Area-specific Theme Groups for the Parish Plan Group
The Parish Plan Group (PPG) has set up a number of sub groups, or theme groups (TGs), to lead the work on the specific areas identified in the open meetings and elsewhere. Much of the substantive work in producing the Parish Plan will be done by the TGs, with the PPG providing the coordination and final responsibility for the Plan.
The PPG has developed a vision and mission for the Parish Plan, which are guidance for the TGs.
Vision: Bledington: a sustainable, resilient and flourishing community.
Mission: To develop Bledington further as a flourishing and sustainable community in which to live, work and visit. To have in place support for key facilities, institutions and organisations within the village and create the capacity to provide for the present and future needs of villagers and visitors.
Objective: To produce an agreed Parish Plan for Bledington, for submission to the Parish Council by December 2024.
To meet this objective the TGs will need to have finished their work by the summer of 2024.
read more here
**NEW** September 2023 Read the briefing document for the Theme Groups here
Comments and suggestions made at the Open Meeting in May 2023
Transport
• Speeding
o 20mph speed limit (x6) – no improvement possible without this
o Keep 30mph speed limit (x4) - adequate if people stick to it
o Speed activated signs
o Avoid unsightly signs
o Traffic calming measures needed at both ends of village
• Parking
o School and Pub/Village Green parking problems (x4)
o Prevent parking on Main Street pavement
o Marked parking spaces to control parking
o Avoid yellow lines and unsightly signs
o Re-introduce School bus
• Public Transport
o More regular bus services between Stow and Chipping Norton
o Improve usage of bus services
o Investigate car share scheme e.g. Hook Norton (x2)
o Maintain good train service (x2)
o More regular late night train
o Public car charging points or consider scheme to share Private electric car charging
• Environment/Other
o Create a decent entrance to the Village – Bridge narrowing at Mill is an eyesore – make people think they are entering a Village that people care about – may help with speeding and parking
o Keep hedging from overgrowing paths and roads e.g main street and Tyack corner
o Better upkeep of pathways (x2)
o Pot holes on roads around the Village are now dangerous
o Support Bourton trail on old railway
o Scout hut on gravel pit field
SUMMARY
Approximately 10 people actively engaged with the Transport sub-group. Most comments were related to either speeding or parking issues in the Village. Additional comments classified as either ‘public transport’ or ‘environmental’ were also received.
Speeding in the Village continues to be a concern. Reducing the speed limit through the village to 20mph polarised opinion. A majority were in favour of a reduced speed limit however a significant number of people argued in favour of 30mph provided drivers adhered to it. Co-opting and supporting the Speed Awareness Group will be key to addressing the issues raised.
Inconsiderate parking caused much debate. The main issues being focussed around the School, Village Green and Main Street. This is a complex issue and needs to be considered as a wider Village infrastructure issue.
A small number of people commented on public transport. The Kingham train service is seen as a key asset for the Village and should be preserved. Some residents would like to see a more regular late night train. More regular bus services through the Village also requested. There was some support for Village innovation surrounding electric vehicle charging. Issues surrounding public transport will be difficult to influence in Parish isolation.
In other areas, the upkeep of pathways in the Village was raised. Specifically Main Street and Old Burford Road corner. The road narrowing at the East entrance to the Village is seen as an eyesore. These are recurrent issues, often raised to the Parish Council and best handled in that forum.
Environment
Dig a little deeper
• Concern over flooding and Thames Water
• Greenspaces, wildlife conservation.
Have your say, in no particular order
• Energy
o Renewables.
o Solar panels on buildings: school; village hall; farm buildings; on Bledington owned land
o Water source heat pump for school. School in early stages of producing a building plan to renovate existing structure with focus on energy/heating
o District Heat Network
o Community composting
• Rights of Way
o Keep footpaths clear
o Dog walking paths
o Preserve public footpaths (called ‘don’t lose your way’ www.ramblers.org.uk
• Land/environment
o Less mowing
o Less fertilisers: poison free gardens; campaign against fertiliser run-off from arable land;
o Environment is the cornerstone of how humans live
o Convert scrub field behind school to woodland
o Allotments
o Convert Gravel Pits field into community space: allotments; orchard; grass borders; bee hives; community composting
• Nature
o Owl, Swift, Kestrel, Bat boxes
o More love for the nature reserve (along Heath Lane)
o Hedgehog Highway
o Educational ‘Forest Club’
o Save the trees we have
• Housing
o Values in the Cotswolds
• Grants and funding
o Investigate funding streams for wildlife projects
o Grants for tree planting
o Community Food
• Sewage
o Sewage action group thameswater.co.uk/edm-map
o Carefully managed civil action
Summary
As expected, the ‘environment’ theme threw up a range of ideas and suggestions which cross over and share thought on all the other themes.
Energy was a particular concern, together with looking after the environment through ecosystem management on a micro and macro scale.
