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South Marston Village Strategy Presentation

Village Strategy Working Party16th March 2007

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Main Presentation Agenda

� Purpose – Vision & Objectives

� Context – PEST, SWOT

� Key areas – housing, roads, infrastructure

� Options

� Summary

� Questions

� Next Steps

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Introduction

� Why this has come about?� Swindon/Crown Timber� Survey � Public meeting� Working party

73% (233/318) households responded

90% were happy to rely on Parish Council to pursue aplanned approach to development

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Purpose

� To create and protect a long term Village Community within South Marston

� To plan the infrastructure for an active and sustainable village community in the context of the development requirements of Swindon

� To distil the views of 677 villagers into a single plan that will provide a basis for us to engage with the planners and developers

96% of the 73% of village households who responded to last year’s survey said “it was important South Marston should remain as a separate community.

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Goal and Objective

To establish strong majority agreement around

the size, shape and structure for the Village

over the next 30 years including:

� Housing

� Roads

� Support Services

� Community facilities

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An ideal recognising…

� It is a wish list

� Not a fait accomplit

� Suppositions, “ifs & buts”

� Wide spread & experienced input

� Something around which our Parish Council can then engage with the Borough / Developers etc.

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Hilltops – Our Own Unique Perspective

Perception

How we perceive

the world

500 + perspectives

Values, Position,

Tenant / Home Owner

/ Land owner

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View it from each other’s perspective

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Context

� An extra 35,000 houses to be built around Swindon by 2026 of which:

A total of c.12,000 houses to be built South of A420 & to the North of the Village as part of the Eastern Development Area

(Source: Regional Spatial Strategy)

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Regional Spatial Strategy

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Impact upon

� Traffic

� Sewage

� Trade

� Aesthetics

� Community spirit

� Youth Development

� Senior Citizens

� Local facilities

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Strengths

� Village Rural Settlement Boundary (The Red Line)

� Defined Rural Buffer

� Community involvement

� Core elements to protect (Church, School, Village Hall, Green)

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Weaknesses

� Diminishing Community Integration

� Current size cannot sustain certain key facilities that the village could do with

� Poorly planned ‘add on’ developments

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Opportunities

� Integrated design

� Tidy up Brown Field Sites

� Cash for new Village Facilities

� Become of a size to sustain other facilities without losing identity

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Threats

� Someone will always be affected by change – NIMBY

� Failure to compromise

� Inertia, apathy

� Reduced community involvement / integration

� Noise & traffic pollution

� Swindon engulfs the village

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Evolution - Not RevolutionWhere WeWant to Be

10%

10%

10%

10%

10%

10%

10%

10%

10%

10%

WhereNow

South of A420 development

South Marstondoubles its size

2020 +

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Key Areas - options

� Housing

� Roads

� Infrastructure

� Other

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Housing

Fairly wide - spread agreement to the following developments:

� Crown Timber – 69 homes inc 18 flats

75% of survey responses supported development of Crown Timber Site

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Crown Trading Estate Development c 69 houses

N

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Public Meeting Attendee FeedbackCrown Timber

� 83/85 = 97.6% said they were comfortable with the development of Crown Timber for housing

� No one said no, with 1 no view and 1 conditional on quantity

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Housing

Fairly wide - spread agreement to the following developments:

� Crown Timber – 69 homes inc 18 flats

� Thornhill Industrial Park (with area of Green along frontage & around the bend) – 180 mixed grade and Purpose housing with affordable stock being majored on

61% of survey responses supported development of Thornhill Industrial Park

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Crown Trading Estate Development c 69 houses

Thornhill Ind Estate Devt c. 180 houses

N

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Public Meeting Attendee FeedbackThornhill Industrial Estate

� 76/85 = 89.4% said they were comfortable with the development of Thornhill for housing

