Whitchurch and Ganarew Parish Plan 2014
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2014 This Plan sets out the views and aspirations of respondents of the Planning for Real Questionnaire Plan Parish and Ganarew Whitchurch INTRODUCTION the parish, some with flora and fauna specific to our locality. Whitchurch and Ganarew parish is situated in a spectacular part of the The natural beauty of the area and its Wye Valley around the area of the unique terrain offer a wide range of Wye Gorge and falls within an Area of leisure activities from sightseeing to Parish Plan Outstanding Natural Beauty. The abseiling and canoeing. We have a beauty of the location has attracted vibrant business environment with tourists for over 200 years and as a more than 150 local businesses in a consequence tourism has had a location well served by a motorway significant impact on the structure of and major road network. our parish. In common with many rural Land use within the area has been communities, our parish residents rely significantly influenced by its on the car for personal mobility and landscape: large tracts of steeply this impacts on diminishing rural sided slopes are suitable only for public transport. There is an woodland and pasture and the increasing awareness of the need to southern and eastern boundaries are preserve and enhance existing formed by the River Wye. Most of the services and to plan for further parish’s population of about 1200 community facilities. Hopefully this and Whitchurch Ganarew people from 500 households live in Parish Plan can support that aim. Whitchurch, Symonds Yat West and Great Doward, with smaller What is a Parish Plan? settlements at Ganarew, Crocker’s A volunteer group of local residents Ash, Little Doward and Lewstone. supported by the local Parish Council Farming, horticulture, forestry, and Herefordshire Council, sought the tourism, light industry and of course views, concerns and ambitions of local housing, occupy most of the land. people for both what needs maintaining and what changing within Within the parish we have ancient our Parish. archaeological sites dating back to prehistoric times including an Iron Age Parish Plans arose from the hill fort and ancient industrial sites Government’s White Paper on Rural located on the banks of the river. The development which encouraged Wye has been a major communication communities to influence the highway for centuries and with locally development of their surroundings; available resources of coal, wood, they are designed to be evolving water power, limestone and iron ore, documents which outline how a the area played a major role in the community would like to develop over early days of the industrial revolution. the next ten years. Hundreds of Parish There are several nature reserves, Plans have already been completed sites of protected woodlands and Sites which have enabled better of Special Scientific Interests within development in rural communities. 2 Whitchurch and Ganarew Parish Plan 2014 The Whitchurch & Ganarew Parish analysed and the Steering Group Plan is a summary of the views and summarised the Key Findings to aspirations of those who responded, create a five year Action Plan, which enabling us to identify how local will form the basis for working in people would like the Parish to partnership with both county and develop over the coming years. It national bodies and with our own highlights what people find good volunteer community at the core. about the Parish as well as what irks and what is important if the Parish is Next steps? to flourish. The Parish Plan has taken 18 months to develop and reflects the concerns of Why now? residents and their ideas for the future It is eight years since the previous development of our community. Ganarew Parish Plan plan and both people and issues have The Action Plan should be seen as a joint changed. enterprise between: All parishioners, especially the How was it done? many parishioners who responded In the winter of 2012 at a community to the Parish Plan Questionnaire meeting the process of Parish and notified us of their willingness planning was outlined and a Steering to help as volunteers on the task Group was formed from volunteers. groups proposed in the Action Funding for the Parish Plan came Plan. Whitchurch and Whitchurch and from Herefordshire Council, the The Parish Council with key roles Parish Council and fund raising both to work with the task group events. In the summer of 2013 we volunteers in implementing held a weekend of Planning for Real agreed actions and in driving (PfR) events to enable opinions to be forward issues that are its own canvassed. A comprehensive responsibility. Several external questionnaire was developed, based organisations and agencies, such on the information gathered there. as Herefordshire Council and the The questionnaire contained: - Highways Agency are responsible Requests for background for matters beyond the remit of information on respondents’ age volunteers and the Parish Council. grouping and area of residence (maintaining strict anonymity). Regular feedback on progress with the Several External Agencies. Action Plan will be reported periodically Questions covering all major on the parish website aspects of parish life. www.wagpc.org.uk and in the Extensive opportunity for Village News. additional comments and feedback to be made. Questionnaires were delivered and collected by hand. Their results were professionally Whitchurch and Ganarew Parish Plan 2014 3 Acknowledgments Many thanks to the volunteers who helped deliver and collect the Planning for Real questionnaires. Thanks to the proprietors of the Old Parish Plan Parish Court Hotel for their generosity in accommodating meeting rooms and refreshments for the planning team. Also to: - Herefordshire Planning Department Ganarew Herefordshire Association of Local Councils (HALC) Data Orchard (for questionnaire data analysis) Whitchurch and Ganarew Group Parish Council. Wood’s of Whitchurch. Whitchurch and Whitchurch and 4 Whitchurch and Ganarew Parish Plan 2014 Key Findings Please note, the following section areas are ordered to facilitate editorial production and not intended to represent priority or preference. Facilities and Services Plan Parish Facilities and services needing significant improvement include directional signage, road maintenance, development of footpaths and improvement in community and public transport facilities. See the chart below. Ganarew Whitchurch and Facilities for Visitors were identified as needing improvement in signage, public toilet provision, better parking and tidying of unattractive and scruffy areas. Further Indoor Activities such as Keep Fit, Pilates and Adult Education led and run by volunteers could be held at the Memorial Hall, the Aisle at St Dubricius or at other local venues. Outdoor Activities generated moderate levels of interest for both adults and young people. These included canoeing, fishing, outdoor chess, netball, junior football, cycling, walking and mountain biking. Offers of help in leading and running these will be followed up. Whitchurch and Ganarew Parish Plan 2014 5 Environment Whereas many of those who responded to the questionnaire told of their pleasure at living in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, concerns were raised about the general appearance of our Parish with litter causing most concern followed by unattractive areas, dog-fouling and illegal dumping. Parish Plan Parish The chart below shows that over a third of respondents are concerned about noise pollution by vehicles and around a third registered concern about derelict land. Eighty-one parishioners are concerned about noise from people. Concern was expressed about litter generally throughout the Parish area with certain locations frequently specified - the A40, the B4164, the Old Monmouth Road and the riverside. The specific locations of unattractive areas, illegal dumping, dog-fouling and derelict land were also identified by respondents but these are anonymised in the report. Whitchurch and Ganarew Whitchurch and There were fewer responses to the question on environmental services, with nonresponders out-numbering those who expressed an opinion in each section. There is clear support for action to reinstate the bottle bank, to reduce noise from the A40 and to protect and develop heritage sites as well as increase the number of litter, gritting and dog-waste bins. Over a third would like a compostables collection and a fifth would like action on the localised problem of light pollution. Some commented on the need to introduce lighting on busy roads. 6 Whitchurch and Ganarew Parish Plan 2014 Parish Plan Parish Whitchurch and Ganarew Whitchurch and The issue of Conservation Area status is important to most respondents though many were unclear about Conservation Area status. The response calls for investigation and a report to residents on the advantages and disadvantages. The majority of responses to the five proposals for local environmental projects were positive. Most people who answered this question agree there is a need to tidy scruffy areas with 41 offering to help. There were 33 offers to help with cultivating wild life habitats and 32 parishioners have offered to help with cultivating wild flower verges. There is wide support for the proposal to cultivate flowers in the main village area with 16 offering to help. Although fewer people responded to the proposal to develop and maintain natural and man-made heritage sites the clear majority of those who did are in favour with 22 offering to help. There are even more offers of help (33) in