1. Preface
When I accepted the chairmanship of the Parish Plan Steering Committee I had little idea of what was involved or what the result would be. What I did know was that I thought our task was important and that the residents should have an opportunity to formally record their needs and wants. I believe this plan is a comprehensive reference work that governmental, voluntary and commercial organisations involved in our future should take into account when making their plans. In particular I look forward to the Parish Council adopting the action plan as its blueprint for the challenging times ahead. Many of the findings have been shared with the local strategic partnership and again we are encouraged by their willingness to address the community's views and concerns. Most of the credit for the plan goes to my fellow committee members to whom I would like to express my gratitude. In particular I would like to acknowledge the committee's secretary Graham Steel without whom we would not be where we are today, and for writing this report; Jeremy Peters for producing this report and editing www.myshotley.com; Kevin Smith for his work on the questionnaire and software; and to Val and Roy Simpkin who sourced much important local information. Also, thanks are due to all the volunteer deliverers and data entry clerks and the many people who gave up their time to complete questionnaires, attend meetings, share their views and research issues. Last but not least thanks to the sponsors, Shotley Parish Council, Suffolk Acre and the Countryside Agency. We could say that responsibility for the Parish Plan now passes from the Steering Committee to the Parish Council; however, this would only be partially true. The real responsibility passes to you the people, organisations and businesses of Shotley. The Parish Council I am sure can and will facilitate, support and give direction but as we say on the website "*You can make things happen here" Phill Radley, Chairman, Shotley Parish Plan Steering Committee*

2. Executive Summary
The Parish Plan for Shotley has been a long time in the making and this is shown by the depth and quality of the consultations undertaken voluntarily by the Steering Committee. The exercise has been as thorough as the Steering Committee could make it and we are confident that the recommendations accurately reflect the views of the community and that the information in the body of the report can confidently guide policy makers and service providers on our needs and aspirations. The future of the HMS Ganges site looms large in the report. Either a development will go ahead that overwhelms the existing infrastructure of the village or a sustainable development sensitive to the site could happen. Alternatively, the public inquiry may reject the application and the site will slide further into dereliction. The report seeks to address each scenario. Shotley is an active community with more than 40 groups providing services and activities. However, many lack the resources to improve and develop as they would wish. Recruitment and to some extent retention of activists is a difficulty. Awareness of the Parish Council seems to be high yet there is some confusion over its roles and relationship to the other tiers of local government. The Parish Plan addresses other challenges that face the community, for example: the future of the surgery, empowering young people, protecting and enhancing the environment, meeting housing need, improving public transport, support to businesses, making the area safer for all road users and improving access to services currently lacking in the area. The work of the Steering Group in pulling together the plan has already started to bring positive action in the community: the website for example has proven to be a major communication and participation resource. Graham Steel, Secretary, Shotley Parish Plan Steering Committee

3. Introduction and Background
3.1 A Parish Plan is a thorough exercise to raise interest in the village about how we can plan and build for the future. A Parish Plan should reflect the views of all sections of the community; it should identify features and local characteristics that people value; identify local problems and opportunities; spell out how residents would like the community to develop in the future, and prepare a plan of action to achieve this vision 3.2 Shotley Parish Council first considered producing a Parish Plan sometime in 2000, however, it was not until late 2003 that the decision to go ahead was finally taken and endorsed by a Parish Meeting. Chief amongst the reasons for the decision was that the village was facing a number of planning issues which had the potential for changing many aspects of village life: Planning Consent had been granted for 150 new dwellings on the Shotley Marina site Planning Consent was being sought for 500 dwellings on the site of the former HMS Ganges Royal Navy Training Establishment A Public Inquiry into the development of Bathside Bay at Harwich had started which could bring a new deep water container port some 1.4km in length less than 2km from the village across the River Stour These new developments were in addition to a near doubling of the population in the mid to late 1980s and a more recent significant increase in the early 1990s when over 100 ex Ministry of Defence houses were sold. 3.3 The Council were also aware that no detailed assessment of the needs of the community had been made for some time and that if the case for resources to meet the needs of the existing community was to be effectively made, then sound research would need to be undertaken. This would also allow for a more reasoned approach to the implications of pursuing Quality Parish Status. 3.4 The village of Erwarton looks to Shotley to provide many essential services and membership of local voluntary organisations and clubs are shared with Shotley. The Erwarton Parish Meeting agreed to participate in the Parish Plan process. 3.5 At the Parish Meeting referred to above, a number of residents were nominated to serve as the Steering Committee. Following a briefing and skills audit in March 2004, the following agreed to continue in the role: Graham Steel Kevin Smith Roy Simpkin Jeremy Peters Val Simpkin Phill Radley John Stubbs Stephen Howard Dr David Hall as the Chairperson of the Erwarton Parish meeting was a co-opted member and a further co-option, Carol Nightingale, was made in June 2005. We are also indebted to the invaluable assistance of Brigitte Gualde who initially designed the web site. 3.6 It is important to reiterate that whilst Shotley Parish Council partially funded the Parish Plan and acted as banker for the Steering Committee the process was entirely independent of them and at no time did they seek to influence the methodology or findings. The independence of the Steering Committee is enshrined in the Constitution adopted in April 2004 - Appendix B. 3.7 Funding for the plan was provided in roughly equal proportions by the Countryside Agency, Shotley Parish Council and the voluntary contributions in kind of the Steering Committee and other volunteers. Due to Government restrictions imposed on the Countryside Agency a number of items had to be removed from the budget and the Committee are indebted to the Parish Council for making additional funds available for meeting rooms, the web site and specific consultation events. The accounts for these monies are to be found elsewhere on this website 3.8 The process and methodology used by the Steering Committee is described in section 5 of this report. A summary of the consultation exercises is to be found in section 6.


4. Maps and demography
4.1 Location The Parish of Shotley is situated at the end of the Shotley Peninsula, approximately 10 miles south east of Ipswich, the county town of Suffolk. The Shotley peninsula is bounded by the estuaries of the Rivers Stour and Orwell, which form one of the most notable natural harbours – Harwich Harbour - on the East Coast of England. The harbour is the home of the internationally renown ports of Harwich and Felixstowe. Although the Shotley Peninsula is not included on the average tourist's trail through Suffolk, it is an area of outstanding beauty and is a magnet to naturalists, walkers, bird-watchers, horse-riders, cyclists and yachtsmen alike. Shotley Parish, at the extreme easterly end of the Shotley Peninsula, covers approximately 60sq.km and is made up of 3 distinct settlements; a hamlet centered on the Church, Shotley Gate, principally family housing in 1960s and 1980s developments, and Shotley Street which contains a large element of social housing. Of particular note is the historical shore-based Royal Navy training facility, HMS Ganges, which currently lies derelict. Napoleonic era buildings and fortifications have recently been discovered.

Figure 1 location of Shotley	Figure 2 Shotley in relation to Ipswich and neighbouring villages. [Crown Copyright]


Figure 3. Detailed map of Shotley and Erwarton Parishes [Crown Copyright]

STATISTICS FOR SHOTLEY AND ERWARTON PARISHES (source: ONS, 2001 Census, Crown Copyright)

4.2 Population and age distribution The total number of households in the two Parishes, as recorded in the 2001 Census, was 987 with a total population of 2,373 (1,173 male, 1,200 female). The age distribution is shown below in figure 1; 31% of the population is aged 24 or younger, and 15% aged 65 and older. The mean age of the population is nearly 38.

