Under 5s Consultation

This is a summary of the needs and aspirations of children under five years of age as represented by their carers.

The village

The village, with its shop, is a wonderful environment for early childhood. The Mother and Toddler group and Playgroup are excellent facilities which also attract families from outside the village. There are requests for extending the number and duration of sessions for both these groups.

The countryside

The village is surrounded by beautiful countryside and lots interesting things for small children to see (ducks, minnows, swans etc) and to do (trees for playing hide and seek). There are good walks but only for children who no longer require buggies as most paths are unsuitable for prams and pushchairs.   Some paths would benefit from better signposting as not everyone is familiar with all of them. They can also be spoilt by dog mess.

Play

The play park is popular with this age group, especially as the swings are suitable for small children only. It would


benefit from a wider range of equipment, including a baby slide and a picnic bench.

Road safety

The pavements in North Acre and by the school are welcome, but the lack of them in the rest of the village is an area of significant concern. Because the paths are not suitable for pushchairs, families with young children who cannot or do not want to use cars are forced to walk through the village along the main road. This can be dangerous, especially on straight stretches where cars tend to accelerate. The bend by the play park is considered a danger area and would benefit from road signs indicating that children are at play. Parking restrictions and a mirror would also be helpful. Consideration might be given to the introduction of more effective traffic calming measures at key points in the village.

The village

The children think that Longparish is a friendly and peaceful village. They like the school and also think the shop is good. Some of them would like to have a café and a library nearby.

The countryside

All aspects of the countryside around Longparish are appreciated by the children. They like the river and streams, the meadows and other wild places which are good for walks and where they can see birds, butterflies and rabbits.

 

They are concerned that paths are sometimes overgrown, particularly with nettles, and spoilt by dog mess. They do not like to see litter in the countryside. They wish they could get closer to the river and streams for picnics, to paddle and to catch fish.

Play

The children like the play and the skateboard park, but would like to see it provided with more equipment suitable for their age range. They sometimes feel threatened by teenagers using the skate ramp and wish there was less litter. They would also like better play equipment in the


school playground. Flooding of the school playing field is of great concern to them.

The children wish that there were clubs and competitions in the village for football, rugby, drama, fencing and pool. Some of the children would like an area for riding their BMX bikes.   They would also somewhere to swim.

Road safety

They feel safe as roads in the village are easy to cross. On the other hand they are concerned about other serious traffic hazards: they are frightened of the large lorries and cars driving too fast through the village, and would feel safer if there were more pavements. They think there should be more speed restriction signs in the village. They also mention that street lighting could be improved.

 

The village

Young people in Longparish think it's a good village. They like the countryside and open spaces which give them a feeling of freedom and provide good opportunities for dog walking and riding. They find most people friendly. Other positive attributes are the school and the clean air. They appreciate the trees and are distressed by what they perceive as indiscriminate felling.

Sport and leisure

Some of the young people are members of the Colts cricket team and the dance class. They use the football field and enjoy going to the play park, where they would like to see more play equipment for children in the 8 – 12 years age range. The skate ramp is popular although the boys don't let the girls use it. The girls would therefore like something of their own in the play park. Some young people prefer to skateboard in the street and are concerned at the level of resentment this causes amongst older people.

  Some of them find that there is not enough to do. Suggestions include youth and drama clubs, football and rugby teams, a village band and occasional fun activities such as the RATS event and a disco, and even more challenging activities such as rock climbing. They would also like a tennis club based on a public court and somewhere to swim.

Job opportunities

From the age of 14 young people want to earn pocket money at weekends and in the school holidays. They find this difficult as there are few opportunities in the village.

Transport

The lack of frequent regular transport to Andover and Basingstoke frustrates young people's attempts to get out of the village on their own for socialising and for paid work.

Communication

Asked about how best to let them know about activities which might be organised for them, the young people recommend Hill and Valley, posters and leaflets.

