EAST MEON PARISH PLAN
Index Page Plan Overview 2 1 - Environment 4 2 - Housing 5 3 - Public Transport 7 4 - Traffic and Roads 7 5 - Employment 7 6 - River Meon 8 7 - Policing 9 8 - Healthcare 9 9 - Communications 10 10 - Village Shop 11 11 - Tourism and Visitors 11 12 - Organizations / Recreation / Church 12
EAST MEON PARISH PLAN Version 1 dated: 15/01/2013 Approved by: Alan Redpath – Chairman, East Meon Parish Council Submitted to EHDC: XX/XX/XXXX
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Plan Overview
East Meon had already developed a parish plan in 2005, but with EHDC now developing the ‘Local Plan’ and the SDNP now a reality, it was important that the Parish had a current and credible plan that still reflected the views of the whole community and was aligned to the future. This would also provide a basis for the parish to more meaningful engage and work constructively with these bodies and other service providers.
We also had to be realistic in managing expectations – the plan had to take account of available resource, including budgets and other limitations, especially when compared to the facilities of larger towns. To be effective in engaging the mainstream providers like local authorities and the SDNP, the updated plan also needed to be aligned with their wider goals.
Reviewing the 2005 plan, we had seen achievements in areas such as traffic calming, signage, recreation, a Youth Club, retention of the post office, new housing allocated to local people, and more protection of the environment including the refusal of some contentious planning applications. Conversely, there were also some on the more aspirational side that upon subsequent investigation could not be realised.
The 2013 Parish Plan sets out how East Meon Parish and its Community sees itself developing over the next ten or more years. The objective is to guide and influence the future of the Parish, to preserve and enhance the character and distinctiveness of the natural and built environments – and to improve it as a community where most residents are very satisfied to live.
We used a variety of consultation methods to engage with the wider community (questionnaires to every household, parish magazine and web site including online feedback) followed by an open day to get further views from all residents. Once these were known, we went back to the community to identify the areas of most importance, the actions that could be taken and who should be involved to ensure their successful outcome. The draft final plan was published on the parish web site (www.eastmeon.net) and subsequently unanimously endorsed at the annual Parish Assembly.
Not surprisingly, most of the areas (plus a few new ones) identified by residents as important in the 2005 plan were still very relevant today. It’s a combination of what parish characteristics residents highly value, their concerns and their needs.
Areas identified as Most Important
Natural and built environment: it is important that the natural beauty, views and character of the village are preserved. Housing : any future development should not alter the character of the village and should aim to provide a mix of downsizing and affordable housing whilst retaining the current balanced community. River Meon: the lack of flow and the overall management of the river and its environment are of concern. Village Hall: a vital and well used centre of community life and activities. Transport: very limited bus services and a significant number of non-car owners
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Traffic and Roads: maintenance, narrow streets & rural roads create hazards for traffic and pedestrians - more traffic calming measures are needed. Employment: opportunities limited by frequency & timing of transport services. Healthcare: West Meon Surgery and the mobile dental clinic are highly valued. Policing: the retention of a police officer (at least resident within the parish is very important). Village Shop and Post Office: these are key village amenities. Pre-school: the village pre-school is highly valued by working parents Leisure/Recreation: individual (non team) recreational opportunities are limited for village youth. Communications: Current broadband speeds are too slow, especially for home workers.
Parish Profile
Topography, Physical & Social Structures
The historic Parish of East Meon is located six miles to the west of Petersfield, lying within the South Downs National Park and the local authority of East Hampshire District Council. The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) is the organisation responsible for promoting the purposes of the National Park and the interests of the people who live and work within it. Being an area of outstanding natural beauty and protected countryside that everyone can visit and enjoy, the parish is conscious of the socio-economic responsibilities, which include conserving and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area.
The village of East Meon nestles in a wide valley bounded on its southern and eastern sides by the South Downs, to the north by Park Hill and to the west by Henwood Down. Most of the views of the village, its surrounding hamlets and farm land are harmonious – a pleasing and dramatic balance between the Downs, fields, hedges, woods and trees supporting a wide range of natural habitats, wild life and flora.