Figure 4: Parish Population Age Distribution

4.3 Employment
Of the 1,701 people aged between 16 and 74, 1,227 (72%) declared themselves as 'economically active'. Figure 5 shows a detailed breakdown of this economically active group (male and female).

Figure 5: Economically active population

45% of the total (16-74) population are in full-time employment, 14% in part-time employment, 10% self-employed, 2% full-time students, and 2% are unemployed. Within the group classified as unemployed, 12 are aged between 16 and 24, 13 are aged 50 and over, 3 have never worked, and 10 are long term unemployed. Figure 6 shows a detailed breakdown of the 'economically inactive' population (a total of 512). The largest fraction of this population are those classified as Retired (14% of the total 16-74 population), with the second largest section classified as 'looking after home/family'


Figure 6: Economically inactive population

4.4 Hours worked by male and female residents
A total of 1,197 (646 male and 551 female) of the population between the ages of 16 and 74 were in some form of employment (both part and full-time). Figure 7 below shows the breakdown of the hours worked by male and female residents. 90.4% of men are in full-time employment compared with 53.7% for women.

Figure 7: Hours worked by male (red)* and female (green) residents (aged 16-74)*

Also of note, is that there is little local (Shotley based) employment. Self employment, commuting to work distances and hours worked are all higher than the County average.

4.5 Cars per household
A single narrow B road (B1456) traverses the length of the peninsula to serve the Shotley community. The road connects Shotley to Ipswich and beyond (via the A14). The volume of traffic along this road is very important, not just for the residents of Shotley and Erwarton but also for the wider peninsula population, especially at Chelmondiston, Woolverstone and Freston. There is little local (Shotley) employment and so the road is vital for commuting to work as well as reaching other necessary services and facilities. For Shotley, the breakdown of the number of cars (and vans) per household is shown below in figure 8. The vast majority of households (90%) have at least one car; with 44% of the households having at least 2 cars. On average, there are 1.4 cars / household.

Figure 8: Number of cars per household

The above Shotley & Erwarton data (Source 2001 Census. Crown Copyright) can be downloaded here (in Excel format). If data from the Census is re-used, copyright and source must be acknowledged prominently by the words “Source 2001 Census. Crown Copyright”.

5. The process and methodology
5.1 The research, consultation and production of the Parish Plan was carried out by the Steering Committee (SC), whose formation and composition is described in Section 3. The SC met formally on many occasions and had a number of informal meetings. All meetings were advertised and open to the general public. 5.2 Monthly reports were made to Shotley Parish Council and all materials were made available through the web site. Less frequent reports were made to District and County Councillors, the Babergh Crime and Disorder Reduction Panel and the Babergh East Local Strategic Partnership. Annette Grey of Suffolk ACRE was also kept appraised of progress. 5.3 Topics for investigation were determined by the SC from ideas generated at the first public meeting, local knowledge and information from previous research. Key stakeholders were consulted and their observations informed the final decision. For example Babergh's Housing Department advised on questions relating to determining housing need and their recent research in the area resulted in a more focused set of questions being agreed. 5.4 The Steering Committee was keen to employ as wide a range of investigation methods as time and resources would allow: A Household Questionnaire delivered to and collected from every household in the Parishes A questionnaire delivered to and collected from every young person in the Parishes between the ages of 11 and 21 Attendance at local fetes and the Annual Parish Meeting where the public were invited to make observations on local issues using interactive methods An evening of activities for young people Access to class work of children at the Primary School A meeting with members of the committees of the organisations working locally with young people The establishment of a new web site designed to support the work of the SC and to be a separate avenue for people to obtain information and submit views and observations. The site with 140 pages of information and over 200 photographs took 13,000 unique visits hits over the lifetime of the Parish Plan process and over 120 mail enquiries were received. A separate e mail newsgroup was also used to keep people informed and provide feed back; some 200 people subscribe. Three 'walking' consultations with the local Walking Club. A questionnaire and meeting for local businesses. A questionnaire on transport and road safety issues was completed by 57 people at the 100 Years of Public Transport in Shotley event A questionnaire was sent to every voluntary group and sports club in the Village. 5.5 A summary of the consultations, other than the household and youth questionnaires, are provided in Appendix A and throughout the web site 5.6 Copies of the two questionnaires can be viewed here. 5.7 The Household and Youth questionnaires were produced and analysed using Village Appraisal for Windows (University of Gloucestershire).

6. Summary of results
This is a summary of the results from the Household and Young Peoples Questionnaire

6.1 Turnout: A total of 944 household questionnaires were distributed of which 577, 61%, were returned. The 2001 Census identified 982 houses in the two parishes. The deficit is represented by empty properties and properties at which there was no responses during the survey period (Spring 2005). A total of 1181 individuals completed the personal section of the questionnaire representing 49.7% of the population recorded in the 2001 census. An almost equal number of males and females were represented reflecting accurately the known gender balance of the villages.

Table 1

Age Group	Number (% of total questionnaires)	2001 Census
11-15	83 (7%)	376 (15.8%)*
16-17	31 (2.6%)	209 (8.8%)**
18-24	67 (5.7%)
25-44	332 (28.2%)	743 (31.3%)
45-59	324 (27.5%)	531 (22.3%)***
60-64	92 (7.8%)
65-74	150 (12.7%)	217 (9.1%)
75-84	76 (6.4%)	145 (6.1%)****
85+	24 (2%)

* Aged 5-15

** Aged 16 -24

*** Aged 45-64

**** Aged 74+

People over the age of 45 are over represented and young people under represented in the sample.

Eleven per cent of the sample described themselves as having a disability.

6.2 Location: The questionnaire identified the location of households and the returns indicate a strong correlation with the known distribution of the population:

Table 2

Area	No of quest's returned	% of total number of questionnaires ret'd
Outlying	33	6%
Shotley Street	159	28%
Shotley Gate	341	59%

The remaining 43 (7.4%) responses were from Erwarton which are analysed and reported upon in a separate report.

6.3 Housing Need: Thirty eight households, 6.6%, indicated that one or more people were in need of alternative accommodation. Twenty one independent children and twelve complete households were wishing to move from their current homes. There is a perceived lack of 'social' housing in the area with 37% wishing to see more homes for young people, 22% small family homes, 18% for single people and 12% for people with disabilities. However 35% would like to see no further house building.

6.4 Cars: The population is heavily car dependent. A total of 970 roadworthy motor vehicles were kept, 1.7 vehicles per household (County average 1.25 phh) and for 85% a car or van was their principle means of transport. However, 20.5% of respondents did not have day time access to a motor vehicle and 44% said that they experience transport difficulties. Five hundred and thirteen bicycles, just less than one per household, were used at least once a week. Less than 2% use a bicycle as their principle means of transport.

6.5 Public Transport: Opinions about public transport were mixed. The bus and Buzabout are the principle means of transport for 11.5% of respondents and up to 29% expressed 'No Opinion' in response to the opinion questions on public transport, probably reflecting low usage. The services scored highest in respect of the routes; 36% believing them to be 'good' and lowest for cost; 21% believing them to be expensive. Overall people who use the services see the services as being 'Reasonable.' There was little support expressed for a car share scheme with 65 to 70% of respondents saying that they would never participate.