� 7 said No and 2 others said Yes conditional on quantity

� Total in favour with or without conditions 91.8%

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HousingFairly wide - spread agreement to the following

developments:� Crown Timber – 69 homes inc 18 flats� Thornhill Industrial Park (with area of Green along

frontage & around the bend) – 180 mixed grade housing with affordable stock being majored on

With some openness to understand more about: � Manor Farm & the land at the foot of Nightingale Hotel – 60 houses

If a redeployment of land behind Bell Gardens was secured for recreational purposes it may enhance the vision of the village and open up other opportunities for community facilities

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Crown Trading Estate Development c 60 houses

Thornhill Ind Estate Devt c. 120 houses

Manor Farm development, less clear as to boundaries

Dev’t Relief Road (2 way)

N

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Public Meeting Attendee FeedbackManor Farm Housing Development

� 54 / 85 = 63.5% in favour

� 25 / 85 = 29.4% not in favour

� 1 / 85 on conditional of quantity

� 5 / 85 = unsure

Overall 64.7% in general favour and up to 70.6% in favour or needing more information as to the detail

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Roads

� What to do about safety at Pound Corner?

� What to do about safety at Thornhill Bend & Highworth Road bends?

Widely agreed as a significant problem which will become a very major one in the future if we don’t act.

94% said something needed to be done around traffic and traffic control

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Road Options

� Leave as it is

� Leave as it is but use technology & speed controls

� By pass

� Traffic control around Pound Corner, close Pound Corner

� Block Highworth Road

� One way system with relief road

� Combination

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Leave as isPositives� Convenience of access to Highworth, local villages and their facilities

� Emergency services maintain direct access� Passing trade not affected and may increase (economic benefit)

� No cost� Incoming services – florists/take-aways� Bus routes

Concerns� Escalating traffic from new development within the village

� Escalating traffic from development south of A420 using it as a thoroughfare to Highworth

� Escalating traffic from the North through to Sainsburys� No solution / escalation of problems at the bends, Pound Corner or speeding traffic down Old Vicarage Lane

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Leave as is & use technology & speed controls

� Average speed monitors with plate recognition & flashing signs

� Include 20 mph limits

� Increase number of pinch points – not bumps (Old Vicarage Lane, ThornhillRoad)

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Leave as is with technology / speed controlsPositives

� Same benefits as before

� Greater chance of “slowing” traffic through all points of the village

� Possible reduction in incentive to be a rat run

Negatives

� Traffic volumes will still rise - will it be that much of a disincentive relative to traffic build up elsewhere?

� Associated noise from bumps and pinch points

� ONLY OF USE IF POLICE WOULD PROSECUTE & CURRENT EXPERIENCE SUGGESTS UNLIKELY

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By-pass

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NBy-pass with current Highworth Road closed. Not illustrative of the exact points of join & closure

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By-passPositives� Reduced traffic through bends, heart of village and Pound

Corner� Removes all through traffic from Keypoint end of Village� Reduce traffic down Old Vicarage Lane Concerns� Cost (c.£1.82m to £2.15m excluding pavements etc.)� Honda & farmer approval required as partly on their land� Route through Farmland and thus could lead to further

development of land West of Greenfields� Becomes an even more attractive high speed route to

Highworth.� Due to industrial buildings would have to link back up in

the middle of the bends, partly defeating the object and creating a new junction / bottleneck.

Unless possibility of cut through Honda land and sharing

of cost as some mutual benefit of access maybe derived

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Honda complete by-pass

� Positives� Reduced traffic through bends, heart of village and Pound

Corner� Removes all through traffic from Keypoint end of Village� Reduce traffic down Old Vicarage Lane � Discourage traffic from any new development South of A420� Concerns� Cost (c.£1.82m to £2.15m excluding pavements etc.) – MAYBE

REDUCED� Honda approval required as partly on their land� Route through Farmland and thus could lead to further

development of land West of Greenfields – Reduced risk if route more directly away from Village

� Becomes an even more attractive high speed route to Highworth – but not necessarily running along the back of the village

