Parish Plan

Thornbury Hamlets Parish Plan

In response to a government initiative to increase community involvement in local planning policies in 2004, a Parish Plan was created in 2012 by a Steering Group within the community. This set out a number of initiatives and an Implementation Group was tasked with driving them forward. You can read the original published plan below, or download a pdf copy here : Thornbury Hamlets Parish Plan 2012.

The work of the Implementation Group is ongoing, and future developments will be reported here – new members are always welcome, contact the Tatler Editor if you feel able to help.

THORNBURY HAMLETS PARISH PLAN

Click on the headings to jump to that section:

FORWARD
MEMBERS OF ORIGINAL STEERING GROUP
INTRODUCTION TO THORNBURY PARISH
WHAT IS A PARISH PLAN?
HOW THE PLAN WAS PRODUCED
QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
HOUSING
TRANSPORT AND ROADS
COMMUNITY
ENVIRONMENT
COMMUNICATION
EMPLOYMENT
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
ACTION PLAN SUMMARY

Forward – Chair, Thornbury Parish Council

Dear Parishioner,

Here is your copy of the 2012 Thornbury Hamlets Parish Plan, which has been written using the results from the questionnaires distributed in the summer of 2012. It outlines the Parish as it was, as it is now and as you would like it to be in the future.

This is not a static document, but one that will be reviewed periodically to reflect the ever-changing demands of life in the 21^st Century and the wishes of all those who live and work here. In order for Thornbury Hamlets to thrive and prosper, local participation will be necessary to orchestrate future developments and implement some of the actions necessary in order for us all to move forward with confidence. If you have a particular interest in any of the issues raised within this plan, and can spare some time to help organise, co-ordinate, stage manage or help in any way, please contact Linda Bond on 01409 261313 to register your interest in the future of Thornbury.

As Parish Council Chair, may I take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the production of this plan, in particular the Martin Rich and the Parish Plan Steering Group. I also wish to thank all the parishioners who eagerly responded to the questionnaires, without whom this plan would not be possible. Your opinions and input have been, and will continue to be, a vital part of any plan, now and in the future. Thank you.

TREVOR JOLLOW
CHAIR, Thornbury Parish Council

Members of the Parish Plan Steering Group (at the time of publication in 2012)

Linda Bond          Chair
Thelma Priest       Secretary
Robert Priest       Treasurer
Lynden Hughes
Keith Hutchings
Kath Howarth
Steven Sanders
Michael Pett
Denise Mitchell
Lisa Pinno
Gaye Tabor
Glen Headland

INTRODUCTION TO THORNBURY PARISH

Thornbury Parish lies in rural North Devon, five miles N.E. of the market town of Holsworthy. Falling within the Torridge Ward of Devon County Council, it is composed of some 2800 acres of predominantly agricultural and arable land flanked by the River Waldon, which rises in Bradworthy, runs by Sutcombe and Milton Damerel and falls into the Torridge near Bradford. Thornbury Parish is laced with the Waldon’s tributaries.

To the North lies the A39, known as the Atlantic Highway, which provides easy access to the more major towns of Bideford and Barnstaple to the North and Cornwall in the South. The coastal town of Bude, with its family friendly beaches and cliff-top walks, lies some 14 miles to the West, and the A30 at nearby Okehampton makes for easy access to Exeter and the M5 motorway. The three moors of Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin, which surround the parish, offer stunning scenery, plentiful wildlife and diverse walking opportunities.

Five hamlets comprise the Thornbury Parish: Brendon, Lashbrook, South Wonford, Thornbury and Woodacott, each with its own distinctive character, descended from its historical provenance as part of the Black Torrington Hundred:

