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Genesis of the Parish Plan
Launch promotion
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What is a Parish Plan
A Parish Plan is a set of actions, adopted by the Parish Council, after extensive consultation with the people of the parish.
They include actions both to make changes people want and actions to try to retain features people do not want to lose.
This can range from simple things like extra footpath signs to major, complex things like opposing building of a bypass or a power station!
Some actions, particularly those within the resources of the parish, and volunteers supporting it, may have quite short timescales.
Others may be much longer term and require substantial fund-raising or grants. However, the fact that a required action is documented in the Parish Plan, together with the evidence of the public support for it, is a powerful lever in getting the support of funders and outside agencies.
What is the Parish
The 'parish' concerned is the historic administrative parish (part of Marhamchurch Ward and North Cornwall District) rather than the parish of St Marwenne's Church.
Basing a Plan on a parish makes sense because it:
- is an existing structure for local decisions
- includes more than just the village
- has defined boundaries
- is increasingly relevant to councils / authorities / funders
WHY have a plan?
Many Parish Councils, throughout Cornwall and the Country, now have a Parish Plan.
They say that it is a significant help in achieving what the parish wants and stopping what they do not want. Indeed, the consensus is that those parishes without a Parish Plan will be disadvantaged.
WHY do they say that?
- Firstly, funding is often dependent on showing that the project is needed and supported locally. With a Parish Plan you have a head start in getting at the often limited funds.
- Councils (and other authorities) take more note of requirements that have proven public backing. Indeed North Cornwall District Council have created mechanisms to link Parish Plans into their Strategy and Planning.
- Developments often sneak up unnoticed. Parish Plans help bring proposals out into the open earlier, in time to adjust them before they get too far.
- Lastly, Parishes with Plans say that the plan process has improved Community spirit. Improvements are happening faster and more people are volunteering to help with parish projects. Kilkhampton is a good example.
Consultation
The consultation aims to establish peoples’ views on the state of the parish and its future, what needs changing, and what changes should be opposed.
Typically, it involves a widely circulated questionnaire on most, if not all, aspects of life in the parish.
The results of that questionnaire are usually then made public, often via a exhibition with plenty of comment facilities. This 2nd round of consultation tends to be very valuable as the results of the questionnaire prompt further very pertinent comments.
Writing the Plan
The consultation is just the start. The requirements identified by the consultation then have to be turned into planned actions, with timescales and priorities.
Again this involves people and groups within the parish, usually via ‘prioritisation’ meetings
On many aspects, outside agencies also have to be involved in this, as they hold the necessary budgets or statutory authority.
Once the Plan is written, it is adopted by the Parish Council and made publicly available, often with a summary report to all households in the parish.
It becomes a key lever in causing things to happen, both within the parish and with outside agencies.
HOW will the Marhamchurch Parish Plan be created?
The key is to consult the parish people as widely and fully as possible.
In Marhamchurch parish that is being be done by a questionnaire, hand-delivered to each resident in late September (or early October), followed by a major public exhibition in 2007 to show the results and seek extra comment.
The questionnaire is comprehensive, covering issues such as roads, traffic, speeding, environment, sporting & social activities, amenities, housing & much more.
What you say will be kept anonymous - in particular, no names appear on the questionnaires and the data will be input outside the parish and collated in a way that retains the anonymity.
Questionnaires can also go to people who are involved in the parish even though they are not residents. This can include those living near the parish who treat Marhamchurch as ‘their’ village and people with jobs or businesses in the parish.
Discussions will also be held with Parish Groups - and with other organisations that use the parish.
There is a children’s questionnaire, a youth questionnaire and school and youth projects. All have a right to be involved in the future of the parish.
The main questionnaire contains plenty of space for YOU to raise issues that you feel have been overlooked, and there will be a chance to take those issues further at the Exhibition.
The 2007 Exhibition will be a major parish event, hopefully exciting as well as informative, with as many parish groups involved as want to be.
Just WHO is involved?
The key people are YOU, the residents of Marhamchurch.
The Plan will depend on what you say - and needs to involve as many of you as possible. Some parishes have achieved over 90% response to their questionnaires, others only 30% - YOU can help Marhamchurch be up near the top.
The Plan working group is also important - and we welcome offers of help in any way, be they:
- promotion / publicity
- distribution / collection of the questionnaires
- the group consultations
- setting up the exhibition
but, most of all, everyone needs to have their say.
To stir up interest, there will be a lot of publicity about the Plan:
- posters and information on noticeboards
- flyers
- school projects
- public meeting to launch the questionnaire
- and, yes, we have a website too
www.marhamchurch-parish.org.uk
More information
If you want more information, and particularly if you can help, make contact via:
- Telephone: 01288 361568
- Email: plan@marhamchurch-parish.org.uk
- Letter: Marhamchurch Parish Plan
c/o I Foundry Cottages Helebridge Road Marhamchurch
BUDE EX23 0HZ
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