Ashill
Village Appraisal 1998
Final Report
Copyright ©Ashill Parish Council
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreward
Why a village Appraisal?
Introduction
The Village of Ashill
Demographic Information
Employment
Transport
Housing
Health and Community Care
Safety
Social Facilities
Sports Facilities
Local Information
Local Government
Religion
Countryside and the Environment
Conclusion
Action Plan
We are pleased to take this opportunity to thank all those who have worked so hard to collect, collate and produce this Village Appraisal report for Ashill. Thanks must also go to you, the residents of Ashill. who responded so magnificently by completing and returning the questionnaires.
Whilst the majority of us feel the village is a good place to live and work, we must not be complacent, but try to ensure that Ashill prospers and thrives in this new Millennium.
The information from this appraisal will give us, the Parish Council, Ashill Village Aid and other groups within the village, some pointers as to what the village feels is needed to improve the quality of life in our community. Some suggestions may not come to fruition, however hopefully other facilities will be improved or developed.
We must remember that a village is only as good as its residents, therefore we hope you will take the opportunity of reading through this appraisal report and, wherever possible, give support and/or assistance to any new venture.
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Richard Leighton |
Enid Turner |
This report summarises the outcomes of a survey carried out by and for the community of Ashill. This local process, commonly known as a ‘Village Appraisal’ aims to identify local characteristics, problems, needs, solutions and alternatives. Village appraisals report the past, assess the present and plan for the future, aiming to put into context the communities’ views on the village.
The outcomes of this ‘Village Appraisal’ will be vital for the short and medium term plans of the village of Ashill. The views of the community that took part in this democratic process are taken into consideration to set up an action plan. with a set of priorities.
The appraisal identifies what local people consider ’needs to be done’ and forms the basis of public opinion on certain issues. From this information an action plan can be developed to ensure that the issues raised during the appraisal process are examined and acted upon under an agreed timetable. The results of the appraisal and action plan can be used by the community, Parish Council and other authorities and bodies to enable the community to achieve what it wants and to help safeguard the future of the community and its surroundings.
A wide range of issues can be examined as part of the appraisal process, ranging from litter problems to improved community facilities. The needs of specific groups, such as the elderly or disabled can be looked at, with the whole community working as a team. Cause and effect issues are also identified by appraisals. Although an appraisal may not be able to solve all the problems, it will have identified the main issues. The information gathered can be used when decisions are taken on issues affecting the community and its inhabitants.
The Ashill Village Appraisal came about following discussions between the Parish Council, who were considering a survey of sheltered housing requirements in the village, and Ashill Village Aid who wished to look at their role in the community. It was decided to conduct a more comprehensive village appraisal to obtain the information required and look at other issues raised by the community.
Over the course of the Spring 1998 several meetings took place to decide on the format and content of the questionnaire. This was a particularly difficult task, as we needed to cover those issues that were of major concern to the community but keep the length of the questionnaire to a manageable size.
The questionnaire was finalised and distributed to all households the first week of October 1998 and collected two weeks later. The total number of households replying was 449 out of a total of 606 questionnaires delivered, producing a 74% return. This is a very encouraging response level and it is hoped there will be a similar level of support from those offering help in the questionnaire, to implement the recommendations.
Unfortunately, problems with the computer software meant the recording and analysis of the information was lengthy and a time consuming business. The results and recommendations of the project are set out in this report which is being distributed free of charge to every household. Copies are also being passed to County and District Councillors and other interested persons and organisations. There will be an opportunity to discuss the findings and recommendations at an open meeting in the near future.
Thanks must go to the PARC Project and Central Norfolk Leader II for their financial support and guidance in the project as it has developed. The cost of advice in producing this document has been met by grants from the PARC Project. We are very grateful for this and the support of Jason Middleton, Sue Ridgway, Aitor Llodio (ALR Consultant) and Geoffrey Leigh.
Special thanks to all those who took part in the delivery and collection of the questionnaires, who offered their help with the computer input, gave advice, guidance and encouragement when we, the committee, realised just how much work was involved.
