Godstone Village Appraisal Project Report to the Residents of Godstone September 2002 Logo designed by Thomas Mulligan, aged 6¾, in a competition run by Godstone Village School, June 2001 With grateful thanks to all residents for taking part in the Appraisal and special thanks to those who volunteered to carry it out. Acknowledgements Grateful thanks go to our sponsors: Pinniger & Partners Lighting Design Consultants White Swan House 44 & 46 High Street 60 High Street Godstone Godstone Surrey Surrey RH9 8LW RH9 8LW Tel: 01883 742256 Tel: 01883 744 377 Fax: 01883 742769 Fax: 01883 742 745 http://www.fairalls.co.uk http://www.pinniger.co.uk Godstone Parish Council c/o Mrs Pat Rogers 61 Hickmans Close Godstone Surrey RH9 8EB Tel:01883 743182 Email: [email protected] Our thanks are also expressed to the following people: Richard Stilgoe and Sarah Goad for kindly writing the foreword to this report. Jane Cooper for generously allowing use of photographs taken by her to be adapted and used. Marion Simpson and the Godstone Parish Magazine for the list of contacts. Ekonoprint, South Godstone (01342 844255) for their help and assistance in printing both the Appraisal questionnaire and this report. This report and the data from which it is taken is Copyright © Godstone Village Appraisal Project September 2002 Any approach for reproduction or use of the data must be made through the project committee as exists at any time.. Godstone Village Appraisal Project – The Results Page 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... 1 Foreword ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Godstone ................................................................................................................................................ 5 A Brief History of the Village of Godstone ......................................................................................... 6 Early Days .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Godstone’s Name ............................................................................................................................... 6 The Landed Gentry ............................................................................................................................ 6 Roads .................................................................................................................................................. 6 Churches ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Schools ................................................................................................................................................ 7 War ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Local Resources ................................................................................................................................. 7 Recent Times ...................................................................................................................................... 7 The Appraisal Background .................................................................................................................. 8 The Results ............................................................................................................................................ 9 People ................................................................................................................................................. 9 Validation ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Housing .............................................................................................................................................. 9 Neighbourhood Watch .................................................................................................................. 10 Flooding ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Accommodation ............................................................................................................................. 11 Traffic ............................................................................................................................................... 11 How does our community travel? ................................................................................................. 11 Cars ............................................................................................................................................... 12 Traffic Issues ................................................................................................................................. 13 Getting around Godstone ................................................................................................................. 14 School ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Health ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Information ...................................................................................................................................... 17 Public Services ................................................................................................................................. 19 Crime ................................................................................................................................................ 20 Shops and Services ........................................................................................................................... 20 Social and Leisure ............................................................................................................................ 22 Our Environment ............................................................................................................................. 24 Any Other Comments ....................................................................................................................... 27 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 29 Useful Contacts .................................................................................................................................... 31 Godstone Village Appraisal Project – The Results Page 2 Foreword A sense of belonging is important to us all: belonging to people and belonging to place. First will come our families and friends but our neighbours and the place where we live are close runners-up. Village communities are precious in a country where suburban sprawl is only checked by the greenbelt and the principles of our planners. Defined and under girded by the parish system – both civil and ecclesiastical – they have a special identity and respond to our desire to be rooted. It is important that they work together to balance the preservation of tradition with the needs of people in the 21st century. A village appraisal can help to do that. It can tell you things you didn’t know. It may confirm things you always suspected. And it forms a basis for community representation and planning. Already Godstone has found hard working enthusiasts who have undertaken the appraisal and people in the village have come together to raise the wherewithal and to answer the questions – a 72% response is very good indeed. The next phase is the really challenging one when you decide what to DO. But I’m sure it will bear much fruit. Congratulations and good luck. Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey Godstone Village Appraisal Project – The Results Page 3 My family and I moved to North Park in Godstone on Guy Fawkes Night in 1981. The children thought the fireworks were to celebrate their arrival in the village, and still believe this to this day. In 1988 we started using the barn for a series of concerts involving disabled performers. Over the years this work increased, and eventually we moved out of the house and it became The Orpheus Centre. It now houses 18 (soon to be 24) young disabled people who work towards independent living in various ways, one of which is performing regularly in public. Throughout all this the village of Godstone has been unfailingly supportive and welcoming, and has embraced this unusual community unquestioningly. It could so easily have been otherwise. We could have been the crazy people up the lane, and made to feel very isolated. But the English village at its best will open its arms to almost anyone who wishes genuinely to be a part of it. We are proud to be a part of Godstone, and to know that Godstone is proud of us. Please send my very best wishes to everyone and good luck with the Appraisal Project. Richard Stilgoe Godstone Village Appraisal Project – The Results Page 4 Godstone Godstone is an attractive village on a busy junction of the A25, A22 and the