Have a look at all the lanes. Preserve the double bend and down to Waltons in particular at Steventon End. Water End (and the plastic foliage) ugh! V14 Water End; Kates Lane V16 Fallowden Lane (part of historic Harcamlow Way) V17 Spriggs Lane / Water End / Mill Lane / New House Lane V18 Yes, Water End Lane. New build should avoid high ground because of s kyline issues, already a problem re Guildhall Way etc. V19 Yes, Water End Lane. New build should avoid high ground because of skyline issues, already a problem re Guildhall Way etc. V22 Fallowden Lane has been a very busy lane this summer, car's going up and down trying to find Shadwell Wood! And driving much to o fast for such a narrow lane. Shadwell Wood needs better signs. V25 Puddle Wharf Lane (Walden Rd) a haven for wildlife. V26 Fallowden Lane & Puddlewharf Lane V30 Water End – Lane – and brid le way V32 Water End lane, leading up to Hoods Farm. V33 Water End lane leading up to Hoods Farm Puddlewharf Lane and Fallowden Lane V38 Kates' Lane. Mill Lane V39 Kates Lane. Fallowden Lane. Dorvis Lane M1 Kates Lane, PuddleWharf Lane M4 New House lane, Wills Alley M10 Windmill Lane/Hill M17 Overhall Lane M22 The lane up to the windmill M27 All lanes need dog bins! M31 PuddleWharf
Q 11(b). If your workplace or pattern of work has changed in the Pandemic, how has it changed? Timestamp Q11 (b). If yes, how has it changed ? 29/11/2 0 20:00 Work 5 days a week at home, in stead of 4 days a week. 01/12/20 13:40 Working from home 02/12/20 08:24 working at home 02/12/20 18:53 I usually teach in pupils' homes but all teaching has moved online. However, I have been able to return to teac hing in Ashdon Primary school since September 04/12/20 14:40 Work normally took me abroad once per month. That has completely stopped. Gigaclear has been a life saver. 05/12/20 12:49 I have been working from home since mid - March. Home working has allowe d me to enjoy the various footpaths throughout the village whi ch I hadn't previously experienced. 06/12/20 13:45 home working available 06/12/20 14:12 Now working from home. 07/12/20 16:35 At home more, driving less 16/12/20 14:10 Working from home. Th e internet in church End is poor and not great for home working. This end of village needs connecting up to fibreoptic ASAP
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18/12/20 11:12 working from home, will probably be more home based in the future 20/12/20 16:34 through Lock down work from home a nd our office (in Saffron Walden) was closed - 10staff working from Home. Since lockdown I still regularly work from home and colleagues have both a home and office based 'flexible' working pattern. 29/12/20 11:33 Working from home for 80% of working week , but travel into London one or two days per we ek in the period July - December 29/12/20 12:26 Work from home more often, but not exclusively 03/01/21 21:21 Have worked from home since March 2020 03/01/21 22:34 I am now unemployed due to Covid 19. 04/01/ 21 09:18 work from home more 04/01/21 19:49 Less national travel 07/01/21 11:46 No travelling 07/01/21 13:20 I now work largely from home - 98% 07/01/21 16:52 Working from home all the time 07/01/21 17:39 working from home more as fits in to my daily routine rather than going to place of work on set days of the week. 09/01/21 08:53 Less London commute, more WFH and reliance on terrible broadband 09/01/21 12:01 Currently work at home. 09/01/21 16:34 Work at home 10/01/21 13:59 I have less work and I finish my schoolwork quicker 10/01/21 14:43 Working largely from home during first lockdown until office Reopened in a covid - 19 secure way. Currently a mixture of office and home working. 10/01/21 16:39 home working 10/01/21 17:43 I work mostly from h ome in Ashdon 10/01/21 18:48 Work at home 11/01/21 20:41 Working from home and home schooling 11/01/21 22:10 Working from home permanently 11/01/21 23:57 Work at home 12/01/21 09:39 One of us already worked from home. Both of us now work from home 1 4/01/21 16:41 Tricky to work as children have to learn from home 15/01/21 13:40 Reduced work hours, more work from home 15/01/21 17:40 I was previously office - based but currently work from home. 15/01/21 21:25 On furlough and now maternity leave. Will b e working from home more frequently 17/01/21 10:01 Increased periods at home 24/01/21 18:22 Working from home CK5 Working from home full time until spring 2021 CK9 Initially I was working from home. Then the company decided to close. I'm now retired. CK11 We now work exclusively from home. CK12 Working from home V2 Time's changed V3 More work at home during lockdowns V7 I see clients by phone or online instead of face to face V8 All my activities have been cancelled (unclear) I might do V10 Work from home V13 Some working from home V18 Redundant Farm buildings could and should be used for employment (ie: light industrial and craft) and not residential conversions V19 Redundant Farm buildings could and should be used for employment (ie: light in dustrial and craft) and not residential conversions V20 Workplace changed V26 Working from home – limitations of broadband speeds at Church End (not provided with fibre ye) remain a problem. V30 We have all been working from home V31 Working from home V34 100% working from home V36 Pattern of work has changed as I have been working more from home
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V41 Gained employment V42 One of us has not been working. V43 Working online, like most people. M4 Home school for children M12 I am now a full time hom e worker M15 Worked from home part of the time M22 I work from home most of the time M24 School M27 WFH during lockdown M29 Home schooling children due to school closures - makes working very difficult M34 Hands on training impossible due to closures /lockdowns. Welcoming visitors to workplace on hold
Q15 (b) To use the bus service on a more frequent basis how does it need to improve? Timestamp Q15. (b) To use the bus service on a more frequent basis how would it need to improve? 29/11/20 19:41 More frequent and reliable. A later bus so can return late afternoon or early evening. 01/12/20 13:40 Regular services during commuting hours to Saffron Walden and Audley End train station at a reasonable price (i.e. much cheaper than paying to park) 02/12/2 0 18:53 I need to get into Cambridge Centre with absolute reliability and with frequent buses 03/12/20 11:28 I would only use public buses if their frequency was at the minimum on an hourly schedule. This however would be totally uneconomic. 06/12/20 14 :12 Unable to answer as I have never used or looked into using the bus service, so have no idea how frequent the buses are or where they go! 1 6/12/20 14:10 Later in the day or evening 19/12/20 12:02 come down our road 20/12/20 16:34 N/A 21/12/20 13:06 More frequent services 29/12/20 11:33 Frequency would need to improve considerably (as raised in the Ashdon Parish Plan in 2007) 29/12/20 12:26 Time table would need to enable better link to Audley end station (It currently does not offer a commuting opt ion to catch an early train or return later in the evening) 30/12/20 11:25 It couldn't 30/12/20 11:31 More services in the middle of the day to allow for a 2 or 3 hour trip to town. More services to and from the station. 03/01/21 21:21 Different stops ? More regular and different times ? 03/01/21 22:34 I wouldn't use it as it runs too infrequently. 04/01/21 09:18 need a bus that goes to Linton in a morning 04/01/21 09:31 Better timetable, more frequent busses 04/01/21 19:49 Not applicable 07/01/21 1 1:46 Increased frequency 07/01/21 13:20 There would need to be 2 - 3 daily services into Saffron Walden and 1 into Cambridge, to enable commuting and shopping. The current service is inadequate 07/01/21 17:39 more regular, less costly service. 08/01/21 1 6:21 Better service to/from Audley End to connect with more main line departures/arrivals. A new service to Cambridge Park and Ride or to Linton to connect with Bus 13 to Cambridge/ Haverhill 09/01/21 09:20 It wouldnâ ™ t, but it was a huge benefit for me as a teenage before I could drive to visit friends 09/01/21 12:01 Times should fit in with local needs 10/01/21 14:43 Public transport in a rural location is a difficult one. The cost prohibits it being flexible and convenient and time efficient for com muting. 10/01/21 16:39 It's not useable because it is very unreliable and not frequent enough. Therefore 100% dependent on the car. 10/01/21 17:43 The bus stop is not sustainable - there is essentially no bus service with it only coming 1 - 2 times a day a nd never on schedule. As a result it is not used and residents require a car or other transport to live in Ashdon. 10/01/21 18:48 Reliable service to Saffron Walden hourly 12/01/21 09:39 There would need to be more frequent buses at useful time. Prefera bly tying in with the train schedule at Audley End - at least in the morning and evening.