Appraisal Committee:
Harold Bartlett
Pauline Hardy
Rita Bunce
Richard Leighton
Trevor Conn
Sue Paton
Christine Dack
Richard Piper
Robbie Fulcher
Jean Sangster
Heather Goodwin
Enid Turner
Rev. R Gyton
The earliest signs of habitation in the Parish of Ashill are the Roman remains discovered when the railway cutting was dug at the East end of the village. Devil’s Dyke, visible as a mound and ditch across the middle of the common is thought by some to be older, but as yet no evidence of this has been uncovered. Ashill was split into 3 small hamlets: one based on Panworth Hall, the second in the vicinity of Uphall and the third close to where Moat Farm now stands.
Ashill was originally called Asleigh, which meant a clearing in the Ash wood. In the past the village must have been almost self-sufficient. Ashill has its own brick-kiln (next to the current waste transfer site). It also has its own water mill, sited in the river Wissey in the corner of the Caudle Wood (a piece of land granted to Ashill which slices through part of South Pickenham) so Ashill farmers could grind their own corn.
The oldest building in the village is the church, which dates from the 14th century. It stands close to the group of houses that form the oldest part of the village. In the centre of the village are the Pond and The Green. In years gone by drovers taking stock to Swaffham Market would stay overnight on The Green. An old shed served as accommodation for the men while the cattle grazed on The Green and drank from the Pond. The drovers were charged at so much a head for their stock, collected by a man called the pinder.
Before the 1960’s Ashill’s population, though only four or five hundred, supported butchers, bakers, 3 pubs, blacksmiths and all sorts of other tradesmen.
The Pond (above), The Crown (Below)
With the advent of easier movement around the country these facilities have largely disappeared so that although the population has increased to nearly 1500 the village is now far from self-sufficient.
The building of so many houses in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. and the influx of so many new people, many retired, has had a profound effect on the village. There are many well supported organisations ranging from Mother and Toddler to Golden Link, a new Community Centre was completed in the 70’s and is well used. as is the Ashill Village Aid’s Call-in, so all in all Ashill feels a good place to live.
Church Street
During the last 200 years. the population of rural England has changed greatly. From the early 1800’s until the mid 1970’s, the trend was for people to move from rural areas into towns to both live and work as industry was set up and expanded. During the late 1970’s shifts in expectations and working patterns led to the beginning of counter urbanisation, as rural areas began to be re-populated with people moving from urban areas into the countryside. However, although the population of many villages is increasing, the traditional balance of people living in villages is being undermined by the speed of change.
Demographic information will enable the appraisal to identify population trends and possible population shifts so you can plan for the future. You may have lots of children at the village school. However, there may be very few babies in the village to go to the school in five years time. Because of this the school may be at risk in the future, unless action is taken to save it. There may be a small number of people over 65 in the community. However, in five to ten years this may double. How will the demographic characteristics of your village change in time?
The demographic characteristics of the village of Ashill can be seen on the following page:
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Information from the 1991 population census |
Information from the1998 appraisal (449 questionnaires returned). |
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Population Households |
1450 606 |
Population Households Average people per house Sex ratio Male Female |
1048 449 2.3 48% 52% |
54% of the village population are of working age. 16% are children under working age and 30% are over 65 years old. Half of the villagers have lived in Ashill less than 15 years and a quarter less than 5 years.
As with population, work patterns in rural areas are going through a period of rapid change. Where agriculture was once the dominant employer in the countryside. it now employs around 1% of the British work force, with a meagre 5% of people living in rural areas working in agriculture. As the number of jobs decline, people have very little choice and many will move away to where jobs can be found. What are the employment characteristics of your community?
Only 2% of the working population in Ashill are unemployed, lower than the regional average of 6%. Despite this positive statistic. 10% of the villagers are seeking either full time or part time jobs.
8% of the population is in full-time education, most of them are teenagers and there are 3 mature students. 40% of the villagers are retired; this is a high proportion of the population.
People’s ability to move around and communicate is a vital part of the world we live in. On average, nearly 20% of the population, for various reasons, are less mobile and thus reliant on others for their transport needs. In rural areas public transport is hardly ever a viable service, simply as the population is too small. As a result, individuals living in rural areas rely more heavily than their urban relatives do on private car use.
