Sedgemoor District Council

Role and

Function

Review of our settlements services and facilities

Planning Policy

September 2015

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Contents

Introduction

Part A

 Aims and Objectives

 Background & Methodology

 Timescale

 Research and analysis

(a) Settlement Hierarchy

(b) Individual Criteria

 Overview of the scoring matrix

 Questionnaire to Parish Councils

Part B

 Settlement Profiles

 Population Mapping

 Summary and Conclusion (Next Steps)

 Appendices

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Introduction

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the Governments planning policies for and how these are expected to be applied.

The NPPF requires each local planning authority to

 Ensure that the Local Plan is based on adequate, up to date, and relevant evidence about the economic, social and environmental characteristics and prospects of the area. Local planning authorities should ensure that their assessment of and strategies for housing, employment, and other uses are integrated, and that they take full account of relevant market and economic signals.

 Take account of the different roles and character of different areas, promoting the vitality of our main urban areas, protecting the Green Belts around them, recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside and supporting thriving rural communities within it.

To be able to do this, the Local Planning Authority must have objectively assessed the needs of its settlements, and communities.

A study of the role and function of settlements in was last completed in 2010. It considered all of Sedgemoor’s settlements with the exception of . Bridgwater is identified as the focus for the district’s housing and employment growth in the Core Strategy 2006 – 2027, adopted in 2011.

As we prepare an evidence base in readiness for a review of our Local Plan it is appropriate to review that study and its continued relevance and robustness as we look to assess options for future growth distribution across our district.

Sedgemoor is a largely rural district and as such it is essential that we reconsider the role and function of each of the districts settlements to ensure that the Local Plan review is well informed to identify the scope for sustainable development across our district. To do this effectively, an assessment of the services and facilities is essential.

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Aims and Objectives

The objectives of this study are to:

 Develop a sound methodology to objectively assess the role and function of Sedgemoor’s settlements

 Develop a settlement hierarchy and classify the settlements on the basis of their services and facilities. This will be used to establish the sustainability of the settlements together with population mapping.

Background

We currently have a very simple matrix with 15 criteria that each settlement is scored against. Depending on the score achieved it is then placed into one of the following categories;

 17 Key Rural Settlements

 11 Other Sustainable Settlements

 The remainder of the district is deemed Countryside.

The exceptions to this are Bridgwater, Burnham on Sea and Highbridge that are categorised separately; Bridgwater as the Principal Town and Burnham on Sea and Highbridge as towns.

Whilst in principle the concept will remain in terms of a matrix system, we will reassess each of the original 15 criteria, to ensure that the matrix is robust enough to differentiate between the various settlements, and to identify gaps in services and facilities.

The intention from here is to produce a robust framework against which all settlements can be objectively assessed.

It is important to note that the matrix cannot be exhaustive and its focus will be on services facilities and accessibility only. The findings of this will need to be considered together with a number of additional factors when establishing sustainability. This will include but is not limited to population mapping and environmental factors.

The current matrix includes population and points are awarded based on this. This has been excluded from the proposed matrix and it is suggested that the issue of facilities, services and accessibility is looked at independently and then considered alongside population mapping. This will ensure that as the two areas are matched, and any under-provision of services and facilities can be identified. This is essential to ensure that future development within a settlement is sustainable and any gap in the facilities and services is identifiable.

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The Process

Stage One: Desk based research assessing the opportunities for an assessment of role and function the different type and structure of Evaluation

Stage Two: Research and produce a comprehensive list of services and facilities to include within the matrix to best represent the sustainability of a settlement

Stage Three: Assess these in an evidence document discussing the purpose and benefit of each service/facility to underpin the scoring system.

Stage Four: Produce a matrix against which we can assess all settlements

Stage Five: Research and establish the various services and facilities contained within each settlement through Parish Council questionnaires, desk based research and site visits.

Stage Six: Score each settlement and categorise accordingly.

Evaluating the Settlements

We need to establish which services and facilities are deemed most essential to support and serve vibrant and sustainable communities within out district, and which are considered desirable and beneficial but not essential. This assessment will inform the scoring system for the matrix.

We need to develop a robust matrix that will facilitate objective and fair assessment of our settlements. The quantitative method of evaluation will be a points scoring matrix where criteria are graded 1 – 5 dependent on whether they are deemed to be key services, and how broadly they serve a community etc. We also seek to account for combined/mobile/additional services and facilities which will give us an indication of the extent and breadth of facilities and services. This will be to a maximum of 2.

There are factors that cannot so easily be quantified, and are more subjective by nature. For this reason there may be further interpretation required, and for this, there should be significant weight given to the views of the parish council and the community. An example of this is how and to what degree a smaller settlement forms a cluster of settlements. Whilst there will be points awarded within the matrix, this will be based at least in part on the commentary/evaluation settlement provided by the Parish Council, as well as assessment of the combination of services and facilities between neighbouring settlements that would suggest an interdependence.

This may prove to be significant for when settlements are borderline in terms of the hierarchy category they fit in to and as such strongly support and well evidenced views must be provided.

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The proposed timescale

January – February: Conduct desk based research

Compile draft matrix

Issue questionnaires to Parish Councils

March: Issue questionnaires to Parish Councils

Continue with desk based research

April: Compile responses and establish site visit requirements

Carry out site visit requirements

May - June: Compile responses

Assess settlements against the scoring matrix

Services/facilities mapping

Population mapping

June - July: Conclude and present Role and Function Report

Research and Analysis

There are three dimensions to sustainable development; Social, Economic and Environmental.

Social: supporting strong, vibrant, and healthy communities by providing housing to meet the needs of both present and future generations; and by creating a high quality built environment, with accessible local services that reflect the community’s needs and support its health, social and cultural well-being

Economic: contributing to building a strong, responsive, and competitive economy, by ensuring that sufficient land of the right type is available in the right place and at the right time to support growth, and innovation by identifying and coordinating development requirements, including the provision of infrastructure;

Environmental; contributing to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historic environment; and as part of this, helping to improve biodiversity, use natural resources prudently, minimise waste and pollution, mitigate and adapt to climate change including moving to a low carbon economy.

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For the purpose of the matrix, we are considering;

Well connected – establishing how well connected a settlement is, is not limited just to transport considerations, although this is one part. We should also consider access to public transport, cycling routes, broadband speeds, etc.