6.6 Quality of Life: The majority of the population can be said to be new to the area with 57% having lived here for less than 15 years although there is a significant proportion; 8%, resident for more than 51 years. The love of village/country life and the availability of housing were the two most popular reasons for choosing to live in the area. Twenty three per cent of people believe that the quality of life has got worse compared to 10years ago with 36% believing it to be the same and 10% believing it to be better, 12% feel unsafe in parts of the neighbourhood.

6.7 Local Health Services: It is anticipated that our GP Practice needs to move to new larger premises to enable the facility to offer a wider range of services. Respondents were asked How far you would be prepared to travel to this facility?

Table 3

	Gate	Street	Outlying	Erwarton	all
Under 1 mile	148 (23%)	151 (52%)	13 (20.3%)	6 (8.2%)	318 (29%)
1 to 5 miles	459 (71%)	114 (39%)	42 (65.6%)	61 (83.6%)	678 (63%)
More than 5 miles	37 (5.7%)	22 (7.7%)	9 (14.1%)	6 (8.2%)	74 (6.9%)

Only 5 people with disability said that they often had difficulty getting to the doctor and over all 11% said they often or occasionally had difficulty in getting to the surgery.

6.8 Quality of Health Care: Respondents were asked to rate the medical and social services currently provided locally and which were accessed by respondents in the previous year:

Table 4

Service	Good	Reasonable	Poor	No Opinion
GP	779 (83%)	135 (14%)	20 (2%)	3 (0%)
District Nurse	199 84%)	28 (12%)	2 (1%)	8 (3%)
Health Visitor	79 (71%)	14 (12%)	4 (3%)	15 (13%)
Home Help	10 (33%)	3 (9%)	3 (9%)	13 (43%)
Maternity Care	49 (70%)	8 (11%)	1 (2%)	12 (16%)
Chiropodist	41 (56%)	11 (15%)	11 (15%)	10 (14%)
Loan of medical equipment	45 (66%)	9 (16%)	6 (9%)	8 (12%)
Meals on wheels	12 (50%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	11 (49%)
Counselling services	15 (34%)	1 (2%)	11 (33%)	7 (21%)
Physiotherapy	29 (50%)	9 (16%)	5 (9%)	15 (26%)

Respondents were asked if they had difficulty in getting to medical services currently provided outside of the area:

Table 5

	Often	Occasionally	Never
Hospital	46 (5%)	122 (13%)	759 (82%)
Chemist	36 (4%)	116 (14%)	669 (82%)
Optician	41 (5%)	85 (11%)	681 (84%)
Dentist	93 (11%)	85 (10%)	680 (79%)

6.9 Retail Services: Forty four per cent of respondents felt that the range of shopping facilities in the area are poor and only 6.5% feel them to be good. People generally shop locally for last minute, items, 72%, and just over 50% do so because they like to support local shops, in all 91% use the Post Offices. Fifty four percent would wish to see more shops in the area.

6.10 Local Economy: Respondents were asked what parts of the local economy they would like to see grow.

Table 6

Strongly Favour

In Favour

No Strong Opinion

Have Reserv-ations

Definitely Not

Tourism

140

(16%)

213 (24%)

163

(18%)

201

(22%)

165

(18%)

Small Businesses

146

(17%)

284

(33%)

183

(21%)

189

(23%)

208

(25%)

Small Industrial Workshops

(10%)

172

(21%)

172

(21%)

189

(23%)

208

(25%)

Job Creation

209

(24%)

310

(36%)

200

(22%)

(8%)

(7%)

Retail

224

(25%)

271

(29%)

184

(20%)

112

(12%)

113

(13%)

Pubs, Restaurants, Take aways

119

(14%)

160

(19%)

159

(19%)

133

(16%)

251

(31%)

6.11 Road Safety: Road safety is a major concern for residents with 67% believing that there are major danger spots on roads in the area and 65% that speeding traffic is a problem. Other parts of the consultation process identify their location. Concern was most widely felt in the outlying areas were 76% could identify danger spots and residents of Wades Lane in a separate poll voted in favour of a new speed restriction on their road. Whilst 59% of people believe that facilities for cyclists in the area are reasonable or good the provision of extra cycle paths and footpaths were seen as the principle means of improving road safety, followed by improved street lighting.

6.12 Community Safety: Twelve per cent of respondents said that there are parts of the area in which they feel unsafe. The following table tabulates the views of people who had used the emergency and community safety services.

Table 7

Service

Good

Reasonable

Poor

No Opinion

Fire Service

154 (44%)

115

(35%)

(12%)

(7%)

Ambulance Emergency

176

(45%)

135

(34%)

(15%)

(6%)

Police General

(37%)

(24%)

(29%)

(10%)

Police

Community

(16%)

106

(29%)

169

(46%)

(8%)

Police Emergency

(16%)

106

(29%)

162

(48%)

(6%)

Coastguard

(45%)

(30%)

(9%)

(16%)

Respondents were asked what improvements in regard to community safety they believed are needed

Table 8

A greater police presence	696 (75%)
Better consultation between police and local people	468 (51%)
Neighbourhood Watch	348 (38%)
Improved street lighting	305 (33%)
Drug/drink education/prevention	307 (33%)

6.13 Local Amenities: Of the environmental and amenity services provided in the area, public toilets, street cleaning, TV and mobile phone reception were the services scored as poor by more than one fifth of respondents. The Civic Amenity site was rated a 'good' by 64% of respondents. The number and location of litter/dog bins were felt to be inadequate by 46%. All other services were felt to be good or reasonable.

6.14 Communications: The principle means of getting local information is the printed media; 81% rely on the local free bi-monthly news-sheet 'Shotley Noticeboard', 48% on the public notice boards and 40% on the two local newspapers. The Internet was the main source for 7%, however, 54% believed a website would be useful for advertising local information and events and 45% use the Internet to communicate with people they know and a similar number said that they are regular users or that it is an integral feature of their lifestyle. Of those not using the Internet less than 15% of the sample has no interest at all, for other non users the biggest barrier is not having a computer.

People generally feel that the amount of general information available locally is reasonable. However, in regard to the Parish Council whilst the majority feel that they publicise their activities and decisions very/reasonably well, 53% said that they would like more information and that they did not know how the local precept was spent.

6.15 Economic Activity: Whilst the number of people who described themselves as unemployed was low at 1.4% the numbers of people who are economically inactive was above the County average at 32.8% with a further 11% in full time training or education. The majority of the economically inactive, 23.5%, describe themselves as retired.

However, an additional 50 people said that they were not in waged employment and seeking work. Those seeking work are looking for a mix of full and part time opportunities. The main barriers to employment are disability, a perceived lack of experience and training and access to transport. The principle job search method is via the local press and through the Internet.

6.16 Local Services: Fifty four per cent of people would like to see adult education classes provided locally and 26% and 29% respectively more after school clubs and holiday play schemes.

6.17 Young People: A total of 137 young people returned questionnaires with more females then males – 60% of the total. Returns from the four areas reflected the spread of young people throughout the area. The majority of respondents were aged 15 or younger, 66%. Four percent described having a disability that limits what they are able to do. Nine per cent were in full time employment, 10% in part time employment and 2% unemployed.

Whilst many young people are involved in local sports and clubs locally a slightly larger number (71 to 80) are travelling outside the area to participate.