� Due to industrial buildings would have to link back up in the middle of the bends, partly defeating the object and creating a new junction / bottle-kneck. – not applicable

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Close Pound Corner, Relief Road & Lights either side of Pound Corner

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Close Pound Corner

Relief Road

N

Lights

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Traffic lights either side of Pound Corner & close Pound Corner (plus relief road)Positives� Relatively low cost� Leaves Highworth Road open� Improves safety – enabling pavements installed � Reduce traffic around the schoolConcerns� Need a relief road (but potential down the side of Nightingale Hotel to Manor Farm, through to Thornhillroad)

� Council’s view of traffic lights in villages (urbanisation)� Traffic from new Development South of A420 may reroute from Old Vic Lane through centre of village Thornhill Road (however lights would be a disincentive)

� Back log of traffic through village & increases pollution� Positioning of lights close to houses & entrances for local residents

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Road Options� Leave as it is

� Leave as it is but use technology & speed controls

� By pass

� Traffic control around Pound Corner, close Pound Corner with relief road

� Block Highworth Road

� One way system with relief road

� Combination

46% supported the idea of road closure

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Block Highworth Road (with Cycle Path / Access)

Positives

� Cheap to do

� Reversible

� Borough Council say possible but with reservations

� Dramatically reduces through traffic

� Improved safety at bends & Pound Corner

� Reduced traffic speeding down Old Vicarage Lane

� Reclaims centre of the Village for Pedestrians & Cyclists

� Environment / health / community

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Block Highworth Road (with Cycle Path / Access)

Concerns

� Impact on local businesses (inside & outside)

� Inconvenience for Villagers needing access to Highworth and beyond (Schools, Medical, Post Office, Supermarine etc.)

� Create increased traffic on routes outside of the Village

� Cut off connection with other rural areas and open us up to being considered part of Swindon

� Emergency services impacted upon

� Bus / school bus routes

� Increase potential bottleneck at Gable Cross / Carpenters Arms exits (offset by no Blunsdon / Highworth / Sevenhampton etc. traffic cutting through)

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Block road additional time & distance..

Outward would be

2 ½ to 91.2 to 4.8To Supermarine

7 to 12 ½ 3.6 to 6.8 To Highworth Mkt. Place

Return would be

2 ½ to 7 ¼ 1.2 to 3.7From Supermarine

7 to 113.6 to 5.8From Highworth Mkt. Place

68%75%Increase of

23 ½ 12.6Would be

147.2Currently

Ave return trip Highworth

MinutesMiles

3 x return trip per week for 40 weeks @

25p per mile = c £160 p.a.

Cycle Paths Nearby

parking & walk to S-

Marine

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One way & footpath round Pound Corner

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One way & footpath round pound corner

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Two way North of Pound Corner, but must turn left @ Pound Corner coming south

Two way down Old Vicarage Lane from Carpenters until School entrance.

Possible one way system on single lane road back into centre of village

Two way up to Pound Corner

NOne way from Pound Corner up to School Entrance

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One way system in heart of village

Positives� Enables a pavement / footpath around Pound Corner

� Reduces volume of traffic through village one way

Concerns� A pavement would restrict turning circle for larger vehicles

� Inconvenience of long journey vs crow flies distance

� Increases traffic other ways – Old Vicarage Lane & back up the centre of the Village

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Road summary

� By-pass option least likely to be achievable & affordable, could create very high volumes of traffic and other bottle necks. Unless Honda give us a more viable option

� Lights in village unpopular – tail backs, pollution, irritant

� Closure of Highworth road, easiest to do, most effective and lowest cost but at a certain inconvenience to a reasonable proportion of those within & outside the Village.

