Staverton Neighbourhood Development Plan
Parish Questionnaire

 

Table of Contents

1       Introduction. 3

2       Questions & Responses. 4

3       Analysis. 11

3.1        QUALITY OF LIFE AND ENVIRONMENT      Q1,  Q11(1,2,3). 11

3.2        CONCERNS OF RESIDENTS      Q13. 12

3.3        SERVICES AND AMENITIES      Q1(6),  Q11(4),  Q15,  Q16(1,2,3,4,5),  Q18. 13

3.4        IMPROVEMENTS TO SERVICES       Q12. 16

3.5        PARISHIONER ACTIVITIES      Q17. 17

3.6        PARKING AND TRAFFIC      Q11(5,7,8),  Q16(6,7,8),  Q19. 18

3.7        DEVELOPMENT   (VILLAGE DESIGN)      Q2,  Q6. 21

3.8        LOCATION OF DEVELOPMENT SITES      Q10. 24

3.9        HOUSING TYPES  +  NEEDS  +  DEMOGRAPHICS     Q3,  Q4,  Q5,  Q20  24

3.10      HOUSING DESIGN      Q6,  Q11(3,6). 26

3.11      BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL      Q7,  Q8,  Q9  Q12. 27

‘A sustainable cohesive community that retains its character, 28

rural surroundings and green spaces, whilst embracing the. 28

positive benefits appropriate development can bring’ 28

4       Vision & Objectives. 29

 

1       Introduction

 

1.1          In 2015 and early 2016, a questionnaire was developed to ascertain the views of the parishioners with regard to the future of Staverton up to 2029.  In March 2016 these were delivered to each household (207) in the parish, and to the 10 businesses.

 

1.2          We would like to express a huge thank you to all those who took the time to complete them.  There were 143 returned out of the 217 delivered which represents a response rate of 66%.  This gives the working group a clear overall understanding of the settled views of the parish.  We would also like to express our appreciation for all the comments, which added colour and thoughtfulness to the base evidence.

 

1.3          The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions relating to:

 

• services and amenities
• quality of life in the parish
• future development of housing
• traffic and parking
• business issues.

 

 

1.4          Along with the questions were three maps.  The first was the Village Confines Map as generated by Daventry District Council (Appendix 1).  It is taken to mean the area of the village delineated by the current built-up area but excluding individual or groups of buildings and farm dwellings that are on the periphery but not closely attached to the confines of the village.  Additionally, gardens or former gardens, that are within the curtilage of a building, are also not necessarily assumed by Daventry District Council to be within the confines of the village.  The second map shows the Village map but located within the parish (Appendix II), it is of an intermediate size.  The third map shows the whole of Staverton Parish (Appendix III) with the red line marking the boundary.

 

1.5          The evidence from this questionnaire will provide strong local evidence to present to the Daventry District Council planning authority via our Local Neighbourhood Plan, and Village Design Statement.

 

2       Questions & Responses

 

1)    How important are the following to the quality of life in Staverton?

 

• Open/green spaces in the village
• Rural atmosphere
• Local wildlife and habitats
• Sense of community
• Friendly and safe environment
• Village facilities (church, school, village hall, shop)

 

 

TOP THREE PRIORITIES

 

Question 1	Not	2	3	4	Very	Total	Very %
Friendly & Safe Environment	1	1	4	22	117	145	81%
Rural Atmosphere	1	1	13	27	103	145	71%
Sense of community	1	2	8	33	100	144	69%
Open/green Spaces in the village	2	0	10	33	100	145	68%
Local Wildlife and habitats	2	1	15	29	96	143	67%
Village Facilities	3	3	11	34	93	144	65%

 

 

 

2)    What size and type of development(s) do you think is/are suitable for future housing in Staverton between now up to 2029?

 

• One large development (eg. +25)
• A few medium size developments (eg. 10-25)
• Several small developments (less than 10 houses)
• Individual plots
• A mixture of small/medium developments
• Restrict development to within village confines
• Affordable homes for local people

 

TOP THREE PRIORITIES

 

Question 2	Not	2	3	4	Very	Total	Very %
Affordable for Locals	16	18	27	20	57	138	41%
Individual Plots	5	8	26	41	49	129	38%
Restricted to Village Confines	25	15	20	23	49	132	37%
Several Small (<10)	35	18	29	25	27	134	20%
Mix of Small / Medium	43	21	27	20	17	128	13%
Few Medium Developments (10 – 25)	64	25	16	10	13	128	10%
One Large Development (25+)	103	11	11	1	3	129	2%

 

 

 

3)    What type of housing do you live in now and what type of housing will your household require between now and 2029?

