Blueprint Questionnaire & IVPC Response to Consultation

Winchester City Council via Itchen Valley Parish Council is seeking feedback on how local residents think the Itchen Valley should change over the next 10 to 20 years. This is part of the new planning process introduced by the government. We have until 10th December 2010 to submit our initial comments and would appreciate your feedback by 3 December so that we can send our input by the required date.

Below we give a list of questions that will help us. The list is not exhaustive so please feel free to add further comments at the end of the questionnaire. We suggest that you print out the questionnaire, write your answers on it and return it by post to Steve Gapper at Station Lodge, Old Station Road, Itchen Abbas, Winchester SO21 1BA. Alternatively you can copy and paste the questions below into an email, add your comments and send the email to steve@sgapper.freeserve.co.uk. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email Steve Gapper or ring him on 01962 779081.

IVPC Response to Consultation

In order to respond to the Blueprint Consultation the Parish Council and the Society undertook research amongst residents of the Itchen Valley to better understand how they would like to see the local area develop over the next 10 to 20 years. The research comprised a questionnaire that was publicised through articles in the two local magazines, at meetings of the Parish Council and the Upper Itchen Valley Society and at various events in the villages concerned. An outline of this report was also sent to those Upper Itchen Valley Society members with email.

As a result of the publicity we have received over 50 responses and these are summarised below.

For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the Itchen Valley Parish it might be helpful if we outline the nature of the landscape, its buildings and residents as all will have impacted the comments and views received.

The Parish is essentially rural and contains the villages of Avington, Easton, Itchen Abbas and Martyr Worthy within its boundaries. It covers the area from Cheesefoot Head in the south to Shroner Wood in the north and a large part of the Parish and the majority of its population are within the new South Downs National Park.

The very southern part of the Parish was in the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding National Beauty. The River Itchen flows through the centre of the parish with Avington and Easton to the south and Itchen Abbas and Martyr Worthy to the north. There are four conservation areas and a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the Parish. In addition, part of the River Itchen has been nominated as a Special Area of Conservation, a European Designation. 

There is a range of homes, particularly four (or more)-bedroomed family homes in large plots. There are some smaller properties that are always popular and a small number of council and housing association properties. Because of the location of the Parish, its proximity to a fast train service to London and the exceptional countryside, house prices are high

From the information provided by Winchester City Council (based on the 2001 Census) the population of the Itchen Valley Ward was made up as follows:

The Itchen Valley Ward comprises a larger area than that covered by the Itchen Valley Parish: the electoral role of the Parish is 1100, compared with 1483 people aged 18 and over included in the total of 1811 shown above. Nonetheless, we believe that the age breakdown shown is a fair reflection of the residents of the Itchen Valley Parish.

The questionnaire grouped questions into a number of headings. We have summarised the feedback from residents in the same way and put the Parish Council’s and the Society’s comments (where appropriate) in bold.

General
The ages of the respondents closely matches the age breakdown shown above. Those respondents still working either work from home or commute to work outside of the Parish e.g. London or Southampton. Services such as GPs/dentists, shops, banks are within 5 miles in either direction at Alresford and Winchester.

Transport
For most residents the main mode of transport is the car, apart from some of the over eighties who use Dial-A-Ride. Walking, cycling and buses are also used but the infrequency of the bus service, coupled with the time of the last bus from Winchester and the single route along the B3047, means that many respondents felt unable to use it.
Improved bus frequency, an extended timetable and the use of smaller vehicles so that Easton and Avington could be incorporated into the route would increase use considerably as would co-ordination of bus/train timetables where possible.

A number of comments on the road network in the Parish were received mainly commenting on the poor state of some of the surfaces, road flooding and speed of traffic. The lack of footways, particularly along the B3047, was mentioned as this inhibits walking in Itchen Abbas.
Improve the frequency of road resurfacing and drain clearance. Improve drainage of run-off from higher ground. Examine the possibility of a footway that suits a rural rather than urban location along parts of the B3047.  Careful consideration should be given to drainage issues on planning applications as there are no mains drains in three of the villages. It is impractical to leave this to the Building Regulation stage.