Young people would like to see more provided for them in the area:

Table 9

Play Areas 71 (55%)

Outdoor Sports 86 (66%)

Places to meet 91 70%)

The telephone is used for communication with people they know by 84% followed by mobile 'phones 74%, text 67%, meeting informally 50% and e mail 50%. The most popular method of finding out about news and information is 'word of mouth' 77% and printed media, 22% use the internet.

Sixty one per cent of young people believed there should be a Youth Council for Shotley.

A more detailed summary is available.

6.18 Publishing the report: Eighty three percent would like to see an information sheet for every household, 31% through the Website and 22% would like the full report.

7. Recommendations and Action Plan

	Aim	Recommendation	Priority	Partners	Est. cost	Timescale
1	To identify to the community the role of the Parish Council and its relationships to other tiers of local government	The Parish Council should produce, consult on and adopt a set of aims and objectives	High	Parish Council	Minimal	Parish Meeting 2006
2	To find a sustainable solution for the former HMS Ganges site	The PC should continue in its opposition to the Outline Planning Application for the HMS Ganges site and to press for the maximum benefit for the community and a sustainable development through section 106 agreements	High	Parish Council Shotley Peninsula Parishes Alliance	£6000 (Shotley Contr'n)	To Spring 2006
3	To find a sustainable solution for the former HMS Ganges site	Should the current application for the HMS Ganges site be rejected the Parish Council should press the District Council to produce, consult on and adopt a planning brief and marketing strategy for the site in line with the principles of PPS1 and the community involvement principles of the 2000 Act	High	Parish Council Babergh District Council Suffolk County Council Shotley Peninsula Parishes Alliance	£1000 (Shotley Contr'n)	Within 6 months of the Planning Inquiry decision
4	To contribute towards meeting the housing and social needs of older young people in the community	Babergh DC to investigate and report on the feasibility of establishing a small Foyer supported housing project within Shotley	Medium	Babergh District Council	Parish Council Contr'n not Known	December 2006
5	To meet the housing needs of the elderly and with disabilities in the community	The PC to continue to support the conversion of properties in Queensland for use by the elderly and people with disabilities	Medium	Parish Council Babergh District Council	Nil
6	A sustainable and adaptable public transport network	The Parish Council and County Council to continue support for the Buzabout service and to further investigate the reasons why the majority of the population are adverse to using public transport	Medium	Parish Council Suffolk County Council Other Parish Councils	£150 agreed for 2005/6 contr'n Contr'n towards further study £500	April 2006 December 2006
7	Accessible health care for a healthy community that is within 5 miles of the current surgery	In co-ordination with other parishes the Parish Council to request, the PCT to bring forward a consultation strategy that includes service users and carers on the future location of the 2 surgeries and the services a new facility will offer	High	Parish Council Other Parish Councils Central Suffolk Primary Care Trust	£1000	Summer 2006
8	To improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and increase the number of non car journeys	The road, pedestrian and cycle safety measures proposed for Shotley not secured through the s106 process to be raised with the County Council	Medium	Parish Council Suffolk County Council	Not known	Within 6 months of the Planning Inquiry decision
9	To improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and increase the number of non car journeys by residents and to improve the attractiveness of the area to visitors	The PC with other Parishes along the B1456 with the District and County Council to investigate and secure funding for a feasibility study to establish a safe cycle route along the B1456 if not provided by s106 agreement	Medium	Parish Council Suffolk County Council Other Parish Councils	Not known contr'n towards the cost of study	Within one year of the Planning Inquiry decision
10	To empower young people and allow them to have a greater say in the determination of their futures and the deployment of resources to meet those needs	To Parish Council to actively support the formation of a Youth Council in Shotley	High	Parish Council Suffolk County Council (Community Education) Babergh Crime and Disorder Reduction Panel	To establish £100 On going budget to be agreed (precept and s137 money)	Parish Meeting 2006
11	To improve facilities for young people, sport, post school education and recreation in those areas where there is poor of no provision	If not secured through s106 the establishment of a multi purpose centre, focused on but not exclusive to youth and sport and with facilities for library provision internet access and training, to be built within the village parameter	High	Parish Council Suffolk County Council (Community Education) Babergh District Council External Funding	Approx £300k in total, Shotley contr'n to be deter-mined by feasibility study	End 2015
12	To improve access to formal and informal learning opportunities for adults, to improve access to work based learning	To request that the Shotley Peninsula Learning Partnership takes steps to improve communication with the Parish Council and to include in its objectives the delivery of a broader adult education offer locally	Medium	Shotley Peninsula Learning Partnership	Not known	Achieve representation on the SPLP by Dec 2005
13	To increase the capacity of local organisations to meet the challenges facing them thus contributing towards a more sustainable and healthier community	With Babergh Communities Together the Parish Council to investigate ways of capacity building in the community including the recruitment, retention of volunteers and improving access to external funding	Medium	Parish Council Babergh Communities Together Other Parish Councils	£500	Parish Meeting2006
14	To improve access to business support for Small and Medium Enterprises, to improve the health of the local economy and to provide new opportunities for local business. To improve and encourage co-operation across the sectors	That Babergh East Local Strategic Partnership seek funding through the Haven Gateway Partnership funds to appoint a 'Business Broker' briefed to investigate a retail and tourism strategy, a business forum and directory, farmers markets and improving the co-operation between local business, Parishes and the voluntary and community sector locally	Medium	Parish Council Babergh East Local Strategic Partnership Other Parish Councils	£500 Shotley Contr'n	Parish Meeting 2007
15	To improve communication within the community	The Parish Council to provide notice boards at 2 further sites in the Parish	Low	Parish Meeting 2007	" Parish Council	£500
16	To improve communication within and across the community, to meet the requirements of the Government's 'E-Government' initiatives	The Parish Council to further support www.myshotley.com as an independent community web site managed by an independent committee. The committee to produce a business plan which scopes the future of the site in more detail, in terms of restructuring the site, updated objectives, enhancing it's functionality, its relationship to The Noticeboard funding and costs	Medium (part accomplished)	Parish Meeting 2006	Parish Council	£75
17	To improve communications within and across the community	The Parish Council to continue support for The Noticeboard as an independent community news-sheet managed by an independent editorial committee	Accomplished	Accomplished	Parish Council	Nil
18	To improve communications within and across the community	All local organisations and the Parish Council to have a committee post with lead responsibility for communication	Low	Parish Meeting 2006	All local organisations and the Parish Council	Nil

Implementation and Monitoring

It is for the Parish Council to establish a mechanism for ensuring that these recommendations are delivered in a timely and cost effective manner.

However, the Steering Committee has considered this and our view is that the PC should establish a 'Parish Plan Board.' The board should be small (4 to 6),chaired by a Parish Councillor and report to the Parish Council, the PC should have a bare majority of members, the remaining members should be drawn from known community activists and say a District or County Councillor and meet three or four times a year.

This Board would manage the implementation not do the implementation, it would progress chase, identify funding and establish and maintain partnerships. It should have a small budget to enable it to act between meetings and provide for its own members training and development needs.

8. Contacts and Acknowledgements

8.1 If you would like to find out more about the Shotley Parish Plan, please see the website. To get in touch:

Email: info@myshotley.com

Telephone: 07845 875238.

Post: 16a The Street, Shotley, IP9 ILD

8.2 In addition to the recognition given to particular people and organisations in the Preface of this report, the following is a full list of those who have specifically helped with the Parish Plan process in various ways. We are very grateful to them for their contribution and to the whole community for their support.