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12/01/21 20:47 Frequency 12/01/21 21:11 More buses during the daytime 14/01/21 16:41 A timetable that allow s us to go shopping and return without needing a taxi ho me 15/01/21 17:26 More frequent times 15/01/21 20:39 Come back from Saffron Walden later in the afternoon, better times generally. 15/01/21 21:17 Start and end of working day 17/01/21 07:14 More frequent times 19/01/21 13:23 A frequent service and I w ould use it. 24/01/21 18:22 Bring back the late return bus from Audley End, without which commuting to Saffron Walden/Audley End for work or travel onwards is not really possible. CK3 More buses !!! CK5 There needs to be a 4:30/5 pick up form SW => Ashd on. Can get to work but not home. Can get to station but not home. CK7 A schedule (timetable) that works for shopping in Walden CK9 I believe that there was once a bus in the morning for the station and then a return bus in the afternoon. I don't think t hat runs anymore and I think it was an asset to the village. CK10 Use it less than once a week. Find buses are bone shakers. Obviously the poor relation of the bus company's fleet CK11 Significantly increase frequency. Unlikely we'd use it unless we are unable to drive. CK12 For the timetable to run at commuter friendly hours – with early & late service CK13 2 or 3 more buses spread throughout the day CK14 More buses at regular times, especially beginning and end of 'working day'. However I know this i s an expensive facility if not enough passengers are using it on a regular basis + would have to be highly subsidised. Bit of a chicken/egg situation. CK15 Seems regular despite flooding etc V2 I need the bus to run on time a regular V3 More regular ser vice at the weekends but only likely to use regularly when I don't drive. Good to encourage visitors to Ashdon and help daily commuters if it is regular and early/late enough V4 It would be nice to have a bus to Cambridge on a weekend V8 More frequent t imetable around the village V9 1. Divert it into Linton to link with the #13 Haverhill to Cambridge service. 2. Increase frequency to a bus every 2 hours. V10 N/A V11 N/A V12 One would need to know how the business runs to have any idea on this, othe rwise the car is king. A community bus might once have been an answer but shopping, as a collective outing, and social event is dead. V13 It would need to go where I need to go, be cheap to run and run at some speed. Compl etely unrealistic, so I will s tick with my car V15 Ensure the timetable is more user friendly. In the last 2 years TWO of the most useful 59 bus services have been deleted, gone out of service the last bus from the train station in the early evening GONE?! The Saturday service is UN USEABLE/new inappropriate times. V20 It wou l d help the environment to use smaller, possibly electric buses. The bus passes o ur house, more often with no passengers. Why do we need such a big bus!! V21 A reliable bus service would need to be at least 5 times a day then I would use it. V26 We use it periodically (every month) – the timetable could be more reliable and more accurately published (3 different conflicting timetables have been found). V28 More comprehensive service V32 More frequent and rel iable to get back V33 They are not frequent enough. V34 Better timings to suit morning commute to Audley End Station V36 Would need additional buses. ie. More frequent service
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V37 I used to use the bus every Friday & Saturday, Then they changed the tim es and on the Friday I had to pay as it was before 9am (I work as a volunteer & needed that one) then the Sat. one only leaves 10min to do shopping in Haverhill. I complained to the co mpany & they said it was the Council that decided about ties + they said the Sat. one wasn't used that much, but there was always a good few on it. I've not used it hardly at all during the lock down but there are not enough between S/W + Haverhill! V39 I mproved bus times & locations V41 More frequent buses V42 The bus need s to come back later from S/W 2:30 is no good. It doesn't give you enough time or allow you to work and use the bus service. V43 Fit times of trains / workers and be reliable. Last bus is too early even for SW employees. First bus is too late to get to wo rk for most people on time. + Add connection to Linton/A1307 (and to Cambridge) V45 Yes particularly restore the 5.30pm one departing from Audley End as a a means to get to the village & also retrieving workers in Saffron Walden. Not at all sure why it wa s axed as vital community & work service would like more services too. Less car travel obviously. - Bus service from Ashdon to Linton be very good. A vital connection from Ashdon to & very very frequent bus service to Cambridge from Linton would save much milage pollution etc M6 Clear timetable, Clear access/stop facilities, improved frequency M7 Be more regular M10 More service! Less money! M11 We would use a bus service to Saffron Walden/Cambridge/Audley End regularly if there was an acceptable regula r 2 - way timetable M12 It need to be more frequent on a daily and weekly basis M15 Be more frequent and provide a proper link to Linton - Cambridge. The current system looks towards/inwards to Essex - Haverhill. There are frequent buses from Linton to Cambri dge, Haverhill, Bury St Edmunds but no link from Ashdon to make use of these service s. Maybe a shuttle? or village dial a ride to Linton? M16 Bus to C ambridge used to run once a week. Was a helpful system. Be good to reinstate if viable. M21 Become more frequent. Start earlier and run later and link to Audley End station M22 Be more regular and not as expensive M25 If there was an effective reliable service M26 More frequent smaller buses M27 More frequency to fit around working hours M29 It would ne ed to be reliable and have a timetable that stops at Ashdon regularly. There are many bosses passing through Ashdon, which do not stop, as they are signed 'not in service'!
