Parish Plan

Section 1 - Introduction

Section 2 - Background

Section 3 - A brief summary of the Research Findings

Section 4 - Plan Content - Objectives and Possible Solutions

Section 5 - Structure of the Parish Plan Organisation

Exhibition of Findings - June 2003

Section 2 - Background

History

1. The initial public consultation was in October 2001, a public meeting called by the Parish Council.
2. From April 2002-July 2003 was Phase 1 ‘The Community Appraisal’ - purely research; no proposals. 800 adult responses = 35% response rate. Statistically reliable data (see below).
3. Plus, a further several hundred net additional findings from, in particular : farmers, the elderly, teenagers and children, measured ‘qualitatively’ - i.e. via focus groups, written comments, and a survey of pupils at Wedmore First School
4. Starting now - Phase 2 ‘The Parish Plan’. Proposals based on the research findings.

Statistical reliability

• Analysis based on the whole sample of 800 is statistically reliable to between 99.39% and 99.97% certainty, since the sample is big enough to be fully representative of the adult community aged 15+ (est.2,400 people). For very small sub-sets of the sample - e.g. farmers, who only represent 5% of the community (44 respondents in the Survey) - statistical reliability drops to just over 97%. These definitions of reliability are calculated by the specialist research software used by the data processing agency employed.
• The sample, then, is a reliably representative cross-section of the population. It is not necessary for 100% of the ‘universe’ (in this case, IoW adults aged 15+) to respond, for the data to be absolutely reliable; any more than it is necessary for MPs and Councillors to be elected by 100% of voters for them to be ‘representatives’ of a ward or constituency.
• In addition to the Main Adult Survey, many hundreds of parishioners responded through specialist ‘qualitative’ research techniques (see description above). Although these data are not analysed for statistical reliability, they are nevertheless equally valid as research findings, providing, as they do, much more detailed insights into parishioners’ thoughts and concerns.

A brief description of the Isle of Wedmore Parish

The Isle of Wedmore consists of three principal villages, Wedmore, Blackford and Theale with a further seventeen hamlets that include Clewer, Cocklake and Crickham (the Three C’s), Stoughton, Heath House, Panborough, Little Ireland and Little Scotland.

Wedmore is a busy thriving village, which still retains its essential character. It has a variety of retail outlets including butchers, boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops as well as a post office, bank, dentist, doctor’s surgery, chemist and several public houses. There are also seven churches of three different denominations within the three principal villages.

Sitting on a ridge of higher land rising out of the Somerset Levels it is four miles from Cheddar and the Mendip Hills and eight miles from both Wells and Glastonbury. The Isle of Wedmore has an ancient history; it was here that King Alfred the Great signed peace with the Danes in 878 AD. The main shopping street is The Borough, which was laid out as a market in the 12th and 13th Centuries, and the 14th Century Market Cross can still be found here today.

The Parish is mainly farmland with a population of around 3,300 with approximately 2,500 residents on the ‘Register of Electors’. It has 58 miles of footpaths and is bounded by 26 miles of roads.

For the sports enthusiast the community is well-served by its very popular golf, bowls, tennis, cricket and football clubs.

Objectives

A genuine piece of grass-roots democracy

Here is an extract from the government White Paper which initiated the project:

"People in rural communities care strongly about the places where they live, about the services and activities that hold the community together, the local landscape and its features, and how it is likely to evolve in the future. Every country town and village has its own priorities, local strengths and distinctive features which are special and unique.

We recognise that diversity and local pride. We want to enable rural communities to improve their quality of life and opportunity. We want to give them a bigger say in managing their own affairs and the chance to give everyone in the community a say in how it develops. To achieve this we will help all rural communities develop Parish Plans."

Sample and methodology of the survey

The following are the components of the Community Appraisal:

1. Main adult survey aged 15+. Self-completion questionnaire containing 40+ questions, 2,400 distributed to approximately 1,200 households in the Isle of Wedmore. 800 questionnaires returned on time, representing a 35% response rate.
2. Six focus groups: two with elderly ladies and men, aged 70-85; two with teenage boys and girls aged 12-16; one with farmers and one with people whose families have lived here for generations.
3. A survey of children aged 5-9, all at Wedmore First School, in the form of a self-completion questionnaire and drawing competition. Twenty eight completed questionnaires.
4. Verbatim Comments from the 516 that were returned by respondents of the main adult survey, using the separate ‘Yellow Pages’.
5. Government Census data, collected from the Office for National Statistics. County and District data, from Somerset County Council and Sedgemoor District Council. This has enabled us to analyse the present and future demographic profile of the Isle of Wedmore compared to that of Sedgemoor, Somerset and UK. Such profiling will be invaluable for the future planning of housing, employment and health services needs.

Organisations and individuals consulted in drafting the content of the Adult Questionnaire - Sept. 2002

Notes

The above list is not exhaustive. Over a six-month period, a number of prominent announcements were made in the local press, in the Isle of Wedmore News, and via a series of posters put up around the villages of the parish, inviting ALL parishioners - whether private individuals or business owners - to put forward suggested content for inclusion in the Community Appraisal questionnaire.

*Before the final questionnaire was printed, it was piloted amongst a small number of parishioners - especially farmers and retail traders - to ensure that it flowed logically for respondents, was easy to fill in, and did not take too long to fill in

In June 2003 an exhibition of findings took place in Wedmore VH. In July 2003 there was a follow-up public feedback meeting, also in Wedmore VH. Both events were well attended by parishioners.