Exbourne with Jacobstowe
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www.exbournewithjacobstowe.org.uk
CONTENTS
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Introduction:Background The Parish The Plan and the Future 1 Health 2 Facilities 3 Buildings 4 Exbourne Shop & Post Office 5 Sport & Recreation 6 Affordable Housing 7 Jacobstowe 8 The Environment 9 Transport 10 Highways 11 Places of Worship 12 Young People 13 Local Business Action plans Associated and Supporting PublicationsAcknowledgements
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3 3 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 14 15 16 17 22 22 |
Introduction
Background
Exbourne with Jacobstowe Parish Council agreed in February 2004 to pursue the idea of producing a Parish Plan and in March presented the idea to representatives of various organisations, clubs and individuals. There was overwhelming support for the idea and several local people volunteered to help form a Steering Group to co-ordinate the process. Others joined as the process continued.
Funded by the Parish Council, West Devon Borough Council and the Countryside Agency, the Steering Group set about the task of asking local people about their thoughts, concerns and hopes for the future. 'Drop-in' days facilitated by the Community Council of Devon were held in each village, where residents were encouraged to discuss local issues under a range of headings and to record their ideas. Suggestion boxes were also provided in various public places, where people could leave comments. The events and results were publicised through the parish magazine and the Steering Group's own newsletter. The Group ensured that the delivery of both included outlying properties that had previously not been receiving local magazines/newsletters.
The consultation process generated a wide range of
ideas that formed the basis of a questionnaire which was hand delivered to all
193 households in the parish in November 2004. 151 questionnaires were completed
and returned to the Steering Group, representing an excellent response rate of
78%. The responses were collated by Devon County Council and were used by the
Group to develop this Plan and identify proposed actions according to the level
of community support for the various ideas.
The Parish
Exbourne and Jacobstowe are both small rural villages situated on either side of the River Okement in the district of West Devon. Okehampton lies 5 miles to the south and Hatherleigh 4 miles to the northwest. The parish is predominately an agricultural area, with many farms in and around the villages, and has a combined population of 436 (2001 census).
Exbourne ward is ranked 2201 out of 8414 wards in the national Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2000), where a ranking of 1 represents the highest level of deprivation and a ranking of 8414 the least deprived. In particular,
Exbourne scores very low on access to services (145 out of 8414).
Exbourne has a primary school with 60 children, pre-school, playing field, village hall, public house, garage, church and chapel. The village shop and post office closed in December 2001, but since then a Community Association has been formed and now runs a satellite post office, shop and café in the village hall on two mornings each week.
Jacobstowe has no local facilities except for the church and associated car park.
The Plan and the Future
This Plan provides the most extensive and recent survey of the parish's needs. It should assist service providers, statutory bodies and the voluntary sector to develop policies or tailor resources to meet these needs and to include identified actions within their budgets. The information in this plan may also assist with applications for grant funding of specific projects.
The completion of the plan should be seen not as an end in itself, but just the
“end of the beginning'.
Many actions are proposed in this Plan. Not all will happen overnight, some may never happen and some may get changed. It will be the responsibility of the Parish Council, which is elected to work for the community, to maintain the momentum to implement the actions, with the assistance of the many groups that already exist such as the Village Hall Committee, the Community Association, Playing Field Association, plus the many other social groups who are invaluable to the community and make this community what it is. It may also be necessary for new groups to be formed to move forward specific projects.
Everybody has a part to play in order to bring these projects to a successful conclusion.
Note: The callouts used throughout this document are actual comments made by parishioners during the consultation process
Vision The people of Exbourne and Jacobstowe want to live in an
environment, which is attractive and safe in a thriving rural setting, but
is also willing to embrace change provided it is well managed and
beneficial for the community.
1. Health
One of the main challenges facing the Mid Devon Primary Care Trust is to deliver effective services in a rural context.
Whilst only a small number of residents have
difficulty in getting to health services, those that do are the elderly who are
often most in need of them.
The Ring and Ride Community bus service does provide some solutions to this problem but an extension of health care provision into the community would be welcomed.
A quarterly or yearly nurse-led clinic is likely to be used if available and would complement the successful flu jab clinic that already visits the area in the autumn.
A prescription collection service, where repeat prescriptions could be collected at a central point in the parish is also needed.149 people requested this facility.