Overview

Young adults who have grown up in the village appreciate the beauty of the surroundings and the sense of community, which is helped by having a wide age range in the population.

 

Some wish to remain in the village, working locally. For others, who plan on university and working away, some find that growing up in Longparish has formed their expectations of the sort of place they would like to live when they settle down and have a family.

Accommodation

For those working locally, they would prefer to live in Longparish but lack of affordable 1 or 2 bedroom accommodation to buy or rent in the village makes this virtually impossible.

Transport

For young adults without easy access to a car, trying to get to and from work, further education (especially Winchester & Basingstoke) or socialising is very difficult. Most have friends widely spread around the area and often in villages or other places largely inaccessible by public transport.

Buses, if they run at all, are slow and the timing is often inappropriate.

Work

Most would like to have the opportunity to find holiday/part-time jobs within the village, even if they are not looking for permanent work in the locality. Many have worked at the pubs at various times, but the reduction in jobs available on the estates as a result of the increasing use of contractors means that many are forced to try and find jobs in Andover or elsewhere – with all the attendant transport problems.

Social activities

The reliance on informal socialising with friends you know from school, college, neighbours and the absence of regular, organised village-wide activities, means that groups can inadvertently form in the village that are hard for others to break in to.

In the summer people feel that there are more activities available to them, though it would be nicer still if they could have greater access to the river for walks, picnics and swimming.   In the winter there is a greater need for organised activities.

There was strong criticism of the village hall facilities and its location, and the group could see clear benefits arising from improved physical facilities.

Communication

Communicating with this group is quite difficult. Hill and Valley is for their parents, though some will occasionally look at the notice boards or the website. There was a suggestion that proactive e-mails about things going on in the village would be valued by them.

Conclusions

This group was very positive and enthusiastic about living in Longparish and the experience has had a strong influence on them. They are keen to see what improvements may be possible and enjoyed having the opportunity to make a contribution.

Good and bad about Longparish

Overall Longparish is a good place to live. The countryside is a major asset with good walks and there is an attractive absence of urbanised features. The school, the shop, the pubs and the Church make it a ‘complete' village. The good communication links by rail and road are also important benefits for the village.

On the other hand it was a common view that the bus service was a problem for those that rely on the service (though nobody in this group did). Affordable housing was seen as a strong need though it was also considered as a sensitive issue and certainly some were nervous that the ‘green' character of the village could be adversely changed.

In addition this discussion included both a number of' improvement' comments some of which could form part of a subsidiary action plan by the Village Plan group eg speed limits in the wrong place or   improvement to storm drains infrastructure.

Work Group topics

Of the 26 people in the group 17 were village based, 5 commuted to their place of work by car and 4 commuted by car to London.

The electronic revolution

Two thirds of the group were planning to take the new broadband service. The majority said that it would not make an immediate difference to their working lives. However there were smaller groups for whom it meant that they could work from home occasionally or more often and for another small group of home workers who rely on electronic communication they anticipate that it will make their working time more effective. There was general recognition that we will all quickly get used to the benefits which will also quickly be seen as essential. Increased home working based on computers would create the need for village support structures such as a tele cottage/ resource centre including training facilities.

Changes in the rural economy

With regard to changes in farming practice and land use in the village the conclusion of the farming ‘fraternity' in the group was that the major impact of a decade of farming recession had already been felt. These changes included the decline in livestock farming, less crop variety, increased use of contractors with little local allegiance, reduction in tied houses, farm buildings being converted into houses or offices and the reduction in small family farms. There were new Government initiatives aimed at Conservation and improved Land Stewardship though there was still uncertainty as to how these would work. It is difficult to see in what ways the Village Plan group can impact on the economics of farming though we do need to recognise that part of the call for Affordable Housing comes from this land based community who have been displaced from tied houses or who have a strong desire for their children to have the opportunity to live in the village.

