COMMUNITY PLAN FOR CHORLEYWOOD 1. Executive Summary 2. What is a Community Plan? 3. A Brief History of Chorleywood 4. Chorleywood Today 5. Action Points: • Village Life • Open Spaces • Planning • Leisure • Health • Schools and Education • Ýõä ĦæäñçÝõäñöóòõ÷ • Crime and Security 6. Ûèöóòñçèñ÷ÙõòĤïè 7. Community Plan Committee 8. Contact Details The foundations of this Community Plan are the responses from residents of Chorleywood to a questionnaire circulated to every household in the Parish. A Committee comprising representatives of the main community organisations within Chorleywood has analysed these responses and compiled this report. The main issues and concerns highlighted by residents are: • Protection of our open spaces and green environment • Lack of adequate parking facilities in the shopping area • Lack of diversity of shops and businesses in the village • Üóèèçìñê÷õäĦæòñïòæäïõòäçö • Öäìñ÷äìñìñêèģèæ÷ìùèóïäññìñêæòñ÷õòïöæòñöìçèõìñê the local demographics. • Senior school admissions policies Ýëìöçòæøðèñ÷öè÷öòø÷öóèæìĤæ÷òóìæö÷òåèìñùèö÷ìêä÷èçäñç allocates them to local organisations who have agreed to accept responsibility for follow-through. A Community Plan is a document setting out achievable aims and visions for the future of a community, based upon the views of its residents gathered through survey, research and community participation. The Localism Act 2011 gave communities a greater say in the development of their area. In October 2013, the Parish Council decided to use the powers of the Localism Act along with wider-reaching aims and objectives covering other aspects of community life, to produce a Community Plan and Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) for Chorleywood. A Steering Group, led by the Parish Council, was formed from a large number of community-interest groups. The Steering Group drew up a questionnaire based on matters of interest and concern to local people and this was distributed to every household within the Parish. The results of this questionnaire have been analysed and used as the basis for the actions and policies contained within this Community Plan. The Groups involved have adopted the actions and policies, and will report progress to Residents via respective websites and newsletters. (For further details of the NDP, please turn to the Planning section). àëìïö÷÷ëèÙäõìöëÌòøñæìïĤõö÷óõòðò÷èç÷ëèìçèäòéä Community Plan, it is the views of Chorleywood residents, under the independent Stewardship of the Steering Group, which have been used to compile this report. The name Chorleywood is derived from two Saxon words, Ýëèëèçêèõòúöóõèöèñ÷ìñÜëìõèÕäñèäñçÑòðèĤèïçÛòäç Cerola Leah, meaning a clearing or meadow in the forest, today once marked the boundary between the ancient giving an indication perhaps of the existence of a kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. Common even at that time. By 1278 the settlement had Chorleywood remained small during medieval times and adopted a Norman name of Bosco de Cherle (Peasant’s even as late as 1700 the population comprised only about Wood), becoming Charlewoode by 1524. This evolved over 40 tenant farmers. The Manor remained in the hands of time into Charleywood and then Chorley Wood which was the Monastery of St. Albans until the Dissolution, when it used until the current spelling was adopted by the Urban passed to the Bishopric of London. Queen Elizabeth 1 District Council in 1913. subsequently reclaimed it for the Crown. Suggestions of human occupation have been found in During the intervening years, Chorleywood remained a Chorleywood dating to Palaeolithic and Neolithic times, small settlement, with a population in the 1860s of about äñç÷ëèõèìöçèĤñì÷èèùìçèñæèòéÛòðäñäæ÷ìùì÷üìñ÷ëè a thousand people spread across 200 households. äõèäÑòúèùèõ÷ëèĤõö÷ðäìñöè÷÷ïèõöúèõèÜäûòñöøöìñê After the Metropolitan Railway was extended to the Chess Valley as the centre of their community. During Chorleywood and beyond in the late 1890s, the village the Saxon period Chorleywood formed part of the Manor grew steadily into the thriving community of more than of Prichemareswarde (an early form of Rickmansworth), 13,000 residents it is today. úëìæëúäöêìùèñ÷ò÷ëèÖòñäö÷èõüòéÜ÷ÊïåäñöåüØģä King of Mercia, over the seal of Edward the Confessor. With a population today of around 13,0001 people in 4,4852 households, the Parish of Chorleywood covers 3.48 square miles in the south-west corner of Hertfordshire, bordering Buckinghamshire. It was administered as an Urban District Council until the end of March 1974 when the Three Rivers District Council was formed. Chorleywood’s direct administration passed to the newly-formed Parish Council operating within the same boundaries. The Parish was extended following a boundary change in 1996 to incorporate the Chenies Estate and later the Quickwood Ward. Chorleywood is generally considered to be a happy place to live äñç÷ëèðäíòõì÷üòéõèöóòñçèñ÷öéèèï÷ëä÷óèòóïèòéçìģèõèñ÷ backgrounds get on well together. The overall level of employment is nearly the same as the national average, but Chorleywood has almost double the number of self-employed people and double the number of people working from home than national equivalents. The residents of Chorleywood are highly educated relative to the rest of the UK. The percentage of adults aged over 16 with no ôøäïìĤæä÷ìòñöìöäóóõòûìðä÷èïüëäïé÷ëä÷òé÷ëèÎñêïìöëäùèõäêèäñç at the other end of the scale, there are almost double the numbers of residents educated to degree standard or above. 