The River Meon gives the village its name and much of its character, rising from its source in South Farm, a mile to the south of the village, winding down the valley and through the village on into the Meon Valley.
Apart from the grade one listed 11th Century Church and its glorious steeple, no other building dominates the landscape which also largely defines the village, much of which is a Conservation Area and was designated the country’s Doomsday Village in 1986.
The buildings offer a rich mix of history and function. There are approximately 480 dwellings with some 1277 people, and the parish has the highest proportion of social housing (23%) of any parish within East Hampshire – providing a healthy and integrated socio-economic mix.
This population supports a parish church, a village shop/sub post office, two pubs, a primary school, village hall and a wide range of active clubs and societies.
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There is wide age range of population from 13% aged under 10 years, to 23% aged 65 years or over. (Source: 2001 census)
The nine family owned farms dominate the employment scene, providing some 60 jobs. Local small businesses include a shop, building and decorating trades, independent gardeners, home businesses/workers, pubs and B&B houses and a residential care home for severely disabled at Westbury House.
The majority of working people are employed outside the village, commuting to nearby towns and cities, or to London.
Parish Council
There are nine parish councillors, supported by a parish clerk. They meet at least six times a year with agendas and individual contact details published on the parish notice boards and on the village website (www.eastmeon.net) – all meetings are open to the public. Each councillor has an area of responsibility ranging from highways, public footpaths/bridle paths, planning matters, recreation, school, maintenance of parish land/property and allotments. A well attended parish assembly is held every April, which includes an annual parish report and financial accounts. Relevant issues are discussed and any concerns or ideas are also raised by parishioners.
Subject Sections
1 - Environment
The landscape of the Parish of East Meon is comprised of the upper River Meon valley, including its source, and surrounding chalk hills. The majority of the land in the valley is cultivated with a variety of crops, though there are a number of pastures. The chalk hills are a mixture of pastureland and areas of cultivation where the high land is not too steep. There are also significant areas of woodland in the Parish, with some old and ancient trees. The base of the Parish, in the Village, is at a height of 100m (330’) with the highest point at 250m (825’) situated near the top of Butser Hill, which is the highest point in the South Downs. The area is relatively rich in both fauna and flora.
A large shooting and farming estate, Bereleigh, and five farms, Drayton Farm, Duncombe Farm, Hyden Farm, Lower Farm and South Farm, carry out most of the land management in the Parish. The ‘Sustainability Centre’, which is dedicated to a sustainable environment, is also located amongst woodland on the South Downs ridge on the south side of the Parish.
1.1 Issues:
1.1.1 Unrestricted and restricted byways: There are a number of unrestricted and restricted byways in the Parish, which are the responsibility of Hampshire County Council (HCC). The ‘Five Ways’ complex of byways has seen a lot of work carried out by HCC and volunteers in recent years and is much improved. A number of other unrestricted byways are in a poor state and
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very difficult to traverse on foot, pedal bike or horse. The restricted byways also suffer occasionally from ‘trail bikes’ riding at significant speeds.
1.1.2 Narrow roads and sunken lanes: The Parish is characterised by a significant number of narrow roads and sunken lanes. Only the Langrish/West Meon and East Meon/Clanfield roads along with the A272 on the northern Parish boundary can be characterised as two lane roads. Due to the continuing size and power increase of farm machinery the edges and banks of these roads and lanes are starting to be significantly damaged. Farming contractors with very large machinery and a need to speedily carry out their work for efficiency and financial reasons are a particular issue.
1.1.3 Litter: The Parish Council employs a part-time person to clear litter in the main body of the Village, however a number of roads through the Parish, plus some lay-bys, suffer from excessive littering. The main source of this litter appears to be takeaway food wrappings from the BP Service Station and the MacDonald’s restaurant situated at the junction of the A272 and A3 roads.
1.2 Actions and Recommendations:
1.2.1 Unrestricted and restricted byways: Continue to lobby Hampshire County Council re the maintenance of these byways Where applicable lobby Hampshire County Council to further restrict the byways that are being subject to serious damage by motor vehicles Work with the South Downs National Park Rangers to encourage local volunteer groups to help maintain these byways
1.2.2 Litter: Place litter bins in the strategic laybys where littering is occurring. Work with the SDNP, and particularly MacDonalds and the BP Service Station situated on the A3/A272 junction, to place signs to deter littering the countryside.
