Category: Bridford Parish Plan

INTRODUCTION

Bridford’s first Parish Plan was published in February 2005. It was developed and based on the responses to the questionnaire issued to all households in Bridford Parish in 2004 which provided the Parish Council with a lot of helpful information including a profile of its residents and issues of concern or interest to the over 70% that responded to it.

The then Parish Council felt strongly that it was vital to obtain support from the community in this way. Although the Parish Council took the initiative in preparing the early drafts of the Plan, the final version also included suggestions and proposals from representatives of the various organisations in the village. The Parish Council was very aware that success would only come through the involvement of individuals as well as the various organisations in the Parish. It was a Plan by the community for the community and reflected its aspirations both for the short and longer terms and the substantial progress made since then bears this out. It was important to ensure that the Plan, developed as a follow up to the questionnaire, contained those matters that were realistically achievable as well as those that were more in the nature of a “wish list”. In addition, it was important to prioritise the issues and the action to be taken, in order to ensure effort was concentrated on a few issues at a time to achieve solid progress. In a recent review of the matters then listed, of which many have either been or are in the course of being addressed, Councillors decided it was appropriate to update the Plan with new time horizons and reissue it. The updated Plan that follows sets out, within appropriate headings, the various matters that the present Parish Councillors feel should be addressed. As was the case before, not everyone will agree with all the proposals and suggested solutions but every effort has been made to ensure that the issues listed command majority support. These matters have been prioritised, given a timeframe for action, by whom, where funding is required and its possible source. This will now be affected by the austerity measures achieved by central and local government. A copy of this updated Plan can be obtained from the Clerk to the Parish Council and can be seen on the Bridford website www.bridfordvillage.co.uk

THE PLAN

PLANNING

DEVELOPMENT

The Parish Council takes a firm stance to ensure due regard is taken of its views when planning decisions are made. Councillors attend DNPA meetings as appropriate and planning workshops. Any future major developments and smaller developments for infilling or conversions will all be judged on their merits.  It is Council policy to try and undertake site visits in respect of allplanning applications.

ENFORCEMENT

There has been a measure of success in ensuring proper application of enforcement legislation by DNPA where there have been breaches in planning matters. Parish Councillors will continue to monitor developments for compliance with planning consents and consult with DNPA where development has taken place without consent. If parishioners are concerned about a development they should inform a Parish Councillor or DNPA.

EMPLOYMENT

The Parish Council is keen to encourage new forms of economic opportunities and business development and to talk to people about their plans. It will actively encourage anybody wishing to establish economic activity. The Parish Council understands that DCLG is looking for National Parks to be proactive in maintaining growth and prosperity in communities.

PLANNING GUIDANCE

It is intended in 2017-19 to reframe these aims into a clear statement of planning objectives to guide Parish councillors in their responses to each Planning Application.  In addition the Council will examine the implications of developing a statutory Neighbourhood Plan, alone or in collaboration with other local Parish Councils

SERVICES

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The Parish Council will maintain pressure on operators to consider suggestions regarding frequency, destinations and timings. It is concerned about potential future bus cuts and will resist any attempts to reduce this service any further. The current bus service will continue to be publicised.  Mini buses are available for hire from Acorn Community Support or at Moretonhampstead and a taxi service operates at Christow.

ROADS

Potholes on roads are repaired when DCC are notified. Parishioners are encouraged to contact DCC as and when potholes occur via the DCC website: https://new.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/reportaproblem   Pressure will continue to be put on DCC to carry out regular maintenance to ensure road surfaces do not deteriorate further.

SPEED, TRAFFIC CALMING AND ROAD SAFETY

The main issues are safety at the junction at the top of Pound Lane and at the bottom at the junction with the B3193. Ensure that our voice is heard when funding becomes available.

HEDGES

Ensure roadside hedges are trimmed with sufficient frequency where road safety is an issue, being mindful of conservation issues.   Encourage landowners to cut their hedges.

The weekly recycling collection is working satisfactorily.  Encourage recycling and the collection of clean paper and newspapers at the Village Hall and explore other ways of recycling.  The Parish Council is keen to ensure the continuation of the annual rural skip facility and will advertise the dates.