Q16(f). Is there anywhere else where you feel a safe pavement is neede d? Timest amp Q16. (f) Is there anywhere else where you feel a safe pavement is needed? 29/11/20 19:41 Parts of Radwinter road and just past Rodgers End. 29/11/20 20:00 Radwinter road between pub and chapel. From Rogers End around the corner to Steve n ton End road . From Church End to Shad well wood. 02/12/20 18:53 Rogers End towards the Steven t on End Road 03/12/20 11:28 On Radwinter Road between Hill Farm and the last section of existing pavement at Kates Lane. 04/12/20 14:40 From village hall to the pub (so not just past Clayes) 05/12/20 12:49 Radwinter Road would benefit from a pavement that is continuous from the junction at Crown Hill up to Hill farm. I would also like to see a pavement connecting Roger's End to the centre of the village. This is a scheme tha t I know local residents are supportive of. 06/12/20 13:45 Rogers End 06/12/20 14:12 Bartlow Road, up towards Steventon End - I could easily walk my children to school on a footpath if there were one, forced to drive as the roads are too fast and dangero us to walk on! 06/12/20 20:36 Radwinter Road from Kate Lane up the hill 20/12/20 21:28 Rogers End 21/12/20 13:06 Radwinter Road up to the nursery
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29/12/20 11:33 Good to raise these points, but there have always been difficulties in achieving them in th e past (think these were all raised in the 2007 Paris Plan also). Presumably you believe the views of the appropriate authorities have changed in regard to planning and safe ly, but if not then it's probably better focusing on other aspects of your work as this area has tended to be pretty fruitless in the past. 29/12/20 12:26 I would prefer that traffic was reduced and public transport encouraged 30/12/20 11:25 If the road is wide enough you don't need a pavement 02/01/21 15:14 Radwinter Road from Lowick Cottage to Hill Farm 03/01/21 22:34 I feel that a path between Church Hill and Church End should be a priority. It is an accident waiting to happen particularly with the increase of through traffic over recent years. 07/01/21 11:46 Bartlow Road 07/01/2 1 13:20 The pavement past the village hall, up the Radwinter Road, is very narrow. I don't feel safe on it whilst walking 07/01/21 17:39 Radwinter Road where there is currently no pavement. Existing pavement needs urgent improvement. Also to extend exist ing pavement at Rogers End to Steventon End junction. 08/01/21 16:21 Rogers End - from Bricklayers Cottages to Polly Cottage 09/01/21 01:26 Up Radwinter road to the nursery 09/01/21 06:53 Rogers end/ Bartlow Road, and top half of Radwinter Road after Ba ptist Church car park... Very dangerous in dark. 10/01/21 02:26 Next to Fallowden Lane on Church Hill leading to the church. 10/01/21 14:43 Yes, to the end of Carters Croft. 10/01/21 16:39 can't think of any 11/01/21 18:03 Rogers End to Barlow houses. It ’ s so very dangerous, also on a blind bend with no where to move to to avoid traffic. I believe this is more important than a pavement at church hill or the Clayes 11/01/21 22:10 At the top of Radwinter Road 11/01/21 23:57 Radwinter road, hedges to big, tarmac is in terrible state 12/01/21 21:11 Radwinter Road from Hill Farm to meet up with the footpath opposite The Old Smithy 14/01/21 16:41 Radwinter Road 15/01/21 13:40 Not so much pavement but some form of traffic management going up Rectory Lane t o the playground - have been a couple of occasions taking children up there where cars are inappropriately speeding down hill 15/01/21 16:27 It is strange that we have so many sections (at least 6 including the 2 mentioned above) of busy narrow road with no footpath on either side and yet our re sident Essex County Councillor spends his time asking for public opinion as to where footpaths can be improved in Saffron Walden; he obviously does not walk in the village and must have blinkers on when driving out of the village. 15/01/21 23:03 Rodgers end 17/01/21 10:01 Radwinter Road - to connect the childrens nursery at Hill Farm to the existing pavement that ends at Lowick Cottage and also serve the dwellings on this stretch of Radwinter Road 19/01/21 13:23 O pposite old Bricklayers pub - Ho lden End 21/01/21 19:18 Radwinter Rd at the Midsummer Hill end. A tiny (1 foot wide) path would help lift pedestrians into the notice of motorists approaching Ashdon. 24/01/21 18:22 Continuing the pavement around the corn er to Rogers End seems vital, even if that meant narrowing the roa d, which could be beneficial in terms of slowing traffic as well. CK2 A path at Church End was discussed a few years ago and I think most of the families said it was unsuitable. A footpath in Rogers End is badly needed and the parish Council should try to achieve this. Rogers End is a busy road with no footpath along a secti on of it. I see parents w ith babies in buggies + school children dodging the parked cars on one side of the road + faci ng traffic well exceeding the speed limit on the other side. Maybe someone from the council should come + have a look !!! And see how da ngerous it is. CK3 Radwinter Road CK5 The road to Steventon End to the Windmill Lane. Radwinter Rd - Kate's Lane to As hdon Nursery, so parents can walk safely to nursery. CK6 Steventon End to the village CK8 Rogers End CK9 Rogers End - Knox End
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CK11 Radwinter Road CK12 Radwinter Road – southern end CK13 On the bend at Rogers End. CK14 The pavement from Turpins (Rad winter Rd) to the drive into the village hall is very narrow (thinking of elderly, those with limited mobility + those with small children/buggies) – I know nothing can be done but it's important for vegetation/hedges to be kept cut back. CK15 No – paveme nt slo w like weeds – we are a village (CK – not sure this is right!!!) V2 Rogers End, Bartlow Road, Radwinter Road V3 Up Radwinter Road as far as Hill Farm V4 Rodgers End V5 Q16 (a & b) + pedestrian path; Q16 (e) ? Narrow road ?? Single directional tr affic V6 No V8 No V9 1. Radwinter Road - from Little House up the hill. 2. Railings to keep traffic (lorries and farm vehicles) off the pavement in Radwinter Road where there is already pavement made dangerously uneven by the traffic. V12 Outside you r brief but… parts of our pavements are a disgrace. We can say what we would like but, we need to know who is going to maintain them. You can have as many pavements as you like but car drivers etc don't appear to read the road or the signage. ie: Barry Tylers single file. V15 Yes, the madness on the roads has increased severely during the last few years and is now unacceptable, some traffic calming measures must be implemented NOW. More bigger flashing signs, road bumps, speed cameras etc. V17 Rogers End, Radwinter Road V20 Steventon End V21 A footpath behind the houses would work well and allow the children from Guildhall Way etc to walk safely (and healthily) to school. V24 ROGERS END – BEND as unsafe to walk made worse by numerous car parked by s ide of the road. V26 Mid - way up Radwinter Road pavement is too narrow and traffic speeds down the lane. V28 Rogers End opposite Bricklayers Arms V32 All very fine ideas re. Cycle routes and paths – but judging by the horrendous cost of , for instance, H ills Rd in Cambridge and the inconvenience caused, is it ever “liable to be v i able” + where would a path at Church End go ? We've been over that before. V33 Would not be viable beca use of the cost. It was muted years ago so you are going over old ground/d iscussions V34 Rogers End (very dangerous for walking) V36 Up Radwinter Road beyond the current end of pavement to Hill Farm. On Bartlow Road V37 Between Carters Croft + the end of Bartlow Road, the pavement stops outside 5 Rogers End + that is a danger ous Road. The traffic tends to speed up there. V38 Extend pavement towards Bartlow opposite old Bricklayers arms. V39 F ro m Tredget t s to Newham Hall exit village to Bartlow. V40 The pavement on the right of the Radwinter Rd going towards Radwinter past t he Village Hall is unsafe and badly needs repairing. Also need to unblock drains to prevent flooding. V42 Radwinter Road as traffic s peeds along this road every day & night. V43 Repair of basic (already established) pavement up Radwinter Rd, where only a cinder path ( and has been left unrepaired/dangerously unlevel for 20 years+ - useless for pushchairs/wheelchairs M3 Church End, Rogers End M6 Radwinter Road. Junction with main Saffron Walden/Bartlow Road - its disintegrating! M7 Up towards childrens nu rsery M10 Bartlow Road M14 Rogers End to Bartlow Road on the bend. I have to walk that way on the school ru n and it is dangerous. M15 Bartlow Road - Rogers End - at least to service houses opposite Camps Road M16 Radwinter Road pavement from Turpins to Cr own Hill is very bad in places. M18 From Rogers end to Holden end M21 Radwinter Road opposite the B aptist Church. Path is too narrow and on a blind bend. M22 Up to nursery in Radwinter Road
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M23 Rogers End M25 Rather than urbanise a rural village by ad ding pavements which will seem alien in a rural setting - sort the cause of the safety issue - ie the speeding traffic through the village as it is a rat - run to Stansted and other places. Also stop heavy lorries us ing small rural lanes and destroying the v erges and the sunken lanes. eg Radwinter Road M26 The pavement from Tudor Croft to the bridge on Radwinter Road needs resurfacing; it ’ s hard going and difficult particularly for old cripples M27 Rogers End M29 Radwinter Road (cars/lorries currently driv e along pavement). Rogers End/Holden End. Path connecting Steventon End to main village. M30 Church end path - trimming back on the corner (LHS) of the bend should be tried. 'The bend" is narrow enough without installing a suburban footpath M31 Rogers End
SECTION 6 THE LAST NINE MONTHS …..