Connectivity varies enormously across our district, we have some settlements along the M5 corridor that have excellent vehicular and rail links as well as access to superfast broadband. Whilst at the other end of the scale, we have rural and remote settlements that have limited access to public transport, and from where residents need to travel by car/bike to reach essential services and facilities. In addition there are areas of the district with limited mobile signal, as well as restricted broadband speeds. Digital connectivity can have significant implications for a settlement both from an economic and social perspective.

It is appropriate to consider a settlements relationship both to larger neighbouring settlements, and where smaller settlements have formed a functional relationship to form a cluster of settlements thus improving their sustainability. This is most evident in more rural locations, and we would anticipate that there would be occasions of this within Sedgemoor.

The provision of cycle paths can be considered as this may increase and promote the relationship between settlements. This is particularly relevant in terms of environmental sustainability as it can promote healthy lifestyles and remove the dependence on cars. It is relevant also from an economic and social perspective, providing opportunity for families and friends to enjoy cycling together and encouraging travel to work through cycling and facilitate .

Essential services – We must establish the services and facilities that meet the day to day needs of a community and that appeal to, and provide for a wide range of people. These are considered to be essential to sustain a settlement and to promote and encourage a feeling of community; this includes but is not limited to services and facilities such as convenience stores, village/community halls, pre-school and primary school, etc. These should score highly in the matrix, as a combination of these is likely to enable and encourage sustainable development.

Community – It is necessary to identify and consider community services and facilities that enhance and encourage a positive sense of place and a place people want to live. This will include facilities and services such as library, groups/clubs, places of worship, health care provision, sports and recreational facilities, etc. This is most relevant in terms of social sustainability.

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Self-containment – This incorporates all of the above factors to some degree as a settlement that has a wide range of essential services, and a strong sense of community is likely to have stronger self-containment rates. Self-containment is relevant in terms of promoting economic, environmental and social sustainability. Population and size of settlement plays its part here, but that being said there is also evidence of rural communities/clusters of small rural communities that have high rates of self-containment, especially in comparison to settlements of similar sizes that adjoin/neighbour a larger urban settlement and are reliant to a far greater extent on the services and facilities provided there. The matrix will seek to consider this further.

Settlement hierarchy

Our current Settlement hierarchy as per the Core Strategy is made up of 5 tiers;

Principal Town – identified as Bridgwater

Towns - Burnham on Sea and Highbridge

Key Rural Settlements - we have some 17 settlements within this category ranging from those with a wealth and breadth of facilities to those which are very small and have quite a limited number of services and facilities to offer.

Other Sustainable Settlements – we have 11 settlements within this category

Countryside - the remainder of the District is categorised as Countryside.

Assessment of the settlement hierarchy

The current settlement hierarchy has resulted in the three largest and most sustainable towns being defined and separated into the top two tiers, with the next 17 settlements all within the third category. This prevents us from differentiating between these 17 settlements sufficiently. The very obvious restriction here is with the terminology of towns. If we are concerned with services and facilities, it does not seem appropriate that regardless of the wealth and breadth of services a settlement may have to offer, it is not possible for a settlement that is not a town to progress any higher than a Key Rural Settlement, and as a result of this the Key Rural Settlement category is too wide ranging preventing us from being able to effectively differentiate between the settlements. This is likely only to be accentuated as certain settlements continue to grow and develop at a greater rate than its counterparts.

As such as part of this study it is considered appropriate to reconsider the hierarchy in its entirety.

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Evidence document for scoring matrix

Each criterion that is to be included within the matrix needs to be considered in turn, with a brief background given as to the score awarded and the reasons for the weight given; In addition the matrix seeks to group criteria into broad categories to enable us to consider the breadth of services a settlement has available.

We have eight broad categories of criteria.

Community Connectivity Retail Employment

Sports/recreation Healthcare Education Financial/ professional

Individual Criteria:

Convenience Shop: A Convenience shop has been awarded 5 points as it provides an essential service to any community. We are keen with the revised matrix to differentiate between a small settlement with minimal facilities and larger settlement with a number of shops. As such 3 points are awarded where that settlement has an additional retail offering up to and including 5 additional units, and 4 points awarded when that settlement has an additional retail offering of more than 5 additional shops. It is reasonable to suggest that a settlement with a broader range of shops is better suited to sustain development.

Village/Community Hall: Village/Community halls provide spaces for clubs, groups and community social events which can form an integral part of the community. Therefore, the present of a community/village hall will receive 5 points as it is deemed to be a key service, whilst a score of 1 is awarded for each additional facility up to a maximum of 2 points.

Place of Worship: Places of Worship often act as a hub to the community, especially so in more rural communities however and is to be awarded with 3 points.

ATM/Paypoint: Facilities such as cashpoints and paypoint are also to be recognised. It is suggested that an ATM/paypoint facility is awarded 2 points.

Post Office: A Post Office provides a great number of services that are highly valued by all members of the community. For many, post offices provide an essential service without being reliant on travelling to neighbouring settlements and therefore it is deemed a key facility within a settlement. For this reason a Post Office is awarded 4 points.

Library: Libraries provide a benefit to the community and in addition a permanent facility could add to the economy providing employment opportunities. As such for a permanent facility a library is awarded with 4 points, with 2 point awarded for a mobile service.

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Public House: Public houses are often considered to be a hub for a community, especially so in rural settlements. In addition they are considered to add to the economy providing employment opportunities. Consequently, each public house shall be awarded 4 points with an additional 1pt awarded for each additional facility to a maximum of 2.

Bank/financial services: In an age where online and telephone banking is becoming more common place, the number of banks and other financial institutions on the high street are in decline. That being said the role of Banks and other financial services is an essential one for many and as such it is suggested that 3 points be awarded for this facility.

Pre-School Provision: The availability of pre-school places is an important factor for parents. All children are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare in a pre-school setting from the term after their third birthday. Local provision is seen as beneficial to encourage a sense of community for families with young children. For this reason Pre-school provision has been added into the matrix with a score of 3.

Infant/ Primary Schools: Infant schools provide for children from reception through to Year 4, at which time children move on to Middle School with provides from Year 5 through to Year 8. Primary schools provide for children from reception through to year 6. The role of Infant, and Primary Schools within a community, especially so in rural communities often extends beyond the provision of education, and helps to promote a sense of place and community; they often act as a local community hub, with fund raising events such as summer fetes, and Christmas Fairs as well as vital links with village/community halls and places of worship. It is suggested therefore that both Infant and Primary Schools be worth 4 points.

