THE DAMERHAM PARISH PLAN 1. INTRODUCTION Why a parish plan? 2. THE PLANNING PROCESS What have we achieved? 3. DAMERHAM PARISH PROFILE Where are we now? 4. DAMERHAM PARISH VISION Where do we want to be? 5. DAMERHAM PARISH MAP 6. OBJECTIVES AND ACTION PLANS TO REALISE THIS VISION How do we get there? 7. MEASURING ACHIEVEMENTS How do we ensure the plan is being monitored? APPENDIX 1 - Format: Measuring achievements. APPENDIX 2 - Organisations & Societies - Contact details. 1 1. THE DAMERHAM PARISH PLAN - Most importantly, the plan lists ideas for projects and actions Introduction resulting from responses to the main survey – some of which aim to preserve the peace and rural character of the village, others Dear Reader, designed to improve local services. Welcome to the Damerham plan – YOUR Plan if you are a resident in The children and staff of Western Downland (C of E Aided) Primary the village. This document encapsulates householders’ and local School contributed to the plan with their own survey results, organisations’ views and wishes concerning the future direction of observations and suggested projects, facilitated by our colleagues this community’s development, expressed through a series of from Community Action, Hampshire. There is a separate report from household surveys and extensive consultation. The planning project this splendid piece of work and this has been presented to the has been conducted on behalf of local residents and Damerham Parish Council in its own right. Parish Council by a voluntary Steering Group drawn from residents attending an open meeting in May 2006. Finally, through our district Community Planning Officer, we are consulting with colleagues at New Forest District Council (NFDC), The concept of parish plans is promoted by the Government to give Hampshire County Council (HCC) and other agencies whose support local communities an opportunity to shape their own future, to and expertise is essential to ensure that certain projects do engage with organisations and individuals that can help to make progress. projects come alive and finally to work together to ensure that activities get ‘off the ground’ and outcomes are sustained. The Steering Group particularly thanks all the residents of Damerham who participated in the survey and consultation process – This plan is designed to be a ‘living document’ for at least the next without their magnificent response their plan would have much less decade; the Parish Council is committed to regular review and validity. Please read on and if you want to get involved in any of the reporting on progress. It contains useful information about projects or want further information, there are useful lists of Damerham, its people and buildings, landscape and economy – all organisations and contact details in Appendix 2. carefully researched and edited to make easy reading. Sarah Bealey Phil Tandy There is a description of how the plan was researched and written Chairman, Chairman, and sign-posting to relevant documents should you want to know Damerham Plan Steering Group Damerham Parish Council more of the detail. Results from the main questionnaire are published separately and are available from the Parish Clerk or via Damerham Parish Council’s website www.damerham-pc.gov.uk (details on back page). 2 2. THE PLANNING PROCESS These included: Display stands at village events such as the Village Fair and Working closely with advisers from New Forest District Apple Day. Council, the Plan Steering Group has followed the recommended process from the New Forest Community • A dedicated village e-mail address for views and pages on Planning Guide. In essence this consisted of: the Parish Council’s website. • Production and distribution of a series of flyers, delivered 1) An initial consultation with all residents to gain an by hand to each household in the village as well as a understanding of what they valued in the community, newsletter. what they disliked and also what they would like to see • improved. Attendance at all Parish Council meetings to report on progress. 2) Using the results of the above consultation to guide the • Attendance at meetings of local groups (e.g. Tea & Chat, writing of a comprehensive questionnaire which was Parochial Church Council & the West Park Meadow circulated to all households. Management Committee). • 3) Using the results of the questionnaires (93% of which Meetings with our Community Action facilitator, teaching were returned) to guide the writing of the plan itself. staff at the Western Downland School and neighbouring villages’ Community Planning teams. We knew from the beginning that effective communication • Open Days to share the results of the consultations with was essential to our success, and as a result the Steering residents and a Children and Young People’s disco and Group engaged with the community in as many ways as it could. workshop. Fundamentally, all members of the Steering Group remained neutral when listening to the views being expressed by local people but were hugely committed to ensuring that everyone was given an opportunity to contribute their view to the planning process. 