Such a dependence on the car means that those without cars often have no other way of getting around and rely on friends, relatives, or taxi if they wish to go anywhere. Those villages who are fortunate enough to have a bus service cannot always rely on it, as rural buses tend to be poor in frequency and quality and high in price. What are the transport needs of Ashill?
Nearly three quarters of the villagers have a daytime access to a vehicle. However, 25% of the respondents’ experience occasional transport difficulties in getting out of Ashill to other places.
21 people are keen to volunteer weekly in private car sharing. There is an extra support of over 150 people that could help at least occasionally. Moreover, around half of the respondents would be happy to use a voluntary car service as a passenger.
It might be a good idea to set up a Transport Committee to deal with this vital issue as private car sharing could well succeed.
As it is common in all or at least most of the rural villages, the great majority (89%) of the population never have parking problems in Ashill, since most own a private parking space (i.e. garage, parking off road).
Half of the villagers do not want to comment on the improvement of bus services. This may be explained by the fact that they do not use the public transport locally. However, there is considerable support, mainly from teenagers and the older people to improve the service regarding routes, timetables and prices.
There are also comments pointing out the fact that it is easier to go out from Ashill than to return, and the fact that the bus service to King’s Lynn does not stop at The Green as stated in the bus timetable.
In the comments section of the questionnaire, there is great support to put bus shelters on both sides of the road. There are also calls to move the bus stops to other locations in the village, such as The Green, due to the long distances that some villagers have to walk to get the bus.
Within the village there is remarkable support for speed control measures. the elderly being the most concerned about this issue. In fact car speed is one of the most common sources of safety worry in Ashill. Thus, half the respondents would like to see traffic calming measures in the village, with comments specifying Hale Road and Watton Road. Three out of ten would like to see ‘Children at Play’ signs, more road warning signs and the extension of the speed limit.
Street parking is seen as a danger in several locations in Ashill, especially in Church Street and the corner near A shill Tots. There are also comments that car parking is hazardous by the Chapel and outside the school, especially at school opening times.
The number and type of houses in a village should vary. Different people will want to live in different types of houses at different times in their life. However, not everyone can live in the type of house that they need. If there is a lack of housing within a village the prices of houses will increase and rise to a point where local people can no longer afford them. These people will be driven out of the community through no choice of their own. Is there such a problem in our cornmunity?
Half the parishioners think that there is no need for new homes in Ashill. However, only 15% of the respondents would have any objection in principle to a development that might help to meet the housing needs of local people.
The type of homes that people are most keen to see in future development are specially adapted homes and bungalows followed by cottages. These are followed by detached houses and semi-detached houses (see above).
The type of accommodation most supported for development in the village are housing for the elderly. such as sheltered housing (29%) and housing with care (18%). These are followed by restricted sale of housing to local people and affordable housing.
The health of the nation is becoming an ever more important issue. With services becoming more centralised and people having to travel further to get treatment, it is important that rural communities are not excluded. Everyone living in rural areas, even the very fit and healthy, will need care and assistance at some stage. How accessible are the health services to your community?
The majority of the population in Ashill do not have difficulties in getting to medical facilities such as hospitals. dentist, optician etc. However, around 40 people have problems in collecting medicine on prescription.
Over a hundred respondents have a health problem or disability, which affects their day to day living. 64 of these are over 65 years of age.
Some of the older people, disabled or sick population in need of help for shopping, bathing etc have some sort of support or help. However, there are 60 people still in need of help for one or some of the above ñ housework and shopping are the most required activities. There are 45 respondents who require adaptations to make their homes more suitable for their health needs (See Action Plan 10).
Three out of four respondents think that Ashill needs the provision of a day care centre for the older people. Additionally, the majority of the villagers in Ashill are in favour of the development of sheltered/warden assisted accommodation on the Goose Green allotment site to the rear of Dack’s shop. There are also calls for a local medical service, which could be shared with nearby villages and run once a week, for instance.