Anna Long
Anna Peters
Barbara Scott
Bev Coleman
Brigitte Gualde
Carol Nightingale
Caroline Radley
Christopher Corness
Clare Sullivan
David Hall
David Norden Steel
Debbie Dodd
Frank Norman
Gary Fuge
Graham Steel
Janet Norden
Jenny Mullan
Jeremy Peters
Jill Nunn
John Cunningham
John Mullan
John Stubbs

Julia Catterwell
Kevin Smith
Lee Smith
Linda Rowlands
Mel Matthews
Michael Reed
Natasha Smith
Norman Bugg
Pauline Henry
Peter Guiles
Peter Veenbaas
Phill Radley
Richard Wrinch
Rosa McCulloch
Roy Simpkin
Simon Hewitt
Stephen Howard
Steve Barrett
Trish Butler
Val Simpkin
Wendy Corness
Wendy Sadler

NB: this is only a basic text version of the Shotley Parish Plan.
It is not suitable for printing. Go back

Appendices

Appendix A:	Summaries of other consultation
Appendix B:	Parish Plan documents
Appendix C:	Synergy with other agencies

Appendix A

Summaries of other Parish Plan consultation exercises

This Appendix has the summary reports from a number of consultation exercises undertaken as part of the Parish Plan process

Shotley Annual Parish Meeting, Shotley School fete and the Rose fete, Summer 2004
Walking tours, 10 October, 14 November and 5 December 2004
Provision for facilities for young people - potential capital programmes, November 2004
Young people, Shotley Village Hall, 10 November 2004
Pupils at Shotley Community Primary School, April 2005
Meeting with local business community, 8 September 2005
Results of local business community questionnaire, September 2005
Transport and road safety survey, 21 August 2005
Voluntary and Community Sector, June 2005
Consultation with Shotley Community Primary School

Shotley Annual Parish Meeting, Shotley School Fete and the Rose Fete, Summer 2004

At each event a large table was covered in maps of varying scales of the Parish, surrounding villages and the wider area. People were asked to identify places and areas that they felt should be either protected or improved. Two members of the Steering Committee were on hand to answer questions. In total some 40 comments were recorded (some comments recorded by a single individual following discussions with others).

Areas and places to be protected

Ornamental pond on the Ganges site
Shotley Church and surrounding area - the oldest part of Shotley

Areas and places to be improved

Car Park and picnic area Bristol Arms - needs tidying up, traffic management and parking bays remarked
Bathside Bay - Filling in this area with containers etc will change the ambience of the river
B1456 between Shotley and Chelmondiston -footpath, cycle path and street lighting needed
Gayford Terrace - Proper parking bays, new bollards/fencing, scruffy village sign
Ganges site - infrastructure will not support the proposed development
Footpath from Stourside to Estuary Road - requires wet weather surfacing
Wades Lane bus stop - shelter needed
Ganges site - World War 2 defences and Martello Towers should be removed
Whinney Queech and Kingsland - innovative play equipment needed
Improve access to Shotley School from Shotley Gate by opening a second entrance and making the track into a cycle path

Other comments

Provision of services for young people needed including young people with special needs
Promote car sharing on the school run from Shotley Gate
Police Station and Neighbourhood watch needed
A small supermarket like the Co-op (perhaps including a bank ATM facility)
A coffee/tea shop with seating outside
Improve the police presence
Need a swimming pool and sport/leisure facilities
Improve the evening bus service to Ipswich
Concerned that the health provision is inadequate

Walking tour consultations, 10 October, 14 November and 5 December 2004

Looking for new ways to involve people in the Parish Plan consultation process the Steering Committee decided to approach the local Walking Club and ask them if we could use their monthly walks as a consultation exercise.

The Walking Club has been in existence for over 10 years and its regular members have a wealth of knowledge and experience about the history, people and places around the Parish. By sprinkling some of the committee members amongst their number we hoped to record their impressions of what is important in the area, what needs protecting and what needs enhancing.

The Committee provided some map extracts of the area highlighting, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Areas, RAMSAR sites, ancient woodlands and the locations of Listed Buildings. Photographs illustrating these places were taken during the walks.

Three walks were held and 79 people in total took part. No record was taken but there was a good spread of age groups including children. The routes took in most of the places listed above and almost all of the Parishes of Shotley and Erwarton were covered. Here are some of the issues that came up:

How few of the important buildings in the area are listed, although it was recognised that listing could be an unaffordable burden for some property owners

There is very little information concerning the archaeology (hidden history) of the area

There are no conservation areas in the villages although there are potential candidates: The Ganges site, The Brickyard, Erwarton and Shotley Churches

There are hardly any interpretive materials such as information boards, plaques, etc concerning the flora, fauna and history of the area or of individual places and buildings

Almost all of the listed buildings are accessible to view from the outside although none are accessible to the general public

There are dramatic contrasts between the Peninsula and the backdrop of Felixstowe and Harwich

As there are many areas of environmental importance and sensitivity next to what are in effect major industrial complexes many people would like to know more about what special measures are taken to protect these areas

Some places need to be 'tidied up:' the entrance into Shotley Street around the Village sign (which is looking tired), the foreshore at Bristol Hill including the picnic area, soft landscaping to the front of Shotley Village Hall

Many of the farms had once supplied the local community with produce; there are currently no local outlets for producers

A lot of allotments seem to be unused

Signing of footpaths is generally good but could be better and could include distances between locations and details of where the paths end up

Where footpaths follow the roads there are stretches that are dangerous: Corner Garage to Boot Drift, Corner Garage to Erwarton, Church Walk, Old Hall Road, etc

Facilities for cyclists are extremely poor; there are no dedicated cycle paths in the area, the brown Cycle Route paths are 'cryptic'

There are few places to rest (benches) along the paths

Fences, gates and stiles are generally in good order, there was only one 'dog friendly' stile found

Dangerous structures such as sluices are also in good order and seem safe

Dog fouling is a problem in a lot of areas

Alternative routes to the cliff path along The Stour that has eroded are not marked and/or are unclear

The Committee would like to record their thanks to Jill Nunn for letting the Committee 'use' the Walking Club and for her enthusiasm during them.

Provision for facilities for young people - potential capital programmes, November 2004

By Shotley Parish Council and Shotley Parish Plan Steering Committee

CURRENT PROVISION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Shotley Rangers

The boys club currently field 4 teams and have 80 registered players aged from 9 to 16. The girls team have approximately 15 players and field one team. They occupy land owned by The Andrew Barfoot Trust between The Gate and The Street. The site is too small for a full size pitch and older teams have to play at The Shotley Rose. The land slopes heavily. Changing rooms are in temporary buildings without utilities or toilets. There are no floodlights and winter training takes place in Holbrook at a considerable cost. Standards for some competitions and for the development of the girls' game are not being met thereby limiting the opportunities available to young people. Access to the site is inadequate being at ninety degrees to the road, on a steep hill and on a bend in the road.

Scouting

Currently activities are held in the Village Hall on one evening which puts a strain on the adult volunteers and is a limiting factor in recruiting new staff. Storage is a problem and will become increasingly so as water activities are introduced. Ideal premises would include a large activity room with at least one smaller room/office, toilets, kitchen, internet access, access to open space, adequate safe storage including a compound for canoes, trailer etc. Currently 40 young people from ages 6 to 16 are enrolled.