 

• Flat
• Bungalow
• House with 1-2 bedrooms
• House with 3-4 bedrooms
• House with 5+
• Retirement Housing
• Affordable Housing
• Social Housing
• Eco friendly housing
• Other

 

RESPONSES

 

Question 3	Owned Now	Rented Now	Owned Future	Rent Future
Flat	1	3	5	8
Bungalow	7	7	21	7
1 – 2 Bed House	4	0	14	1
3 – 4 Bed House	83	11	58	0
5+ Bed House	24	0	19	0
Affordable Housing	0	1	2	2
Retirement Housing	1	1	5	2
Social Housing	0	1	0	0
Eco Housing	0	0	4	1
Other Housing	0	1	0	0

 

 

 

4)    Could you adapt your current home to meet your future needs?

 

RESPONSES

 

Question 4     Adapt you current home?

Yes =

107

No =

35

 

 

 

 

5)    How long do you intend to live in Staverton?

 

RESPONSES

 

Question 5      How long lived in village?

<5 Years

15

5+ Years

125

 

 

6)    Do you think it is important to retain the character of residential properties in Staverton?

 

RESPONSES

 

Question 6	Not	2	3	4	Very
Character of the village: Now	3	2	8	21	110
Character of the village: Future	5	1	10	17	112
Choice of building material	Stone: 132	Brick: 84	Render: 12	Mix: 17	Any: 13

 

 

 

 

7)   Do you think land should be reserved for businesses suited to Staverton’s rural environment in order to encourage local employment development? 


 

RESPONSES

 

Question 7
Should land be reserved for business	Yes: 71	No: 70

 

 

 

8)   Do you run a business from home or work from home? 


 

RESPONSES

 

Q. 8  Do you run a business from home?

Yes: 37

No: 106

 

 

 

9)   If required in the future, could you adapt your current premises to meet your business needs? 


 

RESPONSES

 

Q. 9   Could home be adapted for work?

Yes: 56

No: 62

 

 

 

10) Housing Development Sites – Please indicate up to 3 sites you consider to be suitable options for future development. If you wish, you can grade the sites:

 

RESPONSES

 

Detailed in site assessment statement

 

 

 

11) When considering the local environment, how important to you are the following?

 

• Conserving the special landscape
• Protecting local wildlife and habitats
• Reducing carbon footprint
• Maintaining regular bus services
• Improving parking congestion
• Encouraging appropriate and good housing design
• Improving road safety throughout Staverton village
• Ensuring safe pedestrian routes throughout the village

 

TOP THREE PRIORITIES

 

Question 11	Not	2	3	4	Very	Total	Very %
Conserve the landscape	0	2	18	26	94	140	67%
Protect wildlife / habitat	3	2	18	24	94	141	67%
Good house design	1	0	8	40	91	140	65%
Improve Road Safety	2	8	23	33	76	142	54%
Safe Foot Routes	2	13	19	32	73	139	53%
Maintain bus service	4	9	25	33	69	140	49%
Improve Parking	2	11	30	28	67	138	49%
Reduce Carbon footprint	10	9	37	33	48	137	35%

 

 

12) Do you think the services below need to be improved in order to meet the future needs of the village?

 

• Surface water drainage
• Sewage system
• Electricity
• Gas
• Broadband
• Lighting
• Mobile telephone network
• Recycling/rubbish collection

 

 

TOP  PRIORITIES

 

Question 12	Improve	OK
Mobile Phone Network	131	11
Broadband	108	29
Sewage System	105	35
Surface Water Drainage	75	57
Recycling / Rubbish Collection	58	73
Lighting	48	81
Electricity	30	96
Gas	30	96

 

 

13) Are you concerned about any of the following in and around the village?