� Only solutions to Pound Corner involve closure or one way system enabling a pavement round one bend

� Speed calming measures ignored by many whilst unenforceable

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A Road Proposal (see map next slide)

� IF HONDA BY-PASS OPTION NOT POSSIBLE

� IF POLICE NOT HAPPY TO ENFORCE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES

� Stage 1 close Highworth Road and see benefits & downsides (Buys time)

� Then trial one way round Pound Corner if and when relief roads are created

� Then look at footpath round Pound Corner

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Two way North of Pound Corner, but must turn left @ Pound Corner coming south

Two way down Old Vicarage Lane from Carpenters until School.

Close Highworth Road further up @ Supermarine turn, with parking bay

Two way to this point

One way system on single lane road back into centre of village

Two way up to Pound Corner

NOne way along Vicarage Lane from Pound Corner up School Entrance

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Additional road requirements

� Traffic lights at Gable Cross

� Roundabout at Carpenters Arms turning onto A420

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Public Meeting Attendee FeedbackQ. I would support the closure of the Highworth

Road if no viable by-pass option?

� 33 / 77 said yes = 42.9%

� 44 / 77 said no = 57.1% (2 non resident)

� 8 did not respond

This is little to no difference from overall village survey last year

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Other

� Sewage & drainage

� Pavements / cycle paths

� Parking

� Infrastructure

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Public Meeting Attendee Feedback

� There was unanimous agreement that the Village had traffic problems and there was a concern about the growth in these problems. In certain parts it was a speeding problem, others a volume based issue andothers a congestion based problem.

� Further alternatives proposed for the Parish Council to look into were: � One way out of the Village on Highworth Rd going North with sectioned off

cycle / footpath for safety & healthy option. Halving the problem, not exacerbating the problems @ Gable Cross & Carpenters Arms roundabouts and return trip via alternative route shorter and quicker than other way round

� Introduce a barrier system on Highworth Road for Villagers & Emergency Services only

� Re-approaching Police re attitude to enforce speeding fines on traffic tracking / camera systems if brought in

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Sewage & drainage

� Increasing stress on existing infra-structure

� Water logging in many areas, e.g. behind Bell Gardens, Manor Cottages & many other areas. Need to review whole drainage system of Village

� Pumping station is overloaded – total review of sewage system required now and definitely with any further development

� Possibility of creation of lakes and tree planting to absorb moisture to the South and East of the Village

� Need for an effective surface water drainage strategy

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Footpaths / Cycle Paths

� Currently inadequate through the village,

90% of responses said they use existing footpaths and bridleways

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N

Footpath

Gap opposite car

park

Pound Corner

Ash Gardens to Hodinotts Corner

Church Ground to

Manor Cottages

Other

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Public Meeting Attendee FeedbackFootpaths / cycle paths

� One proposed amendment which carried fairly strong favour was not to have a one way traffic route back through the middle of the village from Manor Farm through Bell Gardens, but that this should be part of a cycle / footpath system.

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Parking

� Inadequate parking for current & future school / village recreational / church demand

� No parking close to present village hall – whilst area in front of it could be made available, it has its uses especially for Tots ‘n Toddlers & children’s parties

� If Village Hall not required for child based activities, a few spaces could be created to serve whatever future function it might have

� If land behind Bell Gardens was adopted by the Village extending the current car park could be considered

56% of responses said there was a need for more off road parking

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Infrastructure

� School size � Community shop / Post Office� Sports Changing Rooms� Youth Club, Tots & Toddler Group, Friendly Club etc� Village Hall� Meeting Rooms� Church� Sports Hall – Village use & school� Recreational space (sports field)� Hotel & pubs� Allotments

80% responses said there should be better facilities for households

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School

� Potential expansion of pupils from village (reduces availability to outside pupils - may reduce traffic & parking challenges)

� Lack of space for school gymnasium (therefore link to a Community Centre facility would be useful)

� School safe for foreseeable future but need to be aware:

Local Gov’t education strategy

Health in school requirements

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Community Shop / Post Office

� Questionable as to whether existing Village size could sustain, but a Village twice the size may do

� If other options are available to support the current requirements of the Village Hall, this would be an excellent location

� This could promote local produce / services / farmers market

� It could create first job opportunities for young villagers

90% saw a need for a Village shop

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Recreational Facilities

� Recent changing room/ pavilion project on hold � Recreational area currently adequate (although subject to conflicts of use), but would be reduced if any sizeable build on the land and car park extension created

� Acquisition of land behind Bell Gardens � Protect land between The Nightingale Hotel and A420 by considering more Green Infrastructure, Forest, Lake etc.

