Parish Plan for Swynnerton
1 Introduction
The Parish Plan for Swynnerton addresses the five major
issues that were raised by the residents that responded to a survey undertaken
by
This plan forms part of a larger document produced for the Mid West Stafford Market Towns Partnership.
2 Parish Survey - Consultants findings
The table below summaries the priorities of those who responded to the survey started in May 2003 and completed in October 2003. Although, the total response represents a low self-selected sample of the population living within the Parish (approximately 2%) it does give an insight into local opinion. The Consultants noted that 'in Swynnerton the focus for change reflects very strongly the 4 key overall priorities [of the 5 Parishes within the Partnership] - Traffic management, Retail facilities, Youth facilities and, particularly strongly, Crime issues – but Public transport provision is just ahead in terms of being the key local priority [as it is in the neighbouring Parish of Chebsey].
|
Issue |
Frequency |
% (85) |
|
Public transport
provision (including taxi services) |
26 |
31 |
|
Crime issues |
25 |
30 |
|
Youth facilities |
22 |
26 |
|
Traffic management |
22 |
26 |
|
Retail facilities |
21 |
25 |
|
Retention of green spaces |
19 |
22 |
|
Protection of the
environment |
15 |
18 |
|
Litter, waste, etc |
10 |
12 |
|
Housing, including
provision of starter homes |
8 |
9 |
|
Community information
provision |
8 |
9 |
|
Local health issues |
5 |
6 |
|
Sports and leisure
facilities |
4 |
5 |
|
Visitor facilities |
4 |
5 |
|
Public buildings |
2 |
2 |
|
Pedestrian issues |
2 |
2 |
|
Condition of street
furniture and road signs |
2 |
2 |
|
Historic buildings |
2 |
2 |
|
Restricting housing
growth |
2 |
2 |
|
Parking |
1 |
1 |
|
Cycle routes and cycling
facilities |
1 |
1 |
|
Improved recycling
facilities |
1 |
1 |
|
Small business ventures |
1 |
1 |
|
Broadband |
1 |
1 |
|
Support for
elderly/disabled |
1 |
1 |
3 Parish Council's strategy for meeting needs highlighted by survey & Government priority issues
a.
Public
Transport - This problem has been the subject of concern and scrutiny by
the Parish Council for some years because it has been brought to our attention
that the timetable for current bus services does not allow sufficient time for
residents (of both Swynnerton and its neighbour Chebsey) to make adequate use
of essential facilities easily (e.g. attend doctor's surgeries and other health
clinics as well as to use retail outlets). The Parish is represented in ongoing
discussions between Staffordshire County Council and Transport providers at the
County Transport Forum. The
b.
Crime -
the Parish Council has begun to work with the partnership established between
Stafford Borough and the Staffordshire Police Authority to improve
communications between residents and the police and thereby to tackle crime and
disorder and provide a greater sense of security. This initiative was launched
in January 2004 and the first objective is to work with the residents of Yarnfield where there have been some
persistent public nuisance problems. In future, other communities and groups
within the Parish will be offered the benefits derived from this exercise;
particularly Neighbourhood Watch Groups and Residents' Associations.
c.
Youth
facilities - the Parish Council has concluded that the best available method
of addressing this issue is by working with the Management Committees of the
four Village Halls in the area (located at Swynnerton, Yarnfield, Tittensor and
Hanchurch) and Groups that are either already using these facilities or might
consider doing so in the future. The Council is represented on the four
Management Committees. There have been problems in the past but recent new
initiatives include providing training for young people interested in trying
out indoor bowling, which started at Hanchurch in autumn 2003, under the
supervision of a County standard bowler.
d.
Traffic
management - This is an issue that is recognised to be affected by changes
in road use resulting from both new commercial and housing developments. As a
result the Parish Council is addressing new cases as they arise. Most recently
(January 2004) the area of Tittensor covered by speed restrictions was extended
to include a new housing development and the Council is monitoring the effect
of the work on the A34 due to the redevelopment of Trentham Gardens.
e.
Retail
facilities - the Parish Council would like to see an improved use of the
existing retail facilities within its area, which should encourage an expansion
of the services provided. However, it has a limited ability to achieve this. Therefore,
it plans to use improvements in its ability of communicate with residents (see
below) to publicise the services that are currently available locally.
f.
