There are some things that can't be covered in the policies of a neighbourhood plan, because they aren't concerned directly with the development of land. Hence they are not things that have a bearing when decisions are made on planning applications.
A number of such issues were raised in the preliminary village consultations, and it was clear, while they don't play a part in setting planning policies for the area, they are things that are important to the community.
Hence in common with many other neighbourhood plans we have included such items under the heading of "Parish Action Points".
These can be described as aspirations the community has to make improvements locally, and which in our case, have the support of the Parish Council, who have committed to work with all relevant parties to see what, if any, improvements can be made over the period of the Plan. These action points are given in Section 7 of Part 1 of the Plan, but if prefer to read them individually, they're given below.
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A number of such issues were raised in the preliminary village consultations, and it was clear, while they don't play a part in setting planning policies for the area, they are things that are important to the community.
Hence in common with many other neighbourhood plans we have included such items under the heading of "Parish Action Points".
These can be described as aspirations the community has to make improvements locally, and which in our case, have the support of the Parish Council, who have committed to work with all relevant parties to see what, if any, improvements can be made over the period of the Plan. These action points are given in Section 7 of Part 1 of the Plan, but if prefer to read them individually, they're given below.
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PARISH ACTION POINT 1: ROADS AND TRAFFIC
PAP1.1 Background: The majority of the households in the village are situated adjacent to, or between two main routes; Richmond Road on the west side and Bell Lane, Saham Road, Pages Lane, Chequers Lane, Hills Road and Cley Lane to the east. See Map D for these western and eastern routes. These two routes link Saham Toney to the neighbouring town of Watton and further afield. Most of the remaining properties are situated adjacent to Hills Road / Long Road which is a single lane road with passing places. Richmond Road , although a narrow rural road on which it is not possible for HGV's and other large vehicles to pass, is the main route between Watton and Swaffham, with some footpaths and a pedestrian bridge. Speed Watch traffic surveys have recorded more than 2000 vehicles per day on it, in one direction only, with an average speed of 37 mph (the speed limit is 30 mph). This explains why residents are concerned about both the volume and speed of traffic on this residential road with its sharp, blind bends. The eastern routes are also a concern since they are becoming busier and attracting quite heavy vehicles using them as a shortcut to / from their junctions with Richmond Road. The eastern routes have almost no footpaths, making them dangerous for the pedestrians who use them. A single lane bridge on Cley Lane as it passes across the parish boundary towards Watton has no traffic control and has been damaged on numerous occasions by vehicles. Traffic along eastern routes is also damaging road edges, increasing the hazard for both cyclists and pedestrians. Residents are also concerned about poor visibility at the junctions of (a) Bell Lane, Cley Lane and Ovington Road; (b) Pound Hill and Richmond Road; and (c) Chequers Lane and Mill Corner.
PAP1.2 Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the Highways Authority, Breckland District Council and others as appropriate, to seek to achieve the following aims:
PAP1.3 ACTION 1A: A reduction in the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph, and /or traffic calming measures along Richmond Road, and Pages Lane, Chequers Lane and Cley Lane as they pass through the village. Extend the speed limit zone on Cley Lane south to the parish boundary.
PAP1.4 ACTION 1B: Greater use of speed awareness measures to reduce the occurrence of drivers breaking the speed limit.
PAP1.5 ACTION 1C: Improved road edging and a pedestrian footpath along the Pages Lane, Chequers Lane, Cley Lane (eastern) route.
PAP1.6 ACTION 1D: A pedestrian bridge over Watton Brook on the Pages Lane, Chequers Lane, Cley Lane (eastern) route.
PAP1.7 ACTION 1E: Improved visibility at the junctions of (a) Chequers Lane, Bell Lane, Cley Lane and Ovington Road; and (b) Pound Hill and Richmond Road.
PAP1.8 ACTION 1F: Address parking problems on Richmond Road by the disused post office, adjacent to Saham Mere, and on Pound Hill outside the primary school.
PAP1.9 Note: Hills Road / Long Road, Ovington Road and Ploughboy Lane are single lane roads with passing places and should remain as such in order to maintain the character of the village.
PAP1.2 Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the Highways Authority, Breckland District Council and others as appropriate, to seek to achieve the following aims:
PAP1.3 ACTION 1A: A reduction in the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph, and /or traffic calming measures along Richmond Road, and Pages Lane, Chequers Lane and Cley Lane as they pass through the village. Extend the speed limit zone on Cley Lane south to the parish boundary.