 

• Crime
• Anti-social behavior
• Pollution from traffic
• General air pollution
• Sewage system
• Dog fouling
• Litter
• Lighting

 

TOP THREE PRIORITIES

 

Question 13:	Not	2	3	4	Very	Total	4 and Very	%
Dog Fouling	13	22	35	26	45	141	71	50%
Sewage System	19	22	27	26	43	137	69	50%
Litter	22	23	36	28	28	137	56	41%
Air Pollution	44	25	35	19	13	136	32	24%
Lighting	42	29	31	20	14	136	34	25%
Pollution from traffic	40	32	36	14	15	137	29	21%
Crime	35	41	31	11	16	134	27	20%
Anti Social	43	41	26	9	15	134	24	18%

 

 

14) Do you have children that attend Staverton Primary School?

 

RESPONSES

 

Q. 14    Children in Staverton School?

Yes: 16

No: 127

Total: 21

 

15) Which of the following village amenities do you use?

 

• Village Hall
• St Mary The Virgin Church
• Skylarks Farm Shop
• The Countryman Pub
• Lonsdale Cars garage
• Staverton Veterinary Services
• Fraser James Handmade Furniture
• Dog Training Club at Green Acres
• Primary School
• Playing Field and Children’s play area
• Countryside walks
• Bus service
• Mobile Library

 

 

TOP THREE PRIORITIES

 

Question 15	Never	2	3	Often		Total	3 and Often	%
Countryside Walks	12	12	40	77		164	117	71%
Do you use the Village Hall	13	19	69	40		164	109	66%
Skylarks farm shop	7	34	63	32		164	95	58%
Countryman Pub	14	30	63	32		164	95	58%
St Marys Church	30	35	58	17		164	75	46%
Playing Field	37	34	43	24		164	67	41%
Vets	64	11	34	28		164	62	38%
Bus Service	70	32	25	14		164	39	24%
Primary School	106	6	5	17		164	22	13%
Lonsdale Cars	94	21	12	8		164	20	12%
Mobile Library	118	9	7	2		164	9	5%
Frasier James	119	9	7	0		164	7	4%
Dog Training	127	4	1	2		164	3	2%

 

 

 

 

16) What priority would you give to providing the following services and facilities?

 

• Outdoor exercise equipment
• Improving the children’s play area (s)
• Allotments
• Cycle Path
• Shop
• Parking
• Traffic calming
• Allocated pedestrian crossings

 

TOP THREE PRIORITIES

 

Question 16	Low		Medium	High		Total	High	%
Improve Children Play Area	16	12	32	39	42	141	81	57%
Parking	11	17	34	30	48	140	78	56%
Shop	21	12	31	20	57	141	77	55%
Traffic Calming	29	24	31	21	34	139	55	40%
Cycle Path	37	16	36	30	21	140	51	36%
Allotments	19	18	53	29	20	139	49	35%
Outdoors Exercise Equipment	54	29	25	17	14	139	31	22%
Pedestrian Road Crossing	51	25	33	9	20	138	29	21%

 

 

 

 

 

17) Do any of your household participate in any of the following activities in Staverton?

 

• Cycling
• Dog Walking
• Jogging
• Walking/Rambling
• Football
• Horse Riding
• Mums and Tots
• Dance classes
• Fit steps
• Yoga
• Women’s institute
• Book Club

 

TOP THREE PRIORITIES

 

Question 17	Never	2	3	Often	Total	Often
Walking / Rambling	22	10	51	60	143	60	42%
Dog Walking	72	5	12	51	140	51	36%
Women’s Institute	106	3	7	24	140	24	17%
Book Club	121	2	1	14	138	14	10%
Yoga	113	3	9	13	138	13	9%
Cycling	56	23	47	13	139	13	9%
Jogging	87	21	21	9	138	9	7%
Football	105	9	17	6	137	6	4%
Fit steps	120	6	6	6	138	6	4%
Mums & Tots	120	7	5	5	137	5	4%
Horse Riding	124	6	4	3	137	3	2%
Dance Classes	124	5	6	3	138	3	2%

 

 

 

18) Do you think you would use the village hall more often if it was relocated with adequate car parking?

 

RESPONSES

 

Question 18            Village Hall Parking

Yes: 37

No: 105

 

 

 

19) How many cars are there in your household? 


 

RESPONSES

 

Question 19:                       No. of cars

265

 

 

20) Is there anything else not covered above that you think should be addressed by the Neighbourhood Plan? Further suggestions/comments may be made on page 10 at the back of this questionnaire. 