95 local residents would be interested in attending a first aid course.
Recommendations
1.1 Apply to Primary Care Trust (PCT) for 6 monthly nurse-led clinic.
1.2 Set up first aid courses in the near future.
1.3 Organise a central location point for the collection of repeat prescriptions in Exbourne.
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2. Facilities
Exbourne has a well-used village hall and hosts a
combined churches fete each year. Until recently a village show was also
arranged on the outskirts of the village near lower Woodhall.
The playing field used to have a children's play area but it was removed when it could no longer meet safety standards.
58.5 % of respondents would like to see a dedicated play area provided for young children with a preference for this to be nearer to Exbourne village centre. A majority of respondents do not want a play area on the playing field unless improvements could be made to the road crossing or adequate parking provided.
A significant majority of Jacobstowe residents do not want a play area in Jacobstowe.
Both villages would like to see the provision of a village green type of open space located near the village centres and this has certainly been a long standing wish for Exbourne, being highlighted in the village appraisal carried out in 1999.
Events in Exbourne such as car boot sales, fetes and village shows, arts events and local produce markets all had good support and could complement those that already happen.
184 residents would like to attend cinema shows in Exbourne village hall and 68 would also support cinema trips elsewhere possibly at other local village halls.
Recommendations
2.1 Explore the possibility of providing a new play area in the village centre and if no suitable location is found, use the existing playing field if adequate parking is provided or a safer crossing of the A3072
2.2 Explore the provision of a village green type of open space in both villages.
2.3 Investigate the feasibility of occasional cinema shows at the village hall and/or arranging trips to other local venues.
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3. Buildings
The provision of public toilets in Exbourne was not seen as a necessity by 62% of respondents.
52% of respondents were opposed to building a new village hall on the playing field. However this may be due to an assumption that the playing field facility would be lost which is not necessarily the case. Consequently some further investigation of this possibility might be justified.
A real split in opinion has occurred between those wanting to see improvements for bell ringers in Exbourne Church and those wanting no change. There was very little support for turning the chimes off at night.
Recommendation
3.1 No actions recommended for this section.
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4. Exbourne Shop, Cafe and Post Office
Since the shop and post office closed in December
2001 a satellite post office, shop and cafe has been run by the Community
Association for two mornings each week in the Village Hall. The Post Office has
provided a sub- postmaster from Okehampton and the necessary equipment to
provide this service.
In a survey carried out in 2002 by the Community Association 94% of respondents wanted to keep a post office and shop facility within the community. Since then the Association has been working hard to get a dedicated facility built.
At present only one viable site has been found, opposite the Red Lion Pub, and West Devon Borough Council has granted outline planning permission for construction of new premises on this site.
22% of those responding to the Questionnaire agreed with the proposals as presently shown. However, a further 30% would be supportive if the issue of car parking is resolved and a further 3% if the design was improved. 30% of respondents were opposed to the proposal at this location in any form.
There is an even split about whether or not the shop and post office should continue in its present location.
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Recommendations
4.1 The Community Association should continue to pursue the proposed dedicated post office, shop and café provided that a satisfactory solution to the car parking issues can be found.
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5. Sports and Recreation
Exbourne has a dedicated playing field that is mostly used by the local primary school and for occasional informal sports such as football and cricket. Unfortunately the village football team disbanded three years ago.
A children's play area and tennis court were both
removed several years ago as they did not meet safety standards and were
inadequately maintained.
The playing field is severed from the village by the main A3072 road, making it difficult to access particularly by younger children. Improvements to the road crossing and provision of car parking were identified as important factors to increasing use.
The Playing Field Association should be praised for keeping the facility in its present condition despite very little income and/or willingness from others to help run the facility.
There was strong support for the provision of a car park, tennis court, pavilion and a play area on the playing field in the Questionnaire responses. Certainly more people would make use of it if improvements were implemented and some of the events highlighted in Section 2 of the Plan may be able to be accommodated at this location if additional facilities were provided.
30 people indicated they would be interested in organising events on the playing field with 63 interested in joining a village tennis club and 16 prepared to help organise a village tennis group.
Recommendations
5.1 The provision of a car park, tennis court, pavilion, and possibly a play area at the playing field should be pursued.