2 - Housing
The main village of East Meon has a mixture of old and historic properties mixed with newer 20th and 21st century properties. These newer properties are a mixture of private and social housing in a variety of designs, not all entirely sympathetic to the overall ethos of this ancient village. The core old parts of the Village are included in a conservation area, as is the adjacent settlement of Frogmore. Frogmore is separated from the main village by a narrow green belt.
Outside the main village there are a number of areas of settlement at Leydene, Coombe, Oxenbourne and Drayton. Of these Leydene is the most significant, with a modern housing estate built around Leydene Park house. This estate is soon to be enlarged with a new development of 20 sizable private houses to be built on the recently demolished remnant of the HMS Mercury site. There are also a number of other properties including farms and large country houses scattered throughout the Parish.
2.1 Issues:
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2.1.1 Future Development –Infil: In the main body of the Village there are only a few possible fill-in building plots that do not encroach on the agricultural land surrounding the Village. This greenbelt land is part of the rural character and charm of the Village in its current compact form. To allow significant further development could potentially change both the character of the Village and Parish.
2.1.2 Future Development – Smaller properties: There have been suggestions that there is a need for smaller houses (one or two bedroom properties) in the village so as people get older they can downsize. However there are a significant number of smaller properties in the Village (terrace houses, bungalows, alms houses, social housing etc.). It may be possible to allow courtyard type developments in redundant farm buildings to meet this need.
2.1.3 Future Development –Drainage: Any future developments housing developments within the main village settlement area must take into account any locally problematic issues of land and surface drainage.
2.1.4 Future Development – Countryside: Outside of the main body of the Village there is very little scope for any significant housing developments, as this would degrade the nature of the landscape and would be against the South Downs National Park founding aim to ‘Conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage’ as detailed in its Aims and Purposes. This does not preclude all future developments, but it puts a very high bar on need, scale, design and location.
2.1.5 Social Housing: There have been suggestions that the Village needs more social housing to meet the needs of the children of families living in the existing social housing within the Village. The Village currently has one the highest percentages of social housing to private housing in Hampshire. One of the key issues is that a great amount of the social housing is controlled by Drum Housing, which looks on this stock as part of its wider remit and does not really take any cognisance of specific Village/Parish need. There are a few houses that are specifically reserved for local need under the Section 106 designation. Currently most people who work directly in the Village/Parish are housed with the Village/Parish.
2.1.6 Housing Design: In the past there have been a number of properties that have been built with unsympathetic design and scale and inappropriate materials in relation to the historical nature and look of the Village.
2.2 Actions and Recommendations:
2.2.1 Develop a Neighbourhood Plan for the main Village Settlement area, this will address the issues listed below. This will result in an agreed statutory policy that has been developed in consultation with all the Villagers.
A housing development plan
An updated Village Design Statement
Definition of the Village Settlement boundaries
A Local Landscape Character Assessment: Village Character Assessment An updated Conservation Area Character Assessment
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3 - Public Transport
The local bus service has been subject to significant curtailment. Route 17 (Bishops Waltham to Petersfield) now only runs twice a day on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Route 67 (Winchester to Petersfield) now runs every two hours during the week. There are no buses to or from Petersfield after 6.45pm on weekdays and on Saturdays the situation is worse with no buses after 4.30pm. The nearest available Call and Go (a bookable bus service) operates at Clanfield and Horndean. The nearest Dial a Ride (a door-to-door service for anyone who finds it difficult or impossible to use ordinary bus services) is in Petersfield. From Petersfield there are bus connections to: Chichester, Exton, Liss Forest, Portsmouth, Queen Elizabeth Country Park, South Harting, Southampton, Warnford and West Meon
3.1 Issues:
A regular and appropriately timed bus service is important to the village community. Convenient access to Petersfield for school, work, shopping, leisure and onward connections is vital for those without private transport. The lack of evening buses causes even more problems for bored adolescents unable to visit Petersfield.