HEALTHCARE

Keep a watching brief on facilities for the health and well being of parishioners.  In association with other village organisations and individual volunteers, the Council will become more proactive in monitoring or initiating the care of lonely or vulnerable residents for the purpose of maintaining their physical and mental health. The Council seeks to ensure local medical facilities are maintained and where appropriate, developed,  including doctors’ surgeries and the Acorn Community Support facilities. Moretonhampstead hospital no longer has in-patient beds but is operational as a hub.  Okehampton Hospital is under threat.

POLICING, SECURTIY AND SAFETY

Police contact is maintained via the PCSO currently Mark Easton as and when necessary and Parishioners should be aware that they can contact him direct by email or by telephoning 101 and leaving a message.  Continue to coordinate with other information services.  Police have asked Parishioners to report problems so that all incidents are logged. The Parish Council will take action as required and will continue to support the Neighbourhood Watch scheme and will try to ensure the whole village is included and involved in the scheme.

MOBILE LIBRARY

Residents enjoy the services of DCC’s rural mobile library once a month on a Thursday. The Parish Council will keep up the pressure to ensure that this service continues at the existing level.

APPEARANCE

CONSERVATION

The Bridford Trust owns and manages Bridford Woodland Park and Rowden Valley Wood. These are managed for public access, recreation and wildlife.  Currently, in addition to ongoing conservation work, the Trust is particularly focussing on extending the community aspects and educational usage of these sites, together with ecological monitoring. The Trust is funded by grants and by membership subscription.  The Parish Council has two representatives on the  Bridford Trust Committee, who report back to Council meetings.

VILLAGE GARDEN

The Parish Council is in the process of taking legal ownership of the plot of land used as the Village Garden and the consequent obligations.

ENVIRONMENT  & SUSTAINABILITY

Issues are addressed as they arise and are taken up with the appropriate authorities.  DCC now turn off the street lights between midnight and 6.00am. The Parish Council actively encourages people to explore alternative energy and will look to develop sustainable opportunities. It will watch the developments at Christow to see if anything could be relevant to Bridford.

LITTER, FLY TIPPING & GRAFFITI

Litter bins are regularly emptied. Fly tipping should be notified to a Parish Councillor or direct to TDC’s Rapid Response team.  Ongoing maintenance is required for the bus shelter.

DOG FOULING

This continues to be a problem and incidents should be reported to the Dog Warden at Teignbridge Council. The situation will continue to be kept under review.  Dog owners may now place their plastic bags of excrement in normal litter bins

RD

COMMUNICATIONS

NOTICE BOARDS

The notice boards are kept in good repair. The use and location of all notice boards will be kept under review and if necessary, changes will be

made. The Parish website also provides information about events.

UNITY MAGAZINE

The Community to continue to support and develop this magazine

WEBSITE

Bridford’s website www.bridfordvillage.co.uk is successfully up and running and is regularly updated. Organisations can use this as one of the prime means of communication, along with Unity, to keep Parishioners and visitors informed and are asked to ensure their entry contains up to date information.

COMMUNITY

It is hoped this Plan will go some way towards supporting the community, ensuring the Parish has the will to maintain Bridford as a good place to live. The Annual Parish Meeting is promoted as an opportunity for all the village and its organisations to meet to exchange views.  A tripartite meeting of the neighbouring Parishes Councils  of Christow, Dunsford and Bridford takes place annually at which common issues and concerns are discussed.  Joint action is taken where possible and the minutes of all meetings are exchanged. The Council will explore whether Hennock Parish Council would wish to join this arrangement.

EMERGENCY GRITTING / SNOW WARDEN

For winter emergencies, a Bridford snow plan has been developed, managed and reviewed by the Snow Warden and team. The Parish Council will continue to monitor the voluntary gritting of Bridford Hill and investigate making alternative arrangements.

INFORMATION LEAFLET

Information leaflet  “Contact” is updated as necessary.  New residents are given a copy.   Consideration to be given to putting this information on the Bridford website.

FACILITIES

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Those in need of affordable housing are encouraged to register their need with Teignbridge District Council and Devon Home Choice.

VILLAGE HALL

Parish Council to provide ongoing support.

SCHOOLS / EDUCATION

Parish Council supports Christow, Doddiscombsleigh and Dunsford schools

ALLOTMENTS

Owned and run by the Parish Council which seeks to ensure that they are kept cultivated, fully occupied and neat and tidy.

WOODLAND PARK AND ROWDEN VALLEY WOOD

The Bridford Trust maintains the Woodland Park and Rowden Valley Wood. The arena is available for events and more activities are being promoted.