Communication

With regard to other topics it was proposed by a train commuter that perhaps the village web site could be developed to facilitate more car sharing. The web site was also seen as the way forward in terms of a mechanism for local businesses to advertise their services alongside buyers publishing their needs. Similarly the site could become a job search tool for young people seeking temporary work in the village.

Communications

The point was made repeatedly that good communications are vital for successful social activities. Suggestions to improve communications included re-vamping the excellent Hill and Valley to reflect a more secular readership; setting up an activities based news sheet; making use of modern technology to communicate, including, email, web site and text messaging; and setting up an information cascade system.

Requests were also made for a plan of the village to show landmarks and important geographical information such as field names, site of village green and common, areas of river access and footpaths. An up to date list of activities and contacts was also requested. These areas of information should be available at the existing public notice sites and also on the web site

Facilities / Infrastructure

A strong call for a central site for social activities for all ages and interests came out of the consultation. Points made were that these facilities should be owned (emotionally if not financially) by the community as a whole and should not be perceived as being under the control of village institutions. The facilities should provide kitchen and small room facilities and should be available for village use during the day. The ambience and decoration should be appropriate for the uses required. Suggestions included adult education, dancing classes, social dancing, badminton, squash, other sports, social area for casual meeting, bar, small rooms for small group activates, film club, youth club, private parties / receptions, keep fit classes, income generating activities, internet café, and drama workshop. It was felt that such a facility would require a broad based community management structure to reflect and provide for the needs of all village people

Access to river and countryside

The issue of access to the river came up repeatedly. It was felt that for a village that has such extensive river frontage, public access to the river is sadly lacking and that increased public access would be beneficial

Public tennis court / club

Although Longparish has numerous private tennis courts, there is no public court or village tennis club. It was felt that such a facility would provide a focus for village social activity which would possibly extend beyond purely tennis based activities

Transport and Travel

In order for facilities to be used, safe travel is required. The main road through the village is dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians and a number of people asked that the possibility of a spinal footpath or central quiet road be considered.

Requests were also made for internal village transport (village minibus?) to enable the car less, the elderly and the young to get to meetings and events.

Events

Two distinct strands came out of this discussion. The first was a call for more “whole village” events (such as the millennium party). To meet the expressed wishes, these would have to be inclusive and generalised and not be seen as institutional based.

There were also calls for more club based activities in the village. A number already exist and part of the problem was shown to be communications, with some people not being aware of what was already going on in the village

 

What is sport?

Sport was defined as competitive, physical, skills-based, subject to rules of play and behaviour, sometimes team-based and needing facilities.

Sport in Longparish

Existing provision includes:

•  Cricket Club   - a major strength with a beautiful ground and clubhouse, a long tradition and a hard-working committee.   It draws players in from outside but would like more village support.   It now has 2 teams and is actively encouraging young people in the village to play.  

•  Football   There is a football field made available by the Wills but it is used mainly by an Andover Club, now sponsored by the Plough.

•  Keep Fit   Carol Dunford runs classes in the Village Hall and David Gould is a personal trainer

•  Badminton   Now available in the village hall.

•  Skateboarding   Half pipe in the playground.

•  School provides some sport for children 4-11 in term time, including swimming in the Middleton House pool.

•  Jogging/running   Individuals enjoy the countryside but are not organised.

 

In addition there are some private facilities, some of which can be used by arrangement for

•  Tennis – several private courts but no club

•  Swimming – many regret that swimming in the river is not longer allowed, but there are some private pools.

•  Squash   Courts at Middleton House & Lower Mill.

•  Fishing – private fishing in the Test, public (coarse and trout) at Vale Farm and trout at Testwood Fishing Lake

•  Shooting – Private game shoots and Lodge Farm Clay Pigeon Shooting.

•  Riding – Hurstbourne Priors Equestrian Centre, bridleways, privately owned horses.

Sport outside the village  

There are many opportunities for other sports for those with transport – eg. golf, hockey, cycling, squash, archery, bowls,   swimming.