Q17. In relation to the pandemic, is there something that this year has taught you, or something that you have really valued about living in Ashdon? Timestamp Q17. In relation to the Pandemic, is there something that this year has taught you, or somet hing that you have really valued about living in Ashdon? 29/11/20 19:41 The walks and paths have been a life saver. The numerous bluebell woods and other beautiful places meant a lot in Spring . 29/11/20 20:00 We learnt of the outdoor gym by accident, and it's great! It needs a sign post. Likely many others don't know of it. 01/12/20 13:40 There are advantages living in a village when it comes to social distancing 01/12/20 15:40 Yes for sure, how fortunate we are to live in this village with beautiful surroundings 02/12/20 08:24 Easy access to the countryside. That we are reliant on Saffron Walden for essential services 02/12/20 18:53 The beautiful countryside and lovely footpaths 03/12/20 11:28 The remarkable network of public rights of way within the parish allowing a wide variety of walks. The kindness of people to help others, especially in the early stages of the pandemic when us oldies were concerned about going int o Saffron Walden to shop. 04/12/20 14:40 It has been lovely to visit the allotments in the centre of the village and see them change through the seasons. These were something I was aware of before living in Ashdon (travelling through from Haverhill to Saffron Walden). These have always made Ash d on unique in my mind. 05/12/20 12:49 Before the pandemic it was clear that the community had a close connection. Following the pandemic I am sure that individuals will be keen to reinforce these relationships. The work on a community hub could be excepti o nal in supporting those who are alone, by reducing rural isolation. 06/12/20 13:45 access to open countryside 06/12/20 14:12 We have some idyllic walks in this village 06/12/20 20:36 The willingness of people in the community to look after others. 07/ 12/20 16:35 Everything, the peace and quiet, the lovely walks and wildlife 16/12/20 14:10 The local wildlife habitats and how essential it is that these are maintained and not sacrificed in favour of cycle routes or buildings 19/12/20 12:02 The value of neighbours 20/12/20 16:34 The local environment: Flora, Fauna and general countryside 20/12/20 21:28 what a lovely village we live in 21/12/20 13:06 The wonderful countryside & wildlife
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29/12/20 11:33 The commentary in the national press has highlighte d the advantages of a rural environment, with space to exercise and wander, with relatively few people in the neighbourhood. These things are an advantage, but some care needs to be taken to avoid becoming over protective (and stagnant as a community). I think the last nine months has also highlighted some things and attitudes that aren't so appealing about Ashdon but not sure you are asking about that. 30/12/20 11:25 No visiting crowds 30/12/20 11:31 Countryside for walking. Feeling of a supportive frie ndly community 01/01/21 15:31 we are so very lucky to live out here 02/01/21 15:14 The value of the footpath network 03/01/21 21:21 The importance of being able to get out into the Countryside and having somewhere to walk Also the fruit and veg man and the Game lady proved that people would support this type of venture - people do like to buy local 03/01/21 22:34 I have appreciated the beautiful Countryside and having a great set o f neighbours who help each other out . 04/01/21 09:18 that I love A shdo n buy as a council housing tenant I will need to leave the village to get a bigger property 04/01/21 09:31 Village support 04/01/21 19:49 Friends and footpaths 07/01/21 13:20 How grateful I am to live in the countryside 07/01/21 16:52 We have really va lued our lovely countryside and walks 07/01/21 17:39 We are fortunate to live in a friendly village surrounded by open countryside and many footpaths. The closure of the pub in the summer has highlighted a desire/need for people to socialise. 08/01/21 16 :21 Sense of community; friendliness of residents; the beautiful countryside surrounding the village which has proved such a "lifesaver". 09/01/21 01:26 Love living in the village and live the life of a village especially for the children. 09/01/21 06:53 All the open spaces and walks. Thankful for the area in which we live. 09/01/21 08:53 Yes the great area we live in and how much walking really does clear the head and mind. The public footpaths are in good condition and need to remain so. 09/01/21 09:2 0 I moved back here during the pandemic due to personal circumstances and it has been a life changer for me. The fantastic walks, friendly people and calm nature has built my mental health and encouraged me to exercise. I am now a regular Walker and I love w andering around Ashdon and bumping in to old and new faces. The only thing missing is a local shop and the pub!!!!! 09/01/21 12:01 The beauty of the local countryside and the need to preserve it 10/01/21 02:26 Lovely walks for exercise and having the All Saints Playing Field for my son to use without needing to cross roads to reach it, as he has Asperger's and his road sense isn't very good. 10/01/21 10:08 Gavin of the Bapt ist church, and the other focal point of the village our pub. 10/01/21 13:59 t he countryside and all the walks and the bike rides 10/01/21 14:43 The availability of footpaths that likely have not been so used since the Industrial Revolution. 10/01/21 16:39 We are privileged to live in such a beautiful rural area of the country. Th ere is a peace, quiet and an abundance of wildlife and country footpaths, beneficial for both our mental and physical health. Since we live in such a lovely area, we should not take it for granted and a void spoiling it with unseemly developments and urbani sation. Let's maintain the countryside so our children can enjoy it for many years to come. 10/01/21 17:43 Being able to live in a rural community has significantly helped during the pandemic. Having p reviously lived in urban locations, I have realised th at living in a rural area is essential for mental wellbeing. The pandemic therefore has further highlighted the importance of maintaining nature and rural areas. 10/01/21 18:48 Less traffic in first lockdown, rural setting and number and diversity of walk s in and around the village 11/01/21 18:03 Open space and countryside 11/01/21 20:41 The beautiful scenery and walks.