Middle/Secondary/Upper School: Children attend Middle School from Year 5 through to Year 8 before moving onto year 9 at Upper School which in , usually incorporates Sixth form. Secondary schools provide for children from Year 7 through to Year 11. Both upper schools and secondary schools are often found in settlements which have a larger population and serve a wider community. It is suggested that a middle/upper/secondary schools be awarded 3 points.

Sixth form/FE provision: As with secondary schools, such provision is usually found in larger settlements and service a wider community, although very often bringing with it a reliability on public bus services. It is suggested that this is awarded 3 points.

Hospitals: Hospitals and access to healthcare is considered a key service. In rural settlements, access to healthcare facilities is generally less than in more urban settlements. Hospitals also contribute towards the economy of a settlement and surrounding settlements as it serves to provide employment, training, and volunteering opportunities and can also provide access to additional community groups. It is suggested that the presence of a hospital is awarded with 3 points.

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Health Centre/GP access: GP access is often a concern and difficulty for rural communities, and this should be considered a key service. For a settlement with a doctors surgery 4 points will be awarded, with each subsequent surgery within that settlement boundary being awarded 1 points. Access to GP, either through a part time/visiting GP should be accounted for also and this will attract 2 points.

Chemist/Pharmacy: The provision of a chemist/pharmacy plays an integral role in maintaining the health of the community and can provide valuable health care advice and services in the absence of a GP/Health Centre. This facility will be awarded a score of 3.

Dentist: As with the provision of a chemist/pharmacy it is a service beneficial to the overall healthcare provision a settlement can offer, and in addition is considered to add to the economy providing employment opportunities. They are awarded 2 points.

Optician: As with the provision of a dentist, they provide benefit to the overall healthcare provision a settlement can offer, and in addition is considered to add to the economy providing job opportunities. They are awarded 2 points.

Sports and Social Clubs: Sports and Social clubs create opportunities for community interaction, and can act as a community hub, as well as adding to the economy providing employment opportunities. That being said they often have members’ schemes and they do not necessarily provide for the ‘whole’ community. For this reason they are awarded 3 points with each additional facility awarded 1 point up to a maximum of 2 points.

Café/takeaway: For one provision a score of 2 will be awarded as this does increase self- containment and a café facility can again contribute towards and act as a community hub, providing a social gathering place for all. In addition they are considered to add to the economy providing employment opportunities. Additional facilities will score 1 point up to a maximum of 2 points.

Fuel Stations: Fuel stations facilitate movement to and from settlements for those reliant on cars etc and contribute towards connectivity. In addition they are considered to add to the economy providing employment opportunities. Fuel stations often are the site for additional services, such as ATM facility or Convenience Store but it should be noted that these are accounted for separately within the matrix. A fuel station will attract 2 points for one facility and 1 for having more than one such facility up to a maximum of 2 additional points.

Leisure facility: Leisure facilities appeal to and provide for a broad range of people, offering classes and facilities to all; from small children, to classes specifically aimed at the elderly/disabled. As such they are considered to provide a fairly inclusive service. Similarly they also contribute towards the economy of a settlement providing opportunity for employment and training. Most swimming pools within our district are incorporated within leisure centres or have supplementary classes/fitness facilities and as such for the purposes of the matrix we have described them as Leisure Facilities. Leisure Facilities are awarded 4 points, with an additional leisure centre/facility recognised with an additional 1 point, up to a maximum of 2 additional points. 11

Formal Sports Area: Formal sports areas are areas such as tennis courts, football pitches, rugby pitches, cricket grounds etc. These are integral for maintaining an interest in sports and promotes attainment in sport in local areas. Without such facilities within close proximity to settlements, uptake of sports and exercise is likely to be reduced. Formal Sports areas will receive 3 points with the addition of 1 point for each subsequent facility up to a maximum of 2 additional points. These provisions can be on the same site, or different sites.

Equipped play areas/Multi-Use Games Areas: Equipped play areas and multi-use games areas offer essential recreational opportunities to young children and outside spaces for families to enjoy. The provision of play-areas should be available in each settlement to ensure children have a safe area to play in and enjoy the outdoors. It is expected that larger settlements have a larger number and variety of these areas. Play areas will be awarded 3 points in the Sedgemoor matrix and an additional 1 for each other provision up to a maximum of 2 additional points. As with formal sports areas, the additional provision can be on the same site, or different sites within the settlement.

Large Scale Employment: Employment opportunities promote self-containment and act as a pull factor to draw people to areas. This is recognised by the Sedgemoor Settlement Matrix, and large scale employment sites defined as over 500 jobs and scores 5 points.

Medium Scale Employment: Employment opportunities promote self-containment and act as a pull factor to draw people to areas. This is recognised by the Sedgemoor Settlement Matrix. Medium scale employment sites are defined as between 101 and 499 and will score 4 points.

Small Scale Employment: Small scale employment can offer a vital service within smaller settlements, promoting self-containment. Small scale employment is defined as employment that provides up to 100 jobs, and will score 3 points.

Within a 5 mile (8km) radius of a District/Strategic Settlement/town in neighbouring District: This seeks to account for the situation where smaller settlements neighbour a larger settlement and are as such largely reliant on the services and facilities contained within that neighbouring settlement. In addition the larger settlements are more likely to provide a greater breadth of services and facilities, with the smaller neighbouring settlement often looking to compliment this offering only. Being within 5 miles (8km) of a District/Strategic Settlement/town in a neighbouring district is considered a distance that is considered to be easily cycled by the majority of people. 3 points will be awarded where the settlement is within 5 miles (8km) of the “town/retail” centre of the larger settlement, and 1 point where a settlement is within 5 miles (8km) from the edge of the larger settlement. 1 additional point is then awarded where the settlement is connected by cycle ways.

Forms part of a cluster of smaller settlements: The matrix seeks to recognise that certain settlements have naturally formed cluster groups with neighbouring settlements. This is often the case when a settlement is physically in very close proximity to another, and there is little to define the boundaries of each. This functional relationship is difficult to objectively categorise and there is an element of interpretation. Parish Council responses will be useful to account for this and 12

alongside the points scoring this is likely to feature heavily as a point of commentary. 2 points are awarded in such situation.

Broadband: Digital Connectivity, and the availability and speed of Broadband is an important issue for many rural communities. It is an area of focus for the Government with investments of over £1 billion to improve broadband. For this reason connectivity at 2Mbps which is considered basic speed is awarded with 2 points, and 4 points is awarded for superfast broadband (24Mbps or more).