In this country, rural villages have always been considered safer places to live than towns and cities. The crime level was low or non-existent. It was not that long ago when people used to keep the house and car doors unlocked. However, things have changed. How safe do you feel in your own village?
Only 2% of the population regard the police coverage of Ashill to be good, 21% to be reasonable and 57% considered it to be poor. This fact clearly states that there is a need for a greater police presence as well as better consultation between the police and the local community.
Nearly half the villagers would like to join the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme but 30% reject the idea.
Only half of the citizens know their Ashill Village Aid contact. The majority of the population (93%) are not willing to help with Ashill Village Aid activities. However the 45 villagers who are keen to help with these activities can assure the short and medium term running of this caring local project.
This survey reflects that the main three issues of concern regarding safety in Ashill are as follows: (1) Lighting (2) Car Speed (3) the risks created by the duck population
The area adjacent to the Community Centre, followed by The Green and the School are the areas where the community feels more unsafe. Church Street, Dunnett’s Close and the footpath from Fir Park to the Watton Road are also mentioned. Most of these concerns are directly related to the level of street lighting in these areas.
Half of the villagers think that there is a need to improve the street lighting. The same percentage of respondents feel that street parking is a safety risk in the village. Both these issues should be assessed, and contact made with the District Council for further improvements.
Within a village there is often a wide range of clubs and societies that meet on a regular basis. The type and range of these will vary depending on the size and structure of the population, but will also vary depending on the location of the village. The number and type of clubs or societies will change with time. Are there enough clubs or societies in our community?
Nearly a third of the respondents think that the local social facilities for youngsters aged 17-25 are poor. However, nearly half of these think the social facilities for residents over 60 are good or reasonable, which may mean that Ashill is a good place to retire to!
There are a few calls to put seats in the village, so the elderly population can have a rest when they go for a walk or even have a relaxing chat with their friends. ‘Creative arts for children’, ‘Gardening Club’ and ‘Young Peoples Drama Group’ are the clubs with most offers of help to set up and run. So there are a few clubs that could be organised in the village and may succeed with support.
There are several groups of 20 to 30 people that are prepared to organise or attend women’s and men’s health, discussion groups, handicraft and youth activities.
Nearly 400 people in Ashill are in support of establishing a Credit Union in the village. This community project could succeed if the support shown in this survey becomes a reality. However, consultation with similar projects should take place before any consideration.
Most people consider the postal service good or reasonable, criticism refers to the speed of the service, number of deliveries and the size of the post box.
Nearly a quarter of the respondents think the siting of the telephone boxes in the village is poor. However, over 50% consider the siting of these as good or reasonable.
The range of sports has dramatically increased in the last few decades. Most villages have sports grounds and facilities where the local population meet, enjoy and do some exercise. The type, state and number of these facilities will influence the type and number of sports clubs that operate within the village. What are the sports facilities like in our community?
Only 4% of the respondents think that the facilities provided in the children’s playground are good. 33% think the facilities are reasonable and 18% poor. There are some comments regarding safety improvements to the playground.
Golf, Tennis, Squash and Yoga respectively are the sports facilities that respondents are keener to support, if new spoils developments are carried out in the village.
Keep fit. Football and Golf are the sports with the most volunteers offering help in organising and running the clubs (over 20 supporters for each sport).
There are a few calls to cover the school’s swimming pool and make it accessible for the community.
Communication is something we all take for granted and is often overlooked on a day to day basis. Without good communication life would be very different and we could not do many of the activities we enjoy. The same applies to a community, especially those that are isolated in rural areas. The need for an effective community makes it a very important subject. How available is the local information in our village?
95% of the respondents usually get information about events taking place in the village through Ashlink. The Post Office (4 1%) is also an ideal source of information to get to know ‘what is going on’ in Ashill.
Nearly 9 out of 10 think that the amount of information available about activities carried out in the village is good or reasonable. One third of the respondents support the idea of developing an Ashill web-site on the Internet.
Regarding local information services most of the respondents do not think that a ‘Family Planning Service’ would be useful in Ash ill. However, the Citizens Advice Bureau (55 C/c). Benefit Advice’ (18%) and ‘Employment Service’ (12%) have higher support.
