What is a Parish Plan ?
Parish Plans have come about as a result of a Government initiative designed to breathe new life into rural communities, with many having been prepared in recent years.
A Plan starts by asking local people what is important to them about where they live, what they would like to see protected or enhanced and what they would wish to see changed to make it a better place. The Plan is produced after extensive consultation with the community. Everyone gets the chance to have his or her opinion taken into consideration before it is written.
The Plan outlines the views of the residents themselves, not those of the Parish Council, or of any group within the parish.
The Neroche Parish Plan will serve as a guide to councillors when they are making decisions that affect our parish. It documents the issues that were raised during the consultation with the community and its opinion on them. It contains recommendations for action by the Parish Council, the residents themselves, or by both acting together, to bring about the Plan.
How was the Neroche Parish Plan developed ?
The production of the Neroche Parish Plan was a voyage of discovery over 18 months after it was originally conceived and proposed to the Parish Council in 2009. It is the result of the efforts of many, both residents and Parish Councillors, who worked together to produce it.
An initial public meeting was held in September 2009 at Neroche Hall. The idea was presented to the community to confirm their support. A Steering Group was formed to develop the Plan and to raise the necessary funds. The public consultation process started that night. It continued at a Christmas fair, a business breakfast for farmersand local business, and at the ‘Towards A Resilient Neroche’ meeting run by the Taunton Transition Town group.
A newsletter and the Neroche Parish Plan website allowed the community to remain involved and contribute ideas. Working Groups were set up to discuss issues raised and provide questions to be put to the community in the Questionnaire.
The Questionnaire was distributed to households and businesses in the parish in July 2010. he overall response to the questionnaire was excellent, with 84% being completed and returned. A total of three hundred and ninety our individuals and businesses responded.
The results of the Questionnaire are presented in the Plan, together with a series of recommendations for actions (Action Points) by the Neroche Parish Council and the residents of Neroche Parish.
Click here to view the Parish Plan
If you have a slow internet connection this will take little while as the file size is 6MB