 

See Appendix 4

 

 

 

 

 

3       Analysis

3.1    QUALITY OF LIFE AND ENVIRONMENT      Q1,  Q11(1,2,3)

 

3.1.1   It can be seen from the responses to Q1, that those who live in the parish like living here and value its qualities.  The nature of the parish community, its rural atmosphere and safe environment are features that are valued by the residents and most attracted them to live here.

 

3.1.2   In question 11, the first three sub categories also addressed these issues, and you can see from these percentages that the feelings were in accord with the responses from question 1.  Conserving the special landscape area – 67% very important, Protect local wildlife and habitats – 67% very important, and Reducing the carbon footprint – 35% very important.

 

3.1.3   Comments from many of the responders point to the view that Staverton parish has a cohesive character, that they find it an attractive, welcoming and safe environment  and that they wish for the parish to retain its separateness from Daventry.  One comment was that they would wish to maintain the rural character and sense of community, to preserve the best but to embrace essential changes in order to sustain the community, providing those changes are handled sensitively, and are shown to be necessary.

 

3.2    CONCERNS OF RESIDENTS      Q13

 

3.2.1   The appearance of the village and its surroundings mattered greatly to the parishioners.  Support was given to the issues of dog fouling and to litter (especially on the main road).

 

 

3.2.2   Dog Fouling – The issue of dog fouling was high on residents agenda and coping strategies such as more dog mess bins, or notices could be considered by the parish council.

 

3.2.3   Litter – The problem of litter was highlighted, but the responses showed a broad range of views, see above chart.  Some years ago, this was an issue around the village and annual litter picks were organised.  Following the building of the new bypass, this issue is mainly now one to be found only along its verges and not unduly to be found in the village.  During the Clean for the Queen 2016 operation , a group from the village did a litter pick along the bypass, around the old cricket ground and along the footpath to Badby.  Around 16 sacks of rubbish were collected, emphasising the potential need for an annual pick in these areas.  This however, along with the dog fouling issue, are matters more properly addressed by the parish council rather than the neighbourhood plan.

 

3.2.4   The areas that were not causing undue concern were crime and anti-social behaviour.

 

 

3.2.5   Traffic pollution, general air pollution, sewerage and lighting produced a range of responses.

 

 

3.2.6   Sewerage – One topic of concern from all areas of the village was the issue of the sewerage system.  Staverton is one of the few villages that has its own treatment works and whose main pipes are smaller than modern systems. This means that it is very prone to being blocked and causing flooding situations and odours.  Residents of Manor Road commented on the persistence of malodourous smells in their area.  On the eastern corner of the village, the effluent from Staverton Park Hotel (SP) joins the main village system.  In the past this caused many above ground raw sewerage spillages and it took a concerted effort by Seven Trent before a fragile coping system was enacted.  This has kept the problem at bay for the last few years. However, this coping strategy is by no means totally long term, or fully robust.  The sewerage situation generates quite or very high levels of concern for many in our village (50%), and needs to be carefully thought about when considering any new developments.  Indeed some responders felt that an upgrade to the sewerage system should be a pre-requisite to any future development.

 

 

3.3    SERVICES AND AMENITIES      Q1(6),  Q11(4),  Q15,  Q16(1,2,3,4,5),  Q18

 

3.3.1   Responses in respect of current usage of the village amenities generally demonstrated an awareness and, from Q1, an appreciation of the services and retail outlets available.  Usage was mixed however.  Taking Lonsdale cars, Vet, Frazer James, dog training, primary school, bus service and mobile library you will notice that the uptake is very low.

 

 

 

3.3.2   However the uptake of countryside walks was high, and taken sometimes/often by most residents (71%). The remainder, village hall, church, farm shop, pub, and playing field showing a middling range of usage, with SOMETIMES the preferred answer.

 

 

 

3.3.3   Village Hall – The use of the Village Hall was predominantly categorised as SOMETIMES  (66%).  However the hall remains a reliable, well maintained, often used and invaluable community asset.  When asked in Q18 if Parishioners would use it more if it was relocated and had a car park attached, only 26% indicated that they would.

