Background to the Steep Parish Plan

We have the opportunity to affect the future by preparing "a statement of how our local community sees itself changing and developing over the next few years." This is an initiative which local and central government are promoting, encouraging local communities to draw up plans for their future. We are not affiliated to anything that has been set up before and we have a clean slate to voice everything and anything and influence future forward plans.

We are aiming for a plan which:

• reflects the views of all sections of our community
• identifies which features and local characteristics we value
• highlights our local problems and opportunities
• sets out what we want for the future

This plan is being prepared by our community for our community in Steep, so make sure you have your say! This is a great opportunity to get to know the people in the parish, for us to get together and have some fun and do something positive for the future.

What is a Parish Plan?

A Parish Plan sets out how community action can meet local needs, can help to prioritise resources and can provide important information to help influence the policies, decisions and actions of others. It belongs to the community and it will be delivered by the community in partnership with others such as Steep Parish Council, East Hampshire District Council, Hampshire County Council and the South Downs National Park.

Advice is available about the topics that should be covered and how we should prepare the Parish Plan. East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) is supporting community planning and further information can be found at their website.

A Parish Plan can cover a wide range of issues such as:

• Our environment - landscape, buildings, open space, conservation
• Social and community matters - such as housing, isolation, health, care for the young and the elderly, crime and policing/neighbourhood watch
• Economy - farming, local produce, self-employment, local employment, commuting, tourism
• Infrastructure - broadband and other utility services, energy sources and how they are provided, including, for example, 'green options'
• Transport and traffic - speed/safety, parking, public transport, road conditions, footpaths, cycling

Brief history

In 2001 the Steep Village Design Statement was published and adopted by Steep Parish Council and East Hampshire District Council. This described the village and its setting, its key features and activities and set out design guidelines together with actions and proposals for the future. Many of these actions have been implemented - such as the footpath along the south side of Church Road, new signage, a sympathetically designed bus shelter and new speed limits. However, it is now more than 10 years since its publication; the South Downs National Park has been established and the village's population has continued to change, with many new residents moving into the area during this period.

Following the production of Village Design Statements, encouragement was given by Government and the Local Authorities to Parishes to prepare Parish Plans, which are intended to present a wider view of the village and its community, incorporating updated Design Guidance and the undertaking of a Landscape Appraisal. With this encouragement, in 2009 the Parish Council requested volunteers to come forward to undertake the work.

An initial meeting to explain what the Steep Parish Plan might be about was held in the Village Hall on Monday 14th September 2009. This had the support of Steep Parish Council, East Hampshire District Council and Community Action Hampshire. It was attended by about 30 people and this led to the formation of a Steering Group, which agreed a mission statement, a draft constitution, the setting up of a bank account and a draft work programme to develop ideas about how to undertake the preparation of the Plan.

The Steering Group has met regularly since then and minutes of its meetings can be found here.

The starting point for the work, to involve as much of the community as possible, was to hold a series of "conversations". at different locations throughout the parish to identify the potential issues. This was supplemented by a well-attended exhibition in the Village Hall in March 2010 which displayed a range of posters inviting comment and encouraged participants to meet and talk about Steep. This was followed by a special insert in the May 2010 Steep and Stroud Newsletter in order to keep everyone informed of the work undertaken to date.Please note that this is a large file due to the many images it contains and may take some time to download

A further major exhibition was held in November 2010 illustrating the progress undertaken so far, including facts and figures, building and monuments, history and green projects. In particular, it highlighted the next stage of work on the landscape appraisal and requested volunteers to help undertake the work.

Since then, three major projects have got underway:

1. Questionnaire:

   a survey of the population, inviting views and comments from everyone who lives and works in Steep, together with young children who attend school here, will be undertaken in June 2011. The topics reflect the suggestions and ideas from the conversations and exhibitions held during 2010. Once the results are analysed, a Village Survey Feedback Event will be held, which will be an opportunity to discuss the survey results, the issues they raise and to influence the next stage of the Plan. The explanatory notes for completing the questionnaire are available here.

2. Landscape Appraisal:

   teams have surveyed the Parish during the winter months of 2011 and produced their preliminary results at an Exhibition in April 2011. The next stage will be the undertaking of surveys in Summer 2011. This work is a pilot project for Parish Landscape Appraisals and has the support of HCC.

3. History:

   a sub-group has been formed to undertake the history of the Parish, involving the community through interviews, photos, artefacts and exhibitions together with an appraisal of the buildings and monuments. Further details can be found at the following link.

Parish Plan - revised timeline.

Health Warning:

This timetable depends on the continuing efforts of our team of volunteers, as well as your feedback. It is therefore subject to change!