3.2 Recommendations:
Despite the funding cuts, maintain close links with the Hampshire Association of Parish Councils, East Hampshire District Council and SDNP to ensure a continued and heightened awareness of the above issues – and be alive to alternative solutions.
4 - Traffic and Roads
As with most villages, the layout and width of the roads in the centre of the village was determined before the age of mechanised transport, and the poor state of roads reflect the volume of that light and heavy traffic that grows every year. Modest speed calming measures have been introduced since the last parish plan, including village gating and more intelligent and visible signage.
Given the narrow width of roads, any parking within the village centre is very limited and generally obstructive to other vehicles. A car park with capacity for approximately 30 cars is situated to the west of the village.
4.1 Recommendation
Investigate further modest traffic calming measures at village gateways and outside the school
5 - Employment
There are a number of categories of employment in the Parish:
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Agricultural: Farming, game keeping, plus a few in the equine support service Industry – Pubs, shop, bed & breakfast establishments, holiday cottages, cleaning etc. Self Employed: Many different skills and trades – some commuting, others working from home Commuters: Some locally to Petersfield/Portsmouth/Winchester areas, others as far as London Sustainability Centre: Apart from its own staff, this centre houses a number of businesses related to ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ commerce
5.1 Issues:
5.1.1 Youth Employment: There are a number of Village youths without work. With the mechanisation of farming there are fewer jobs in the agricultural area. These jobs had traditionally been filled by the youth of the Parish.
The jobs that do arise require a high level of skill to manage and operate the machinery. Employers in this area generally expect a good level of education and qualifications from potential applicants.
5.1.2 Public Transport: The recent cuts in bus services to Petersfield & Winchester mean that the earliest service to Petersfield is now 7.57am (09.47am on Saturdays) and the last at 6.47pm. This is a significant factor for some residents being unable to find employment where the work hours are outside of these transport schedules.
5.1.3 Rural Workshops: There are very few rural workshop premises available to support the establishment of new local businesses.
5.2 Actions and Recommendations:
5.2.1 Public transport access is a key issue for the South Downs National Park. The Parish Council will continue to lobby for improved public transport services for the Village.
5.2.2 Where feasible Rural Workshops should be encouraged.
6 - River Meon
The River Meon is a typical chalk stream rising from the main spring and source of the river, located one mile south of the village on South Farm (at 120m above sea level). Defining the village, it runs through its centre and down into the Meon Valley where the flow is further sustained by springs along the valley sides. Throughout its course it is classified as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).This designation informs planners of important sites for nature conservation and landowners are requested to recognise the rivers value to the environment and to manage, preserve and improve the quality.
Also, the river is a perched river, with thin strata of increased impermeability at the level where the middle chalk over-lies the lower chalk. There is a suspicion that this stratum has been punctured. It is proposed to work with the Environment Agency, EA, and the South Downs National Park Authority, SDNPA, support, to investigate the geology and hydrology of the valley and the river, particularly near the springs between the village and both South Farm and
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Oxenbourne. It is too early to say whether there is any prospect of augmenting flow.
The result of the low flow is at times unattractive in its course through the village, being nothing more than an empty canal at times. That said, vegetation has established itself in the stretch by the war memorial, giving an attractive diversity of flow. It is proposed to work with the Wild Trout Trust and the EA to develop a plan for permanent establishment of such vegetation through a greater part of the year.
Up- and down-stream of the village, the river is completely shaded in places. A survey is proposed, followed by a schedule of works to let light into the river. This will have the effect of encouraging aquatic vegetation and, as in the centre of the village, enhancing the depth of the water in the river. Vegetation enables insect life in the river to improve, the insects having food. Insects enable fish and other animals to feed. The work is envisaged to increase bio- diversity in the river, with the objective of achieving a species count as close to that which might be expected in a natural river as possible. Due to the perched nature of the river and its disappearance in West Meon in the low summer flow period, the ability of the river to sustain its life through the year is important.