 

3.3.4   St Mary the Virgin church – As can be seen from the chart, this is mostly a SOMETIMES used amenity.  It is understood that the churchyard will be sufficient for burials for nearly 50 years

 

3.3.5   Farm Shop – Several requests were made as to the possibility of creating a safe pathway from the village to the farm shop.  A responder commentated that a proper footpath from Staverton to the farm shop would enable villagers to walk safely to the shop, thus reducing car usage, our carbon footprint and improve road safety.

 

3.3.6   Bus Service – Only 24% of parishioner households used the bus service either sometimes or often, which could make it a vulnerable asset.  Q11(4) however, still showed though, that a regular bus service was thought to be very important (49%).

 

3.3.7   Mobile Library – Many parishioner households commented that they were unaware of the mobile library.  It may be necessary to improve upon the communication to parishioners of the various services available, together with detailed service provision and service hours and days.  Maybe this could be a service provided and paid for by the parish council to all parishioner households via the Parish News.

 

3.3.8   Post Office – The village used to have a post office which would have been very much in the OFTEN used category.  However, this was closed by the Post Office Authorities when it was decreed that any post office closer than 2 miles to a main office (ie: Daventry) was to be shut.

 

3.3.9   Shop –  An area of high priority for many was the lack of a shop with 55% considering it worthwhile.

3.3.10 The last village shop closed down in the nineties, proving to be difficult to be viable without the regular usage it would have hoped for.  The close proximity of Daventry, plus the regular bus service was fulfilling most needs and there was not enough business to support it.  If there is a continued settled desire for a shop, then maybe a community shop might be considered.

 

3.3.11 Children’s Play Area – Many residents put the improvement of the children’s play area at the upper end in terms of priority, with 57% choosing good or high.  It is seen as an important open space and leisure amenity. Subsequent to the questionnaire, the village secured funding from the Tesco bag fund and has resulted in some new and replaced equipment.

 

3.3.12 Of the younger age group, it is not known how many take part in clubs or activities provided within the parish.  We do not know if they would join a youth club or holiday club if there were any.  However comments made referred to the need for safe places for our youngsters to go to, it being very important to encourage them to experience the freedom and independence of previous generations.

 

3.3.13 Outdoor equipment, allotments and cycle paths received a broad range of priority views.

 

 

3.3.14 One responder mentioned in Q16 the possibility of having a Defibrillator in the village. This has now been addressed by the generous donation of funds from a parishioner, to purchase the defibrillator together with relevant training.

 

 

3.4    IMPROVEMENTS TO SERVICES       Q12

 

3.4.1   This question aimed to find out which service areas needed the most or least attention.

 

 

3.4.2   It was very clear that the provision of Broadband and the provision of mobile phone coverage together with the sewerage system were the subjects cited most often, as needing to be improved.  One comment reflected that Broadband and Mobile coverage is very bad and patchy in the village, with super-fast broadband remaining a dream.  Conversely the areas that were felt to be sufficient were electricity, gas, lighting, rubbish collection (as presently provided) and surface water drainage.

 

3.4.3  The need to improve the Broadband service was also highlighted in the 2009 survey, subsequently, the village now has a fibre optic capability. In addition planning permission has been granted for the erection of a mobile mast.

 

 

3.5    PARISHIONER ACTIVITIES      Q17

 

3.5.1   Having seen which village amenities were used, the questionnaire also looked at the range of activities that were undertaken by parishioners.  It has to be said that many of the available activities fell into the NEVER category.

 

 

 

3.5.2   Showing reasonable support were Cycling and Dog Walking and Walking/Rambling.

 

 

3.6    PARKING AND TRAFFIC      Q11(5,7,8),  Q16(6,7,8),  Q19

 

3.6.1   This issue raised a great degree of concern over the parking of cars both around the village and especially around the school.  The school data confirms approximately 10% of pupils coming from the three villages of Hellidon, Catesby and Staverton, these being the villages for whom the school was built.   The remaining 90% arriving mainly from Daventry, which causes pressure on the village roads at peak times.

 

3.6.2   Thus for approximately 30 minutes in the morning and for approximately 1 hour in the afternoon, the quality and quantity of parking becomes a problem for the villagers who live around the school environs, especially those in Braunston Lane.  The main issue is one of inconsiderate, selfish and poor judgement parking leading to short term obstruction.  The other area of concern here is with regard to the teaching staff and peripatetic staff who choose not to use the school car park provided within the school grounds, but park all day in front of properties close to the school, thereby causing long term obstructions.