Generic Youth Work

Currently there is no building based Youth Work in the village, or across the Peninsula There is no outreach or detached work. Shotley Youth Club folded 4 years ago having occupied a portacabin to the rear of the Village Hall where they also had access to open space. Up to thirty young people attended the weekly sessions. The portacabin has since been demolished.

A survey in summer 2004 by a Community Development Officer sampled young people in the area, the principle findings were:

73% did not think there were enough activities/facilities for young people

20% are unable to access facilities elsewhere due to transport problems, cost or lack of time

Almost 40% stated that the biggest barrier to being more active was the lack of opportunity to do so locally

The most popular activities they would like to see locally were: floodlit football pitches, music activities (dance, discos, live bands, rehearsal space), internet café and teen shelter

A number of short term initiatives have been recommended arising from this survey. The Parish Council and the Parish Plan Steering Committee recognise that whilst short term investment is better than no investment, the area has very limited resources to meet the needs of any of the young people and as a result all young people are in a sense marginalised and vulnerable. A resource similar to that described by the Scouts with staff time is needed.

SHARP Field at Ganges Wood

The Parish Council has taken ownership of this land and have installed, at their own expense, children's play equipment. The land is fenced off and has two tarmac surfaced tennis courts surrounded by a chain link fence all in disrepair. Young people are supportive of further equipment being installed aimed at older age groups and for a "teen shelter". There is insufficient space for large scale development although the possibility of sharing a "mobile" skate park with other villages is at an early stage of consideration

Church Based Youth Activities

A group of 12 to 15 young people aged 11 to 18 meet every three weeks at the Vicarage. Visits to activities in the area are included in their programme.

Dance Classes at The Shipwreck

A small weekly dance class is held at The Shipwreck.

Drama Club

The Drama Club actively encourages young people and up to 20 are involved in performing, production and front of house. Rehearsal and performance take place in the Village Hall. Rehearsal costs are very high and the rehearsal space can be limiting.

Brownies

A small group meets at Shotley School.

Community Education

No activity for any age group (including adults) takes place in either Shotley or Erwarton, nor is any group supported financially.

Shotley Lodge was previously a Residential Centre owned and managed by the County Council. It is currently closed and awaiting disposal by auction. Whilst the Parish Council expressed an interest in acquiring the property the County would only entertain bids at its market value. Whilst the location and facilities are good for some club based drop in type activity and possibly sailing, the lack of access to safe open space and hall size space internally is hindrance to a more varied offer.

Some Community Education classes are offered at Holbrook principally swimming, indoor sport and dance. These are aimed at Key Stage 1 and 2 children and are popular; relocation of some of these activities would reduce car journeys along the B1456 and increase opportunities for people locally that may not have access to transport.

No adult or continuing education provided by the Education Authority or the tertiary sector takes place locally. There is one WEA (Workers Education Authority) class provided in the Spring Term in Chelmondiston.

OPTIONS

Development of The Shotley Rangers Site

Located in the centre of the village the site could house a new sports pavilion/youth centre. Compared to other sites additional capital works will be needed: an access road north west of the site down to the B1456, the construction of a foot/cycle path on the south of the B1456 west for about 200m to Blacksmiths Cottage, street lighting at the entrance to the site and the running in of utility supplies. To maximise the use of the site a small area of land to the west (currently set aside and which would require planning permission) would be needed to allow a full size pitch to be laid out and floodlighting would also be required. Engineering work to lessen the gradient may also be required. Its isolation would require a high level of security.

Shotley Rangers contractual arrangements with the Trust are not clear and funders would wish this to be clarified and a secure long tenancy would need to be demonstrated.

Development of the Existing Facilities at HMS Ganges

We do not have the benefit of a full audit of the existing facilities on the site nor a survey as to their condition. Nevertheless there is an excellent playing field, a gymnasium complete with changing facilities and showers. Utilising existing buildings is consistent with government guidance and should Haylink be minded to support this suggestion it would keep the west side of the site open to the rest of the village and aid the integration of the new community members. The H.M.S. Ganges site is closer to the area of the village where most of the young people live which would maximise its use. The B1456 has street lighting along the length of the playing field so floodlighting the pitch should not cause a problem to residents. Costs would enjoy economies of scale through sharing plant etc with the rest of the development.

As this approach is essentially conversion and adaptation of existing buildings it could be completed in Phase One of the proposed Master Plan, bringing early benefit to the community and would act as a selling point for future residents.

Developing the Village Hall

There is land within the curtillage of the Village Hall and to the south which has planning permission for recreational use that could be used to expand the existing facility. Alongside the Bowls Club and the adult football team (which also have below standard facilities) developing the site would bring the great majority of sport facilities into one location. However, a pavilion/youth centre plus the Hall and the other facilities immediately adjacent could 'overdevelop' the site. It is also felt that the location may be too distant from where the majority of young people live. The Hall is currently 100% booked on weekday evenings and has no space for storage.

CONCLUSION

There is strong support from young people, the adults who work with them, the Village Hall Management Committee and the Parish Council, for a multi purpose centre to be built within the village parameters. Each of the three sites has much to recommend them whilst also presenting challenges. There is no consensus on a particular site. Young people who attended the consultation meeting on this issue voted Ganges 40%, Village Hall 20% and Shotley Rangers 40%.

Communities of a similar size, or smaller, to Shotley: Stradbroke, Debenham, Eye, Rendelsham, Kirkton are able to sustain resources of this nature

A decision will need to take into account the value of any amelioration measures secured by the local planning authority from the developers, the potential match funding that could be raised, including local fundraising and of course the cost of acquiring land, professional fees, planning applications and building and equipping the facility.

A sizeable project of this nature will require a considerable amount of project management. The Parish Council in previous submissions has drawn attention to the belief that the developer should fund a Community Development post to work with the community to ensure that the new community becomes fully integrated. This report reinforces that view; the facility will require a robust Business Plan and articles of governance that will require skillful negotiation, arbitration and conciliation between organisations that have a common purpose but different needs.

To sustain it in the longer term will also, in our view, require some revenue support in the first few years and staff time investment from County (youth work, Connexions, Community Education) and District (sport development) Councils and no doubt other partners. We are aware that other consultees have also proposed that facilities to benefit the community in respect of their responsibilities should be provided on the development site: library and police presences are two examples. This report does not preclude further discussions with partners on how or if these things can be integrated into one building.