3 3. DAMERHAM PARISH PROFILE 1348/9: The Black Death struck Damerham and resulted in Significant Moments in the History of Damerham the location of the village dwellings moving from around the church to where they are today. Bronze Age: The first known habitation in Damerham was Knoll Hill Fort and the lost village north of Soldier’s Ring. 1762: Sir Eyre Coote built West Park and owned most of the land in Damerham. 965: One of the earliest written references to Damerham. It tells the tale of the beautiful daughter of the Earl of 1863: The Great Fire started at 1 p.m. on May 11th 1863 in a Devonshire, Elfrida, who married Edgar, King of England, in cottage in the current location of Wath Cottage. The fire the year 965. He gave her Dobreham (now Damerham) as a spread quickly from thatch to thatch, claiming 32 houses and wedding gift. Later, the estate was given to Glastonbury 3 farms and resulted in many villagers becoming homeless. Abbey and was mentioned as such in the Domesday Book. In reaction to the suffering, a Fire Relief Fund was set up 1086: The church tower was built on a Saxon site; this was which gave money, clothing, furniture, etc., to the victims of probably preceded by a pagan temple as the church is on an the fire along with the funds to build 2 cottages and 8 ancient ley line which runs across to Old Sarum. The church bungalows (originally called The Barracks, but now named The was a satellite of Glastonbury Abbey and the Tithe Barn at Terrace) to house the homeless people. These cottages have Court Farm was used to collect the wool clip for the Abbey. remained ever since. St. George’s Church The Soldier’s Ring The Allen River The Old Village Hall 4 1895: Damerham moved from Wiltshire into Hampshire, 1947: Pall Mall Estates sold West Park to Lord Radnor. At under an Act of Parliament re-aligning the County boundaries. the same time Tylney Investments bought many houses in the village, thus Damerham ceased to be an estate village. 1911: The first village hall was erected. 1960: The Compasses Inn gained its seven day licence, which 1941: Mains water came to Damerham with the help of split the village. Italian prisoners-of-war. Late 1960’s/early 1970’s: Knoll reservoir was built providing 1941: The Cootes sold West Park to Pall Mall Estates. the village with its own water supply. 1941: A bomb belt (ammunition storage beneath trees) blew 1980: The Western Downland (C. of E. Aided) Primary School up, killing 6 people and causing damage to property at was established following a federating process with the Allenford Farm and Tripps End. Rockbourne and Damerham schools. 1945: The cricket pavilion was built and the land that is now 1996: The new village hall was built following a lottery grant the Sportsfield was given to the village by the Coote family. and major fund-raising. 1946: The first council houses were built. 2005: The new sports pavilion was built. The Village Hall Western Downland School The Compasses Inn The Sports Pavilion 5 The Natural Environment The parish of Damerham is extremely diverse in nature. In the local topography is reflected in the wide variety of flora and north of the parish, chalk downland is in some places topped fauna found within the parish, with more than 200 plant with non calcareous Reading Beds (sands and clays). The Allen species found in the verges alone. River has eroded a shallow valley through the chalk, which is overlooked by prominent knolls and ridges, many of which have beech belts or woodland on the skyline. The valley sides are mainly arable with smaller fields of permanent pasture and small alder, willow and poplar copses along the river valley. Damerham village straddles the river where the valley widens out and the land becomes more undulating. Most of the small meadows along the river were working water meadows with elaborate systems of carriages, weirs and channels, some of which are still visible. One of these meadows within the village is now a community meadow and orchard. Further downstream there are fish farm lakes and old watercress beds. Arable fields dominate the central area of the parish, A large number of footpaths radiate from the village to all although some large mixed woodlands, notably that of parts of the parish. There are two bridleways; one running Boulsbury (part of which is a Site of Special Scientific from Eleven Cross to Tidpit and Martin Down, and the other Interest – SSSI) on the western boundary, stretch up onto links Mill End to Sandleheath.