 

3.6.3   It is clear from the responses, and from the associated comments, that parking, in all its aspects, causes great concern.  The issue of parking on village pavements and blocking driveways also causes many problems in road safety terms, and in pedestrian safety

 

 

3.6.4   Comments were made with regard to poor parking hampering safe and reliable access to emergency vehicles and local farm traffic.  However, despite the comments associated with this situation, there was low support for allocated pedestrian crossings.

 

3.6.5   Q19 in the questionnaire showed that, of the 143 house replies there was a car ownership of 260 cars representing an average car ownership of 2 cars per household.  It is recognised that some properties can and do sacrifice their front gardens, but others, particularly in the older, centre of the village do not have that opportunity.  Future developments must therefore cater for the higher car ownership, and should include adequate off road parking for each property.

 

3.6.6   The area of traffic calming was also covered and only 40% felt this to be a high priority, with 38% considering it to be a low priority, the rest being quite evenly spread in their support.

 

3.6.7   Mostly this issue seemed to be addressed, via the comments, towards the high speed on the main A425 road and on the village approach road which was once the old main road before the bypass was built in 1989.  There have been several accidents on the main road through the parish.

 

3.7    DEVELOPMENT   (VILLAGE DESIGN)      Q2,  Q6

 

3.7.1   These replies showed a mixed view.  The strongest view 79% was that one large development of more than 25 houses was not suitable in this context and many comments were added to the answers to back up their views.

 

3.7.2   The next most unsuitable was a few medium developments of 10 to 20 houses Not Suitable responses representing 49%.

 

 

3.7.3   The matter of several small developments of less than 10 houses, and a mix of small/medium houses drew a broad spectrum of views as can be seen in the following chart.

 

3.7.4   At the other end, it was felt by many that individual plots (38%), development restricted to within the village confines (38%), and new homes that were affordable to locals (41%) were very suitable options.

 

 

3.7.5  The comment “villagers chose to live here because it is a VILLAGE not an ESTATE” was a view reflected by many, as was the view that growth, whilst necessary, should be small scale and organic to ensure integration.

 

3.7.6   A clear percentage wished to restrict development to within the village confines.  The results also show strong support for the building of homes that are affordable for local people.

 

3.7.7   Many comments were made as to the rural nature and size of the village and that they would not wish to see it over developed.

 

3.7.8   The findings and attendant comments tell us that, on the whole, parishioners appreciate Staverton parish, wish for it to retain its distinctive present character, are keen to resist inappropriate and over-development beyond the village confines, are keen to maintain green spaces, and wish to care for the local environment.

 

3.7.9   Many responders felt that any future development must ensure that the genuine needs of the parish, rather than the financial needs of the developer should be taken into account, to ensure that a broad spread of housing types and sizes make up the bulk of any new development.   In addition the view was expressed that  expansion of the school should not be the driver for any significant future development or parking strategy.

 

3.7.10 A Village Design Statement sets out clear and simple guidance for the design of any new development in the parish, based upon its character, to ensure that it is in harmony with its setting and thus makes a positive contribution to the parish environment.  Many comments referred to the danger of inappropriate development meaning losing the unique character of the village, and meaning greater light pollution from extra street lighting.  These factors may be looked at in the design statement.

 

 

3.8    LOCATION OF DEVELOPMENT SITES      Q10

 

3.8.1   This question gave rise to a great deal of confusion and more than a little concern over nominating sites for development that were not owned by the nominator. Indeed 56% of the returned responders chose to avoid this question altogether.  It is unknown whether this was down to not understanding the question or an indication they felt no sites were suitable.

 

3.8.2   Of the 38% who did respond to this question 22 different sites were nominated.

 

3.8.3   The comments that were added to the map responses felt that Map1 ensured that Staverton remained a village, Map2 would represent an over development of the village, and Map3 would virtually make the parish a suburb of Daventry.

 

3.9    HOUSING TYPES  +  NEEDS  +  DEMOGRAPHICS     Q3,  Q4,  Q5,  Q20

 

3.9.1   The return data from the questionnaire demonstrates that the greatest number of properties in the parish (82%) are owned.  Of these 3-4 bedroom houses provide 70% of the overall housing.  19% live in houses with 5 or more bedrooms and 6% live in bungalows.