80% saw recreational and play area as adequate for current needs

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Friendly Club, Youth Club, Tots n Toddlers

� Important initiatives to develop and strengthen a sense of Community

� Village Hall too small to support current numbers and future potential demand

� Possible use of Church if pews were replaced with chairs. Existing facility not used to full potential. Church members open to suggestions.

58% expressed a need for a Community Centre

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Village Hall

� Important to retain the building� Its usage may alter over the years, but the exterior of the building should remain

� If all its current uses could be moved to the Church or a new multi-functional centre the Village Hall could be used (with Parking) as:

� A Post Office / Village Store � Local Enterprise initiatives � A couple of maisonettes – sell off or let

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Hotels & pubs

� Current number fine & expansion positive

� Village utilisation of the Hotel for meetings, youth club etc. would be good, but couldn’t rely upon so felt need to create own facilities

� Wouldn’t want to develop facilities that are in direct conflict i.e. Fully Licensed Bar / Squash / Gym etc. (Complement not conflict)

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Sports Hall / Recreational Centre

79% said there needed to be improved recreational

facilities

81% felt better facilities should be available for

12 – 18 year olds

� General feel is to keep this for recreation, rather than over complicate it for more formal functions such as receptions / events

� Building requirements

� changing facilities,

� PE Hall (High Ceiling) – 5-a-side size

� Stage? – separate room / storage / access

� Social area with a self service coffee / soft drinks area (self licence bar capability)

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Village Hall current uses move to New Centre, Church or Hotel

� Parish Meetings

� Tots ‘n Toddlers Youth Club

� Friendly Club

� Children’s Parties

� Village Charitable / Fund raising events

� Village Meetings

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Public Meeting Attendee FeedbackQ. I support the Recreational Centre idea as suggested?

� 73 / 85 answered yes = 85.9%� 1 / 85 answered no = 1.3%� 11 failed to answer

Of those who answered 98.6% were in favour

However 77% answered “Yes” to “Is this conditional on additional land being available e.g. behind Bell Gardens?”

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Majority views seem to favour:

� Approval to Brown field site housing (possibly Manor Farm if cansecure land behind Bell Gardens)

� Large Recreational facility accommodating a high ceiling hall, changing rooms, social room (self catering bar & vending) for use by school and community

� Trial closure of Highworth Road (reversible) � If / once relief road put in beside the Nightingale Hotel implement one way system & pavement at Pound Corner

� Extend current car park area if Bell Garden land adopted� Protect Village Hall, but be open to alternative viable uses� Develop green infrastructure to support drainage and define and protect Parish boundaries

� (there was a reasonable minority for each)

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Putting it all together

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New recreational facility

Extra Parking

Lakes to aid

drainage

N

e.g. Tree Planting

Close Highworth Road

New

Housing

Allotments

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Public Meeting Attendee Feedback

� Not important / should develop 5/84 = 6% � Low density housing positively favoured 16/84 = 19%� Prefer no housing but at worst accept low density 14/84 =

16.7%� Very important no development 18 / 84 = 21.4%� Critical no development 31 / 84 = 36.9%� 1 didn’t respond

75% of those who responded said they were not in favour of Green Field Site development.

.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how important do

you feel it is to keep the existing Green

Field sites green?

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Next Steps

� Feedback sheets – complete and hand in

� Results

� Review & refine presentation

� Report to Borough

� Respond to Borough & Local Landowners / Developers as and when approached

� Keep you informed – e-mail addresses?

� Thankyou