Opportunities to improve provision

•  Prioritise what is best provided in the village and what can be enjoyed more outside.

•  How far is lack of transport a barrier to enjoyment of sport?   It is not possible to provide some sports in the village and that the way to enable people to take part in them might be to provide transport. 

•  Could the Cricket Club become the focus of other sports –Archery? Boules? Tennis?   This might also help to interest more people in the cricket club itself which deserves support.

•  Could better use be made of the football field, esp. organising games for the young?  

•  Can we find out what 11-20 year olds would like and support?   Provide taster sessions?

•  Can we get round the shortage of people with the time and motivation to organise sport by having an over-arching committee which could make things happen?   We need to find more organisers who would arrange occasional events.

•  Could we publicise existing facilities both in and outside the village more comprehensively through the Directory, Hill & Valley and the website?

•  Could we try to improve provision for tennis – public courts? Permissive use of private courts (also for squash)? Coaching for young?

•  Croquet might be a sport older people could enjoy.   Some houses have suitable lawns.

•  School sports field and football field need improving.   Could both be used more?

•  It might be possible to share resources with other villages.   For example Barton Stacey have a thriving football club which attracts young people from Longparish but little in the way of cricket.   Could we help each other and might that lead to better use of our football pitch.

•  Cyclists and runners might enjoy some organised events.

 

Summary

Lifelong learning was defined as organised activities, mental and practical, which take place outside formal education and are undertaken voluntarily by villagers of all ages to gain new knowledge and skills in a friendly social environment.

Current provision

Some lifelong learning activities are currently provided in the village on a regular basis for children and adults. Those for younger people tend to be more formally organised and publicised. For the under 12s there are a mother and toddler group, the pre-school playgroup and out-of-school activities organised at the school. There is also a dance class for 10 to 14 year old girls.

Organised activities for adults are fewer. St Nicholas Wives' Club is the most permanent. The Christmas Choir came together again last autumn and a drama club is about to come into being. In addition to these organised meetings there are unpublicised gatherings of people who share a common interest such as a book reading and bridge, but they tend to run by invitation only.

A number of young people attend activities outside the village not just to learn a new skill but also to widen their horizons and enable them to meet new people.   For more specialist education such as languages and ITC villagers have to look to Whitchurch, Andover and even further. A Longparish WI used to exist.

Scope

Everyone agreed that it would not be realistic to expect a full programme of informal education to be provided in the village. However there was strong support for the idea that a range of educational activities might be organised intermittently throughout the year. This would increase the scope for villagers without their own transport (especially young and older people) to learn something new, and at the same time it would provide opportunities for the community to socialise more frequently. Suggested activities, reflecting the interests of the group, included a drama club for young people, craft sessions for all ages, work related skills such as ITC, foreign languages, general knowledge and a youth club. The activities could be one-off events and need not take place on a regular weekly/monthly basis.

It was also noted that some people might like to attend educational events outside the village but are unable to do so because of lack of transport.

Resources

The provision of lifelong learning activities within the village depends on information, co-ordination, physical facilities, communication and enthusiasm. Funds were not   essential but a budget would widen the range and quality of opportunities.

Information

To be effective, lifelong learning activities should be targeted to people's needs; information about their interests and aspirations would have to be collected. It would also be important to have an awareness of what is available both within the village from people willing to share their knowledge and skills, and from external sources.

Co-ordination

It was essential to identify one or more enthusiastic people who would work either on a voluntary basis, or who might be paid, to organise part or all of the planned provision/programme of informal learning activities and events. These individuals would also identify and co-ordinate transport needs if required.

Physical facilities

Current facilities comprise the village hall and the school. The village hall, with its large assembly space, is not perceived as entirely suitable for all the activities suggested. There would be a need for a space which can be subdivided to allow activities to run in parallel. There is no public ITC facility. The school buildings can only be used in term time and by children of the school. The school's development plans include an ITC suite and a hall, but it is not yet clear if these would be available to non-school users during the day.