Bus Service: Access to public transport varies enormously across the district and is important in terms of connecting smaller, more rural settlements to employment opportunities, health care services etc concentrated in the larger more urban settlements. In terms of access we are considering not just where a bus stop is located within a settlement, but also where a bus stop is within 1km of the settlement. This is relevant for more rural communities especially.

Bus Services have been broken down to the following scoring system;

Regular (approximately hourly at a minimum bus service 7 days a week) will warrant an award of 4 points.

A bus service that would facilitate commuting, i.e Monday – Friday, at least 2 hourly will be awarded 3 points.

A limited bus service is worth 2 points. This is defined as a minimum 2 buses a day, Mon-Fri.

An offering less than this but some access to a bus service, i.e weekly is recognised only with the award of 1 point.

For the purpose of the Matrix this is indicated as follows: Bus (Regular) 4 points, Bus (Comm) 3 points, Bus (ltd) 2 points, and Bus (infreq) 1 point.

Rail Service: Access to the rail network facilitates greatly the connections out of the District to both higher education and employment opportunities. As such it is suggested that the presence of a train station within a settlement will warrant 3 points.

An overview of the scoring matrix is provided overpage to allow for these to be reviewed together.

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Overview of points scoring matrix

5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point Community/ Library Place of Worship Mobile library Additional village hall village/community hall (max of 2 additional points) Large scale Medium Small scale employment Fuel Station Additional fuel Employment Scale station (max of 2 Employment additional points)

Convenience Additional Additional Retail <5 Café/takeaway Additional Shop retail >5 café/takeaway (max of 2 additional points) Public House Bank/financial service Optician Additional public house (max of 2 additional points) Regular Bus Bus Service (comm) Bus Services Bus Service (infreq) Service (ltd) Leisure Sports and Social Club ATM/Pay Additional leisure Facility Point facilities (max of 2 additional points)

Post Office Formal Sports Area Forms part of Additional formal a cluster of sports area (max of 2 settlements additional points) GP/Health Chemist/pharmacy Part-time GP Additional Health centre access Centre (max of 2 additional points) Broadband Within 5 mile (8km) Broadband Connection radius of Connection (superfast) District/Strategic (basic) settlement or town in neighbouring district Play area/MUGA Additional play area/MUGA (max of 2 additional points) Primary Pre-school provision School Secondary school Sixth form/ FE provision Hospital Dentist Rail Service

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One consideration is that it is essential that we have an accurate assessment of every settlements services and facilities to inform the study, but this is changeable, services and facilities change frequently, and as such the study is only accurate at the time the assessment is carried out. It will therefore be necessary to ensure that there is a regular review of the role and function of settlements to ensure that as an evidence base to inform policy decisions, it remains sound.

As mentioned earlier in this report, in order to establish the services and facilities within each settlement, it will be necessary to conduct a combination of desk based research, settlement site visits, and raise enquiries of the parish councils who will likely be able to provide some invaluable local knowledge. A questionnaire has been devised to draw out the local knowledge of the Parish Council, and establish their views regarding their settlements in terms of their functional relationships and interdependency on services and facilities of neighbouring settlements.

A copy of this questionnaire is included on page 16 – 19 of this report. Results of all questionnaires will be collated and then followed up with site visits and further desk based research will be carried out to compliment these results and this work and ensure that the evidence base for the report is sound.

Who are we sending this to?

The Core Strategy provides for a total of 32 settlements identified in the hierarchy as either Principal Town, Towns, Key Rural Settlements, Other Sustainable Settlements. If we send the questionnaire only to the Parish Councils that have one of these settlements, we would not consult all parish councils. As such we have sent at least one questionnaire to every parish within the district. We have asked each parish to complete the questionnaire for every settlement within their parish and not just the main parish so we can have as full a picture as possible.

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Parish Council Questionnaire – Services and facilities

Name of Parish

Name of Settlement

Parish Clerk name and contact details

Date questionnaire completed

Service/Facility – retail Yes No

Convenience Shop

Additional retail up to and including 5

Additional retail over 5

Service/Facility – financial/professional Yes No

ATM

Pay Point facility

Post Office

Bank/financial service (not ATM)

Service/Facility - education Yes. If so, how many? No

Pre-school provision (either privately owned day nursery/pre-school or foundation/pre-school class within primary school)

Infant School

Primary School

Middle School

Secondary School

Senior/Upper School

Sixth form/FE provision

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Service/Facility – healthcare Yes. If so, how many? No

GP/Health Centre

Part time access to GP (weekly surgery for example)

Hospital

Chemist/Pharmacy

Dentist

Optician

Service/facility - community Yes. If so, how many? No

Places of Worship

Library

Mobile library Service

Village/Community hall

Sports and or Social Club

Public house

Café/takeaway

Fuel Station

Service/facility - sports/recreation Yes. If so, how many? No

Leisure facility

Formal Sports Area

Play area/MUGA

Service/facility - employment. Yes No

(overall estimated employment based in the settlement)

Small scale employment (up to 100 jobs)

Medium scale employment (101- 499 jobs)

Large scale employment (500 jobs or more)

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Service/facility - Connectivity Yes No

Within a 5 mile radius of a larger settlement either in Sedgemoor or in a neighbouring district. If yes, please also state where

Bus Service

Rail Service

Broadband

Superfast Broadband

Do you consider that the settlement forms part of a cluster of settlements, so there is a functional relationship of shared/common facilities with another neighbouring settlement? If yes, please also state with which settlement/settlements. You may wish to use the comments section on the next page.

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Any other comments:

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Part B

Results

We received a total of 48 questionnaires. We have completed our own assessments for a further 16 assessments of settlements for which we did not receive questionnaires but felt they should be considered within the matrix. This assessment has been based on a combination of desk based research, information collected from site visits and local knowledge. It is likely that there are more settlements that have not been included, and as part of the later consultation process, should there be further information made available this could be considered using the same methodology.

The full scoring matrix is included as an appendix to this report for information.

The results from the scoring matrix are provided below, together with a very brief commentary to form a profile of each of the settlements in turn. It should be noted again that the scoring itself considers the settlements sustainability based solely on services and facilities. There is no allowance for any other factors, such as flood risk, and infrastructure which are beyond the scope of this report. The commentary seeks to draw out key considerations, such as key facilities, or a lack of key facilities, as well as where the settlements have conservation areas, and in the case of smaller settlements where points have been awarded for clustering or because of their proximity to larger settlements. This is relevant as the points are not solely for services and facilities held within that particular settlement.

For the purposes of this report, key services and facilities are identified as pre-school, primary school, village hall, convenience shop, post office and public house.