Brendon is very much working farmland. Several original smallholdings were bought by a local farmer and now combine to form today’s pastoral habitat, nestling in a secluded stream bordered valley, where the present day working farm boasts 115 acres dedicated to grazing.
Lashbrook to the South was the largest combined holding in Norman times – three times the size of surrounding hamlets. It took its name from the Lechebroc – the small stream running through the bottom of the valley. Little Lashbrook Farmhouse was originally a chapel serving the residents of Lashbrook in the 17^th Century. Two farms remain to this day, the remaining 5 dwellings being residential. There is historical evidence of a family of Lashbrooks in the area and down as far as Beaworthy, and it is thought one William Lashbrook could have given his name to the area prior to his ancestors emigrating to Virginia.
South Wonford’s ancient spelling was Wenford, meaning a wagon was able to cross a ford. Berry Farm was the home of William da la Beara, and Bagbeare Farm, (ancient spelling Baggebere, meaning Bagga’s Wood) dating from the mid 17^th Century, gave its name to the family who lived there for some centuries.
Thornbury takes its name from ancient earthworks, of which there is now no trace. The population is recorded as being 330 in 1801, reducing to 291 in 1901. The Church (St Peter) was originally built in the 12^th century but was rebuilt in c1330 and retains much 14^th century work. All that remains of the original structure is the Norman doorway, dating back to c1150. The tower was raised in 1876 as part of a restoration that obscured most of the original features. The thatched cottage next to the church was once a thriving public house, but is now residential, and the village hall has fallen into disrepair, leaving the central hamlet without amenities.
Woodacott was originally spelt Wodecote after Aungerede de Wodecote who lived there. In times gone by this was an area of smallholdings, which saw the now disused lane from Roseland in constant use, as were cart tracks up as far as Portlane Bridge, hosting parishioners travelling to and from Holsworthy Livestock Market. Most domestic water came from local wells until 1952, when mains water arrived, closely followed by electricity in 1957. Today it is home to a holiday park and a swimming pool and gymnasium, complete with snack bar.

There is mention of this peaceful rural community as far back as the Doomsday book of 1086. After the Conquest of 1066, Walter d’Omonville is shown to be a tenant of Ruald Abobed in South Wonford. Ruald Abobed is thought to have been the alias of one Roald Dubbed who came to England with William the Conqueror and was knighted and rewarded with Doomsday Estates in Devonshire (amongst many other shires) for his loyal service, but there is a school of thought that suggests this could be Ralph de Limesi, a powerful Tenant-in-chief in several counties (including Devon) in post Conquest England. Many have speculated that de Limesi was William’s nephew, but this remains unproven and open to debate. No matter that this remains a mystery – Walter d’Omonville is recorded as housing a mere 20 cattle. Present day Thornbury hamlets, with their countless heads of contented cattle, can easily put him to shame. Interestingly, the Doomsday book also notes a Roger, leasing land in Lashbrook from Baldwin the Sherriff to house 17 cattle and 21 goats and a Ralph leasing land from Tavistock Church for his 14 cattle and 30 goats.

In more recent years, White’s Devonshire Directory of 1850 declares Thornbury part of the Holsworthy Union, with an acreage of 2006 and population of 524 souls. Two sisters, Mrs. Freer and Mrs. Fowke are named as being owners of Thornbury Manor and the surrounding land, together with the rectory which was valued at £221 in 1831, and leased to a Rev. W Edgecumbe. Local farmers of the day were noted as being Richard Allin and Matthew Cole (Brendon) Arthur Hutchings (Penwarden Dd) John Mountjoy (Bagbeare) and John Priest (Trible Abraham). Some of these names prevail in our community today, revealing a passion for and loyalty to this lovely corner of Devon.

WHAT IS A PARISH PLAN?

Local government initiated community involvement in local planning policies in 2004. The development of Parish Plans was seen as a means of:

Engaging residents with planning processes.
Identifying issues, which directly affect them.
Prioritising these issues.
Producing action plans to either preserve existing environmental issues, or promote change where needed.
Influencing ongoing community services and facilities and creating new ones where needed.
Influencing planning decisions and identifying the need for affordable housing, community facilities and the preservation of open spaces.
Outlining action plans and appointing local residents to facilitate any changes required.
Fostering and promoting more community involvement within the parish.

HOW THE PLAN WAS PRODUCED

On October 6^th 2010 all local parishioners were invited to a meeting at Bradford Village Hall led by Mr. Trevor Jollow, Chairman of the Parish Council. During this meeting Martin Rich, from Devon Community Council, gave a presentation on Parish Planning and explained the process of drawing up a Parish Plan together with a detailed Action Plan for the parish, which he estimated would take 12 – 18 months to complete.

This was followed by a presentation by Denise Mitchell on behalf of the Parish Council.

Malcolm Harris gave the District Council viewpoint and stressed the importance of producing a plan that would inform the Council of the Parish’s needs and stated that Torridge District Council could possibly help with financing the production of such a plan.

Our then District Councilor, Gaye Tabor, gave a short presentation offering support for the project with a £500 start up fund.

Aggie Szpinda, from the Community Council of Devon also addressed local parishioners.

Nominations for a Steering Group were put forward and were proposed by Chris Ward and seconded by Steven Sanders.

This new Steering Group then formed a constitution and started to meet on a regular basis to push the project forward. By November 2010 it was agreed that a questionnaire distributed to local parishioners would be the easiest way to gather information. Detailed questions were drawn up and carefully reviewed by the Steering Group in order to maximize the information received from parishioners. 152 adult Questionnaires and 20 youth Questionnaires were then distributed in August 2011 and collected some two weeks later, having been completed by each household.