Communication

Effective means of communication between organisers and users would be essential to providing successful lifelong learning activities, and should work both ways: to assess the level of interest for and likely commitment to a programme of events, to ensure that the activities provided are properly targeted, and to publicise forthcoming events. This might require using a variety of methods to ensure that events are given maximum coverage, as people respond to advertising in such diverse ways.

Enthusiasm

An essential ingredient for the organisers and the participants! Providing activities for which there is no interest results in lack of participation and eventually death by apathy.

 

What's good about living in Longparish

•  Neighbourliness

•  Size- small

•  Peaceful

•  Fields, woods and wildlife

•  Footpaths and walks

•  Church and church school - the children are taught how to behave and they have sound values.

•  Shop - very important especially the people who run it and as a centre of gossip

•  Pubs

•  Closeness to towns

What's not so good about living in Longparish

Street lighting. A need was expressed for lights in the bungalow area (for the old people) in North Acre and the garage area near the phone box.

Access to Doctor . A doctor in the village is not an option but visiting the doctor is a major problem. Surgeries visited by those present were:- Adelaide Health Centre, Andover Health Centre, Whitchurch, St Mary's Andover, Sutton Scotney, Shepherds Spring Medical Centre and St Marybourne. To help maybe cheap transport to surgeries, collection and delivery service for prescriptions by pharmacies, some villagers help others with collecting prescriptions and lift to surgery.

Travel to Whitchurch This was considered to be a problem by some now that Cango doesn't do the trip. Some people offered lifts but people who were without their own transport didn't like to ask for lifts.

Village Hall Many people were concerned about the position of the village hall. It was generally felt that the hall should be nearer North Acre. Some people said they didn't use the hall because it was too difficult to get to. One person thought that it was the wrong size. If it was possible could it be made so that it could be partitioned off? Heating was a concern in the hall. Mention of use of Reading Room in the past but that is now long gone.

Speed Limits should be applicable throughout the whole of the village. Mill Lane and Forton should be included. It was thought that the speeding was mostly done by women taking children to school. This should be checked out by the police.

Helicopters There was safety concern about the fact that helicopters that fly over houses. One person thought that the helicopters landed in the field behind North Acre. One resident was frightened by the noise and the way that helicopters appear as if from nowhere.

Chiropody There was a fairly lengthy discussion about the fact that a mobile chiropodist used to come to the Village Hall. This used to be a free service. Why does it not happen now? If it used to come to the Village hall why couldn't it come to North Acre-It was thought that power was a problem with this idea.

Transport    John Collins explained about the Dial a ride scheme. People can visit Andover on Wed/Thurs on alternate weeks. The cost is £2 compared to £3.20 by the service bus. There are a few seats available and John could be contacted on 720300. The scheme cannot be used as a cheap taxi service and it is not always possible to make bookings as the bus is used most of the time by other villages.

Activities for older people in the village

There are some activities during the day but none in the evening. Some people preferred to go to Barton Stacey rather than attend the Welcome Club or Wives in this village.

In response to the question “What do you need as a resident of Longparish to live and enjoy an independent life?”

•  Shop- useful for PO, banking, shopping, and socialising and gossip. You know what's going on, who is ill and who need help.

•  Transport - The need for good, cheap reliable services was stressed.

•  Village hall or community centre - in a convenient area with versatile accommodation

•  Lights- around areas of North Acre especially the garages.

Summary

This session took place in the village hall on the 7 th of February 2004, and involved   up to 14 people at various times over the four hours. It was valuable for getting input from five participants who had lived in the village for much of their lives, a number coming from families who had lived in the area for generations. This contrasted with a smaller group of participants who were more recent arrivals.   The timing of the session (mid morning to mid afternoon on a Saturday) did not suit many of the newest arrivals to Longparish, given young family commitments.

Much of the contribution was anecdotal, and serves as a useful overview of the changes (both good and bad) that have occurred to the village, especially since the 1960s.

