Parish Plan

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 5 - Structure of the Parish Plan Organisation

The Parish Plan Organisation now consists of around 75 people in total, including 16 Parish Councillors and the Parish Clerk. Furthermore, many of these people have volunteered for more than one job. This is the size of a medium-sized company; clearly it will be necessary to organise the structure and procedures tightly and efficiently.

Roles of participants

Parish Council	Final approval of all proposals, after liaison with PPSC and WGs. Implementation of most proposals, in consultation with the PPSC Official Keeper of the raw data, although WPC will not supply analyses from the tables. The PPSC is responsible for providing these.
PPSC	Monthly liaison between Working Groups and WPC; Supplier of data analysis from the Community Appraisal findings, as required from time to time by Working Groups and/or WPC; Advice and support to Working Groups; Day-to-day budget management on behalf of WPC; Responsible for ensuring all participants know what is going on Issue written briefs to all Working Groups and sub-groups, setting out their objectives and suggested solutions to be investigated.
Working and Sub-groups	A volunteer ‘army of foot-soldiers’ working on behalf of the community, with the backing of the Parish Council.

Initiation of Proposals

Can be initiated by any of the above-named participating groups. Must reflect a majority community view per the survey findings; and must conform to the Parish Plan.

Structure

The four main Working Groups - Housing, Traffic, Youth, Community Code - will report in to the Parish Plan Steering Committee (PPSC), which in turn reports into the Parish Council. In addition, the main Working Groups will liaise with their respective sub-groups; and the Traffic group will also liaise with John Sanderson, representing the Parish Council Highways Committee. This will speed up the communication process, and facilitate a pragmatic and efficient approach to the specific issues.

Transparency - Liaison and Communications

Each month, the PPSC will collect from Working Groups a status report on work in progress, with a brief statement. These will be collated into a monthly report which will be made available as follows:

Copy to the Parish Council and to District Councillors
Posted on the Parish Plan website
Published in the Isle of Wedmore News, in consultation with the Parish Council, who will also be reporting on their own activities each month.

The Parish Plan Steering Committee

Sue Rippon - Chair
Simon Tomes - Hon Treasurer
Marina Jonas - Publicity officer
Tessa Podpadec - Secretary
Dianne Culliford - WPC representative
Valerie Godfrey - WPC representative
Simon Emary - Treasurer +WPC Clerk

The Working Groups

Traffic (working in close liaison with the Chairman of the PC Highways Committee)	10 members
Community Forum + Community Code (dealing with anti-social behaviour and community relations)	6 members
Youth Facilities (special focus on a skatepark and sports)	11 members
Housing, Development and the Environment	5 members
Avoidable Crime (working in close liaison with Neighbourhood Watch and the local police)	3 members
Community Speedwatch (mobile teams with speedguns)	8 members
Community Bus for young people on Fri/Sat nights	5 members
Walking Bus/Safe Routes to School	14 members

Like the Parish Plan itself, Working groups will not have an indefinite life. Once core objectives are either achieved, or deemed impossible, they may be disbanded. Also, members should have a chance, at the time of the annual review, to stand down if they want.

Items identified that are already in progress by WPC, the PPSC, and other groups.

Some projects proposed in this Plan are already under way and can report positive results. Progress to date is as follows:

Item requested in Survey	Achievement to date	By whom
A car park in Wedmore	Land has been purchased by the PC…	Parish Council
More affordable housing	…plus land for possible affordable housing.	Parish Council
Broadband internet access	A Broadband system has been set up	Angela Vivian
Youth ‘drop-in’ centre	Internet Café at The George is now open	IT/Terrified
Reduce speeding	Community Speedwatch speedgun acquired 8 volunteers recruited. 4 already trained	Parish Council PPSC/police
Reduction of litter	Part-time Parish Litter Orderly employed.	Parish Council
PC reports in IoW News	Monthly reports now featured	Parish Council
Discourage anti-social behaviour	Object to pub entertainments licence, in order to reduce under-age drinking Permission to ban drinking in streets Look at friendly ‘no parking’ signs on bends	Parish Council Parish Council PC + Community Code WG

The above list illustrates exactly how the Parish Plan should work over its lifetime, i.e. with ideas being initiated by a variety of community groups, who then co-operate with each other to achieve improvements for the whole parish. Whilst some of the simpler solutions featured above might look like ‘quick wins’, other items - especially highways issues such as HGVs - are likely to take a long time and, indeed, may never be resolved, despite everyone’s best efforts.