The purpose of the hierarchy is to define and categorise the settlements according to their sustainability. The hierarchy works as one part of the evidence base to inform the distribution of growth across the district.

Hierarchy

Throughout this research report it has become clear that the hierarchy as it stands would no longer seem to function in terms of differentiating sufficiently between the role and function of the individual settlements.

This is particularly so with regards to Key Rural Settlements. It is clear from this study that since the last report, a number of settlements, previously identified as Key Rural Settlements have grown in terms of their services and facilities on offer, and are notably more sustainable than others.

As we look forward, amending the tier system to better reflect our settlements, and their roles within the district.

For the purposes of identifying tiers, a simple numbered tier system is proposed. This will remove any restrictive or inaccurate labelling. In a rural district such as Sedgemoor settlements can retain a rural/village feel but have a wealth and breadth of services and facilities necessary to support the wider community. As a result of this it is felt that labels such as towns/urban centres etc are not considered appropriate for Sedgemoor. 20

A brief description of what may be expected of settlements is provided as guidance, but it is not exhaustive nor is it intended to be any more than an indicative description.

As with the current hierarchy, any settlement that is not identified as having sufficient services and facilities to feature in any of the above tiers would be considered as Countryside. Per the NPPF Local planning authorities should avoid new isolated homes in the Countryside.

Summary of the suggested hierarchy

Tier One: Likely to be the larger settlements within the district

A breadth of good quality services and facilities serving not only their settlement but also the wider district

Scope to support and sustain future development.

Tier Two: A variety of services and facilities meeting the key needs of not only the settlement itself but also neighbouring smaller settlements

Scope to support and sustain future development.

Tier Three: A number of key services and facilities necessary to sustain the settlement and would likely have scope to support some further development

Tier Four: Limited services and facilities

Unlikely to have all key services and facilities

Ability to sustain development to a limited degree

Tier Five (countryside): Few or no services or facilities to sustain development

Future development should be considered carefully as the provision of additional services and facilities would be required

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Scoring

The scores from the matrix are detailed in the table below, together with the tier that they would fall into. The settlements have been placed in tiers in accordance with the natural breaks in the scoring. There will be other factors that affect a settlements eventual place in the hierarchy, and these will be considered in more detail, as part of the follow on work from this report.

Settlement name Score Tier

Bridgwater 121 Tier 1

BoS 109 Tier 1

Cheddar 101 Tier 1

Highbridge 100 Tier 1

North Petherton 92 Tier 1

Wedmore 78 Tier 2

Cannington 77 Tier 2

Axbridge 70 Tier 2

Nether Stowey 70 Tier 2

Berrow 68 Tier 2

Brean 65 Tier 2

Puriton 63 Tier 2

Woolavington 60 Tier 2

Mark 55 Tier 3

Westonzoyland 55 Tier 3

Bridgwater 53 Tier 3 Without

East 53 Tier 3

Spaxton 50 Tier 3

Ashcott 50 Tier 3

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Shipham 50 Tier 3

East Brent 47 Tier 3

West Huntspill 45 Tier 3

Lympsham 43 Tier 3

Middlezoy 43 Tier 3

Othery 42 Tier 3

Brent Knoll 41 Tier 3

Edington 41 Tier 3

Pawlett 41 Tier 3

Wembdon 40 Tier 3

Otterhampton 38 Tier 4

Weare and Lower 38 Tier 4 Weare

Cossington 37 Tier 4

Blackford 35 Tier 4

Theale 32 Tier 4

Chapel Allerton 31 Tier 4

Catcott 30 Tier 4

Bagley/Mudgley 30 Tier 4

Shapwick 29 Tier 4

Chedzoy 28 Tier 4

Compton Bishop 27 Tier 4

Edithmead 27 Tier 4

Watchfield 27 Tier 4

Over Stowey 25 Tier 4

Enmore 25 Tier 4

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Bawdrip 23 Countryside

Badgworth 23 Countryside

Lyng 22 Countryside

Moorlinch 22 Countryside

Chilton Polden 21 Countryside

Biddisham 20 Countryside

Goathurst 19 Countryside

Stawell 18 Countryside

Stockland Bristol 18 Countryside

Thurloxton 18 Countryside

North Newton 18 Countryside

Rooksbridge 18 Countryside

Durleigh 17 Countryside

Burtle 14 Countryside

Greinton 13 Countryside

Steart 13 Countryside

Tarnock 13 Countryside

Sutton Mallet 11 Countryside

Broomfield 10 Countryside

Fiddington 8 Countryside

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Summary Assessment

The assessment provided here repeats the scoring, but also provides a further more detailed assessment of each settlement.

Settlement name Score Commentary/further assessment

Bridgwater 121 Bridgwater is identified by the current Core Strategy as the Districts Principle Town. Bridgwater has scored the highest possible score on the matrix having an excellent range of facilities and services, as well as transport links (j24 M5 is situated to the south of the town, with j23 M5 to the north). It serves as a central hub for services and facilities for the district. Part of the town is a designated conservation area.

BoS 109 Burnham on Sea has an excellent range of services and facilities. It is served by junction 22 of the M5, as well as the A38. Secondary/FE provision is based in the neighbouring town of Highbridge together with rail links. Burnham on Sea with its range of services and facilities serves as a hub for a number of smaller neighbouring communities and is closely linked with neighbouring Highbridge. Part of the town is a designated conservation area. There is evidence of clustering between Burnham on Sea and highbridge.

Cheddar 101 Cheddar has a broad range of services and facilities with infant, middle and senior school provision within the settlement. Cheddar also has financial services provision. Cheddar serves as a hub for neighbouring smaller communities in the north of the district. It is flanked by the AONB to the north and east and features the Gorge, a site of special scientific interest, and as such, Cheddar has a strong tourism trade. It is situated to the north of the district, less than 20 miles from Bristol. A significant part of the village is a designated conservation area.

Highbridge 100 Highbridge has a good range of services and facilities, including secondary and FE provision, together with rail links. It has close links with neighbouring Burnham on Sea. Its retail offering has reduced over recent years, and it no longer has a bank/financial service. It does offer strong employment opportunities, and the education provision serves Highbridge, Burnham on Sea as well as smaller neighbouring communities. It is closely linked with the neighbouring settlement, Burnham on Sea.

North Petherton 92 A good range of services and facilities, and well located in terms of access to junction 24 of the M5, and the neighbouring towns of and Bridgwater. North Petherton is not served by its own secondary school; the nearest provision is located in Bridgwater. It should be noted when looking at the population map, that the electoral ward population figures include Stockmoor and Wilstock.