Government in the UK has always been very centralised. In the last few years there have been some changes but local government is less empowered than those in other European countries. However, country wide many parish councils are totally involved in local projects. What is the role of the Parish Council in our village?
Only a quarter of the respondents have ever attended a meeting of the Ashill Parish Council. However, there is a general feeling that the issues discussed reflected local concerns and only 5% feel that they do not.
More than half the respondents do not want to give an opinion on the way that the planning system is implemented in the village. However, there is a feeling that sufficient publication is not given (38%) to the planning applications which affect Ashill.
The great majority of the population in Ashill supports the three projects proposed by the Millennium Committee. These are as follows:
(1) The construction of storage areas in the Community Centre for local groups.
(2) To improve and maintain the village pond area.
(3) To improve and relocate the play area to the front of the Community Centre.
The pond project has the highest support amongst the villagers. followed by the construction of storage areas in the Community Centre. There is uncertainty regarding the relocation of the play area. Many people think that this will increase the danger for children due to its closeness to the road and that new equipment will be vandalised
Traditionally the church has always been an important part of community life. It provides people with a sense of well being. support for the needy and a location for social gatherings and special events. What is the role of the church and the buildings associated with it in our community?
17% of the villagers are active members of one of the three local churches. Half of them being members of St Nicholas Church and the other half equally split between the Methodist Chapel and the Fountain of Life.
Only 60 respondents attend places of worship outside Ashill. More than half of them because of their religion and one quarter of them because of time tables.
Saint Nicholas Church
COUNTRYSIDE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Dramatic changes have occurred in the British countryside, especially since the Second World War. Loss of many habitats and species and pollution of several natural systems such as water are some examples. Thus, the importance to protect the diversity of the countryside and the environment is internationally recognised. What is the environment like within and around our village?
Over 180 people are prepared to help with ecological and landscape features in the village, the priority for most being the protection of wildlife habitat. Around 75 respondents would be keen on clearing and monitoring footpaths and 44 surveying trees.
The Pond
Six out of ten respondents are positive about setting up a Wildlife Conservation Area in Ashill.
The respondents think that recycling (42%), improvement on public transport (37%), more local employment (30%) and improvement to rights of way (footpaths. bridleways, etc.) (30%) are the most important things to do in order to help protect and enhance the local environment of Ashill.
The number of respondents that know where local footpaths are and can use them without difficulty is approximately the same as those who do not. More than half think that the footpaths and bridleways are not well signposted, which may explain why so many people do not know where the local paths are.
74 villagers are willing to maintain the footpaths and bridleways, and a large majority of the respondents would like to see maps of local paths or similar publications.
Within the comments of the village appraisal there is much concern about the risks created by the ducks on the pond. All the comments consider the number of ducks in the village as too high, threatening the safety of car drivers and destroying the pond as habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna.
Ashill Village Aid Call In Centre
Ashill is a peaceful, tranquil and safe community with lovely countryside and caring villagers. This is the conclusion gathered from the Village Appraisal respondents when questioned about the best thing in the village.
However, this survey has shown that there are many things that require improvement in Ashill, but the survey has also proved that there are many active and enthusiastic people willing to make Ashill a better village.
In order to make sure that the views stated in this report will be taken into account, we have developed an Action Plan that ideally should be adopted as official policy by the different organisations in the village, led by the Parish Council.
The main topics discussed in the report have been analysed in the Action Plan and sets of issues have been developed in order of priority, from short-term to long-term achievements. It will be difficult to achieve these proposals without the help of willing volunteers. However, the plan is set and the leading local organisations with the support of the community should take action to enhance the local facilities and services, as you required.
1. Reaffirm the role of Ashill Village Aid and how it benefits the community
• AVA produce a newsletter every alternate year.
• AVA publish more information in Ashlink, at the Community Centre and in the village information point.
• AVA will continue to deliver welcome packs to each new family/resident moving into
Ashill.
2. Environmental Group
• Set up a local recycling scheme. Breckland District Council to be contacted to find out if Ashill could be a pilot scheme
for household recycling.