Scope for enhancement up, and down-stream is being investigated with a view to increased bio-diversity, with more wild flowers, insects (e.g. dragonflies, mayflies, sedges) and fish etc. (e.g. trout, millers thumbs, water rats, frogs, newts, king fishers, grey wagtails, ducks). This is also a major objective of the SDNPA.
6.1 Recommendations
6.1.1 The geology and hydrology of the valley and the river will be studied 6.1.2 The scope for enhancement of the river through village, subject to flood alleviation constraints, will be investigated with a view to making the river more attractive. 6.1.3 Work with associated bodies to have the River Meon designated a protected river throughout the Meon Valley.
7 - Policing
There is a police house with one resident officer in the village, now covering a much wider territory. However continuing police reorganisation and the selling-off of police properties point to this only being retained for a finite time – an issue of some concern within the parish.
7.1 Recommendation
7.1.1 With future sale of the village police house can officers be given preferential weighting for affordable housing in rural communities.
7.1.2 More awareness of Neighbourhood Watch schemes within the parish.
8 - Healthcare
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Although the village does not have its own surgery, there is a thriving practice at the aptly- named Doctors Lane in West Meon. Their large catchment area lies between Petersfield and Winchester – roughly bounded by Petersfield/Beauworth/Cheriton on the A272 and East Tisted/Monkwood / Droxford on the A32. The West Meon surgery operates under a contract with the Hampshire Primary Care Trust. www.westmeon.gpsurgery.net
A mobile dental unit visits the village once a week, conveniently located outside the village hall. It is operated by Iosis and offers both NHS and private treatment. This is a comparatively new service and a very useful addition to the healthcare portfolio. www.iosisclinic.co.uk/practices/hampshire/meon.html
The village Care Group is able to arrange transport to and from the West Meon surgery as well as Portsmouth and Winchester Hospitals. Users of the service are asked to contribute a nominal sum towards the cost of the journey. This service depends entirely on volunteers from within the village and has become an even more indispensable resource following cuts to the local (and irregular) bus services.
9 - Communications
9.1 Communication Methods
9.1.1 Parish Magazine: There is a parish magazine, Meon Matters, which is published bi- monthly, and is distributed to all houses in the Parish. It is run by volunteers and is controlled by an editorial board that represent the community at large. It is financed mostly by advertising revenues, a contribution from The Parochial Church Council, and by a number of residents in the Parish. It reports on Village news and activities, including Parish Council and Church matters, and runs articles on local issues, people and businesses. It features a Village diary, a directory of groups and clubs, and lists telephone numbers of key local institutions.
9.1.2 Village Website: The Village website has transitioned to a new design and management. The Parish Council now own and run the ‘home page’. The homepage is the ‘portal’ and link to the websites of other Village institutions, clubs, societies and businesses. This has decentralised the management and update of the information leading to a much more efficient web organisation for the Village. The Parish Council also publishes their information on pages linked to the ‘homepage’.
9.1.3 Notice Boards: The Parish Council has two notice boards with the Village. They are situated outside of the Village Shop and on the wall in the High Street that is situated near the junction with Church Street. These are regularly kept up to date. Other relevant village information is published on these items. The Church, Garden Club and Cricket Club also have notice boards within the Village.
9.1.4 Rural Broadband: The Village is supplied with broadband with a download speed of approximately 3 to 4 mps, and an upload speed of 0.3 to 0.4 mps. This is satisfactory for simple browsing, Skype and video viewing, however the more advanced uses of broadband need speeds of up to 100 mps.
9.2 Issues:
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9.2.1 Broadband: The Village broadband infrastructure does not allow residents and local businesses to have a similar web and other on line ‘e’ applications experience as towns and cities in the UK. This is a significant drawback with regard to the establishment of small business that might provide employment for local residents.
9.2.2 Broadband Access/Wi-Fi: Not all residents have the skills to use the Internet. It could be possible to set up and run simple courses run by volunteers based in the Village Hall. This would need a broadband point available in the Village Hall. Setting up a broadband Wi-Fi station in the Village Hall could provide this. This would then be available for other Village Hall users as required.