Communications
- it is planned to launch a Parish web site in 2004-5, backed by a
hand/postal delivery of a Parish information sheet three times a year, derived
from the information also available on the web. Thus the Parish Council hopes
to be at the forefront of the response to a Government initiative to encourage
all Parish Councils to provide such a service within the next five years.
g.
Sustainable
development - the UK Government, as part of its international commitments
resulting from concerns about the global threat from climate change and
resource depletion, has asked all local authorities to consider how they might
develop a strategy to promote more sustainable practices, for example to meet
Borough recycling targets. Swynnerton is one of the first parishes in the West
Midlands (and nationally) to produce a sustainable
development strategy. It is hoped that this will be subjected to public
scrutiny so that a final document can be launched that will achieve a high
level of public support and lead to changes in behaviour that can improve the
local quality of life. It is hoped that the Stone Market Town's Programme will
prove to be a catalyst for this to happen.
4 Proposed timetable for action
|
Rank |
Objective |
Action |
Leaders |
Partners |
Timescale |
Comments |
|
|
1 |
4 |
Public transport |
Provide improved bus
timetabling |
Staffordshire County
Council |
Transport providers Chebsey Parish Council |
3-5 years |
Ongoing problem since 1999 |
|
2 |
1 |
Crime |
Better local response to
crime & disorder |
|
Neighbourhood Watch &
Residents' Associations |
1-3 years |
Started in Yarnfield in
January 04 |
|
3 |
6 |
Youth facilities |
More recreation
opportunities in Parish |
Village Hall Management
Committees |
Local Clubs & Societies |
Open-ended |
Indoor Bowls started in
autumn 03 |
|
4 |
2 |
Traffic management |
Improving traffic calming
in residential areas and flow on main roads |
Staffordshire County
Council Staffordshire Police |
Residents |
Ongoing |
Situation reviewed as new
development occurs |
|
5 |
5 |
Retail |
Improve use of local facilities |
Parish Council Shop Owners |
VIRSA, Community Council of
Staffordshire Residents |
3-5 years |
New communications
facilities should help process |
|
6 |
3 |
Communic-ations |
Create Parish Web site
& news-sheet |
Parish Council |
Community Council of
Staffordshire |
1-2 years |
Some funding difficulties
encountered |
|
7 |
7 |
Sustainable development |
Gain acceptance for Parish
strategy |
Parish Council |
Residents Community Council of Staffordshire |
2-5 years |
Draft strategy produced in
autumn 03 |
5 Conclusions about survey & plans for updating Parish Plan
The Parish Council is very grateful for the contributions
from those who took part in the survey but is disappointed about the poor
response within the parish. It hopes that, as a result of the publicity given
to this plan and the strategy for its implementation, shown above, it can be
refined and revised to ensure that it continues to meet the priorities of the
Parish as a whole. In conjunction with the Parish Plans of other members of the
Mid Stafford Market Towns Partnership, it will be submitted for inclusion in
6 Brief description of Swynnerton Parish
The above section of a map showing parishes within Stafford Borough, provided by Staffordshire Parish Councils' Association (see www.staffordshire.gov.uk/spca), shows Swynnerton in the context of its immediate neighbours, including 3 of the 4 other members of the Mid-Stafford Market Towns' Partnership and the mainly urban areas of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent, to the north.
Swynnerton is a relatively large rural parish in terms of both land area and population (see Appendix 2 - Census 2001 statistics for Swynnerton Parish area). However, most of the concentrations of residential housing are situated adjacent to its boundaries, with only the scattered community of Beech lying near to the centre.
There is evidence of a religious foundation existing at Trentham from at least the seventh century AD and it is recorded as being part of the King's land in the Domesday Book, complied in 1086-7. Swynnerton received its Royal Charter from Edward 1, in the thirteenth century. All of Swynnerton Parish lay within the Pirehill Hundred from late Saxon to early medieval times. From the dissolution of the monasteries, in the sixteenth century, until the early twentieth century most of the northern half of the present parish was owned by the Leveson-Gower family, who became the Dukes of Sutherland in the nineteenth century and eventually sold the last of their local property in the 1980s. Whereas Lord Stafford still lives in the Hall at Swynnerton and owns much land in the Parish.
There are four Public Houses in the Parish (one in each of
the Wards), sub-Post Offices in Swynnerton, Tittensor and Yarnfield, which also
supply some groceries and a farm shop at Beech.
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