• Clean up and restore the pond and its surrounding area. Ashill Millennium Committee has applied for two grants in
order to carry out the required developments.
• Examine rights of way and footpaths in more detail. The Parish Council to provide the definitive map for AVA to
produce a footpath guide.
• The Parish Council to design and produce a village map to be displayed in the village.
3. Sports and Social Issues
• Examine the feasibility of setting up new clubs and societies.
• Improve children’s play area facilities. Ashill Millennium Committee is applying for grants in order to develop a new
play area.
• Put new seats around the village.
• Improve facilities and access to facilities for young people. Set up a Youth Forum, the Youth Club to work with the Parish Council and other organisations in order to deal with this issue.
4. Examining Postal Services
• Contact Royal Mail to address the problems and concerns relating to the quality of Ashill’s postal service. The Parish Council has already accomplished this issue.
5. Development of Ashill Web-Site
• Ashill web-site needs to be developed and expanded. Local organisations should write a summary of their aims and activities and pass the information over to the Parish Council (Mr Bob Wright) who is developing the site.
6. Organise and hold a Citizens Day
• A citizen’s day will be held to discuss the results of the Village Appraisal and to encourage residents to get involved in the development of the Action Plan. This event will be organised by the Appraisal Committee with the support of the PARC Project.
7. Transport Issues
The Parish Council to take the lead in the following areas:
• To encourage the community to use public transport, improving timetables, routes and information.
• Assess the possibility of relocating bus stops. Contact the bus companies after any decision made.
• Construct two bus shelters. Costs and funding available have been researched (PARC Project).
• Monitor street parking problems and speeding issues. Ashill Parish Council is working on this (i.e. traffic calming measures, speed control and children at play signs).
• Encourage private car sharing. Look at ways to get together those requiring transport facilities and those offering transport. Use the facilities provided by Ashlink, the Post Office and the village information point to improve and enhance communication.
8. Demographics
• There is a need to bring the community together, especially with a higher number of newcomers. Ashlink, AVA welcome
pack and an Open Day within the village will help strengthen community links and spirit.
• There is a need to support the older people. AVA to liaise with Social Services in order to improve local facilities.
• There is a need to keep young people within the community The Wayland Partnership and the new European Objective 2
fund could help to create new jobs locally.
9. Education
• Organise lifelong learning and training facilities for the community. A ‘Learning by Laptop’ computer course is to be organised by AVA at the Call In Centre. It may be possible to have a local library, with the support of Adult Education
(NCC).
10. Health and Community
• Improve access to health services. AVA to take a lead role to improve these basic facilities, especially for the elderly population.
• Organise a visiting doctor surgery scheme. Liaise with Primary Care Group.
• Identify households requiring adaptations due to health needs. Liaise with Primary Care Group and Social Services.
• Improve support for those with health problems and/or disabilities. Liaise with Primary Care Group and Social Services.
• Develop a Day Care Centre. The Parish Council has assessed this possibility, but it is still not feasible at present.
11. Safety
• Develop a village Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. A new scheme is already up and running.
• Management of duck population. Ashill Millennium Committee is dealing with this problem through the pond project. A sign has been put in the pond to discourage people from feeding the ducks. A bylaw could be developed by the Parish Council in order to prohibit people feeding them.
• Set up a consultation scheme with the police. Ashill Parish Council is pressing for a community policeman.
• Improve street lighting. The Parish Council considers that present light levels are adequate for the village and states that funding for this proposal is not available.
12. Local Information
• Develop ways to access local information services (i.e. Benefit Advice, Family Planning, Job Information etc).
• Safeguard the future of Ashlink and the Post Office. Support action already being taken by the Post Office to retain their role in the community. Continue providing information and support for Ashlink to retain its unique identity.
13. Local Government
• Increase public participation in the Parish Council activities. Ashill Parish Council should publish their meeting agenda and the minutes to encourage local attendance.
14. Housing
• Ashill Parish Council should ensure that Development Plans promote housing needs only. These are as follows:
- Need for sheltered housing
- Restricted sale for local people
- Need for affordable housing for young people
© 2000
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This project is being part financed by the European
Union |