9.3 Actions and Recommendations:
9.3.1 Broadband: Hampshire County Council has commenced a project to bring fast broadband to rural villages. East Meon Parish Council will monitor and support this project
10 - Village Shop and Post Office
In addition to the Postal Office services, East Meon Stores offers a range of chilled foods and grocery basics, a prescription service, a dry cleaning service, a community notice board, sale of tickets for village events and, more recently, light refreshments. It is a vital resource and a social hub as well as being a key amenity, particularly for the elderly and families who rely upon a much reduced bus service to visit the larger shopping facilities of Petersfield.
11 - Tourism and Visitors
11.1 Attractions There are a number of draws for tourists and visitors to the Village:
11.1.1 The Village is situated in the heart of the western section of the South Downs National Park. The extremely well-used South Downs Way long distance footpath runs for a significant distance through the Parish. There are also many other footpaths, bridleways and byways in the Parish that attract, walkers, horse and pedal bike riders. The Upper Meon Valley encompasses renowned and picturesque landscapes. The Village has a number of important houses and properties and is laid out in a compact and charming way
11.1.2 All Saints’ Church is a very important historical and architectural building, with a number of significant features internally and externally
11.1.3 There are two dining pubs, Ye Olde George and Isaac Walton, that service visitors as well as local residents
11.1.4 The Sustainability Centre, situated at Leydene, is a significant local tourist/educational attraction as well as a natural burial centre, although limited in its future scalability.
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11.1.5 Accommodation There are also a number of holiday cottages, bed and breakfast businesses and even opportunities for seasonal Yurts and Glamping experiences within the Parish.
11.2 Issues:
11.2.1 Car Parking – Within the Village: With narrow roads, kerbside parking is extremely limited within the village. The Village car park, which is the only public car park, is managed by EHDC and not in the best of condition and is not laid out to facilitate parking to maximise the space available for visitors.
11.2.2 Car Parking – Outside the Village: On busy holiday periods car parking space can be overwhelmed, particularly up on the South Downs ridge near the Sustainability Centre.
11.2.3 South Downs National Park (SDNP) Tourism Policy: Currently the Village has no agreed tourism policy with the SDNP, this may lead to disconnected polices between the Parish Council and the SDNP.
11.3 Recommendations:
11.3.1 Car Parking – Encourage EHDC to maximise layout of current public car park. Liaise with South Downs National Park (SDNP) re Tourism Policy
11.3.2 Explore possible synergies & potential with Sustainability Centre for, parking/toilets/coffee shop.
11.3.3 Links from eastmeon.net to local B&B’s , village shop and pubs/restaurants.
12 - Organisations/Recreation/Church
12.1 Organisations
East Meon is fortunate to have many voluntary clubs, organisations and facilities, some of which are listed below:
Village Hall Primary school Pre School Parent/toddler Group All Saints C of E Church Cricket Club Gardening Club Sewing Group History Society Investment Club Greening East Meon Care Group Karate and fitness groups
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12.1.1 Village Hall
Many community activities depend upon the Hall as their venue. The Village Hall is run by a committee of volunteers and relies solely upon fund raising activities and hiring to meet its considerable running costs. The land and building are owned by the charity, East Meon Village Hall, which is managed by a committee of trustees, comprising elected members, representatives of user groups and one ex officio trustee who is the incumbent vicar of East Meon. http://www.eastmeonvillagehall.org/
The committee is charged with the day-to-day running the on-going m as well as the maintenance and improvement of the Hall. It does not receive any government funding and is financed by rental fees and the annual May Fair. Fees are kept as low as finances permit for users in the village and are slightly higher for non-villagers and commercial users. Its location in the heart of the village is central to its role as an important village institution.
The Hall is used by the East Meon School on a regular basis, by the church, and during the week by a variety of groups ranging from Pre-school, Kiddie Koncerts and yoga, monthly film nights to knitters, table tennis, Scouts and more. It is a popular venue for weddings, parties for children, adults and seniors, regular film nights, as well as the occasional Village Variety Show.