The views of those who had lived in the village for most of their lives-

Many could remember times when the village had a more active social life, with clubs, dances, sport, etc featuring, which were recognised as being the result of “having to make our own fun”. A number had been taught in the village primary school and had their children taught there too. The village had supported a number of small businesses either in the village or nearby (stores, pubs, a cafe, various tradesmen employed in the village, thatchers, a car mechanic, bakers and butchers from Whitchurch delivering, milk rounds etc). The cottages tied to the estates had provided both housing and jobs to locals. A number of the women of the village had been employed in service to the “big houses”.

The principal drivers of change over the years had been:

•  the arrival of the bus service, replacing the cart and bicycle, and opening job opportunities for villagers in Andover, Whitchurch and beyond

•  the arrival of the military camp during the war

•  the shift of the agricultural character of the village, from mixed to arable

•  the loss of jobs relating to the two “big houses”- servants, craftsmen, farm workers, when the estates changed hands or were broken up

These changes affected employment prospects and housing, and a number of children from the families
had been forced to move away to find work and affordable housing when they married.

Other changes that were particularly memorable included-

•  the gradual demolition of old tumbledown agricultural outbuildings, which led to more green spaces between the different hamlets

•  the building of the new school in 1957 to replace the old Victorian three classrooms

•  the renovation of smaller cottages into larger, more expensive accommodation

•  the growth of the housing estate at North Acre

 

•  the increase in owner occupied houses in the estate as a result of the right to buy

•  the decline of access to the countryside through footpaths and to the river

•  the loss of hedgerows

•  the more commercial approach being taken to shooting, fishing and farming

•  a decline in “community spirit” where villagers looked out for each other, ran errands for the housebound and received support like home helps and social care on a more personal basis than now.

•  a fall in the number and variety of social activities available, as the car took people out of the village and isolated those without transport; this had increased as a problem as the bus service had declined.

The views of the more recent arrivals

Those who had arrived as adults in the village from the outside had been drawn to Longparish for a variety of reasons, including-

•  countryside location and its scenic beauty

•  ease of access to major transport links (road and rail) to places of employment

•  the quality of the school

•  the shop and two pubs

•  the attractiveness and availability of the housing stock

•  the village character was friendly and welcoming

What do you expect the future to hold?

The older villagers initially did not think that things would change substantially, either for the better or for the worse, but as the group began to discuss this further, the following points were made:

For worse-

•  young people can't afford housing, so the school could be under threat

•  that could undermine the viability of the shop, which could also be affected if the post office goes

•  elderly are becoming more isolated by lack of transport and a social centre in the village

•  lack of places to build affordable housing, due to flood plain, agricultural land and conservation area

•  but don't want to have all the green spaces filled in with housing either

•  too many fences going up and harsher attitudes toward access

•  when the current shop owners retire, will another shop be financially viable?

For better-

•  community spirit in North Acre was strong and

•  elsewhere people showed they could pull together to deal with an emergency (eg the thatch fire in Forton)

•  the school development project could protect the school from possible closure

•  the quality of the school means it draws in 40% of its pupils from outside helped it survive.

•  the pubs had adapted to changing tastes and habits, and were making a commercial success of it, even if that meant more outsiders were drawn to visit the village

•  the scenery and countryside could be protected and even improved

What changes do you think would be   most beneficial for the future of the village?

Participants had five votes each to cast on what they thought were the most important changes to be made for the better.   The results were:

Housing

•  find a bottom rung on the housing ladder (9 votes)

•  more housing in the village (6)

•  low cost housing (2)

Transport

•  free, village based transport service by car volunteers (5)

•  a local mini bus on call (6)

Social focus

•  youth club/ leisure (5)

•  coffee shop (6)

•  small central hall near North Acre (3)

Community spirit

•  stop complaining about the clay pigeon shooting (7, 5 of which came from one participant)

Landowners

We are in the process of consulting landowners.   When that consultation is complete we will publish a summary