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Open Spaces working party final report to HPC. Brief :- to undertake a complete review of all open spaces and community use buildings in the parish including those not owned by the Parish Council. This report has been produced following a public consultation exercise conducted in March 2011 and it should be read in conjunction with the previous report of the working party of January 2011. Consultation conclusions:- The community consultation did not produce any surprises and largely agreed with the working parties perceptions of the parish priorities for recreational developments. 2 clear requirements top the survey results, namely the needs for allotments (64%) and for a community centre (57%). The third priority is wildlife/natural areas. However, another priority is also clear, but masked by the survey methodology; that is the overwhelming requirement for more and better facilities for children and young people. All of the working party’s suggested facilities for children and young people were supported to a greater or lesser extent although no one proposal made it into the top three. Proposals :- 1 Allotments and Dudley Ave site. The survey indicated 2 preferred locations, the first being on other possible sites not yet owned by the parish (59%) and the second being the Dudley Ave site (51%). Recent research by the working party tends to indicate that it would be possible to provide allotments at Dudley Ave faster than elsewhere. This would require a new survey of the site commissioned by HPC to confirm what needs to be done to return what is an old refuse tip into a site suitable for allotments and other community recreational uses. It would need a planning application for change of use of part of the site. It would require grant funding being sought. The outline proposal is:- To set up a project team/working party comprising representatives of HPC, NFDC, and other local interested parties (e.g allotment assn) to commission an appropriate survey, to seek grant funding, to seek planning approval for change of use and to produce and commission a plan of works to transform the Dudley Ave site to provide allotments, a BMX/cycle track and children’s play area. 2 Community centre. The survey indicated that the preferred site for a community centre was at the Hordle Pavilion. (66%) The working party suggested in its initial report that management of the existing pavilion should be transferred to a management committee to allow them to organize events and raise funds, to start to create the “spirit” of community required to make the project a success. The outline proposal is:- to set up a management committee for the Hordle Pavilion comprising representatives from HPC and other interested organizations in the parish and from other interested individual members of the parish. The management committee would have a brief to :- Manage the pavilion on a day to day basis. Produce a plan to extend the pavilion to provide a larger community centre to provide both sporting and social facilities. To engage with NFDC and possibly the NPA on getting planning consents. Seek funding. Seek quotes for the planned extension. Produce a plan for the future management and funding of the community centre that does not depend on significant funding from the precept. 3 Wildlife/natural areas - Acquisition of land. The survey indicated a strong desire for wildlife/natural areas (67%) and for the ongoing use of Golden Hill for this purpose(59%). The category location “Other possible sites” were also indicated for wildlife/natural areas (31%), as were community gardens/orchards (29%), informal open space(28%), dog walking area (28%) and footpaths/cycleways (50%). In some of these categories, footpaths and cycleways being a good example, respondents expressed a view in favour of the category without being able to express a view on location. If it were possible the acquisition of the woodlands known as Whitbread woods might go some way to satisfying some of these needs. Additional car parking requirements were also identified as a priority, amongst locations in need of extra parking were Hordle Rec (43%), Hordle pavilion (17%) and Dudley Ave (23%). A number of people identified the need for a resolution to the parking issues around the school and church and suggested the use of some of the land in the nurseries opposite the church. We do not see the parish having the resources to address this latter issue in the foreseeable future. However, if land could be acquired to the north or west of hordle recreation ground additional car parking, better vehicular access and more recreational space could be added. The outline proposal is:- for the council to proactively seek to acquire the land known as “Whitbread woods” and some of the land either to the north or west of the Hordle Recreation ground. ( the latter acquisition to be linked to the community centre project and planning requirements) 4 Children’s/young peoples play areas. The survey showed children/young peoples play areas as a priority. The priorities shown were:- Children’s play area 8 to 13 49% Children’s play area 2 to 8 48% Children’s play area 13+ 44% Multi use games area (MUGA) 53% Skateboard park 44% BMX/cycle track 37% Football kickabout area 35% The locations suggested for the play areas were variously Hordle rec, Everton rec and Dudley ave rec. The Acacia area scored low in priority terms for children’s play space. The current plan for the play ground at the Hordle rec will meet a high proportion of the requirement there for play equipment. Multi use games areas for football, basketball, netball, tennis etc proved popular and so a revamp of the MUGA in Hordle could be justified as could a new MUGA at Everton rec. If the proposed work goes ahead at Dudley ave rec then the BMX/cycle track could go there. Everton rec currently has limited play facilities and those are for younger children only, additional equipment to broaden the age range would help to address the lack of play facilities for the wider age group there. An experiment to hire a temporary skateboard park was suggested by the working party for this coming summer. This would allow us to test the proposal and gauge use/abuse and reaction from residents. A donation of £500 has been received to help fund this suggestion. The outline proposals are :- To test run the skateboard park this summer on a 1 or 2 week rental basis, probably at Hordle Rec. To plan for additional equipment to broaden the appeal of Everton Rec as soon as funds are available. To refurbish the MUGA in Hordle and provide a MUGA at Everton rec once funds are available. 5 Footpaths and cycleways – this option received significant support and is a topic which will need to be pursued by the Parish Council with the District Council and highways dept in terms of developing new routes and maintaining existing ones. If HPC are successful in acquiring additional land paths and cycleways should be a feature of any developments. There is a case for the parish council organizing community events to help tidy and maintain existing routes. 6 Funding – HPC has very limited funds to finance any of this work. It currently has circa £165000 in its developer’s contributions funds for expenditure on open spaces. It has committed up to £65000 of this on the refurbishing and upgrading of the Hordle play area. It is felt that some of the balance should be budgeted for the possible Whitbread woods acquisition and the remaining sum could be available for kick starting the Dudley Ave project in terms of survey or drawing up plans pending receipt of grant funding. Once these projects are funded and underway any balance of this fund could be used on the Everton Rec enhancements and other open spaces/children’s play area projects. Funding for allotments on Dudley Ave and for the Community Centre should largely come from grants which the 2 project teams are tasked with acquiring. OUTLINE PROPOSALS All of the proposals contained in this report are “outline” in order to allow the new incoming council maximum flexibility in setting up the most effective structures to achieve its goals as quickly as practical. It should be noted that a number of respondents to the survey expressed considerable frustration with the lack of movement by HPC over long periods of time. It is to be hoped that by preparing a plan in advance this record can be changed. David Ironside Chair of open spaces working party Hordle Parish Council 11 April 2011
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