Cornwood and Lutton Community Plan 2019 Our Community The parish of Cornwood consists of two villages, Cornwood and Lutton, plus several hamlets and estates. Situated in the South Hams, the parish is bisected by the Dartmoor National Park boundary, with Lutton just outside and Cornwood just inside the park. With a current population of around 1100 (from the 2011 census) the villages grew up around agriculture and the nearby mines. The current population is of mixed incomes and a middling to aging demographic. The parish has a school and pre-school, church, pub, shop, post office and village hall, all of which are highly valued. There are many well attended social events scattered through the year including the 10k Run, Flower Festival and Fair in the Square all organised by the church, the Cornwood Show, Christmas Lights illumination along with Big Breakfasts, Orchard events, Coffee Mornings, Luncheon Club and many more excuses to meet up with each other. There are also many thriving clubs and organisations including Bowling, Cricket and Camera clubs, the WI, Brownies and Rainbows. What is a A Community Plan sets out to: Community Plan? • Assess what we value about our Community, • Find areas that can be improved, • Identify how to make the changes, A Community Plan acts as valuable evidence when we approach local authorities to demonstrate the need for improvements. It can be used to initiate changes, from the simple forming of a local interest group, to major changes concerning road traffic and public transport and it provides focus for money raising through grants and donations. Where did this A group of volunteers stepped up to develop a plan for the parish of Cornwood following an introductory talk on Community plan come from? Plans organised by the Parish Council. We named the project FOCAL; short for the Future of Cornwood and Lutton. The team followed a format of gathering thoughts and ideas from local people and organisations then used these to formulate a questionnaire which was distributed to every household in the parish. People from almost 70% of homes completed it, which is an amazing result, and this plan is built on what they told us. Everyone who has contributed with ideas or filled in the questionnaire has helped shape the outcomes, ensuring that this finished work is a representation of the wishes of the whole community. The findings from this plan have already helped to secure the long term future of the Cornwood Inn by providing evidence to get it listed as an Asset of Community Value, to get WiFi installed in the Village Hall and set-up cycling and running groups. About the The plan is divided into sections such as Transport, Outdoor Leisure and Village Environment. Each Community Plan section includes a summary of the questionnaire responses, what we want to achieve, what has been done so far to meet the objectives, and what has to happen next. If you would like to get involved in any of these initiatives, please contact the Parish Clerk Maureen Haynes email: [email protected] or phone 01752 878927 Roads The condition and use of local roads is a key priority. Of particular concern to people are speeding, flooding due to poor drainage, parking and the impact of agricultural vehicles on the roads. State of roads • There were many comments regarding the state of the roads, with concerns about pot-holes, poor drainage and consequent flooding. Speeding • Speeding was a key issue, with the majority of residents having observed vehicles speeding in the villages and around the parish. • 223 responded that speeding traffic made them feel unsafe when driving in the parish, and speeding traffic was highlighted as a concern making other road users less likely to walk, cycle or ride in the parish. • 30 people would like more speed restrictions and 47 people were interested in forming a speed awareness group. • 153 people feel that parking is a problem with poorly parked cars causing concerns for safety. Particular areas mentioned were Yondertown Parking Square and Cornwood Square. • There were specific mentions of parked cars blocking emergency vehicles and parking on pavements forcing pedestrians into the road, particularly in Lutton and Bond Street. • The speed and size of agricultural vehicles were mentioned as concerns, particularly in New Road Lutton, Bond Street and Fore Street Cornwood, Other but also generally in narrow lanes. • The Ivybridge school bus was mentioned as occasionally causing gridlock in the square while picking up and dropping off in the mornings and afternoons. What we want to • An environment where all road users can move around the parish safely. achieve • Well maintained roads including hedges, verges, gullies and pavements. • Careful and considerate driving and parking throughout the parish Action to date • The Parish now has four volunteers for the Devon County Council Road Warden scheme. This allows them to complete basic maintenance tasks: mend potholes (that