Parish Plan
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A PARISH PLAN?
Tuesday 1st March saw the first meeting of villagers interested in producing a Parish Plan for Curdridge and Curbridge. There were 14 members of the parish there to hear Steve Lincoln from Winchester City Council’s Community Support Team explain what a Parish Plan is.
It is very obvious that there is a tremendous amount of support for the protection of the rural way of life we have here and that no-one wants to see the village’s facilities decline and that plenty can be done to enhance how we live here.
A Parish Plan’s first objective is to find out what our residents want: what’s important, what needs protecting and what needs improving.
The Plan will then be individual to our village. It’s not about what others think we need, it’s about how we as residents want our village to be - what’s important to us.
Already, during the Blueprint Planning Consultation, we have identified Road Safety as a major problem. We want to be able to walk, cycle or drive around the village. By having a formal plan with statistical evidence from residents we will be able to identify particular hazards, and target our efforts towards improving safe road usage. It could be to slow traffic down, put in a pavement, get better signage, who knows!
There are lots of issues: public transport, tree preservation, public footpaths, local employment and of course planning, to name but a few. With a Parish Plan we will know what our priorities are and the Parish Council will be able to use the Plan to lobby Winchester and Hampshire Councils and to mobilise resources to help us achieve our goals.
Latest Update
Work on the Parish Plan for Curdridge and Curbridge is making good progress. We feel that we have clearly identified the issues which effect how we live here now, and so we are currently working on a questionnaire which will go to every household in the parish.
Incorporated in the questionnaire will be an introduction into each topic, outlining the issues and current situation. We hope that this information will be useful to residents who are unaware of some of the challenges and opportunities we are facing. It,will also inform parishioners about current facilities, environmental assets and established needs for housing and road safety.
We are now expecting the questionnaire to be delivered with the parish Magazine in December, as well as being available to complete through the Parish Council Website.
Parish Plan Group
If you would like to join the Group please e-mail or phone Joanne Furby – joanne@furby.me.uk 782454 or come along to our next meeting at the Reading rooms on 7 Sept., at 7.15pm.