5.2 Organise a village tennis group.
5.3 Organise more events on the playing field.
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6. Affordable Housing
“The provision of affordable housing is the single most important issue in the eyes of the West Devon Public". (Source - Draft West Devon Community Strategy 2004)
The Questionnaire and Housing Needs Survey focused on the need to provide affordable housing and whether or not there was sufficient demand for a scheme to be implemented in the Parish and to seek residents’ attitudes towards this type of development.
Exbourne in particular has seen new, larger
properties being built in recent years. However, nothing has been done to meet
the needs of local people, especially young people, who wish to stay in the
parish but simply can't afford to join the property ladder and so move away.
The Housing Needs Survey has identified 23 households with a need for new or alternative accommodation; 9 in the next 2 years, 4 in 2-5 years and 1 in 5 years or more. 7 households are in need of accommodation for people who are at present living at the same household and 2 households are wishing to return to the parish in the next 2-5 years.
A total of 7 households in the parish reported that
14 people have moved away in the last 5 years because of difficulties in
finding a suitable home.
From the questionnaire 63% of respondents were prepared to see additional housing development to meet housing needs with an increase of up to 10 dwellings in Exbourne and up to 5 in Jacobstowe.
The preferred options for new housing were for the conversion of redundant buildings followed by in filling with single buildings and expansion at the edge of the built up area.
A Housing Trust or Housing Association could manage any such project with properties available for rent or purchase on a shared equity basis.
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Recommendation
6.1 Identify suitable buildings and or land for this type of development and liaise with WDBC and a Housing Association to provide dwellings for this purpose.
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7. Jacobstowe
(questions answered by Jacobstowe residents only)
In 2000 several suggestions were made to the community of Jacobstowe including construction of a lych-gate at the main entrance to the churchyard, a cycle path link through the churchyard, and enhancement to the war memorial. These ideas were again presented at the Drop-in day and in the Questionnaire.
The proposed improvements to the lych-gate and general safety at the church have good support and should include the proposed repair and enhancement of the war memorial.
There is little support for a separate playing field in Jacobstowe but 45 residents would use sports facilities at the Exbourne playing field if there was adequate parking.
Opinions are fairly evenly divided regarding the proposed electrification of the church clock but as with many of the Jacobstowe questions there is also a high response with no opinion either way.
Only 6 people offered support in taking any of the proposed Jacobstowe projects forward so it may be difficult to implement these proposals.
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Recommendation
7.1 Pursue enhancement schemes at Jacobstowe Church
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8. The Environment
Stile on Tarka Trail through Dinnybeer Wood
There are 6 footpaths and 1 bridlepath in the parish, totalling 5.7km. The Parish Rights of Way network is relatively short compared with the county average and only two of the paths come close to the village centres, the remainder being at least 1km away. In 2003 the Parish Council entered into the Parish Paths Partnership (P3) Scheme with Devon County Council in order to bring the existing rights of way into a well-managed and useable condition.
Access to the countryside was an issue which featured strongly throughout the consultation process but due regard must be taken of landowners’ wishes and stock management needs.
The Drop-in day in Jacobstowe identified a need for a link path from North Piend to the Church car park in order for pedestrians to avoid walking on the main road and for a continuous footpath to Exbourne.
The Questionnaire identified strong support for a new walks leaflet and 63 people showed interest in attending guided walks.
43% of respondents would like to see more access and
30% were willing to pay landowners for additional access.
The under-grounding of more overhead cables is strongly supported. However due to the costs and limited funding opportunities, this may prove difficult to achieve.
There is an even split between Exbourne respondents in favour of producing an overall Design Statement for Exbourne and those against. There is, however, a clear majority of Jacobstowe respondents in favour of producing a Design Statement for Jacobstowe.
Cables should be below ground
Some 79 people felt there are opportunities for power generation within the local area. Suggestions included a small hydro-electric power scheme and wind turbines.
The Questionnaire also reveals a good interest in seeing original street names added to existing signs.
A strong majority favours keeping roadside verges mown and tidy as they are now, rather than allowing them to grow to benefit wildlife.
Opinions are relatively evenly divided as to whether or not to plant more flowers. Most people do not want more litterbins or notice boards to be provided.