do not meet the Highways Authority intervention criteria); clear weeds; clean signs; clear drainage; cut grass; repair finger posts; cut hedges and set up road closures for special events. • The Parish Council has engaged with DCC highways to improve signage and to raise awareness of speed limits. Next Steps • Encourage residents to communicate concerns to the Parish Council – develop website tool to facilitate this. • Develop existing links with Highway authorities to find ways to address priority concerns - especially speeding and possible traffic calming measures. • Set up a Speed Awareness group of volunteers. • Promote awareness of DCC online system for reporting potholes and other road problems via the Parish Council website • Work with residents to find solutions to parking concerns. TRANSPORT and HOUSING The vast majority of people in the parish own or have use of a vehicle and drive rather than use public transport. A bus link to Ivybridge was a popular request, particularly among young people, and there was interest in the idea of a car share scheme to reduce volume of traffic and commuting costs. Use of our public • Only 5 people said they use the Plymouth bus daily, 14 use it weekly and 15 monthly. transport links • Those who don’t use the bus say they are happy to drive themselves or don’t use it due to poor timetabling, irregular service or because the bus doesn’t go to where they need. • It was noted that a link to Ivybridge would open up access to many ongoing connections by both bus and rail. What we want to • To enable every member of the community to travel with the least difficulty. achieve • A community that is not so reliant on private transport - to reduce car journeys to benefit the local environment and reduce emissions • Improved public transport or sharing schemes, particularly at peak times to enable this. Action to date • The ‘Ring and Ride’ service travels to Ivybridge, Tesco and other areas for those unable to use public transport due to age or reduced mobility. Next Steps • Establish a ‘transport committee’ to better understand local transport needs and liaise with transport providers about possible improvements such as alternative destinations or timetabling. • Establish a steering group to investigate interest in and feasibility of car share/shared transport scheme. • Develop Parish Council website to share information about existing public transport and the ring and ride service. • A housing needs survey was conducted in December 2017. This identified a need for 8 affordable homes and 8 open market homes in the next 5 Housing years. • 14 respondents stated that they knew of people that had left the parish in the last 5 years due to a lack of suitable housing provision. There were others who felt that they would have to move in the next 5 years due to changing circumstances. • 75% of respondents to the question stated that they were in favour of a small development of affordable housing for local people. What we want to • That everyone in the parish has a good home and that no one is forced to leave the parish due to a lack of suitable housing achieve • That any new development should make a positive contribution to the village and should set high standards in terms of energy use, design and public space. Where possible any development should look to address other concerns or aspirations identified by this Community Plan. Action to date • A review of suitable housing sites has been undertaken within Cornwood (Dartmoor NP planning authority) (note: there are no sites in Lutton identified in the South Hams DC Local Plan) • Discussions have taken place with landowners and the Parish Council is working on funding and delivery models for affordable housing. Next Steps • Continue to work with landowners, Planning authorities and other stakeholders to explore the potential for a small development of new housing to serve the needs of the local community. OUTDOOR LEISURE The majority of people in the Parish enjoy accessing the great outdoors. This could be made easier by improving maintenance and signposting of public rights of way and improving access to the moor, particularly parking at moor gates. Walking • 164 walk daily in the parish, 101 weekly, 25 monthly, and 74 occasionally • 137 people say that they are put off walking because of the speed of traffic and farm machinery on the roads • 73 people say that there are not enough footpaths • The upkeep of footpaths and dog fouling were noted as a concern by a large number of people • It was also noted that game shoots and livestock occasionally make walking less desirable. Cycling • 60 people cycle in and around the Parish at least monthly and over 100 people are interested in a cycling club Horse Riding • 33 people responded that they ride in the area at least monthly and a further 16 less regularly • Additional bridle paths and access to the moor would be welcomed, and 22 riders would like organised rides on the moor.