 

3.9.2   18% of the houses are rented, with 3-4 bedroom houses forming 44% and bungalows forming 28%.

 

3.9.3   In future, the aspirations of the parishioners showed that most (90%) expected to stay long term (Q5) and to own a 3-4 bedroom house or a bungalow.  Of those that wished to rent in the future, those that responded to this tenure showed a preference for a flat or a bungalow

 

 

3.9.4   We also looked at the range of buildings from this question to inform us of the future relative mix of housing. Comments added indicated that there was a wish for homes in starter, retirement and affordable categories, with the wishes of an ageing population needing to be taken into account.  One comment was that “If development is to take place we feel that retirement properties should feature strongly”.  We have a mixture of housing already in Staverton, but we need to accommodate people who have lived in the village for many years and wish to downsize.”

 

3.9.5   It should be noted from the responses to the demographic question at the end of the questionnaire that the parish population is generally over 41 with the ages of 18-30 and 31-40 forming only 13% thus impacting on village activities and facilities.

 

 

3.10  HOUSING DESIGN      Q6,  Q11(3,6)

 

3.10.1 The vast majority of responders felt that the present character and any future character of the parish was very important.

 

3.10.2 Most felt that any new development should be in harmony with the village setting and be constructed with stone and brick.

 

3.10.3 The Staverton questionnaire of 2009 posed three questions relating to access to the countryside, to preservation of local green spaces and views, and style of building construction.  From the answers to these, the analysis was that “respondents would object to any development interfering with physical or visual access to the surrounding countryside and views, or with the open areas and trees planted within the village”.

 

3.10.4 The Design policies of the development plan will address this issue further, and will look at the need to encourage appropriate and good housing design which 65% in question 11 thought to be very important.

 

3.11  BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL      Q7,  Q8,  Q9  Q12

 

3.11.1 In the parish of Staverton, there are several businesses including farming, education, veterinary, fuel supply, farm shop, rural enterprise, horse livery and riding, car retail, furniture manufacture, and hotel and golf club.  In general the staffing of these businesses is not known, and the proportion of local people amongst these staff is also not known.

 

3.11.2 However the issue of local businesses was covered in questions 7, 8 and 9.

 

3.11.3 In Q7 the number of householders who did not wish for land to be reserved for businesses was 48%.  (48% said they did and 4% did not respond)

 

3.11.4 In Q8 the number of parishioner households that did not run a business or work from home was 72%.  (25% said they did and 3% did not respond)

 

3.11.5 Finally in Q9 only 39% felt that they could adapt their current premises to meet their business needs.  (42% said they could not and 19% did not respond)

 

3.11.6 In Q12 the issues of an improved Broadband and Mobile Phone coverage were addressed.  It is arguably even more important that these issues are at their best for any businesses operating in the parish.

 

3.11.7  When looking at these issues we need to be mindful of the County Structure Plan and Daventry District Local Plan, and to policies EM11, EM12, R1 and R2.

 

4                 Vision & Objectives

 

4.1      From this analysis of the questionnaire response data, the Vision Statement and

Objectives were developed demonstrating the settled view of the Parishioners.

 

4.2      The overwhelming view from Parishioners is that Staverton’s strength is that it is a small

rural village, which should retain its character. The Parishioners are not against small

scale change in order to remain sustainable.

 

 

 

 

4.3 What gives Staverton its character? – “That it is a small traditional rural village

surrounded by agricultural land and other small villages with a strong community spirit”

 

4.4 The above information was brought together into a vision statement that reflects all

elements:

 

           ‘A sustainable cohesive community that retains its character,

              rural surroundings and green spaces, whilst embracing the

              positive benefits appropriate development can bring’

 

 

 

4.5 The objectives were consequently derived from the Vision Statement and broken down

into three Core Objectives: (1) Sustainable Community (2) Protection of the Environment

(3) Management of change for the positive benefit (Sustainable development)

 

4.6  Underpinning these three Core Objectives a number of key objectives and goals were defined: as  detailed in the Parish Questionnaire Statement on the Parish Website www.stavertonparish.com/councils/staverton-neighbourhood-development-plan/.