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Wedmore 78 Wedmore has a very good range of services and facilities, and is situated to the north of our district, less than 5 miles from the tier one settlement of Cheddar. Its services and facilities also serve neighbouring smaller settlements of Blackford, Theale, Cocklake etc. A significant area of Wedmore is a designated conservation area.

Cannington 77 Cannington has a good range of services and facilities, including its own health centre. It is located within 5 miles of Bridgwater, and is well served by the A39. Bridgwater College have a centre based here providing a range of land-based courses, and a wealth of facilities.

Axbridge 70 Axbridge has a good range of services and facilities, with infant school provision based within the town, with children then moving onto neighbouring Cheddar for middle/senior school provision. The town is well served by the A38 and A371 and is within 5 miles of Cheddar. It is flanked by the AONB to the north, and a significant portion of the town centre is a designated conservation area.

Nether Stowey 70 Nether Stowey is located at the edge of the (AONB). It has a good range of services and facilities, including its own primary school, health centre and library. Its services and facilities also provide for neighbouring settlements, including . In terms of its location, it is served by the A39, and is approximately 8 miles from Bridgwater and 11.5 miles from Taunton. The older part of the village is a designated conservation area.

Berrow 68 Berrow is the next settlement along the coastline from Burnham on Sea, and has a good range of services and facilities, including a primary school, health centre as well as being well connected to Burnham on Sea. It is also less than 2 miles from the neighbouring settlement of , and they very much form a cluster of settlements with complimentary services and facilities.

Brean 65 Brean is the next settlement along the coastline from Berrow, and has an excellent range of leisure based services and facilities, supporting a tourist industry there. In addition there is a convenience shop, post office, village hall, and public house, some of the key services and facilities you would expect to find in a sustainable settlement. It is less than 2 miles from neighbouring Berrow, and the matrix would support evidence of clustering of settlements here, as they have complimentary services and facilities.

Puriton 63 Puriton has a good range of facilities, with its own pre-school and primary school provision, as well as a village hall, a small selection of shops/services including a Post Office as well as a public house. Its services and facilities also provide for Downend and Dunball. It is very well connected, being just off junction 23 of the M5, and A39, and within 5 miles from Bridgwater.

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Woolavington 60 Woolavington has a range of key services and facilities, with its own pre- school, primary school, village hall, convenience shop, post office and health centre. It is well served by the A39 and is situated approximately 5 miles from Bridgwater, and 3 miles from junction 23 of the M5.

Mark 55 Mark has all of the identified key services and facilities, including a convenience shop, post office, pre-school and infant school, village hall and public house. It is within 5 miles of the tier one settlement of Burnham on Sea. Middle school provision is provided by Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School in the neighbouring settlement of Blackford.

Westonzoyland 55 Westonzoyland has a range of key services and facilities, including a convenience shop, a butchers, public house, village hall, and pre-school, and primary school. It is located within 5 miles of Bridgwater, and is closely linked with the neighbouring settlements of and .

Bridgwater 53 This parish includes 2 pre-schools, one based at the site of the primary Without school in the urban extension at north east Bridgwater (Kingsdown), and the other at the rugby club on the edge of Chedzoy. The hospital is also based within this parish, as is large scale employment. In terms of key facilities, asides from the education provision mentioned above, it has a convenience shop, and public house. It does not have village/community hall although it is likely that the leisure facilities and formal sports areas likely serve similar purposes to those associated with a village/community hall.

East Huntspill 53 is lcoated less than 5 miles from the Tier One settlement of Highbridge. It forms a cluster of settlements with neighbouring , and is located approximately 2.5 miles from Woolavington. In terms of key facilities, it has its own convenience store, pre-school and primary school, as well as village hall and public house.

Ashcott 50 Ashcott is located to the east of the district less than 5 miles from the town of Street, positioned along the A39. It has all of the key services and facilities identified within this report; a pre-school, primary school, convenience shop, post office, village hall and public house.

Shipham 50 Shipham is located to the north of the District, approximately 15 miles from Bristol and within 5 miles from Cheddar. It is well served by the A38. It has a good range of key facilities, including its own convenience shop, pre-school, primary school, village hall, public house. It also forms part of a cluster of settlements with Rowberrow and Star.

Spaxton 50 Spaxton has a good range of key facilities; a convenience shop, post office, primary school, village hall, and public house. It is located approximately 5 miles from Bridgwater and forms a cluster with the neighbouring settlements of Charlynch, Asholt and Merridge. A large part

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of the settlement is a designated conservation area.

East Brent 47 East Brent is situated less than 3 miles of junction 22 of the M5, and is also well served by the A38. In terms of key facilities it has a post office, pre-school and infant school. Middle school provision is provided by Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle school in Blackford. East Brent also has its own village hall and public house, as well as its own health centre

West Huntspill 45 West Huntspill is located along the A38, adjacent to the Tier One settlement of Highbridge, and consequently is very well connected. In addition it forms part of a cluster of settlements with East Huntspill. In terms of key services and facilities, West Huntspill has its own preschool, primary school, village hall, and public house.

Lympsham 43 Lympsham is well located approximately 5 miles south of Weston super Mare via the A371, and approximately 6 miles north of Burnham on Sea. In terms of key facilities, it has a convenience shop, post office, village hall, pre-school, and infant school. Middle school provision is provided at Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School in Blackford.

Middlezoy 43 Middlezoy has a good range of key services and facilities, including a convenience shop, post office, public house, village hall, preschool, and primary school. It forms part of a cluster with its neighbouring settlements of Westonzoyland and . All three are linked by the A372, with Middlezoy situated between Westonzoyland and Othery, less than 3 miles from each.

Othery 42 Othery is situated along the A361, and is linked closely with the neighbouring settlement of Middlezoy. It has a good range of key services and facilities including its own primary school, convenience shop, post office, village hall, and public house as well as a café, and bakery.

Edington 41 Edington is situated just off of the A39 and is one of a cluster of settlements along the Polden Ridge, including and . In terms of key services and facilities, it has a convenience store, post office, café, village hall and health centre as well as a small business park providing employment opportunities. The nearest primary school provision and public house is in neighbouring Catcott.

Brent Knoll 41 Brent Knoll is located less than 5 miles from Burnham on Sea. It is well connected by the A38, and is closely located to junction 22 of the M5. In terms of its key services and facilities, Brent Knoll has its own primary school, village hall, and public house.

