Parish Plans
Parish Plans
Parish Plans give an opportunity for everyone in your community to make themselves heard; to identify common priorities through consultation and involvement, and come together to find ways of achieving ambitions for the local community either by using local resources or through agencies including the Borough Council, Hampshire County Council, Community Action Hampshire and Test Valley Community Services.
What is a Parish Plan?
A Parish Plan is a document prepared by a community, which describes how the community sees itself developing over the next few years. It is about what is important in your local community and cover the whole spectrum of social, economic and environmental issues. It:
• identifies local problems and opportunities
• sets out an achievable and long term vision for the future
• prepares a plan of action to achieve this vision
To prepare a plan the views of all of the community must be gathered through survey, research and community participation. A plan can include everything that is relevant to the people who live and work in the community, from employment needs to playgrounds. They can include any social, environmental or economic issues. It is up to the community to decide what is important to them. No one else can set the agenda or determine priorities for action on behalf of the community.
A Parish Plan can also be referred to by other names, such as village plan or market town health check.
Why do a Parish Plan?
A Parish Plan:
• Provides detailed information on the issues of importance to the local community
• Gives everyone the opportunity to have their say
• Helps people to become move involved in what goes on around them
• Gives the statutory authorities, including the Council, vital information about the needs and views of a community
• Helps individuals and organisations be prepared for questions or issues which arise about changes or threats to local services and activities
• Provides useful information when applying for funding for projects
• Provides a vision of the community in the future, and a defined plan of action to show how this will be achieved
Parish Plans and Planning System
Parish Plans are not planning documents and are not intended to be a response to planning issues. Matters which involve planning policy may or may not come up as part of your Parish Planning process, but more importantly they are about issues that are important to your community.
Unlike Village Design Statements, the Council does not propose to adopt Parish Plans as Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD). However, any elements applicable to planning, where justified and relevant, will be taken into account in formulating new planning policy and in decisions on planning applications.
Completed Parish Plans
Within Test Valley, nine Parish Plans have been completed. Click the links below to view the Plans.
| Community | Plan | Date | Some achievements to date |
| Ampfield | Parish Plan | 2007 | |
| Barton Stacey | Parish Plan | 2007 | Produced a Business and Leisure Map of the Parish |
| Broughton | Parish Plan | 2010 | Established four action groups to date. Held an adult education event, established Broughton Business Group and Environment Watch Group. |
| Houghton and Bossington | Parish Plan | 2008 | Currently in the process of preparing their Village Design Statement. |
| Kings Somborne | Parish Plan | 2005 | |
| Longparish | Parish Plan | 2005 | Creation of Longparish Community Association, monthly fun run, annual Village Day, New footpath installed leading up to school. |
| Romsey | Market Town Health Check | 2008 | |
| Sherfield English | Parish Plan | 2008 | Established Roads and Footpaths Groups and have reduced speed limits in the village. Currently working in Village Design Statement. |
| Wellow |
|
2010 | Wellow Parish Plan - See Below |
Two other Parishes have started a plan.
Support available for Parish Plans
There are a range of ways in which the Council, and other agencies, can support and help you to develop your Parish Plan. These include:
• General support and guidance through the process
• Grants to develop and implement your Parish Plan
• Provision of statistics and information on your area
• Printing of surveys, questionnaires and finished plans (at a subsidised cost)
• Assistance with a housing needs assessment
• Finding and retaining volunteers
Community Action Hampshire also provides information, guidance and support. Whether you are thinking of completing a Parish Plan in your area, or if you have already started one
Community Action Hampshire - Jo Dixon
Telephone: 01962 854971
Web: actionhampshire.org/about/what-do-we-do
Want to know more?
If you would like to talk to someone about Parish Plans, please contact:
Marianne Piggin, Community Support Officer on 01264 368623 or Email: mpiggin@testvalley.gov.uk