PAP1.4 ACTION 1B: Greater use of speed awareness measures to reduce the occurrence of drivers breaking the speed limit.
PAP1.5 ACTION 1C: Improved road edging and a pedestrian footpath along the Pages Lane, Chequers Lane, Cley Lane (eastern) route.
PAP1.6 ACTION 1D: A pedestrian bridge over Watton Brook on the Pages Lane, Chequers Lane, Cley Lane (eastern) route.
PAP1.7 ACTION 1E: Improved visibility at the junctions of (a) Chequers Lane, Bell Lane, Cley Lane and Ovington Road; and (b) Pound Hill and Richmond Road.
PAP1.8 ACTION 1F: Address parking problems on Richmond Road by the disused post office, adjacent to Saham Mere, and on Pound Hill outside the primary school.
PAP1.9 Note: Hills Road / Long Road, Ovington Road and Ploughboy Lane are single lane roads with passing places and should remain as such in order to maintain the character of the village.
PARISH ACTION POINT 2: FOOTPATHS AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
PAP2.1 Background: There are presently very few pavements (i.e. raised paved or asphalted paths for pedestrians at the side of a road) along the main routes in the parish. Those that do exist are shown on Map D. Particularly along the eastern routes parishioners expressed a wish for improved pedestrian access. This is not simply a convenience issue, but also a safety one. As well as pavements there was a general desire for footpaths (i.e. unpaved rural tracks). At present there are no official footpaths in open country in the neighbourhood area, and those that border highways are unfit for pedestrian use, being as many respondents pointed out, too narrow and exposed to traffic.
PAP2.2 ACTION 2: Following further consultation with parishioners to establish a solution likely to be both practical and achievable, Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the Highways Authority, Breckland District Council and others as appropriate, to seek to improve pedestrian routes through the village, particularly along eastern routes, and if feasible also across open country, particularly towards Watton.
PAP2.2 ACTION 2: Following further consultation with parishioners to establish a solution likely to be both practical and achievable, Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the Highways Authority, Breckland District Council and others as appropriate, to seek to improve pedestrian routes through the village, particularly along eastern routes, and if feasible also across open country, particularly towards Watton.
PARISH ACTION POINT 3: PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROVISION
PAP3.1 Background: Saham Toney has very limited public transport provision and parishioners have expressed wishes for improvements.
PAP3.2 A school bus (Konectbus Route 15) operates once a day in each direction to take pupils to and from the Wayland secondary academy in neighbouring Watton, but is not available for other members of the public (although many developers claim it as a service when justifying planning applications).
PAP3.3 A bus (Konectbus Route 11) running between Dereham and Swaffham is the only public transport serving Saham Toney, stopping eleven times a day in each direction on weekdays, less at weekends, at approximately hourly intervals.
PAP3.4 The village has only three bus stops in each direction of travel, one on Richmond Road near the Bell Lane junction, one on Pound Hill near the Oval and a third on Pages Lane. Given the lack of pavements along the eastern routes and the distance involved, it is not always convenient or comfortable for residents on the eastern side of the village to get to these bus stops.
PAP3.5 There is no direct bus route from Saham Toney to Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital; parishioners without their own transport have to take a bus, or walk, to Watton to catch a bus to the hospital.
PAP3.6 Other than voluntary provision, there is no public transport to or from the village that caters especially for disabled passengers.
PAP3.7 ACTION 3: Following further consultation with parishioners to establish a solution likely to be both practical and achievable, Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the local bus service operator and Breckland District Council and others as appropriate, to seek to improve the provision of public transport to and from through the village, particularly along eastern routes.
PAP3.2 A school bus (Konectbus Route 15) operates once a day in each direction to take pupils to and from the Wayland secondary academy in neighbouring Watton, but is not available for other members of the public (although many developers claim it as a service when justifying planning applications).
PAP3.3 A bus (Konectbus Route 11) running between Dereham and Swaffham is the only public transport serving Saham Toney, stopping eleven times a day in each direction on weekdays, less at weekends, at approximately hourly intervals.
PAP3.4 The village has only three bus stops in each direction of travel, one on Richmond Road near the Bell Lane junction, one on Pound Hill near the Oval and a third on Pages Lane. Given the lack of pavements along the eastern routes and the distance involved, it is not always convenient or comfortable for residents on the eastern side of the village to get to these bus stops.
PAP3.5 There is no direct bus route from Saham Toney to Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital; parishioners without their own transport have to take a bus, or walk, to Watton to catch a bus to the hospital.
PAP3.6 Other than voluntary provision, there is no public transport to or from the village that caters especially for disabled passengers.