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11/01/21 22:10 The beautiful walks 12/01/21 09:39 I think we already knew how lucky we are to live in our village but being here durin g the pandemic, particularly during the summer, really emphasised that. Many colleagues are living in flats in cities, which must be extremely hard. 12/01/21 20:47 Ashdon is a colle ction of individuals; community is nonexistent most of the time. Covid ha s merely reinforced this. 12/01/21 21:11 To appreciate and value the easy access to the plentiful footpaths off road in and around the village. 14/01/21 16:41 our countryside 15/01/21 13:40 Open space, good walks and people taking part in the Lockdown A rms online quiz! 15/01/21 17:26 It ’ s beauty and amazing views whilst exercising 15/01/21 17:40 The ability to walk out of the house and be surrounded by an expansive green area which can be enjoyed despite the current restrictions. 15/01/21 20:39 I love having beautiful countryside to walk around every day, seeing the seasons change and signs of wildlife living here. 15/01/21 20:54 Outside space for walking 15/01/21 21:17 Peace and quiet! 15/01/21 21:25 The ground at all saints is valuable as a green recreation space for adults and children. It should not be lost. 17/01/21 07:14 It ’ s beauty and amazing views whilst exercising 17/01/21 10:01 I've always valued the wonderful walks in the village, but they have been even more important during various lo ckdowns 19/01/21 13:23 We are amazingly lucky to live in such a warm community in such a beautiful village. The lack of planes, especiall y at night, has been wonderful. The wildlife and the footpaths have helped us through this challenging time. 21/01/ 21 19:18 I think it is an admirable thing and a privilege for Ashdon dwellers that the two churches share their best facilities, parochial care, the Christmas messages and the beauty and inspiration of the church and graveyard on the hill. It is a great th ing to see when worked leaders interminably bicker. Also there is a n inestimable invisible person who maintains the churchyard indefatigably, for those who've gone and their friends still here. Thank you 24/01/21 18:22 Being lucky to have access to so m any wonderful walks, seeing other people enjoy these paths and how m ore local people have discovered these when they may have predominantly relied on travel by car. The friendliness of locals has again shown itself, always present before, but more widespr ead with greater numbers of people needing to stay at home during th e pandemic. The importance of sharing this love of the local area with others, it is so easy to take the locality and what it has to offer for granted. CK2 The friendly community all look ing out for each other makes you realise what a nice place Ashdon is to live in. The elderly were all looked after by the younger generation which made for a good community spirit. CK5 Outside space - we are so lucky to have an abundance of footpaths. It' s a safe community. CK7 A shop, coffee shop, to meet friends, new friends, and neighbours. Good pub. Post office. Ashdon had it all once! A lively happy village!! CK8 To isolate when necessary CK9 How much I really miss all of the opportunities to meet others. From the Baptist Church Monday mornings to all the clubs and events that are not running at the Village Hall & Museum. All our public footpaths through the amazing scenery. How neighbours have rallied round to help during the pandemic. CK11 How mu ch the shop and post office are missed! I have to travel to Linton every weekday to drop off post for my business. Please push ahead with the plan for a shop, cafe, PO in village hall, it is desperately needed. CK12 Open spaces – footpaths. Reduced levels of traffic during pandemic have returned village roads to more acceptable amount CK13 Community spirit
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CK14 That we are fortunate to live in a lovely village, surrounded by beautiful countryside + with a good community. Many others less fortunate. It wo uld be good to have the pub back in action again. The building is degrading and we need a community hub – it do es make a difference to have this business/social hub up and running. It would be so beneficial to be able to have a village shop again – would h ave come into its own in the last nine months for essential bits and pieces, especially for those less able to access the shops in Walden (although I'm sure many have been shopping for their neighbours). Litter! I cycle a lot around here so I see the atroc ious amount of litter there is in ditches/hedges/verges. I know you organise a regular litter pick but it's the roads outside the village which are worse. On a number of occasions a friend + I have carried out a 2 - man litter pick between Ashdon/Walden and Ashdon/Bartlow. It's hard work but we filled so many bags. More hands needed! For too much litter for two (midd le aged) women to collect! CK15 The existing community. The spontaneous help in the lock down. The multitude of footpaths. The wonderful views f rom the windmill. V2 Having lovely walks and never been before and I was born here V3 The village community spirit during lockdown. The need to preserve our rural nature for walking, fitness and future generations. The need for good wifi/internet provi sion. The need to look out for neighbours and friends who need support. How nice it ha s been to have less traffic on the roads during lockdown. Our valuable greenspace, gardens, allotments and beautiful views to lift the spirits and converse with nature . We choose to live in a village for the community, peace and surrounding co untryside V7 The kindness of neighbours V8 Due to Ashdon being a rural area with plenty of space to enjoy. I have made a point of visiting neighbours to check on them - more of ten than I would otherwise. V9 Footpaths and views V11 By building bungalows, people who are living in houses with extra rooms not being used could move into smaller homes. I personally live in a 2 bedroom house in All Saints Close, we only use 1 bedroo m and would love to downsize into a smaller 1 bedroomed h ome with a garden, this would enable a family to move into my home V12 Plus: My Garden, the surrounding lands, the footpaths and people able to use them. The quietness - no plane noise - the birds ong. A connection to people who have lived in the village over 50 years and hark back to that era and a sense that that connecti on is going. Our clubs and societies are important. Minus: No real pride in how the village looks. The expansion of crap dec oration on or around buildings. I am sad to see the shop go, but it was always on the cards. Regrets: Sains/Tesco et al & onli ne are easy and they have everything. The pub hasn't been what it once was and I rather feel it will soon be just a house. So mebody once wrote "when the inn closes, drown your sorrows - England is dead", or words to that effect. I don't approve of the v illage hall plans and I regret that plans for a new VH with stage and storage were quite deliberately stopped a few years ago. O for some common sense! V14 Valued living in the countryside, the lovely walks and friendship. Very apparent that we need a v illage general store / post office / butchers and small providers over supermarkets. Also miss a meeting hub like the pub. V1 5 If we want to really keep Ashdon from further destruction by the outrageous road traffic problems then money and resources have to be found before our village life is gone forever. V16 No pub, no shop, nothing in the village! We need fibre broadband we have a speed of 6.5mb and the leg al limit is 10! V17 Community spirit (as always in this village) The rural nature of the village and the huge network of footpaths V20 To simplify our lives V21 The bridleway at the end of Fallowden Lane has been very w ell used and appreciated by cyclists and walkers during the Pandemic. The footpaths and bridleways in and around Ashdon are an essential part of the village and must be maintained V22 I have valued living in Ashdon during the Pandemic , so nice to walk out of my door and able to take the dogs on lovely long walks, we are very lucky. V25 Our supportive network of people ready to help if needed. Our beautiful countryside with its many public footpaths to explore and enjoy.
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V26 - Well maintained footpaths ar ound the village have been very important part of coping with the lockdown. - although not yet used due to work the return of a weekly post office + green grocer and game is a hugely valuable resource for the vil l age. - Would li ke to see some effort by some local clubs to go online & have a monthly zoom meeting. It has been a real shame some have simply mothballed when they could have been a vital social link for so many. Not everyone can manage zoom but many can + it has be en a missed opportunity to add to social welfare of the community. I know some groups have moved to zoom and it works v. well. - Social cohesion - we have been involved in looking out for neighbours + shopping as have many. Shows community spirit alive + w e ll in Ashdon. V27 I've really va lued the green open spaces and footpaths that surround Ashdon. V28 The local network of public footpaths have been a life saver for the daily exercise V32 It's proved the value of footpaths – people have been out in the cou n tryside, which must be good, a lso getting to know more local people due to this. During this period there has been much talk about starting up a village shop (+ cafe?) again, and most people would like to see it – but in my opinion, NOT in the Vill age Hall 'old' part, which is damp, wa ter has to be pumped out of the cellar below and would cause the “new” Village Hall to be reduced (ie only 75 maximum people) and with ridiculously small storage and reduced car park space. The public should be made aw are of this. V33 The value of footpat hs. We are lucky to have so many although some impossible now due to wet weather. Met more people walking, although again some are not residents. Footpaths should therefore be cleaned and maintained. They are not at th e moment. The importance