Consultation meeting with young people held at Shotley Village Hall, 10 November 2004

Approximately 25 young people aged from 10 to 19 attended the event. In addition to discussion and conversation with members of the Steering Committee and a District and Parish Councillor the following activities formed part of the consultation:

Completing the draft of the Youth Questionnaire: Ten young people completed the questionnaire. Their feedback included making the question on community safety clearer and introducing a new question on communication / information sources (internet, e mail, etc)

High/low priority ladder game: Participants were asked to place 'issues' on a ladder according to whether they felt it was a very high or very low priority for action or somewhere in between. If an individual felt that something should be a higher or lower priority it could be moved provided that something else was moved an equal number of spaces in the opposite direction. At the end of the evening the following were identified as priorities (in order, highest first):

Safer Streets
Youth Club
Library/Internet café
Quad Bikes
Swimming Pool
Teen Shelter
More Sport
Night Club

Voting on the location for a new youth centre: A map of the area was provided showing three possible locations for a new youth centre/sports pavilion, votes in favour:

Next to the Village Hall/Rose Field 11%

Shotley Rangers Site 35%

The Ganges Site 54%

Issues maps: A large map of the area was provided and participants were asked to identify areas which they felt were either danger spots (dangerous areas or areas where they felt unsafe), top spots (areas they valued) or improvement spots:

Danger Spots:	The beach at bottom of Bristol Hill The Shotley and Admiralty piers and slipway at Shotley Sailing Club The Cliffs below Stourside The Ganges site south of the mast Shotley Marshes, Marina to Chelmondiston Orwell View

Top Spots:	My house, six replies Ganges Wood Sharp Field Shotley Rangers Rose Field

Improvement Spots:	The Shotley and Admiralty piers The Bristol Hill picnic area Ganges Wood Sharp Field Shotley Rangers Kingsland The beach at bottom of Bristol Hill The Cliffs below Stourside

Consultation with Pupils at Shotley Community School, April 2005

Year Five pupils at Shotley Community School were asked what new clubs or activities they would like to see in the Village.

Dancing Club - 2 responses
Horse Riding - 3 responses
Skiing
Hockey
Fishing
Cards
Rounders
Quad Biking
Tennis
Football - 3 responses
Competitions Club
Swimming - 4 responses
Rugby
Basketball - 2 responses

Posters representing these clubs, created by the children, can be viewed here

Consultation held with the local business community, 8 September 2005

Three businesses were represented from the farming, tourist (Bed and Breakfast) and secretarial/distribution service sectors.

The following points were made:

There is a need to understand why so few businesses had attended
There was general support for future network initiatives if the marketing can be improved
A local business directory developed from and allied to the website, The Notice board and possibly a welcome pack for new residents
A Business to Business event
The appointment of a local Business Broker funded through the Local Strategic Partnership
Improvements to the tourism infrastructure including cycling and pedestrian routes to Ipswich, possibly an increase in overnight accommodation
Improvements to the local tourist offer including completion of the definitive path map, signposting of footpaths, improved information boards and improvements to picnic areas
A Farmers Market is worthy of further investigation

Report on the questionnaire sent to the local business community, September 2005

A postal questionnaire was sent to local businesses which we were able to identify in Shotley and Erwarton. Here is a summary of the findings.

Including your self how many people do you employ?

Full time staff	part time staff	seasonal staff
16	14	0

Do you have difficulty recruiting staff with the right skills/competencies locally?

Yes 2

If yes please tell us what skills/competencies are lacking in the area

Photography/Printing
Qualified mechanics

Are you able to source the materials and services you need to run your business from local suppliers?

Yes 3

No 4

If no what materials and services are not available locally?

Building and plumbing materials

What is your view of the services provided by business support agencies in this area?

	Good	Fair	Poor	Unaware
Suffolk County Council	2	1		6
Babergh District Council	2	2		6
Other District Council		1		6
Business Link	2	1	1	5
Chamber of Commerce	2	1	2	6
Enterprise Agencies		1	2	5
Learning and Skills Council	1		1	6
Regional Development Agency	1			7
Ipswich & Suffolk Small Business Association			1	8
Retail Association	2			7
Federation of Small Businesses		1		7
DEFRA (Dep't for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs)		1	1	7
Other Please Specify

Are you a member of a Trade/Professional Association?

Yes 5

If yes which ones:

Retail Motor Trade Industry Federation
Chamber Of Commerce
Ipswich and Suffolk Small Businesses Association (2)
CORGI
National Farmers Union
American Society of Travel Agents
Royal Institute of British Architects

Some businesses have suggested that there should be a business forum in the area to enable local businesses to make representations to local government and business support agencies and to provide for training opportunities and support.

Do you think the Villages of Shotley/Erwarton should have a business forum?

Yes	1
No	1
Yes, but covering a wider geographic area e.g. The Shotley Peninsula	6

8 Does your business have a web site?

9 The www.myshotley.com web site is a community site covering local news and issues. Would you be interested in having your business details on a local business directory and/or advertising on the site including a skills base for recruitment and job search? There would be no or a very moderate charge for this service.

Yes	4
No

Transport and road safety survey, 21 August 2005

The Parish Plan took some stall place at the event at the Village Hall to mark 100 years of public transport in the village. Fifty seven people completed a questionnaire. Full results are available on www.myshotley.com.

Under 19 - Do you have an Xcape Card. Has it made it easier for you to travel to places you need to get to?

Four people had Xcape [Suffolk Youth] cards and one did not, three people said it was useful and one commented that it would help if it could be used outside of the County.

Which places are most dangerous for road users? How can we make them safer?

Danger Spots

Improvement Measures

Old Boot area (5 responses)
Shotley Primary School (18 responses)
Footpaths and road between Shotley and Shotley Gate (9 responses)
Junction with B1080 (3 responses)
The Strand – speeding
Battery Cottages/East View Terrace (4 responses)
All of the B1456 (7 responses)
The top of Bristol Hill
The road to The Marina
Parking on the road on Shotley Street (4 responses)
Exiting driveways
Young motorists

Cut down high hedges
Flashing lights on the school sign
Pelican crossing or Lollipop Lady outside the school
Ban parking for 100yds outside of the school
Widen the lay by at the school
Remove overgrowth on paths and widen them
Pedestrianise the road to the Marina
Pedestrian crossing at east View Terrace
Driver education
Enforce speed limits
Roundabout at Freston crossroads
40mph right through to Ipswich
Pedestrian path to Chelmondiston
Speed bumps
No more houses
Cycle path from Stingham to the garage
Widen roads
Lower speed limits

Cyclists - where do you cycle from and to? What can be done to make cycling safer in Shotley?

Thirty one people said that they cycled. Two people no longer cycle as it is too dangerous. The most popular route is from the Gate to the Street. Cyclists are almost unanimous in wanting to see more cycle paths in every area of the village and beyond right through to Ipswich. Some people would like to see more road signs warning other road users that there are cyclists about. Educating young people to be more safety aware was also mentioned.

How can public transport services be improved?

The service is good as it is - 6 responses
Cheaper fares - 15 responses
Improved frequency particularly late at night, on Sundays and week day early mornings - 24 responses
Improve reliability - 11 responses
Improved publicity - 4 responses

Voluntary and Community Sector, June 2005

A postal questionnaire was sent to the 37 voluntary and community organisations we were able to identify in Shotley and Erwarton. Replies were received from 19 groups (53%).

The immediate area is well served by a wide range of groups and organisations. Gaps in provision include self help groups for people with disabilities, generic youth work, team sports other than football and general sport.

Income is generally subscription based or from local fundraising activity. Three groups receive sponsorship from local businesses and 5 said that they had been able to secure grants from external sources. Only one group said that they had received financial support from the Parish Council.

The majority of groups are self servicing and have no need of volunteers beyond a small committee. However, six groups, principally those working with young people, did describe recruitment and retention of volunteers as being a problem. Other barriers to access included transport costs and the cost to members of providing activities.

In addition to volunteering issues, the principle challenge for a number of groups is the uncertainty of their tenure of the land behind The Rose and the capital costs needed to expand, or in one case, to provide basic facilities for participants.