Resources available to the village were commented on and how to utilise those resources most effectively.
Pollution, both man-made and man-applied was a strong area for action.
Housing
• Holiday lets
o Control over use of whole houses as holiday lets. This resulted in lots of comments.
o Support for letting rooms in peoples homes for short term use.
o Limit on number of whole properties being let as holiday homes is required.
o Acknowledged that some visitors are good for the village economy.
• Construction
o Length of build time when constructing new houses is too long. Are there ways to reduce this.
o Construction noise and parking highlighted as particular problems. Work should not commence before 9am.
o Number of vans on site should be limited.
o A off road parking area for construction vehicles should be part of planning decision.
• New housing for young families and village residents strongly supported.
o New housing should be sustainable in design.
o New housing should accommodate office space and fast internet speeds, adequate garden/space. Green space particularly important for mental well being.
o No more large detached houses. Smaller terraced and semi detached houses needed
• Social/affordable housing
o More affordable housing for young people/local people. (but not social housing)
o Affordable housing needs to be controlled by the village
o Council tenancies should be handed down to children, not currently the case.
Other comments
Long term lets needed.
Self-build opportunities need to be explored. Land made available.
Infrastructure must be in place – roads, sewage, internet etc
Better infrastructure for flood and draught events
Very supportive of remote working.
Too many restrictions on the design and aesthetics of new housing.
Better control over the size of extensions to existing properties.
Security and Safety
• Neighbourhood Watch
Good idea to resurrect neighbourhood watch but maybe not in its previous form. Best way to spread relevant information?
o Using a Whatsapp Group
o Seems current Facebook pages have proven useful in the past
o Do we create a specific Facebook page or Whatsapp group for security only?
• Whatsapp alert group
o Felt this was essential
o Concern on over use
o Age issue?
• Community policing
o Felt this is very important and needed
o Names and point of contact to report concerns to
o Education required from police on deterrence
• Security cameras
o Felt they were a good idea on individual properties but not along streets
o Strong negative feeling towards ‘communal’ cameras and concerns over management/privacy/cost to maintain
Additional comments
• ‘Next door’ app can be useful
• Do we even know where our local police station is anymore?
• Do the police ever have a presence in the village?
• A fence and a gate!
Facilities
• School
o Pre-school nursery
o Share facilities with village – field / hall
o School speed alert signs – switch off at weekends and bank hols
• Play Areas
o Safe area for kids to play / roam / football / cricket
o Is the current playground in the right place?
o Needs to be more attractive and closer to the village
o Adequate recreational facilities
• Allotments ***
o Next to shop – for community food production
o Community composting **
o Food waste recycling point for local chickens
• Village Hall
o Needs to be used more – to increase funds – and then to upgrade existing facilities
o Keep affordable for small groups
o Make more attractive** – kitchen – better activities – bigger windows
o Social club / games night – ask if pub can provide beers at cost
o Solar panels
o New village hall
o IT support hub – monthly ? for older residents needing help – paid
• Poor’s Plot
o have fencing to keep horses separate from the path
o sell
o allotments
o carbon capture grants
• Gravel Pit Field – needs contamination survey
o Suggestion here for One Site – community composting / recycling
o Join Village Hall / Poor’s Plot / Gravel Pit field under a common trust
• Shop
o Expand café format – salads, sandwiches, deli
o Better hanging shop sign
o Post Office in the shop
o Please ask volunteers to wear their name badges
o Buy the field next to the shop – for children’s play area – make more attractive for residents
• Care Committee – needs more volunteers
Other general suggestions
Improved anti-flood measures
Extension to cemetery will be needed in the future
Better lighting between station and village
Fibre broadband extended to the whole village ***
Banks to provide community service
Recycling – have more general mixed recycling rather than separate boxes
Benches at corner of Heath Lane and at the bridge over the brook near the railway and outside playing fields and near church – so walking for the infirm can be structured
As above – sponsored / memorial
Summary
A wide variety of comments – the following with more than one comment:
A couple of recurring themes focussing on exploring improvements to Village Hall, Poor’s Plot, Gravel Pit Field, Play Area, Broadband
Suggestions to explore new:
Allotments, Composting, Energy generation
Corrections:
Shop signage, speed alerts
Foundations
• Population size/mix:
o population mix as important as size eg age groups, rich and poor. We have a good mix for this area
o need to have some growth to thrive, particularly affordable housing for the younger generation
o important to retain existing residents
• Open-minded as well as active, cohesive, supportive community
• More control of ‘whole house’ holiday lets
• Bledington as a hub serving local areas/visitors:
o visitors are needed, key thing is to have a balance with residents
• Business opportunities:
o could be found and encouraged in village housing, energy production, property income
• Changes in planning policy:
o Council rules mean social houses are not passed down through a family but opened up to others
• Village institutions:
o We need to preserve what we have: pub, school, village hall, church, shop and café
o Value of stable institutions
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