of our unique landscape in this corner of N.W Essex should also be maintained. Cycle paths – if implemented should not go through private land or gardens due to security issues and people's privacy. V34 Close community. Importance of local pub. Countryside walks. V36 The countryside + local footpaths V37 Living in a small village has taught me how friendly and helpful community I live in, there has always been offers of help with shopping, etc, also someone at the end of the phone during isolation, hopefully I have d one the same. Thank you Ashdon. V39 Out side space. Lack of population. Low infection rates. V40 Have valued the opportunity for exercise by walking in the surrounding area. Disappointed by the new signs stating Private Land – No admittance on areas that we have walked for years. V41 Everyone coming together. Helping neighbours./others Living in country / not town. V42 The beautiful open space and walks. V43 Always enjoyed its multitude of footpaths, but never found enough time off work to indulge in th e many routes. (shame that horses have spoilt the levels of some for walkers.) Lovely to have had time and weather to enjoy our outstanding locality & consider ourselves v. lucky. V45 Love the village, its position its trees paths & wildlife even more fon dly and appreciatively than before. It is such a sustaining place on many levels! Physical wellbeing & sanity . The newly reemerging contact with neighbours is a thing to cheri sh & value in a quieter gentler & kinder life & lifestyle M2 Neighbours are impo rtant M6 The people are great! The availa b le space for walking is great. Generally the buildings are harmonious. But parking is a problem - or rather lack of parking facilitie s. Old roads built for horses and carts with properties edging onto them ne e ding c ar/van parking. M7 Lovely dog walks and nature M8 We have appreciated all the footpaths and bridleways to take the kids and us for a walk and cycle. M10 That a village is really the safest place to be! We have to space, no places to mix (if you are a yo ung person). You could take your daily exercise and not see anyone, if you do you could easily keep your distance. Would have been great to have a shop thou gh especially for the people who do not drive and were to frightened to use transport to go to a bus y supermarket!. The weekly pop up greengrocer is a fantastic new asset to the village. M11 We have reaped the benefit of living in a beautiful environment
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M12 I am so grateful to live where I do and this year has cemented this. I am so grateful for all t he gorgeous walks we can take with our dog. I am so grateful for the sense of community in this village. M14 Lots of lovely walks. Always someone to talk to on walks. Lovely community. M15 we are very lucky to live in such a great community all supportin g each other. M16 Have so appreciated the abundance of footpaths and the gorgeous views offered from many of these. The sense of community and people 'watching out' for one another. M17 The community has come together to help and look after everyone whic h is so comforting. Offers of help are much appreciated. M18 Kindness of people willing to help in anyway M19 Good neighbours and contact with them. Nice uncrowded walks away from traffic. M20 Ability to use huge range of footpaths but pub is an essenti al part of visitor walks M21 The village desperately needs the pub to open and a café. This will stop Ashdon being a rat run and somewhere you drive through to get to somewhere else. M22 Open space, endless walks on my doorstep. Not very busy. Peace. M2 3 The peace and ability to walk in the lovely countryside M25 The beauty of where we live. The mental health benefit of our countryside, our walks and views. Unique hilly landscape and network of footpaths which are widely used by many - there for the bene fit of all - do not destroy this unique landscape by imposing urban design principles on a rural area. M26 I have been locked in since February 2020, anticipating official warnings, and have received 3 letters from the Department of Health telling me to s tay in. Looking th r ough the windows at the trees and fields has been pleasant. Having great help in shopping from a local man is a tribute to neighbourliness and especially to his kindness. As for lessons, don't be mad, put up with things - they can always get worse and don't have a 'lack of moral fibre' M27 The footpaths for doing longer and more daily walks, Shame many are marked 'private' and so churned up by horses. Baptist Church and PC arranging for Covid shielding support. M30 Friendship & support. Re wildlife question - what wildlife?! The Corvids, ra ptors and cats are working hard to hoover up the remaining small birds and mammals. A surfeit of badgers doesn't help. M34 Kindness shown by villagers. Confirmation of existing views: grateful for a vi llage that offers so much in its open rural natural beauty. Positive outlook to life after the pandemic.
A ND FINALLY… Please use the space below if you have any further comments about anything in this survey Timestamp Please use th is space if you have an y further comments about anything in this survey. 29/11/20 19:41 A community shop is badly needed. If it could be combined with a cafe it could provide other facilities and attract visitors and additional business. 29/11/20 20:00 More houses, more peopl e. Revving up the primary school to be more attractive to new students. Signboard and information about the historic site of the old village at church end, pre - plague. Street lighting on Radwinter road, from pub to carpa rk. Gravel laid on footpaths over t he 2 bridges that cross the stream - (1) opposite C arters C roft on path to windmill, (2) from Kate's lane just on corner, for other route to windmill. If paths to windmill are walkable in winter without mud, more people will exercise in winter. 01/12/20 1 5:40 We appreciate the outdoor gym especially in the summer and would be against any building on this area or nearby going towards Saffron Walden. In view of the increase in traffic through the village and the increase in large lorries, something should be done about the speed of traffic through the village. I believe are the only village surrounding SW with no speed control system which should be a concern.
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02/12/20 08:24 Q5 - I consider that the current character of the entrances to the village are a t ransi tion between countryside and built village. Creating a sense of arrival implies having a 'gateway' building which I believe would be detrimental to the character. Q6 - In some areas light pollution from security lighting which remains on longer than nece ssary is an issue. A discussion would be needed about the floodlighting of the windmill and church. Q7 - I would only support designation of Protected lanes if they met the set criteria applied by ECC Place Services and UDC in designating the exist ing P rotected lanes in the village. Q12 - employment opportunities could include co - working spaces Q14 - Consider there is adequate play areas for young children but perhaps lacking in areas for young people. I don't know how available the football and c ricke t pitches are for casual use. No tennis courts. Q16 - A cycle route to Linton could also be considered to link into the bus and cycle routes being planned to Cambridge. 03/12/20 11:28 It is possible that the only remaining pub in the village may we ll not be re - opened. Should the village consider, if that occurs, see if the property can be purchased to act as the village community centre instead of the village hall back room being used as proposed. The pub could well be used as a cafe and pub with a shop included. 05/12/20 12:49 With reference to the proposal of a cycleway connecting Ashdon to Saffron Walden, whilst I don't personally cycle the concept is a good one which I strongly support. 06/12/20 14:12 Whilst the village is a lovely place to l iv e - it is not exactly attractive to drive into. Whilst there are pockets of grass and trees aplenty, there is no colour, no vibrancy, pockets of flowers and plants in key areas would brighten it up, the allotment is unattractive yet seems to be the vill ag e focal point. The NP focusses on keeping future development to enhance what is already here, but does not give consideration to embracing modern or future designs that would bring the village into the 21st century and beyond (which seems ironic given th at the village is craving modern day internet speeds). There is a focus on bringing business into the village, but where will these businesses be and where would they or their customers park? Parking is already an issue in the village especially during e ither end of the school day. The village has a seemingly high number of renters who want to stay in the village but are priced out of the market in the village, properties need to be built at affordable prices and not just at the Church End side of the vi llage - affordable housing should be built and made available in all areas of the village. 16/12/20 14:10 Cyclists seem to have overtaken pedestrians in terms of their needs apparently coming ahead of everyone and everything else. They pay no road tax, th ey do not have insurance and have complete disregard for walkers in their way. Many do not even wear high vis clothing. This makes them dangerous to all path and road users. I speak as someone who has been mown down by a cyclist in two occasions. 19/12/20 12:02 New House Lane gets the road and verges devastated each year by the sugar beet lorries. Hundreds of them down a road not designed to take them. The Highways Agency has to spend tens of thousands on repairs each year. Is there any other wa y the fa rmers could provide a dedicated "straight line" route for the harvest using their own land as happens in most other countries?
The annual roadside tree cutting by the council/farmers using these tractors with attachments does seem to be having an unfortun ate effect on our roadside trees and bushes and many are starting to fall down/die as a result. Isn ’ t there not a better way to maintain these?
