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Introduction
Welcome to this section about the Steep Parish Plan. This is your village, so please join us and get involved.
Latest News (28th June 2010)
At the Steering Group meeting in May the team decided to set up some sub groups to pursue specific areas. These are:
Building conservation
Biodiversity
Landscape
Green energy
Linda Munday (EHDC) has supplied a list of listed buildings. Consideration to be given to whether conservation area status is appropriate for properties around the Church, or Arts and Crafts properties.
Contact: Jim MacDonald to email Jim, if you are interested in joining this sub-group or wish to know more.
Contact: Tony Struthers (269533) or via email (see below). A standard Landscape Analysis format could be passed on to Bedales. A photographic record should ideally note GPS locations and bearings to aid future comparison.
If you wish to get involved with any of the above groups then contact the relevant person above or Tony Struthers.
Previous News (25th May 2010)
As part of the work for the Parish Plan, we need to undertake a landscape and buildings analysis of the Parish. We hope to run a day workshop on a weekend in the Autumn, which would involve volunteers from the community undertaking the fieldwork and surveys of the key physical and natural features of Steep. We would anticipate expert assistance and guidance to facilitate, but need a volunteer to help set up and organise the workshop. The task would involve publicising and contacting potential participants, liaising with the facilitators, ensuring that the materials are available and managing the day itself.Please contact Tony Struthers on 269533 or via email (see below).
The minutes of the May Steering Group meeting can be found here.
The minutes of the April Steering Group meeting can be found here.
Previous News (28th March 2010)
We have been awarded grants from HCC and EHDC towards the production of the plan, totalling £1500. In the meantime, we have started holding a series of "conversations" about the issues and themes that people like and value about Steep, as well as those that concern them or they feel strongly about. We want to involve as many as possible, throughout the Parish in these "conversations" which will help to inform a more detailed questionnaire, which will be circulated to all households and businesses later this year. Some of the issues that emerged so far, include speed of traffic, the condition of footpaths, the provision of gas, the speed of broadband and potential green energy initiatives.
The outputs from the first sets of conversations can be found below. We have also been in discussion with the Buriton Parish Plan group about their work and the lessons that we can learn from their experience. See www.buritonparishplan.org.uk
We are being encouraged by EHDC and the South Downs Joint Committee to prepare a Bio-diversity Plan and undertake a Landscape Appraisal of the Parish and would welcome help with these as well as other aspects of the work.
EHDC produce a Community Planning Newsletter on a regular basis and the latest one contains an update on the Steep Parish Plan.
Background to the 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 a new 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 looking for people from all over the village to join us. Some of us have already met and so far we have drawn up the following:
- The plan must reflect the views of all sections of our community
- It will identify which features and local characteristics we value
- It will highlight our local problems and opportunities
- It will set out what we want for the future
- And prepare an action plan to achieve our vision
This plan will be prepared by our community for our community in Steep, so make sure you have your say! This is such a great opportunity to get to know the people in the parish, for us to get together and have some fun.
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 or in partnership with others such as Steep Parish Council, East Hampshire District Council, Hampshire County Council and the South Downs National Park (once it becomes operational).
We are offered advice about the topics that should be covered and how we should prepare the Parish Plan. This advice comes from Action in Rural England and this is the link to the three sections currently online of their community planning toolkit
The Plan can cover a wide range of issues such as:
- Environment - landscape, buildings, open space, conservation
- Social and community - housing, isolation, health, care for young and elderly, crime and policing/neighbourhood watch
- Economy - farming, local produce, self-employment, local employment, commuting, tourism
- Infrastructure - broadband, utilities/energy sources/needs, methods of provision inc. green options
- Transport and traffic - speed/safety, parking, public transport, road conditions, footpaths, cycling
We have the support of Linda Munday, Community Planning Co-ordinator at East Hampshire District Council and Jo Dixon, Senior Rural Officer, Community Action Hampshire.
Consultation
We need to consult as widely as possible with all sections of the community and are proposing to undertake a series of conversations in and about Steep to identify which issues matter to local people. We thought that we would encourage:
- Coffee mornings, lunches, tea parties, dinners and round tables
- Simple exercises asking people what they like - which features are valued
- Asking people what they see as problems and opportunities
- What do people want for the future
- Using post-its, flip charts and material provided by EHDC etc.
- All comments to be transcribed and retained
We also proposing to develop a series of events to encourage pop-in for conversations and to prepare and undertake a questionnaire survey of all households.
We will update the website as consultation progresses and events are arranged.
We would welcome ideas about how to encourage as much community consultation as possible and the involvement of all who live, work or go to school in Steep. Please if you have ideas that you want us to consider or wish to help us in any way. We are particularly keen to encourage involvement from all the different parts of the Parish and from all age groups.
Conversations held to date
Click on the link to open a PDF document containing the notes taken at each event
Who is involved?
An initial meeting was held to explain about the Steep Parish Plan in the Village Hall on Monday 14th September 2009. It was attended by about 30 people and volunteers were requested to form a Steering Group. This was formed and has subsequently met on 2 occasions and has agreed a mission statement, a draft constitution, the setting up of a bank account and the publicity for the start of the process to prepare the Plan. A leaflet was been circulated with the December 09/January 10 Parish Newsletter and this link to the Steep Village website has been established.
We have agreed a Mission Statement:
Steep Parish Plan is a statement of how our local community in Steep sees itself changing and developing over the next few years.
- It reflects the views of all sections of our community
- It highlights the features and local characteristics of the Parish
- It highlights our local problems and opportunities
- It sets out what we want for the future
- It prepares an action plan to achieve our vision
- It is prepared by our community for our community in Steep.
Future meetings have been arranged, please see the what's on page for details.
Timetable
Our current draft timetable is:
Months | Action |
| Sept to Dec 2009 | Arrange initial meeting about Plan (held 14 Sept) |
| Establish Steering Group (1st meeting 19 Oct) | |
| Agree constitution (2nd meeting 10 Nov) | |
| Open bank account (done in Nov) | |
| Apply for grants from HCC & EHDC | |
| Publicise plan through leaflet and Parish newsletter (Nov) | |
| Set up link to website (December) | |
| Arrange Welcome Club for older residents (10 Dec) | |
| Jan to March 2010 | Set up series of 'conversations' and consultation events throughout the Parish |
| Identify issues and topics for Parish Plan | |
| Prepare survey questionnaire about issues for circulation | |
| April to June 2010 | Undertake residents survey in Parish together with consultation events to encourage response |
| Undertake landscape analysis of Parish | |
| July to Sept 2010 | Begin preparation of Parish Plan |
| Oct to Dec 2010 | Complete draft Parish Plan and undertake consultation |
| Jan to March 2011 | Finalise Parish Plan and submit to EHDC and South Downs National Park Authority |