Tiverton & Tilstone Fearnall Parish Plan
Household Survey 2004 - Preliminary report on survey
responses
PEOPLE AND
NUMBERS
Just
under 55%of Questionnaires were returned. The
proportion was almost equal for each of the two villages – 55.6% of Tiverton
residents and 51% of Tilstone Fearnall residents returned the survey.
How Many People does this represent – and how old are
they?
120 questionnaires were returned,
representing represented 279 people. The age ranges were as follows:
DEVELOPMENT
Question 3 – “Would you like to see the
following encouraged in and around Tiverton and Tilstone Fearnall?”
The summary of responses is shown
above. In this and all subsequent charts, ‘no preference’ and ‘blank’ are added
together to give a ‘no opinion’ total.
If any development were to occur, there
is a clear preference for a shop, with tourism attracting fewest votes. The
choices were widely distributed across the categories, and overall, only 22% of
households expressed a clear preference for no development at all of any
type.
Other suggestions made by households
included a Post Office, and countryside activitities – farming and stables.
However, there was some comment by respondents urging caution, suggesting that
Tarporley serves us well, that the Beeston shop has been good for residents,
and that there would not be enough people to support a shop.
Question 4 – Would you like to see the development of any of the following tourist
facilities?
Given
the low level of positive responses for tourism in question 3, the above data
have to be interpreted with caution. Only 4% of households would encourage
permanent holiday caravans, while 63 households expressed a positive view about
B & B establishments – twice the number expressing encouragement for any
tourist development in Q3!
Other
suggestions made in answer to this question included using the canal to
generate tourism, horse riding, hot air ballooning, and promoting the walks in
the area.
Question
5 . How many in each age group within your
household would like to see improved transport (complete as many boxes as apply
in each age group)?
This
question received a strong level of response. Respondents were asked to
indicate by age group which members of their household would support different
options for improved transport. The re-opening of Beeston station attracted
greatest support, as follows;
0-19 age group - 85%
support
20-60
age group - 97%
support
60
+ age group - 65% support
.
This
‘lobby’ to re-open Beeston station was raised by many households in Q19, where
residents were given the opportunity to say what they felt would improve their
local quality of life for their household and the community. Not all households chose to complete this section,
but of those that did, the issue was raised in 18 of the questionnaires
returned.
Although
the other options received less support, the figures were not insignificant.
A
number of households made additional comments on the question itself. One
respondent queried whether an improved bus service was likely to see greater
overall use, but thought that the re-opening of the station was more likely to
achieve considerable use from inhabitants. Another suggested the operation of
hub-links to make better use of the buses.
Question 6 – How many Households would support the following traffic
safety control measures in Tiverton and Tilstone Fearnall?
The greatest response received to this question (71%
in favour) was for improvements at The Red Fox traffic lights, followed closely
by improvements at Huxley Lane Huxley Lane
Speed
and how to tackle it appears to be a divided issue. 58% of households overall
are in favour of speed limit reduction ( although for Tilstone Fearnall alone,
the figure was 47%, which perhaps reflects that they have fewer houses are
affected by passing traffic).
Traffic
calming received diverse opinions both in the answer to the question and
additional comments received. 45% support such measure, whilst 39% said they
did not (the remainder expressing no opinion).
Whilst
the comments made show that while some residents want the speed limits to be
enforced – 35 households raised this in question 19 - others do not favour
traffic controls. Reasons given are they are not necessary, that they ‘impinge
on the countryside’, and with regard to speed bumps they are not seen by some
as the answer, citing noise pollution, and that other areas are ripping them
up.
The
suggestion of a bypass received 50% support. Whilst one household suggested the
continuation of the Tarporley bypass to avoid The Red Fox, another commented
that extra roads would just result in more traffic.
HOUSING
Question 7. Do you think Tiverton or Tilstone
Fearnall can accommodate more new housing?
Just
over one – third of residents believed that the area could accommodate new
housing. There was no significant difference in the proportion of residents
from each of the two villages voting either in favour, or positively against,
new housing. 90% of respondents answered the question, indicating a high level
of interest in the topic.
51%
of Tiverton residents said ‘no’ to more housing, whilst a similar figure agreed
in Tilstone Fearnall(52%).
Question
8. What type of housing
development would be acceptable?
As
seen previously, when the question is expressed differently, the apparent
rejection of new housing becomes less marked. Only 12% of households maintained
that no new housing at all would be acceptable, while over 60% were happy with
small-scale extensions. Only around 15% would favour larger developments of
less than 10 dwellings, while 40% would allow single dwellings. This is relevant
in the context of question 9, below.
Question
9. - What type of housing do you think is needed
for local people?
The results here show a substantial number of
households – more than half – want to see new starter homes, possibly managed
by a housing trust, for local people. A slightly fewer number wanted
accommodation for the elderly.
40% ticked the box as wanting to see no more homes
at all, but if these responses are analysed in detail, three of these wanted to
see starter homes, five wanted homes for the elderly, and two wanted sheltered
housing for the less able.
18% gave a positive indication for the need for 3-4
bedroomed houses, and a smaller number (13%) thought executive housing was
needed.
A few comments were also made in response to this
question, all expressing reservations with regard to the need for any
further housing.