Pawlett 41 Pawlett is well located, being less than 5 miles from Bridgwater, approximately 5 miles from Burnham on Sea along the A38 and approximately 2.5 miles from junction 23 of the M5. In terms of key services and facilities, it has its own primary school, post office, and village hall.

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Wembdon 40 Wembdon is a settlement adjacent to the town of Bridgwater, thus providing access to a number of additional key services and facilities. That being said, Wembdon itself has the following key services and facilities; primary school, village hall, convenience shop, post office and public house.

Otterhampton 38 Otterhampton has its own post office, primary school, village hall and public house. It is situated more than 5 miles from Bridgwater, and the nearest larger settlement is the tier 2 settlement of Cannington (less than 3 miles away).

Weare and Lower 38 Weare and Lower Weare are considered a cluster of settlements close to Weare the A38 and just south of the Mendip Hills. The villages of Alston Sutton, Brinscombe and Stone Allerton are also closely located. Weare is less than 3 miles from the tier two settlement of Axbridge, and less than 5 miles from the tier one settlement of Cheddar. In terms of its key facilities it has its own convenience shop, pre-school, primary school, village hall, and public house.

Cossington 37 Cossington lies approximately 5 miles from Bridgwater along the A39. It is located less than 2 miles from the tier two settlement of Woolavington. In terms of key services and facilities, it has a pre-school, village hall, and public house. The primary school closed at the end of the last academic year and the village now falls within the catchment for Catcott Primary School which is located approximately 2.5 miles away.

Blackford 35 Blackford is closely located with the neighbouring tier two settlement of Wedmore, and is less than 5 miles from the tier one settlement of Cheddar. The middle school, Hugh Sexey is located in Blackford, although pre-school and first-school provision is in either neighbouring Mark or Wedmore. In terms of key services and facilities, it has its own village hall, and public house.

Theale 32 Theale is closely located to the neighbouring tier two settlement of Wedmore. In terms of key services and facilities, it is largely dependent on Wedmore, having only its own village hall.

Chapel Allerton 31 Chapel Allerton is less than 5 miles from Axbridge and Wedmore, and forms part of a cluster of settlements with neighbouring Stone Allerton, West Soughton, and Weare. The first school is located in Weare, approximately 2 miles away, and the middle school approximately 5 miles away at Blackford. In terms of key services and facilities, it has its own village hall, and public house.

Catcott 30 Catcott is situated close to the A39, and forms part of a cluster of settlements along the polden ridge, with Edington and Chilton Polden. In terms of its own key services and facilities, it has a primary school, and public house.

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Ragley/Mudgley 30 Ragley/Mudgley are closely located to the neighbouring tier two settlement of Wedmore, and are reliant on the key services and facilities of this settlement. In terms of key services and facilities it has only its own village hall.

Shapwick 29 Shapwick is located less than five miles from the town of Street. It is less than 2 miles to the neighbouring settlement of Ashcott which has a range of key facilities including a convenience shop, post office, pre-school, primary school and public house. In terms of its own key services, and facilities, it has only a village hall.

Chedzoy 28 Chedzoy is located less than 5 miles from Bridgwater, and borders the parish of . In terms of key facilities it has its own pre- school and village hall. It falls within the catchment area of Kingsmoor Primary School, in and forms part of a cluster of settlements with the large settlement of Westonzoyland.

Compton Bishop 27 Compton Bishop lies less than 5 miles from the tier one settlement of Axbridge which provides a number of its key services and facilities. In terms of its own key services and facilities, it has its own public house and village hall.

Edithmead 27 Edithmead is well located, near to junction 22 of the M5, and the A38. It is less than 3 miles from the tier one settlement of Burnham on Sea and forms a cluster of settlements with neighbouring Watchfield. That being said, it is the first of the settlements assessed that has none of the key services and facilities (village hall, pre-school, primary school, public house, convenience shop)

Watchfield 27 Watchfield forms part of a cluster of settlements with neighbouring Edithmead, but has its own Village Hall, Public House. It is further from the junction with the M5 and A38than Edithmead, but remains less than 5 miles from the tier one settlement of Burnham on Sea. It is also situated close to the tier three settlements of Mark, and East Huntspill, both of which have a range of key services and facilities.

Enmore 25 Enmore is situated less than 5 miles from both Bridgwater and North Petherton, close to the Quantock Hills. In terms of key services and facilities it has its own primary school, and village hall.

Over Stowey 25 Over Stowey forms part of a cluster of settlements with neighbouring Nether Stowey. It is situated to the west of the district, at the foot of the Quantock Hills. In terms of the key services and facilities, it has only a village hall and is largely reliant on its neighbouring tier two settlement of Nether Stowey for services and facilities.

Bawdrip 23 Bawdrip is situated less than 5 miles from the town of Bridgwater, just off of the A39. In terms of key services and facilities, it has its own primary

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school and village hall.

Badgworth 23 Badgworth forms part of a cluster of settlements with Biddisham and Tarnock. In terms of its own key services and facilities, it has only a pre- school, and village hall. It is located close to the A38, and is approximately 3 miles from the tier two settlement of Axbridge and approximately 5 miles from the tier one settlement of Cheddar.

Lyng 22 Lyng is located less than 5 miles from Taunton along the A361. In terms of key services and facilities, it has its own village Hall and public house but would otherwise be largely reliant on the services and facilities Taunton offers. It falls within the school catchment for North Curry primary school.

Moorlinch 22 Moorlinch is located between the A39 and A361, approximately 5 miles from Street. In terms of key services and facilities, it has only a public house. Moorlinch falls within the catchment area for Ashcott Primary School.

Chilton Polden 21 Chilton Polden is one of the cluster of settlements along the Polden Ridge, along with Edington and Catcott. In terms of the key services and facilities outlined in this report, it has only a village hall and public house, and is otherwise reliant on the neighbouring settlements of Catcott and Edington, for convenience shop, primary school. The nearest pre-school is located less than 2 miles away in Cossington.

Biddisham 20 Biddisham is located close to the A38, and forms part of a cluster of settlements with Tarnock, and Badgworth. It is located within 5 miles from the tier two settlement of Axbridge, and approximately 6 miles from the tier one settlement of Cheddar. In terms of key servces and facilities, it has only a village hall. Biddisham falls within the catchment for Weare first school, and Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School.

Goathurst 19 Goathurst is situated less than 3 miles from the tier one settlement of North Petherton, and less than 5 miles from Bridgwater. In terms of key facilities, it has its own pre-school, falls within the catchment area for Enmore primary school. Goathurst also has its own village hall.