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29/12/20 11:33 I have only made a few comments in the document but I think the following are important. Whilst t here are a few points, it's difficult to envisage who has the time, energy, influence and resources to effectively promote these things. It's easy to say the entire community, or the parish council, but it takes a lot of work to manage any one of t hese thi ngs. Equally (as a person in his 50s) I don't think it should be purely managed by retired people, or those that have lived in the village all their lives, as all of us are prone to rose - tinted visions of our youth and the places we lived in. All t hings ch ange, and probably should ch an ge, it's managing the change that's important. 1. It is important to me to preserve the rural landscape as best we can (taking into account the requirements of agriculture, employment and development, none of which are likely to remain static), but it's not realistic to expect Ashdon (or any rural community) to remain unchanged. There will be change, it has to be managed, and that doesn't mean constantly adopting a line of "let's keep things as they were 30yrs ago". 2. Develop ment should be within the boundaries of the village. I don't believe it is a good thing to see Ashdon encroach into the local rural environment. Development must happen I'm sure. 3. Local employment is a good thing, but since the Parish Plan in 200 7 there' s been limited, if any, success in this regard (that document also said that we should support local employment). The Garage fuel services have ceased, the shop has closed and the pub is probably gone also unless someone makes a real effort to brin g it bac k (no news since the half - hearted statement by the agent several months ago). The pub (and to an extent the shop) had an important social function, bumping into local people for a chat, to see how people are, and maintain the community. This is cur rently l ost and no practical alternative exists. 29/12/20 12:26 Footpath between Church End and Church Hill wouldn ’ t need to be on the roadside. There is already a footpath - but not easily walkable with buggies for the school route. 30/12/20 11:25 This is alto gether a very childish questionnaire 03/01/21 22:34 I feel that affordable housing is vital in order to keep our young people in the area as it is very difficult for them to be able to afford to buy /rent a property in Ashdon at an affordable price. 07/0 1/21 17:39 I feel that the Parish Council should support the village more on issues such as addressing traffic volume and speeding, flooding from the river and surface water flooding in particular. These major issues which affect us all are brought up time and again with no action ever being taken . 08/01/21 16:21 There is a real need for a village hub where people can come together socially. Hopefully the cafe - cum - shop planned for the village hall will proceed. It is also to be hoped that the Rose and Cro wn pub will be refurbished as promised by the owner and operate as a real village pub. 09/01/21 01:26 Personally affordable housing is a must or shared ownership as it ’ s so hard to get on the housing ladder need that little help to do so. 09/01/21 08:53 Street lights in Fallowden Lane top end please? Just a couple would be nice 10/01/21 02:26 My name is K S and I am in a group of residents trying to preserve All Saints Playing Field for a recreational space for our fairly densely populated area in Ashdon village. Our group has collected over 40 signatures for a petition to save the field from development, and would be happy to contribute to further discussions on Ashdon Neighborhood Plan. 10/01/21 16:39 Growing up in Ashdon was brilliant, particularly wit h the countryside right on our doorstep. I am firmly opposed to expanding the development of our village u nless it benefits the wildlife surrounding us. If extra facilities is what people want, I suggest they move to a town, not a small rural village. 10/ 01/21 17:43 Developers should not be allowed to cut down trees in the area which have taken many years to grow (some 100s of years). These cannot be replaced and once cut down will be lost forever. 10/01/21 18:48 Ashdon is a historic village of character set in a traditional English rural setting. Overdevelopment or the wrong sort of development will erode this and eventually the uniqueness of the village, which attracts so many people to live here, will be destroyed. 1 1/01/21 20:41 Please if anything is going to ever be built can it be houses for families of a good size I.e. 3/4 bed with decent living space. 12/01/21 20:47 Remember when the Baptist church sent out a questionnaire to the community a few years back? To all two hundred odd households? D'you know how many replies they got?? Well, it was in the teens. And most of them were church members. There's your community. A paint brush isn't going to fix Ashdon, the objective reality of this century is far more compl icated than that. Adapt or die. Not sure what else to say.
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15/01/21 16:27 There appears to be a green, pie in the sky, expectation in a lot of the questions; some questions set out ambiguous statements eg 9b which contains a double negative and i cannot give a single answer. What are rector y lane and D orvis lane in danger from, maybe its a hidden agenda. Pedestrian safety should be a priority with ECC asked for a programme of footpath building to give at least one footpath on all through roads within the village. This would take years to ach ieve but making a commitment and a start would be something. Proposed housing developments in Radwinter road , church hill and church end will inevitably contribute to the run off and flood level flows through most of the village. I have seen no evidence that anyone has read let alone understands the June 2008 JBA flood study. Poor road drainage and general maintenance, with increased volumes and size of vehicles are a lso, areas where E ssex CC are ignoring their obligations. As far as I’m aware all simil ar question n aires over the last 50years have highlighted speeding traffic as the biggest negative to the quality of life in the village and yet question 16 wants to d istance the plan from doing anything about it. Enforcement of the limits is the only answ er but the police fail us on all fronts and are now trying to rely on speedw a tch to persuade motorists to stick to the speed limits. Speeding motorists have now got th e message loud and clear that being recorded by speedwatch and rec ei ving a letter has no consequence at all. At one location in the village 60% of the speeding is recorded going away from the speedwatch group. The police have stopped issuing letters and it appears that they will not resume this part of their part of speedwatch. 15/01/21 20: 39 A shop would be great, I really miss the shop/post office since they retired. Generally I would rather any development was minimal as if there is too much develop ment the character of the place would change to much. 15/01/21 21:17 Thank you for compili ng this. We value this village enormously and want local young people to stay here, preferably in small terrace housing that promotes community spirit. 17/01/21 10:01 We use the recreation ground in the centre of the village regularly. The access is diffi cult for those with younger children and babies in prams/pushchairs, it would be great if this could be improved. Also, the development of improved facil ities for older children/teens. We travel regularly to Radwinter to use the bike track and the multi us e court available there. It might be useful to provide a map of the village outside the village hall highlighting key features including the two play are as and the outside fitness equipment, plus the museum, church, and windmill. Perhaps also some of the c ircular walks that people could try. That way visitors and existing residents will be able to see easily what the village offers. CK2 Following on from the pavement issues something should be done about the safety of pedestrians in Rogers End. Whilst I kn ow this is a highways issue + I think the Parish council have discussed this but there is no feed back. We are living on the side of a busy road with hug e lorries coming through the village and no safe place to walk. A resident in Bartlow Rd drives her chi ldren to school because it is safer + another resident who's husband is disabled stands in the road trying to stop the traffic so he can come out of his front gate in his wheel chair safely. CK9 Ashdon must allow 'reasonable' house building that is compli mentary to the village. We do need to bring back some sort of 'hub' for people to meet. We do have loneliness in this village. The arrival of the vegetable stall and the post office van is as much a mee ting point as a commercial asset. CK11 Q14 Ashdon is not a particularly family - friendly village for families with young children. There is no playgroup, toddler group, no visits from Buffy bus, no safe walking routes for a pushchair, no destination like a duckpond. The lack of facilities would put off young families from settling here, which is not ideal fro m the long term security of the school, or good for the village in general. CK12 Other than contributing to more input on housing development – number one priority is traffic management – speeding – conge stion around village school – narrow highways being damaged by heavy traffic CK15 I am anxious for the maintenance of the greens at Steventon End to be included in the maintenance p rogram. There is a serio us danger to power lines at Steventon End.