The committee is seeking to increase the rental use of the Hall and is therefore examining ways in which the Hall could be made more useful and attractive, both by the facilities offered and the exterior appearance of the Hall, and in future, exploring possible development of the building. Improved facilities might include upgrading the suitability of the Hall for film and theatre through sound systems, lights, etc. Consideration is being given to exterior cladding, which would allow further insulation to be installed to reduce heating costs, and make the Hall more attractive as a setting for celebrations and entertainment. All improvements would be to further the aim of broadening the appeal of the village hall to users from as wide a range as possible, including clubs, activities and the performing arts.
12.1.2 East Meon (Church of England) Controlled Primary School
The school moved to the current site in 1964 and in 1994 it was significantly improved by the addition of a library, entrance reception and office facility. There are currently 93 pupils on roll and there is a waiting list for places in Key Stage 1. Pupils are currently organised within 4 classes:-Oak: Reception; Willow: years 1 and 2; Holly: years 3 and 4 and Hazel: years 5 and 6. East Meon Primary Church of England Primary School did well at the last OFSTED inspection, being judged Good in both overall effectiveness and the capacity for sustained improvement. OFSTED reported that the school provides a good standard of education due to determined leadership, shared ambition and the clear developmental aims held.
There is a pre-school ( located in the Village Hall) which takes children from 2 years old and close liaison and some shared activities enables a smooth transition into the main school. www.eastmeon.web6.devwebsite.co.uk
12.1.3 Sunny Smiles Pre School Plus Located in the Village Hall and open from 8am -6pm Monday to Friday throughout the year, only closing for a week at Christmas and on bank holiday, offering full time and term time places and can offer funded places for 3 /4 year olds. Sunny Smiles also offers breakfast club, after school care and holiday club for primary age children. At 11 years children transfer to a range of schools including Perrins and The Petersfield School. www.sunnysmilespp.co.uk
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12.1.4 Parent/Toddler Group This group gets together at the Village Hall once a week. It is an important asset not only in providing care and entertainment but also in establishing contact and communication for young parents across socio-economic boundaries
12.2 Recreation
12.2.1 Playgrounds There are two in East Meon, one behind the Village Hall and a new one on the Recreation Field by the cricket pitch
12.2.2 Youth Activities & Recreational Facilities Young people in villages lack facilities for entertainment such as cinemas, discos, coffee bars or shopping centres. The young people of East Meon have none of these and public transport is poor with none at all in the evenings when they are at leisure. Boredom is inevitable. There are relatively few young people in the Parish at any one time – insufficient to create a critical mass to make organised activities viable, and few volunteers willing to give their time to help. In recent decades, youth clubs have come and gone in East Meon, always dependent on the voluntary effort of an individual with the talent and energy to muster young people and organise activities. At present there isn’t one.
12.2.3 Outdoor leisure facilities The multisport court, soccer pitch, and pavilion, built from the planning gain from The Green development, offer excellent recreational facilities for outdoor sport which, when combined with the cricket ground (traditionally known as the Recreation Ground, and governed by a Trust of Parish Councillors) provide East Meon with excellent outdoor leisure facilities.
There are several well supported sporting activities in East Meon – the most popular being cricket and tennis. The East Meon soccer team folded from lack of critical mass within the village and was notable for the high percentage of players from outside the parish; organised five-a-side soccer is rarely played in the multisport court while the tennis court is much better used. A partnership initiative with Clanfield F.C. is currently underway with the hope that more young people in the 7-16yr age group will be encouraged to get involved in the teams
12.3 All Saints’ Church
The grade one listed 11th Century Anglican Parish Church and its glorious steeple, dominates the landscape and also largely defines the village The nave and tower date from approximately 1150, as does the very fine Tournai baptismal font. A large village tapestry, giving a snapshot of life at the turn of the millennium is also on display.
The ten-bell chime is manned by an active group of bell ringers, while campanologists from far and wide come to ring their changes.
The church also receives a considerable number of visitors. The extensive churchyard is still open for burials, and every attempt is made to preserve its character as a country churchyard, and as a natural habitat.
Some minor adaptations have been made to the building to make it easier for disabled people to access. The long-term financial management of the building is a concern, as the active congregation, on whom the responsibility for maintenance currently falls, would be challenged to fund major repairs for such an important building.