The information received was then collated and analysed by the Steering Group, who followed the advice of Martin Rich and prepared a Draft Action Plan, to be later followed by this full Parish Plan.

This Action Plan is now our Parish’s reference document, a working base against which we can monitor our actions, implement our plans and chart our progress. It will be reviewed on a regular basis as the Parish requires and the times dictate, so that the up-to-date views of parishioners are always represented.

QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS

A total of 102 households were identified within the Parish, each of which received a Questionnaire. 231 parishioners responded, which enabled the Steering Group to form a profile of the Parish, including household size and age of occupants, length of time resident within the Parish, percentage of population by age and the types of housing occupied.

2 person households are the most prevalent, but there are a high proportion of people living alone and many of these are elderly. The “Battle of the Sexes” proved fairly evenly balanced, and the largest age group is in the active 40 – 59 years bracket. With 18% falling in the 65 -74 years bracket, it became apparent that these residents should be more carefully monitored in terms of general welfare and in extreme weather conditions. Whilst the Parish continues to welcome newcomers, over half the present population has lived within the Parish for over 11 years and many have lived here for 20 years or more.

HOUSING

Existing housing in Thornbury Parish consists of a pleasing mix of agricultural and residential buildings, from the historical Manor House, through imposing farmhouses to cosy cottages and contemporary bungalows. Whilst 25% of respondents did not see any need for new housing and 75% felt their housing needs were being met, 46% of households have acknowledged additional housing needs within the next 10 years. 43% of parishioners would support additional building within the parish, with 45% against development. A majority 86% of all respondents felt that any new housing should be prioritized for local people.

TRANSPORT AND ROADS

The weekly bus into Holsworthy has only a 3-hour turn around and thus most residents use private vehicles for travel. There are no rail links in the immediate vicinity, but good road links to all major towns and cities. Being a rural community, Thornbury depends upon its roads in order to access the wider area for shopping, entertainment and employment and thus the condition of roadways becomes of paramount importance, particularly in winter when ice and snow can lead to treacherous conditions on the route into Holsworthy. 87% of residents felt that local roads were not well maintained and 49% were prepared to assist with gritting roads in winter. The elderly population depends on others for transport, with 33 % expressing interest in a car-sharing scheme. Holsworthy Community Transport and Devon County Car Share offer other options for local travel. There are many agricultural vehicles in the area and thus traffic speeds are generally slow – 60% of residents felt there was no problem with traffic speeds, except at Woodacott Cross, which was identified as a problem area by the majority of the 27% of parishioners who felt there were problem areas. 60% of all residents felt there was no problem with the speed of traffic and only 14% felt unsafe when cycling. Just over half of all respondents felt a need to improve signage and road markings.

COMMUNITY

Thornbury Parish represents a tight knit community, but one that is spread out over the various hamlets, with no central shop or community venue to tie the sub communities together. In recent years the Parish voted to sell the existing and somewhat dilapidated village hall rather than refurbish, and the Questionnaires revealed a strong desire for a community venue, with 70% in favour and the majority believing this should be a new build that they would use for various functions and entertainment. 60% of the Thornbury population was found to already attend events within the parish and were likely to continue to do so.

ENVIRONMENT

Predominantly agricultural, Thornbury boasts vast tracts of pastoral land, which are privately owned and managed. The questionnaires revealed a strong desire by the majority of the population to maintain the status quo of the area and preserve its inherent beauty by means of protecting trees and hedgerows, enforcing planning controls and generally keeping the area tidy and in a state of good repair.

However, time and its demands move on and thus 77% of parishioners believed the parish should make itself available for sustainable energy projects. 54% felt we should explore solar power, 32% were in favour of wind farms and 20% would be keen to utilise waterpower. 23% were completely adverse to sustainable energy in the area.

With regards to the maintenance of the environment and the provision of services, most of the population was shown to be more than satisfied with the standard of services provided, particularly refuse collection. Many were dissatisfied with road gritting and safety measures. 50% felt that dog bins were needed to keep the area clean. The cutting of verges to provide clear sight lines when driving or cycling was found to be wanting.