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V3 We need affordable housing for the next generation as the economy takes a downturn and house prices are so high. But this should be targeted to local Ashdon residents and others in need and not just smaller houses which will still be prohibitively expensi ve. New development should not be at the expense of green fields and farmlands and not in prominent positions that spoil the timeless views that make Ashdon so special. It should be located in suitable sites and not a large scale. Flooding remains a con cer n to many and preserving trees and hedgerows should be a priority V8 We must maintain Ashdon as a rural village. The developers are hungry for land to "develop any land" with no moral judgement as to the urban sprawl that they are creating then they g o a way and leave us to cope with greater traffic movement and devaluing a lovely village. V9 It ignores speeding. Copy Bartlow by putting road markings with paint at 30mph zone is entered and have an intermediate 40mph zone for 1/4 mile along main roads jus t outside the village borders. V11 Bungalows needed in the new development, 1 or 2 bedrooms, people could downsize to these homes and let more families have bigger homes. Flats aren't always what people want, there are no gardens, everyone should have a garden this helps with their mental health. Money has been spent on equipment, which isn't used at All Saints, this money co uld have been used better, put towards the new development. Flats aren't ideal for everyone, people with disabilitiies, children, pets, more thought needs to be put into who needs new housing. More bungalows/maisonettes V12 I hope Ashdon will retain and improve its rural charm, with a lot of effort put in to replace hedgerows and trees and in particular vernacular building design, I don’t want to see plastic fencing, hedging and plants etc. I think we should really fight for a 20mph on the roads. Our school is important and needs children. A village shop or similar can only survive if the overheads are low, the proprietor is prep ared to live it 24/7 & rules and regs not too onerous for it to survive. I have lived in several villages a nd new adjacent villages where the facilities have enabled young and old to play games such as badminton. One enterprising farmer set up squash cou rts (ran as a club) but a business. We need to know how much the school is prepared to be used, because wit hout its co - operation so much will be lost. V16 When are we going to be in the Guinness Book of Records as the village with the largest number of m ain road closures mainly due to water leaks? V20 The village needs tidying up. Opposite the village hall, the concrete railings need painting and general neatness. Ashdon is getting left behind, when you visit other villages in the area which have more pride than Ashdon. Sorry, but we need to improve our village. V26 - Any extra housing should be accompanied any traffic calming. - Any extra development should also require developers to benefit whole community - eg upgrade play space or other community need - before work starts on development as too of ten housing is built + community asset never appears. - The dumping of spoil from developers needs to have really tight restrictions on it unlike the one on Butlers Lane that has taken tonnes of waste from Tesco's development with questionable permissions. V27 I think more could be made of the recreation ground opp Rectory Lane. It could be used for the community – A mini forest could be planted with benches and wildlife areas (bug hotels, hedgehog highway s, nestin g boxes) V32 Many thanks to those who have put in much time and energy into this survey. V33 The proposal of the village shop is a good idea, but the proposed venue is wrong. The V.H small hall is damp, there is a wet cellar underneath pumping o ut water at high water level. Climate change will mean more and more rainfall – more flooding. Vermin are dealt with on a regular basis. The capacity of the hall will be much reduced. This has not been addressed to the public. Storage will be inadequat e . T he possibility of WH House becoming vacant would be a much better proposition. Many thanks to the ladies who have worked so hard in getting this survey done. V35 It is important that the parish council employ maximum pressure on the pub owner to proceed w ith the refurbishment without delay. This is an asset that the village can ill afford to lose. The parish council seems to be totally focussed on the shop/cafe. The pub must be given equal attention.
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V36 Appreciate work going into Neighbourhood P lan + are aware of difficulties involved. Whilst we agree with retaining the character of the village, we need to recognise increasing pressure for housing + be prepared for some change, development and rising population. V37 Flooding Something needs to be done ab out the flooding at Steventon end (the bonnet corner) the drains are always blocked. Children No facilities for children at Tre get t s end of Village, yes there is a playing field up rectory lane, but no parents are goi ng to let the children go there unatte nded and can't see where they are, C hurchfields play area can be seen by the houses. V38 Be careful in what you ask for on subject of flood control, go to see Steeple Bumpstead to see a disaster ! Start by careful dredging of t he Bourne, main block usually at the bridges – Knox end – Camps Road – enlarge/add to water course underneath NB. A Kingfisher was seen near memorial garden early Jan 21! V40 Very disappointed about the closure, hopefully temporary, of the pub. Realise th ere is a problem during lockdown but would like more regular information about the plans for refurbishment and hoped for date for reopening. Also consider the plan to open shop/meeting place in the Villag e Hall is extremely important. V41 I am proud to li ve in Ashdon. We consider it to be one village as a whole, not separate ends. History is set in stone, we cannot change it so we will never lose sight of Ashdon's historical events of importance. A lot of people in the village have absolutely no idea of th e history of Ashdon when asked. What we should be doing is taking this beautiful village forward & looking to the future by moving with the times, and NOT letting it stagnate. We have already lost the vil lage shop and post office, the pub is now closed, an d we are in danger of losing our amazing school, we CANNOT let that happen. It is imperative the village needs to grow if Ashdon is to stop becoming a 'ghost village' or a village that people have no wish to move to or visit. V42 any new development needs to have enough parking and walking access to the local school and bus stops. (Paths) The speed of traffic in the village needs to be reduced before a major accident happens. 20mph is plenty. Traffic calming is a must. Flood issues need to be addressed to protect existing land and properties. V43 Other villages enjoy more sports facilities for public/communal use. A tennis court would be great for all ages. A badminton court would be appreciat ed. We seem to be losing more communal facilities/meeting places than we have gained (pub, PO) So do hope these can be replaced/reopened in some way, albeit changed/updated to preserve some hubs of village collectively . Appreciate that v illage hall plans could redress lost venues and mobile P.O. Is a welcome addition t o our facilities! V45 Perhaps connections with Essex Wildlife Trust or others Cambs one too as boundary only just up the road to liaise and promote local interest in Wildlife issues so important nowadays. We are so much in the NW area of Essex that perhap s we get over looked by WLTrust ( Essex) and may be a fruitful contact & conne ction. M6 Destination for visitors - no because of lack of parking & facilities. Off - road cycling - no because roads too narrow for curre n t traffic load. How achieve? Remo ve hedges - this would be against 9 (b) and 9(c) M10 I don't have a bike so can't u se cycle path. M14 The playground up Rectory Lane isn't pram/wheelchair friendly. Would also be nice if there was a dog friendly area near a playground so you could take t he kids and the dogs but with a fence to separate the areas. Also more poo bins. M1 5 Thanks to those working on this! M19 A new village 'pub' would benefit some people. The proposed reintroduction of a Post Office would also benefit many people. Keep the village school 'open' for the increased numbers of children that could arrive with increased housing development. M22 It would be useful if moving forward with development a work hub could be considered. Especially now working from home it would be good to have somewhere to hold meetings away from home. Re - instatement of the shop w ould be really useful but possibly community rum. We could have a purpose built shed on the allotment area. We would like to see more kids facilities at the Rec in the lower par t of the village. Basketball hoop, hard standing etc. I would also like to see the pub open and a cafe would be lovely, this would be great for walkers and cyclists.
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5 February 2021
M25 How can we stop the selfish few cutting down trees and hedgerows that have been there for generations?! All in the interest of a quick development profit for the few with no regard for the wider community! Great to see the Flood Group is up and running - flooding major issue for the village with all runoff from fields. Schemes to naturally retain water in ponds etc would be good idea to ease the issue? M26 This is a nice little village (It was better when it had a butchers, bakers, shop and post office - and a working pub). That is why folk stay here and come here - don't develop it into someth ing else. The places to develop are St a nsted, Harlow and Haverhill. T hey have all modern facilities and have been ruined already. Keep Ashdon and similar villages pretty much as they are. That is why they are so well liked. Don't be accused in the future o f 'why did they do that?!' You can have my name and address if you want. I ha ve completed the questionnaire anonymously as requested. M30 Regarding flooding: Clearing ditches: ensuring culvers into the ditches are free, lorries and tractors tend to squash them closed and ensuring drain covers are not chocked would help alleviate some of the flooding. The water that pours down Church Hill is sometimes a problem after heavy rain.
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