PAP3.7 ACTION 3: Following further consultation with parishioners to establish a solution likely to be both practical and achievable, Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the local bus service operator and Breckland District Council and others as appropriate, to seek to improve the provision of public transport to and from through the village, particularly along eastern routes.
PARISH ACTION POINT 4: ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE
PAP4.1 Background: There are no health care facilities in the parish. There is a medical practice in neighbouring Watton, but villagers raised concerns about both its capacity and quality of service, and wish to see improvements to both. Many parishioners feel they have no choice but to travel further afield to places such as Shipdham, Necton and Swaffham to attend better quality doctors' surgeries, and indeed 1500 patients were forced to do so in 2014 when they were deregistered from the Watton practice without any choice due to a lack of doctors. Naturally many parishioners would prefer somewhere closer to home. There is also a dental practice in Watton which attracted favourable comments.
Note: To date no response has been forthcoming to requests for a meeting with the Watton Practice medical and management staff. However, a recent alignment of the practice with a similar service in Thetford may be evidence of the issues being tackled.
PAP4.2 ACTION 4: Following further consultation with parishioners to establish more precise needs and potential solutions, Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the medical practice in Watton and Breckland District Council and others as appropriate, to seek to improve the provision and reliability of health care to parishioners.
Note: To date no response has been forthcoming to requests for a meeting with the Watton Practice medical and management staff. However, a recent alignment of the practice with a similar service in Thetford may be evidence of the issues being tackled.
PAP4.2 ACTION 4: Following further consultation with parishioners to establish more precise needs and potential solutions, Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the medical practice in Watton and Breckland District Council and others as appropriate, to seek to improve the provision and reliability of health care to parishioners.
PARISH ACTION POINT 5: EDUCATION PROVISION FOR PARISH CHILDREN
PAP5.1 Background: Schooling provision in the parish comprises Parkers Church of England (VC) Primary School, which caters for around 100 pupils between the ages of 4 and 11.
PAP5.2 Consultation responses relating to schooling referred mostly to two issues:
(a) A lack of capacity at Parkers Primary School and the difficulties sometimes experienced in gaining admittance of parish children there; and
(b) Parking problems and resulting dangers on the narrow road outside the school at drop-off and pick-up times.
PAP5.3 A new headmaster was appointed at the primary school in the summer of 2017, and he and the governors have been approached for their input which is awaited before specific actions are finalised. Pending that input, provisional actions are given below.
PAP5.6 Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the headmaster, governors and parents of Parkers primary school, the local education authority (Norfolk County Council, who are responsible for allocating school places) and others as appropriate to seek to:
PAP5.7 ACTION 5A: Ensure primary age children from the parish can attend their local school.
PAP5.8 ACTION 5B: Address or alleviate the chronic parking problems and congestion around the school at the start and close of the school day.
PAP5.9 The village pre-school closed in the summer of 2017, due to viability problems and there is no other similar provision in the parish. Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with the Community Centre and others as appropriate to seek to:
PAP5.10 ACTION 5C: Find ways to reinstate pre-school provision within the parish.
PARISH ACTION POINT 6: LEISURE FACILITIES
PAP6.1 Background: 44 respondents to preliminary consultations expressed wishes for enhanced or additional leisure facilities.
PAP6.2 Since the preliminary consultations:
PAP6.2 Since the preliminary consultations:
- Outdoor fitness equipment has been purchased for installation and use at the Wells Cole Community Centre land;
- A "growing for wildlife" area has been established on the Wells Cole Community Centre land; and
- The Parish Council has given its support to the establishment of a community orchard on land at the edge of the sports field.
PARISH ACTION POINT 7: HOUSING PRIORITY FOR THOSE WITH LOCAL CONNECTIONS
PAP7.1 Background: In preliminary consultations parishioners were asked "Do you think a proportion of new housing should be provided specifically to serve local needs?". Two hundred and thirty five people answered "yes". Hence the Parish Council seeks a way to address this significant response, while staying within the constraints of planning regulations.
PAP7.2 ACTION 7: Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with parishioners, Breckland District Council, developers of land, housing associations and others as appropriate to establish what opportunities may exist to in some way prioritise an element of housing provision in the parish for those who live and/or work in the parish.
PAP7.2 ACTION 7: Saham Toney Parish Council and other elected representatives will work with parishioners, Breckland District Council, developers of land, housing associations and others as appropriate to establish what opportunities may exist to in some way prioritise an element of housing provision in the parish for those who live and/or work in the parish.