Village environment
What you said:
Longparish is a beautiful village and it is very important to protect this environment - especially the open spaces between houses and between the settlements. The river and the wildlife also contribute to making Longparish such a pleasant place to live. Moreover, Longparish is a rural village and the rural characteristics should not be damaged or the village made more 'urban'. Already noise from the A303 and A34 has a negative impact on certain parts of the village.
The quality and maintenance of the footpath network around the village are important to our enjoyment of the local landscape. We value the access to the countryside which our many miles of footpaths provide although many people would like to be able to walk alongside more of the river - unfortunately the banks are almost entirely privately owned. Not everyone is aware of all the footpaths or of the existence of some of the public open spaces in the village.
There was an interest in seeing the football pitch improved and used more, particularly for organised games for the young people of the village (these comments were made before the football for young people on Saturdays started). Some younger children and their parents said they sometimes felt intimidated by older children in the Play and Skateboard park and many would like to see litter and dog fouling reduced on footpaths and other public areas.
What else is important:
Although much of the attractiveness of Longparish is a result of its natural environment, its appeal is enhanced by the many attractive houses and beautifully maintained gardens within its boundaries.
Longparish already has a Village Design Statement (VDS) to help those wishing to make changes to their houses and gardens keep them within the character of the village. The VDS has been adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance and as such will guide the decisions of both Longparish Parish Council and Test Valley Borough Council when they deal with planning applications.
Much of the land around Longparish is privately owned and commercially run and there are laws against trespassing on private land. Walking where there is not a public footpath or letting dogs run out of control, can disturb wild animals and birds, game and fish which are essential to the livelihood of local businesses. The new 'right to roam' does not apply to any farmland or woodland in Longparish.
Longparish has a cricket field and thatched pavilion in the middle of the village, courtesy of Middleton Estate. Longparish Cricket Club currently has 2 senior teams and colts sessions, with coaching. The Parish Council has recently taken on responsibility for the football field and action is being taken to control the mole and rabbit problem. Weekly football coaching for young people started in summer 2004 and is proving very popular.