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Recommendations
8.1 Produce a walks leaflet for the parish.
8.2 Organise guided walks.
8.3 Explore possibility of increasing access including a link path from North Piend to Church car park, Jacobstowe.
8.4 Promote the under-grounding of more overhead cables in Exbourne.
8.5 Prepare a Design Statement for Jacobstowe.
8.6 Investigate opportunities for local power generation, but ensure community support before taking any action.
8.7 Add original street names to existing ones.
8.8 Keep verges mown and tidy.
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9. Transport
Local bus services appear to always be under some
threat mainly due to infrequent use. The Questionnaire indicates that use is
low, but 56 people or 18.5 % do use local bus services. 10 people do so on a
weekly basis and 4 people on a daily basis. When analysed by age, weekly users
tend to be elderly and daily users are young.
Some 54 people indicated that they experienced difficulty in using public transport with the highest percentages being in the older age groups who rely more heavily on public transport if unable to use or own their own cars.
Most people use the bus for shopping trips, whilst a smaller number use the service for visiting friends and relatives and a few for doctor and hospital appointments.
Timetables, routes and reliability all figure highly in things that people would like to see improved.
110 people expressed support for an improvement to the community bus services that at present only serve the older population.
During the Jacobstowe Drop-in Day the idea of a bus shelter in Jacobstowe was proposed and the Parish Council is actively pursuing this although a suitable site is proving hard to find.
Recommendations
9.1 Lobby bus companies and Local Authority steering group to take note of issues and improve service delivery.
9.2 Explore ways of improving the community bus service.
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10. Highways
200 respondents, 67.6%, agreed that speeding
traffic is a problem in the villages.
Of the suggested sites for improvements to road safety or traffic calming, the playing field crossing is seen as the most important, with 136 people (approximately 45%) in support and outside Exbourne primary school with 124 people (approximately 41%) in support.
Nearly 50% of respondents find the provision of pavements satisfactory in the village with 28% finding them unsatisfactory and 23% with no opinion.
105 people (approximately 30%) would like to see more police presence to
deter speeding. There was little support for a community hand-held speed
camera, or for the 30mph speed limit to be extended.
The results show opinion is fairly evenly split regarding further HGV restrictions
Recommendations
10.1 Lobby Devon Highways for safety improvements at the main areas identified and work with the Primary school and Parish Council to find solutions.
10.2 Investigate measures to reduce speeding.
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11. Local Places of Worship
50 people regularly attend a place of worship, 100 occasionally and 145 not at all. 42 people indicated they might consider being involved.
Recommendation
11.1 No actions recommended for this section.
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The West Devon Community Strategy, the Devon Community Strategy and the Hatherleigh Area Project all see meeting the needs of young people as a key priority and anything that can be done at a local level will help promote this. Helping young people to enjoy life and develop confidence, promoting good citizenship and a feeling of being part of the community are just some of the aims of the strategies. By consulting with local young people and supporting the provision of facilities for them we can help towards achieving these aims.
At present both villages have very few facilities to cater for young people. The playing field in Exbourne does offer a green open space for use by all age groups and some clubs and groups i.e. skittles and bell-ringers do have a small number of young people attending.
Separate young people’s questionnaires were circulated at the same time as the main questionnaire and a total of 55 young people responded, made up as follows: twenty-one 5-9 year olds, fourteen 10-13 year olds and twenty 14-18 year olds.
43 were in favour of a youth club being set up; 25 in favour of a youth band; 28 in favour of transport to other community centres and 26 in favour of transport to other youth clubs.
From the main questionnaire 29 people have expressed an interest in helping organise a youth club and 8 have shown interest in helping organise a youth band.
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Recommendation
12.1 Establish a youth club in the village of Exbourne and explore the possibilities of linking in with other local youth activities.
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13. Local Business
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A directory of local businesses and services is
seen by over 50% of those surveyed as being useful and would help to keep
people informed of what is available locally and give support to the local
economy.
38 people would like to have somewhere local to be able to display or sell their own work and 147 would like the opportunity to purchase or view local arts and crafts.
Recommendations
13.1 Contact to be made with the Hatherleigh Business Forum in order to pursue the idea of an Exbourne and Jacobstowe Business and Services guide.
13.2 Provide an area for the display and sale of locally produced arts and crafts
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