Stawell 18 Stawell is approximately 5 miles east of Bridgwater, just south of the A39. It forms part of a cluster of settlements with neighbouring Sutton Mallett, and falls within the catchment area for Catcott primary. In terms of its own key services and facilities, it has only its own village hall.

Stockland Bristol 18 Stockland Bristol has none of the key services and facilities identified (village hall, pre-school primary school, convenience shop, post office). However, it is located less than 2 miles from the neighbouring settlement of Otterhampton which has a primary school, village hall, convenience shop, and public house. It is located less than 4 miles from the tier 2 settlement of Cannington which has a good range of services and

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facilities.

Thurloxton 18 Thurloxton is well connected, situated just off of the A38, less than 3 miles from the tier one settlement of North Petherton, approximately 5 miles from Bridgwater and 6 miles from Taunton. In terms of its own key services and facilities, it has only its own village hall and public house. Thurloxton falls within the catchment area of Creech St Michael Primary School.

North Newton 18 North Newton is situated less than 2 miles from the tier one settlement of North Petherton and approximately 5 miles from Bridgwater. In terms of its own key services and facilities, it has its own Primary School, public house, and village hall.

Rooksbridge 18 Rooksbridge has its own convenience shop, post office, and public house and falls within the catchment for East Brent Church of England first school, and Hugh Sexey Middle School. It is well connected by the A38, and is located less than 5 miles from the tier two settlement of Axbridge, and approximately 5 miles from the tier one settlement of Burnham on Sea.

Durleigh 17 Durleigh is situated less than 3 miles outside of Bridgwater and falls within the cluster of Quantock villages. It has no key services/facilities of its own and is largely dependent on Bridgwater for the provision of all services and facilities. It falls within the catchment area for St Mary’s Primary School in Bridgwater.

Burtle 14 Burtle is situated approximately 8 miles from , and a similar distance from Burnham on Sea. It is not particularly well connected in terms of the main A roads in the district, the nearest being the A39, which is approximately 3 miles away. It falls within the catchment area for Catcott Primary School. In terms of its own key services and facilities, it has only a village hall.

Greinton 13 Greinton is located less than 5 miles from Street, along the A361. It falls within the catchment for Ashcott Primary School. The larger settlement of Ashcott approximately 2.5 miles away which provide the key facilities of pre-school, primary school, convenience shop, post office, village hall and public house. Greinton itself has none of the key services/facilities mentioned above.

Steart 13 The village of Steart is located approximately 9 miles from Bridgwater, on the Steart peninsula. It is most closely related to the settlement of Stockland Bristol, and is reliant on the facilities and services provided in nearby Otterhampton (primary school convenience shop, post office, village hall, and public house.

Tarnock 13 Tarnock has its own pre-school, but would be reliant on neighbouring Weare for other services and facilities such as the first school, convenience shop, village hall and public house. It forms part of a cluster

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of smaller settlements along with Biddisham and Rooksbridge. It is well served by the A38, and is less than 5 miles from the tier two settlement, Axbridge and approximately 5 miles from the tier one settlement of Burnham on Sea.

Sutton Mallet 11 Sutton Mallet is located approximately 6 miles from Bridgwater, and forms part of a cluster of settlements with neighbouring Stawell. It has none of the key services/facilities identified by this report.

Broomfield 10 In terms of key services/facilities, Broomfield has its own village hall, but would otherwise be dependent on North Petherton, or Taunton both of which are approximately 5 miles away. Broomfield is located within the Quantock Hills AONB.

Fiddington 8 Fiddington is situated to the west of the district, approximately 3 miles from the tier two settlement of Nether Stowey. Fiddington itself has no key services/facilities with the exception of its own village hall and would be largely reliant on neighbouring Nether Stowey which has its own pre- school, primary school, convenience shop, post office, public house, health centre and library.

This results in a total of 64 identified settlements, with the following breakdown in terms of tiers:

- Tier 1: 5

- Tier 2: 8

- Tier 3: 16

- Tier 4: 15

- Tier 5: 20

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Mapping

When considering the settlements further and certainly moving forward to look at their potential to grow and develop it is useful to have an understanding of the distribution of the population for Sedgemoor. The map below shows the population of Sedgemoor per electoral wards with grey shading; the darker the shading, the greater the population.

From here the next step is to establish the location of the various settlements in comparison to this population distribution. This is presented in the following series of maps.

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The map below shows the settlements that have been assessed alongside the map of the population as above. The Tier One settlements are labelled for ease of reference. We can see that as expected, in broad terms, the key tier 1 settlements are located in areas where there is a greater population.

The following map shows Tier One and Two settlements labelled. The tier two settlements are more widely dispersed, and their locations do not fall “in line” with the population density. As such we are identifying settlements that have a good range of services and facilities, but are not necessarily densely populated. It is not for this report to consider further whether these could be identified as areas of growth or whether there are other factors restricting their growth/sustainability. In more rural locations, they may act as hubs for the rural smaller villages/hamlets around them.

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Just our Tier Three settlements are shown by the light blue in the following map. There are a total of 16 settlements in this tier. They are well distributed throughout the district. There is evidence of clustering within this tier, particularly along the Polden ridge, where Edington has a wealth of services and facilities supporting its neighbouring smaller settlements, and similarly with East Brent with its neighbouring settlement of Rooksbridge.

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Tier Four settlements are shown in green in the following map. There are a total of 16 settlements within this tier, a number of which are well located in terms of their proximity to larger neighbouring settlements. These factors will greatly influence their sustainability.

And finally, Tier Five settlements are shown labelled in the map below. There are 20 settlements that have been assessed but due to a lack of services and facilities, fall into Tier 5 of our settlements hierarchy. Tier five settlements have few services and facilities, although many are recognisable as distinct settlements rather than open countryside.

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Next steps

This report has sought to not only provide an assessment of our districts settlements based on the services and facilities available, but to also consider each settlements role and function within our district, looking at clustering, the location of the identified key services etc.

This evidence alone is not sufficient to determine the appropriate distribution of growth, and it is likely that moving forward, and considering additional factors, such as flood risk, infrastructure, and land availability, adjustments to the tiering will be required.

The report therefore acts as a platform for this further consideration and assessment to take place. It will be for the Local Plan Review to now consider the findings of this report as part of an evidence base, taking into account additional factors such as those mentioned above.

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Appendices - Final Matrix

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