For the background, reasoning behind and current progress of The Parish Plan, keep reading this page. The first step in the process is for us to spend the next few months surveying as many of the residents of Sandridge Parish (Jersey Farm, Marshalswick and Sandridge Village) as possible with the Parish Plan Questionnaire, which is available now.
The Parish Plan Questionaire
You can complete the survey in one of two ways:
1. Online here from this page
Click here for the online Parish Plan Questionnaire
or by going to:
http://survey.sandridgeparishcouncil.org
2. By hard copy questionnaire as follows
Copies of the Parish Plan Quesionnaire can be obtained from:
Marshalswick Library, Marshalswick Community Centre, Jersey Farm Community Centre, Sandridge Village Hall, Sandridge Village Stores, Sandringham School or from Diane Winn by phone on 01727 831871, or by mail to Sandridge Parish Council, Marshalswick Community Centre, The Ridgeway, St. Albans, Herts., AL4 9TU.
Or you can download and print a copy of the questionnaire from here:
Parish Plan Questionnaire
Completed questionnaires can be returned to any of the same locations mentioned above, or by post to Sandridge Parish Council, Marshalswick Community Centre, The Ridgeway, St. Albans, Herts., AL4 9TU, and to some additional drop off points to be announced shortly.
Parish Plans - some general background
In November 2000 the Government’s Rural White Paper Our Countryside – The Future launched the
concept of Parish and Town Plans whose purpose is to:
“… set out a vision of what is important, how new development can best be fitted in,
the design and quality standards it should meet, how to preserve valued local features
and to map out the facilities which the community needs to safeguard for the future.”
Plans should “identify key facilities and services, set out the problems that need to be
tackled and demonstrate how distinctive character and features can be preserved.”
The concept was developed by the Countryside Agency within the “Vital Villages” scheme, offering a range of grants and advice to help rural communities take action for themselves on issues like transport and community activities. The government subsequently set targets and have been encouraging all districts and parishes to produce a plan.
Parish Plans are intended to:
- Represent the whole community;
- enhance community vibrancy;
- involve young, old & socially excluded;
- stimulate community action & volunteering;
- engage local business;
- attract funders.
There are 137 parishes in Hertfordshire and so far 30 have completed a plan.
You can find out more by reading this Countryside Agency report : What makes a good Parish Plan?
Why does SPC want a Parish Plan?
The real trigger for wanting a Parish Plan has been our long running campaign, where we have been trying for more than 5 years to get Vehicle Activated Signs and improved traffic calming measures for Sandridge Village. Hertfordshire Highways, who would provide and maintain the signs and road modifications, told us during last year that we would have a significantly better chance of getting what we wanted if it was supported by a Parish Plan which highlighted the need from wider consultation of our residents. This is what has spurred us in to action.
We already have a rolling three year spending plan, which is shaped by the annual residents survey that we carry out, but that budgetary plan will be just one of the inputs to a broader plan of what we need want for the future of the area. We are told that on average, the production of a Parish Plan could take in the region of 18 months to 3 years, but we hope to produce ours in as short a period as possible. It will take a lot of effort from the community and the Parish Council, and there are grants available to help fund some of the activities and materials we will require, such as producing a detailed questionnaire, and then printing and delivering it to every household and resident in the area.
What is the purpose of the Parish Plan?
The purpose of a Parish Plan is to plan for the future and express the voice of the community by identifying local problems, ascertain what the residents want to develop in the future and then prepare a plan to achieve what is needed. Issues such as highways, transport accessibility and cycle routes are often the main cause for concern in a community.
We believe that having the plan will raise our profile the District Council, the County Council, central government, and the other agencies who provide services for our area. If we can get the widest consultation possible, it will provide the evidence we need for the traffic calming measures, and to support grants and additional funding for the various projects that we identify.
If we can follow the example of other Parishes who have been successful, it will help identify, fund and provide new and additional services for the residents of Sandridge Parish.
Progress so far
23 September 2008 - We held our first public meeting to kick off helping the community create a Parish Plan. The meeting was attended by Parish Councillors, District Councillors, and representatives from Elizabethan Club, Marshalswick Baptist Church, HOSDB (the largest employer in the Parish), Sandridge WI, Spicer Street Church, St. Leonard’s PCC, Sandringham School and local residents.
25 November 2008 - Initial planning meeting. We decided to have a steering group of 12 covering all areas and interest groups across the parish. Initial volunteers were Councillor David Terrar, Councillor Janet Churchard, Claire Stanley, Home Office Scientific Development Branch, Sandridge, Richard Davis, Student Leader at Sandringham School, Tim Murphy, Deputy Head of Sandringham School, Mrs. Pat Forward, Sandridge Village Hall Trustee and WI member, Mrs. Christine Nutton on behalf of St. Leonard’s Church, Mrs. Pat Robinson, resident of Marshalswick, Bernard Lusby, Marshalswick Baptist Church. We did some initial planning and brainstorming.
17 March 2009 - First meeting of the Parish Plan Steering Group, joined by Councillor Tony Farnfield. Election of officers - Richard Davis, Chairman, David Terrar, Vice Chairman, Brian Stubbs, Secretary. Decision to create two initial working groups - Public Consultation/Questionnaire and Financing the Parish Plan.
28 April 2009 - Second meeting of the Parish Plan Steering Group. The Funding Working Group has identified £5,500 of grants that we can obtain. The Consultation Working Group is developing the questionnaire and has a programme of events at local school fayres, fetes, churches and other public meetings to publicise the plan process and the consultation. In addition we are publicising what we are doing on this website, and in Neighbourhood News.
12 June 2009 - Flyer delivered with Neighbourhood News to every household to publicise the questionnire, how or where to get a copy, and that we need your help.
11 July 2009 - The questionnaire almost finalized, and has already been made available to select groups for initial testing. Distribution to start within a week or so. The £500 grant to cover initial costs has been received, but sadly has been spent already.
21 July - Final approval of the Questionnaire by the Steering Committee. Master copy made available at Sandridge Parish Counil office. Process of bulk copying of an initial 1000 copies to be distributed to the various collection points around the Parish.
26 July - Online version of the Parish Plan Questionnaire finished. This website updated with links above to the online version, so that the survey process can commence in earnest.
27 July - Initial responses lead to a few minor changes, so version 2.2 of the questionaire is published online and in hardcopy. A PDF version of the document is made available above for download.
If you want to help contact Richard.Davis@sandringham.herts.sch.uk or sandridgeparish@tiscali.co.uk or call Diane Winn on 01727 831871.
Sandridge Parish Council Home Page |