3RSXODWLRQ3URƪOH 100% 90% 80% 70% 65+ 60% 45-64 50% 25-44 40% 18-24 0-17 30% 20% 10% 0% Chorleywood Hertfordshire England 1. UK Census 2011 2. TRDC Electoral Register & Community Charge Register What you told us in the questionnaire • Two thirds of respondents think the most positive Village Life enhancement to Chorleywood village would be We wanted to know what features residents admired ĥòúèõ÷õòøêëöäñçåèçöúì÷ëëäïéöøóóòõ÷ìñê÷ëè about Chorleywood village, and what could be done to addition of street-side trees. improve the environment. • Half wish to see less litter in the village and even more would like to see the removal of unnecessary signage and street furniture. • Almost everyone considers the Library and the Post ØĦæè÷òåèìðóòõ÷äñ÷÷ò÷ëèæòððøñì÷üäñçðòõè than two thirds consider a public toilet to be an Preferred Improvements for the Village important amenity. Flower troughs/beds Removal of unnecessary signage Litter removal Importance of Public Services 100 Streetside trees 80 60 Improved mobile/wiĤ signal 40 Grass verges left to grow % of responses 20 0 10203040506070 0 % responses Library Post OĦce Public toilet (multiple selection possible) Very important Somewhat important Somewhat unimportant Very unimportant No opinion Chorleywood in Bloom Street signage We will continue to improve and build upon the Chorleywood Residents’ Association will carry out a survey of Chorleywood in Bloom (CiB) project which has been road signage, and TRDC and Herts Highways will be lobbied conceived and implemented by members of the for the removal of redundant signage or street furniture. Chorleywood Residents’ Association (CRA), the Horticultural Society and the Parish Council. Communication This project has introduced planters and hanging baskets Local and community events will be advertised on the new to the village centre and CiB has been working with village noticeboard located in the Parade (funded jointly by volunteers in shops and businesses to maintain and water the Parish Council & Chorleywood Residents’ Association), ÷ëèĥòúèõöÝëèÙäõìöëÌòøñæìïäñçÑèõ÷öÌòøñ÷üÌòøñæìï and on the Parish Council’s and Residents’ Association’s (Herts CC) have committed to annual funding to support websites and social media feeds. this successful project, as will CRA if funds are available. CiB volunteers will be encouraged to provide planters and ÕìåõäõüäñçÙòö÷ØĦæè baskets at additional sites in the Parish, and to plant for The community will be encouraged, through local media, the Autumn and Spring seasons. to support the Chorleywood Library Volunteers initiative. In response to the questionnaire results, CRA will assess Òñ÷ëèèùèñ÷÷ëä÷÷ëèÙòö÷ØĦæèòõÕìåõäõüìö÷ëõèä÷èñèç whether street-side trees would enhance the village and with closure, the Parish Council, along with other lobby Herts CC Highways to provide them if appropriate. interested parties, will take steps to ensure these assets are protected. Litter Public toilets The Residents’ Association will undertake an audit to see where litter occurs, and will lobby Three Rivers District The availability of public toilet facilities in the Library is not Council (TRDC) for additional bins as required. The weekly widely known and should be more actively promoted. Barrow Beat litter collection funded by Three Rivers Opening hours and directions will be publicised by the District Council (TRDC) must be retained. Parish Council on the village noticeboard in The Parade. For many, Chorleywood is characterised by its large and centrally located Common. Wholly owned by the Parish Council and occupying an area of approximately 80 hectares (200 acres), the Common is a County Heritage Site with Local Nature Reserve status. Chorleywood Common is widely considered to be one of the most important wildlife sites in Hertfordshire, combining acid heathland, neutral grassland and chalk meadow on a single site, together with a series of ponds supporting rare plants and amphibians, and secondary woodland. Some 70 plant species, ìñæïøçìñêòõæëìçö% îìñçöòéåìõçöäñçäïðòö÷# çìģèõèñ÷éøñêì have been recorded on the Common, in addition to many types