Consultation with Shotley Primary School

We consulted Shotley Community Primary School on their priorities for the Parish Plan. The School had recently undertaken an extensive consultation that had led to the creation of a School Travel Plan. One recommendation supported the themes that were emerging on making the area safer for all road users particularly cyclists and pedestrians:

Objective: To investigate an alternative route for both cyclists and pedestrians to Shotley School

Action: Consult with Public Rights of Way Officers and Parish Council about the use of the Public footpath at the end of East View Terrace, which leads to Rose Farm, adjacent to Shotley School

A long way into the Parish Plan process, the Extended Schools Initiative became more prominent, but unfortunately too late for the Steering Committee to take it fully into account. A commitment has been given to Shotley Primary School and Holbrook High School to have further discussions on how the ESI can help deliver the Parish Plan.

Appendix B

Parish Plan Documents

Constitution, Shotley Parish Plan Steering Committee, adopted 20 April 2004

Meeting the needs of those that live, work or visit the community of Shotley and planning for a sustainable future

NAME

The name of the organisation shall be 'The Shotley Parish Plan Steering Committee' hereafter referred to as The Committee

PURPOSE

The purpose of The Committee shall be to act on behalf of Shotley Parish Council to carry out the following tasks:

1 Maintain and build on the support for the Parish Plan in Shotley, Erwarton and neighbouring communities

2 Identify sources of funding

3 Produce a budget for the Parish Plan process

4 With the responsible Financial Officer of Shotley Parish Council monitor expenditure against the budget

5 Liaise with all statutory and non-governmental organisations providing services to the community to make the plan as effective as possible

6 Identify robust and appropriate consultation and survey methods to gather the views of the community, businesses, groups and organisations in Shotley, Erwarton and where appropriate the wider area

7 To analyse the consultation and survey results and to produce and disseminate a report

8 Produce a prioritised action plan including costings and funding opportunities

9 To report at regular intervals to those identified in 1 and 5 above

MEMBERSHIP

1 The Committee will include up to 12 elected or nominated members elected or nominated by and from a Public Meeting of those with an interest in the Parish Plan

2 No more than two of these members will be members of Shotley Parish Council

3 At least one further member shall be elected or nominated by the Erwarton Parish Meeting

4 The Committee may co-opt up to 8 further members at its discretion

5 A person shall cease to be a member of the Committee having notified the Chair or Secretary in writing of his or her wish to resign

6 A person may be removed from the Committee by resolution of at least two thirds of the Committee voting at a meeting properly called for that purpose

OFFICERS

1 At the first meeting The Committee shall elect a Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and other officers as they see fit.

2 Officers shall hold office for the duration of the Parish Plan process

3 The Committee shall fill any casual vacancies for Officers from amongst their number as they see fit

MEETINGS

1 The Committee shall meet every two months as a minimum or as required, six members shall constitute a quorum

2 The Secretary shall give a minimum of five days written notice to members of a meeting being held and of the matters to be discussed

3 All matters shall be determined by a majority vote of those members present and voting except that in the event of a tied vote the Chairperson shall have a second and casting vote

4 The Secretary shall keep and safely store minutes of the meetings, which shall be distributed to the Committee not more than seven days after each meeting

5 Any person with an interest in the Parish Plan may attend meetings of The Committee and speak but not vote at the discretion of the Chairperson

WORKING GROUPS

1 The Committee may appoint such working groups, as it considers necessary to carry out functions specified by the Committee and which will be bound by the terms of reference given to them

2 Working groups will be Chaired by a member of The Committee

3 The Committee may make other arrangements for involving young people in the Parish Plan, as they feel appropriate

4 Working Groups do not have the power to authorise expenditure on behalf of the Committee

FINANCE

1 The Treasurer shall keep a clear record of all income and expenditure, supported by receipted invoices

2 The Treasurer shall keep a clear record of all voluntary time expended by The Committee and others involved in the Parish Plan process

3 The Committee and members of the Community acting on behalf of The Committee may claim back any expenditure (in accordance with the Shotley Parish Council scheme) that was necessarily incurred during the process of producing the Parish Plan

4 The Treasurer will present monthly financial reports to The Committee and the Responsible Financial Officer of Shotley Parish Council

CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION

1 This Constitution may be changed by resolution of at least two thirds of the Committee voting at a meeting properly called for that purpose

DISSOLUTION

1 The Committee may be dissolved by resolution of itself or by an Extraordinary Shotley Parish Meeting

2 Upon dissolution any remaining funds shall be disposed of by The Committee, in accordance with the decisions reached at an Extraordinary Meeting open to the public in the area of benefit and no individual member of The Committee shall benefit from the dispersal

This Constitution was adopted by The Shotley Parish Plan Steering Committee on 20 April 2004

Signed Phill Radley Chairperson

Babergh East Local Strategic Partnership

The aim of the Babergh East Community Plan is to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the communities within the area covered by the Plan. It proposes to do this by addressing identified key issues which are:

reducing crime and the fear of crime
health improvement
access to services and facilities
services for young people
promoting a thriving rural economy
protecting and enhancing the environment

The Babergh Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership

The Babergh Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership aims to work together to build a safer, stronger and more secure Suffolk. Specifically to:

reduce British Crime Survey (BCS) comparator recorded crime by 13.5% by March 2008.
reduce the number of recorded incidents of anti-social behaviour by 5% by 2008 across Suffolk.
reduce the harm that drugs and alcohol cause to communities
reduce the number of deliberate fires by 10%, by 2010

Babergh Youth Strategy

To work together with young people to promote and enable their active involvement in the decisions that affect their lives; and to work together with young people and partner organisations to improve services and opportunities for young people living in Babergh.

Working together with young people in decision making
Improve access to advice and information
Removing barriers to access
Providing things to do and facilities
Promoting health and safety for young people
Improving the local environment

Babergh District Council Corporate Objectives

To work with others to:

Establish a safe, secure and healthy community
Promote a thriving, caring, inclusive community
Protect and improve the environment
Provide all services efficiently and effectively
Listen to and involve local people

Babergh District Council Economic Development Strategy

Undertaking and supporting initiatives to keep unemployment to a minimum by creating new quality employment opportunities
Protecting and enhancing existing employment sites
Encouraging a good range of shopping facilities in town centres
Ensuring that the District economy derives maximum benefit from relevant organisations and exploits sources of regeneration finance
Ensuring suitable land is available to fulfil the needs of natural growth and to attract suitable targeted inward investment
Encouraging the retention and provision of village facilities, including shops and local employment sites

Commission for Rural Communities

England's rural communities should be diverse, thriving and sustainable, where everyone is able to play a full part in society and where no-one is disadvantaged.

The Structure Plan for Suffolk

The overall aim of the Structure Plan for Suffolk will be to sustain and enhance the health, quality and integrity of the built and natural environment, and to ensure that development does not result in material damage to critical environmental resources.

Suffolk Local Area Agreement

The LAA is structured around three high-level priorities that are shared by central government and Suffolk. They are:

Children and Young People;
Safer, Stronger and Sustainable Communities; and
Healthier Communities and Older People

Suffolk East Health and Social Care System

The Local Strategic Framework (extract)

Build a sustainable, high quality and financially sound health and social care system
Develop integrated services around the needs of patients
Deliver services as close to home as possible
Improve health through partnership.
Increase patient choice and diversity of providers
Involve patients, staff and other stakeholders in our planning and decision making

30 November 2005

Email: info@myshotley.com

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(c) Shotley & Erwarton Parish Plan Steering Committee. Page last updated: 31-12-05