Respondents views on the standard of service provided by the following:


	Excellent	Good	Adequate	Poor	No view	Grading
Refuse collection	76	53	8	3	12	619
Recycling collection	41	53	33	9	16	525
Mains electricity supply	27	68	24	1	32	480
Mains water supply	30	64	21	3	34	472
Postal service	22	31	18	6	75	294
Grass cutting, verges etc.	2	14	62	40	34	292
Ambulance	31	17	12	8	84	267

COMMUNICATION

Communication between residents and the various hamlets has tended to follow traditional lines, but with the arrival of the Internet this can be improved. 67% of residents have Internet access, but, being so far from the exchange, broadband connections are very slow. 59% would be interested in faster broadband as, even in rural communities, most business is now conducted online. Despite having an Internet connection, 70% of Parishioners had not visited our community website thornburyhamlets.com. 56% felt they received enough information, with 37% feeling that a parish newsletter was the best form of communication. It is proposed to promote our Parish website, increase the news and events content and advertise employment opportunities.

EMPLOYMENT

Despite the agricultural nature of the parish, there are more employment opportunities in Thornbury than would first seem to be the case. The majority of local residents are self-employed and some employ others, with seasonal demands increasing opportunities for employment. 70% of the adult population is of working age and 60% of all questionnaire respondents are gainfully employed, the majority of whom work within the Parish. The Parish website could be extended and better utilized in order to advertise and promote local employment opportunities.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

The Questionnaire was divided into two sections, providing information on Crime and Safety and the importance of the church and chapel and the spiritual needs they fulfill.

The highest concern within the area was with regards to burglary, with 29% feeling vulnerable. 50% of residents felt a need for a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.

Concern was expressed for the elderly of the parish, particularly in extreme weather conditions. Co-ordinators for each Hamlet have been appointed. Every household has been given their Hamlet co-ordinator’s phone number and the map and details of Thornbury’s emergency plan are available on thornburyhamlets.com. 53% felt the church and the chapel played an important role within the community, both on a spiritual and social level. The church was felt to be of historical and architectural interest and roused a strong desire to protect our historical heritage in many residents.

Churchgoers considered their attendance as being part of village life and a means of integration within the Parish. Chapels also were considered to be beneficial and it was generally felt that it would be preferable for these to be multi-purpose venues for social gatherings, rather than lose them altogether.

YOUTH QUESTIONNAIRE

The thoughts and feelings of Thornbury’s younger population were also taken into consideration when structuring our questionnaires and a total of 24 youths between the ages of 7 and 17 responded. Most of these felt that more facilities could be provided for the young within the Parish; in particular they felt the need for a shop (83%), a pub (45%), and a Post Office (45%). A small Parish market, a Social Club and a Mobile Library were also put forward as being useful additions to current facilities, with 100% of respondents saying they would use all these facilities.

The majority study at Holsworthy Community College, travelling by means of the school buses provided and it was felt that bus shelters would be a useful addition in the light of recent inclement weather.

A surprising 71% wished to continue living in the Parish on completing their education, which will obviously impact on future housing needs. Those that wished to move away cited lack of employment opportunities and a desire to further their education elsewhere as their main reasons for wanting to move. Poor transport, general facilities, housing and low wages were also felt to be detrimental when seeking employment in the area.

62% of younger residents saw a need for more family housing within the Parish, which should be prioritised for local people. 25% believed this should be affordable housing.

Opinion was divided on the need for a Village Hall, with 50% for and 50% against. 58% of those in favour of a Village Hall felt it should be a new build, and more than 66% were against using the church or chapel as a village venue.

Our youthful population proved to be energetic, with many taking part in various sports, from swimming and gymnastics, to shooting and YFC. 33% would like these activities provided within the Parish.

A lack of public transport proved a major issue, preventing many from taking part in Parish activities. Some solved this problem by cycling around the parish and, of those who did, 79% felt safe doing so, but 55% of respondents felt there should be a more regular bus service.

The likes and dislikes section of our Youth questionnaire revealed that our younger residents feel the same about Thornbury as their parents, citing the peacefulness, friendliness and countryside location as being the main benefits. A lack of transport was tops in the dislikes section and poor broadband and mobile signals were of significant importance.

In order to move forward as a balanced community, Thornbury needs a healthy mix of all ages and if we wish to encourage our young to stay within the Parish we must clearly acknowledge these needs and address the issues of communication, transport and housing in the years to come.

ACTION PLAN SUMMARY

HOUSING

ISSUE

WHAT WE THINK

WHAT CAN WE DO?

WHO CAN HELP?

Future Housing Needs

At present 75% of respondents felt their housing needs were catered for. 46% of households have stated that they will have an additional housing need within the next 10 years.

The Parish needs to research and develop a detailed housing needs assessment, which can then be lodged with Torridge District Council to inform them on planning considerations that reflect the views and needs of the community.

Thornbury Parish Council

Torridge District Council

Parishioners