CEMETERY

A limited number of spaces in the churchyard are available.

VILLAGE GARDEN

This is a village amenity to be kept as an attractive feature and meeting place in the centre of the village.

PARKING

A review was undertaken and recommendations noted.  Spaces are available on request for visitors in the Woodland Park.  Parking at the Village Hall is only available for those hiring the hall or for use by churchgoers.  More off-street residential parking areas to be sought and developed.  The Parish Council will try to ensure that all new developments have parking.

BRIDFORD INN & VILLAGE SHOP

Parishioners are encouraged to make use of these very important village facilities. The owners have kindly agreed to the pub being used as a centre in the event of an emergency.

ADULT EDUCATION & ACTIVE RETIREMENT

Regular ‘chat -in’ meetings are held in addition to weekly keep fit sessions.  The possibility of courses being held in the village will be explored if requested and the Parish Council will work with TDC on health initiatives e.g. Villages in Action, if and when asked to do so. (see above under health)

PLAY PARK

Weekly checks are carried out by the Parish Council to ensure safety is maintained.  An annual safety check of all equipment and surfaces is undertaken by RoSPA.

YOUTH AND SUPPORT

The Parish Council supports all sporting activities including the cricket club and any future youth development. The Teign Valley Scouts, Beavers and Cubs are operating successfully.

CHILD MINDING

There are now child minding facilities in the Village and Parishioners should refer to Unity for individuals offering this service.

FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS

A Bridford Walks booklet published by the Bridford Trust has been revised.  Parish Councillors arrange to walk all paths annually and report back to the Parish Annual meeting. Any opportunities to create other paths will be considered as they arise.

INTERNET ACCESS

Broadband is now available for much of the Parish and access is being extended throughout the Parish.  High speed Broadband has arrived but is not available at some of the outlying properties in the Parish.

PUBLIC TELEPHONE

After BT indicated the likely closure of the phone-box due to lack of use, the Parish Council applied to adopt it to house its defibrillator, but the application has been refused and it will now continue to operate as a public phone box.   The Parish Council will support and encourage any plans to improve mobile phone reception.

JB

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY STATEMENT

We will manage our activities to minimise wherever practicable their effect on the environment. Environmental regulations and laws, as applicable to Parish Councils will be regarded as setting the minimum standards of environmental performance.

We will aim to use companies which consider the environmental impact of its products and services.

We will try to ensure that products and /or services supplied or provided by third parties can be used, handled, stored and disposed of in a manner which safeguards the environment and the health and safety of all.

We will try to reduce waste to the lowest practicable level ensuring safe and responsible disposal of any waste created in an environmentally sound manner.

We will seek to increase environmental awareness.

We will review and update the policy on an annual basis.

We will monitor our compliance with this Policy statement

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A PARISH PLAN?

·         It gives guidance and a framework to the organisations in the Parish being an “agreed to do” list

·         It is a communication tool

·         It must be seen as a working document and a driver to get things done

·         It provides a timescale for matters that will be addressed

·         It provides a vision that transcends short-term changes in parishioners involved in the organisations, such as changes in members of committees and changes in those on the Parish Council

·         It helps to ensure that the views of the local community, mainly through the Parish Council, carry more weight with other bodies, such as Teignbridge District Council, Devon County Council and Dartmoor National Park Authority when decisions are made by those bodies that affect Bridford

·         It facilitates the raising of funds for projects that will benefit the community

·         It enables the prioritisation of projects backed by the community

ARE THERE ANY POTENTIAL DRAWBACKS?

·         It is important to avoid creating a talking shop

·         Some of the Plan may be unrealistic

·         Without the Plan being reviewed regularly, it would stagnate

·         If progress falters, the Plan would lose support very quickly

CONCLUSIONS

A Parish Plan is a dynamic community document to be kept in the forefront when considering matters affecting the Parish.

It will be an agenda item at every Parish Council meeting so that progress can be measured and the Plan will be reviewed as time passes and views develop.  However, for this to be a success all suggestions will be welcomed and considered in the review process.  The facilities that we still have must be carefully guarded in order to maintain a thriving community.  We need to ensure young people are not driven away through the lack of reasonably priced housing.  The core facilities for a sustainable community are a shop / PO, pub, village hall and school.  Certain facilities, for example a shop / outreach Post Office service, have proved to be sustainable in Bridford.

Revised 31st January 2017

Adopted by Bridford Parish Council  6th March 2017