Question 10 - Please indicate how many members
of your family are likely to need starter homes in the area
The desire
to see low cost starter homes was supported by the responses to question 10,
where households were asked about their family needs for such housing in future
years. No less than 14 households expected to have family members wanting
starter homes in the area in five years timea total of 19 individuals
apparently requiring housing units. A further 21 were seen as being needed by
ten years time. This would represent a substantial increasing in the housing
demands in the area.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Question 11 -
Do you think that any of the following measures are needed
As the graph shows, the greatest
level of response received to this question, was in relation to a more visible
police presence – 79% said ‘yes’ to this. There was moderate support for an
extended Home Watch scheme. A scheme operates in most of Tiverton, but there is
no scheme in Tilstone Fearnall. 46% ticked yes to this, with 30% expessing no
opinion.
The issue of improved street
lighting, whilst not throwing up any clear view (39% ‘yes’, 31% ‘no’, 30 ‘no
opinion’), did nevertheless throw up one or two emotive comments, suggesting
that such lights would cause light pollution, and in another case ‘we voted
against this but they were installed anyway’.
Additionally whilst there appeared
to be a degree of ambivalence to pedestrian crossings,(38% yes, 23% no, 38% no
opinion), a couple of respondents did express reservation as they might cause
additional hazard. Another suggested it was a good idea if Brook Farm School
were to be re-opened.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Question 12 - Those in favour of a Children’s Playground –
41% voted in favour of this, 20%
against and 39% expressing no opinion. 70% of those in favour have children in
the 0-11 age range.
8 responses listed this as a
priority in Q19, but some supplementary comments were also received. One asked
how it would be maintained and insured, whilst another commented that Tilstone
Fearnall had no children to speak of, and no village centre.
Question 13 - Do you value what is on
offer at the following places?
75% of the households valued
Tiverton Village Hall, the figures dropping to 34% and 32% for St Judes and The
Methodist Chapel, respectively.
Question 14 - Would you support any of the following in Tiverton and
Tilstone Fearnall if they were provided?
Learning
and educational activities received the greatest support (54%), marginally over
social activities (52%), and sports(50%).
Other
suggestions received for activities included a local walking group, book group,
social outings group( which might help people without transport), a bowls club,
classical music, a childrens’ holiday club, and a public tennis court. There
was also a request for a list/data source of what is available in the area,
perhaps linked to the website.
Q19 also
threw up suggestions such as involving youngsters in village activities.
Question 15- Would you be prepared to help organise and run any of the
following activities?
Within
the survey, 23% stated they would be willing to help organise social
activities, and 13% similarly would help learning activities. Only 3% ticked
‘yes’ for music, although there is support for this. There is perhaps lukewarm
support for youth activities with only 8% indicating a willingness to be
involved in this way.
Question 16- Are you satisfied with the amount of information available
about the following?
Residents
appear to be satisfied that they are being kept up to date about Parish council
issues and social events. Whilst 56% are satisfied about the information they
receive about public safety, 16% said they were not, and 28% expressed no
opinion. There was possibly also some uncertainty by respondents as to
what ‘public safety’ encompassed. It was
included to express issues such as those relating to reports from home watch,
local policing, traffic and roads.
Question 17 - Do you
think that any of the following landscape features in Tiverton and Tilstone
Fearnall need to be protected?
Residents showed great interest in
this section, with 85% or higher expressing the need to protect the features
listed. The question also threw up additional suggestions to be included, such
as Cheshire Fencing, bat roosts, and wildlife. Environmentally related issues
were also included by 12 respondents in the list of priorities for the Parish
(Q19). Households asked for improved litter controls, recycling to be
encouraged, Tiverton Chapel and War Memorial to be protected and enforcement of
the Weeds Act 1959.
Question 18 – Would you
be prepared to help with any of the following?
Despite
the large numbers giving voice to the need to protect the environment, fewer
expressed that they would help although some residents did say they could not
due to age/ infirmity. However the numbers are still significant – as many as
47% of households (and therefore potentially more than one person per house)
said that they would be willing to help protect wildlife habitats. We also know
from several of the responses that there are residents who already do their
bit, such as keeping the area tidy, or clearing paths.
QUESTION 19
– Give details of up to 3 of your top
priorities, which you feel would improve the local quality of life.
Not every
household chose to answer this question, but nevertheless the results were
revealing and refreshing in the variety of issues raised which seems to show
that residents do care and are interested in contributing to a better quality
of life.
Road
related issues predominated, with speeding controls providing the most concern.
Other specific road issues were raised such as improving parking at Beeston
Brook, stopping lorries parking in the A49 lay-by, and improving/ maintaining
verges on the A49.
Although
there were fewer transport issues, as shown earlier the reopening of Beeston
station has captured residents’ enthusiasm.
Security,
facilities, development and the environment were all mentioned in Q19, but to
lesser degrees. The main comment for development was the desire to maintain the
peace and tranquility of our villages.
There
were other issues worthy of mention which were not covered by the main core
questions in the survey, but which demonstrate by their inclusion by residents
that the Parish Plan is not just about ‘big issues’, but will also address
smaller short term actions that we as a Parish can try to implement. They include
a request for a Post Box at Tilstone Bank, a ladder out of Beeston Iron Lock,
restriction of parking in Tiverton, and introducing broadband internet access
to the village.