Education
Few respondents have school-age children so this section was poorly completed. Those with children would like them to go university, money permitting. There seems little/no demand from respondents for technical skills training in the area.
Itchen Abbas has a primary school that is well thought of and well attended. We would very much like this to continue. Martyr Worthy and Itchen Abbas also have privately-run nursery schools. Senior schools are in Alresford and Winchester and the current bus timetable that enables students to reach school and return home at appropriate times should continue.

Jobs
The majority of respondents were either retired or professional. A number stated that they would like to do voluntary work when they retire. No comments were received about maternity/paternity leave or childcare.

Business
Inhibitors to setting up businesses in the area were cited as poor public transport (see above), slow broadband speed, patchy mobile phone reception and lack of suitable premises.
Improve the speed of broadband throughout the Parish and look sympathetically at conversion of redundant (farm and other) buildings into work units suitable for small businesses.

Housing
This was one of the best-completed sections. Interestingly there seemed to be little demand for accommodation for elderly parents or for children when they marry. The majority of respondents would like to stay in the Parish as they age but with the option of moving to a smaller house. Most would only leave if forced to by infirmity, excessive development/noise levels or the inability to continue driving.
Whilst there is little or no appetite for significant change in the Parish it is recognised that there will be a demand for more housing that will have to be met both nationally and in the City Council area.  In this Parish any such development should give consideration to the need for housing suitable for those starting out and those downsizing as they get older through low-density, small-scale housing.  

The Upper Itchen Valley Society comments: “Any development within the Parish should be very small scale in order to reflect the character of the villages.”We would like to see conditions limiting the size of vehicles to be used in connection with developments/extensions in the small lanes in order to avoid damage to the environment and the imposition of a time limit within which the development should be completed.

Recreation and Leisure
Recreational activities listed were walking, cycling, music, theatre, sport, gardening and fishing. The Itchen Valley has playing fields, including the excellent new cricket facilities at Easton, three village halls, children’s play equipment and a nine-hole public golf course. Responders seem happy with the sport and leisure facilities they currently use.
Many of the facilities in the Parish provide leisure opportunities for those living in Winchester and the wider area. This is particularly true of the excellent network of footpaths which includes the Pilgrims’ Way and the South Downs Way and may increase as a result of the National Park designation.

Wish List
Responses to this question include:

• No creeping urbanisation or fundamental change in the character of the Parish
• Improved public transport
• A village (or mobile) shop, perhaps run out of one of the pubs in the Parish
• Footpath along the B3047 between Martyr Worthy and Itchen Abbas
• Reduction in noise pollution from M3
• Younger people and lower-cost housing (these two could be co-dependent)
• No increase in aircraft noise
• Allotments
• Less street lighting and light pollution generally
• More premises for small business development
• Support for local pubs so that they remain open
• Less development of smaller houses into larger ones.

SUPPLEMENT TO BLUEPRINT SUBMISSION FROM ITCHEN VALLEY PARISH COUNCIL AND THE UPPER ITCHEN VALLEY SOCIETY. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS COMES FROM THE UPPER ITCHEN VALLEY SOCIETY ONLY

ABBOTS WORTHY

Abbots Worthy comes within the civil parish of Kings Worthy but in almost every way has more in common with the civil parish of the Itchen Valley. The settlement is cut off from Kings Worthy by the A33 and this is a major factor in causing inhabitants to look to the Itchen Valley.  The Society has a number of members in Abbots Worthy.

In general the comments made in the Itchen Valley submission apply to Abbots Worthy but there are three other considerations:

1. South Downs National Park
Abbots Worthy is the “gateway” to the National Park at the Winchester end and
it has been suggested by residents that this should be marked by a change in mood from the more urban Kings Worthy side of the A33.
One possible way would be to create a wild flower meadow on the triangle of grass on the corner of the A33 and B3047 with a gateway effect on either side of the road.

2. Conservation Area
The most prominent building in the settlement is Abbots Worthy House with listed walls on the south side of the B3047 and down Mill Lane. This has been the subject of various planning applications in recent years.
Mill Lane and the houses on opposite side of the B3047 are extremely attractive and it is important that their setting is preserved.

3. Traffic
The turning on to the B3047 from Mill Lane is hazardous and minor accidents occur frequently.

December 2010