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Welcome to the Wymondham and Edmondthorpe Parish Appraisal report. For two years the Parish Appraisal Working Group has been gathering and assessing information, mainly from the questionnaire that was sent out during December 2001, about the different kinds of community, environmental and other local issues that concern the people of Wymondham and Edmondthorpe.
From the analysis of the replies to the questionnaire, as well as from discussions and correspondence, it is clear that some issues are seen as very important. These include the volume and speed of traffic through Wymondham; educational and recreational facilities; the upkeep of roads and footpaths; better communication of Parish activities; and the case for housing expansion within the Parish, especially regarding the redevelopment of neglected or derelict sites and buildings.
On the positive side, most people were reasonably satisfied with public transport and with the local services provided by, for example, the Post Office and Cottage Stores, the mobile shops and library and the Parish Council.
This report is being sent to every household in the Parish, as well as to representatives of the local authorities responsible for the development of planning strategies and the funding of community projects. These and other service providers will shortly be invited to a public meeting at which parishioners can air their opinions on the recommendations of the report and express their views on any new issues or factors that appear important.
Thank you for taking the trouble to read this report. The Working Group feels that it is a fair and objective account of the views of the inhabitants of Wymondham and Edmondthorpe, and a good basis for action to meet their most important current needs and aspirations for the future.
Wymondham conservation area was designated in 1973 and its boundary covers all of the older built up area and the large open areas to the South West of the village. The village has a long history with evidence of Roman occupation. Listed buildings include the Church of St. Peter, the former Grammar School and the Priory. The Windmill situated to the North of the village is probably the most complete example of a tower windmill in the area, built in 1813 it is now part of a tourism complex. Building materials are mostly natural stone and clay pantile roofs.
Historically, development in the village has largely concentrated to the South of Main Street. Further development in this area is restricted by the poor standard of access provided by the narrow lanes. Most of the development has been on infill plots. There have been several houses built in the centre of the village, off Spring Lane and Chapel Lane, but less than 30 houses have been built over the last 20 years.
Edmondthorpe is an attractive stone built agricultural village, mostly working farms and related cottages. The village has several listed buildings including the Water Pump, and the Church of St. Michael. Holly Cottage and New Farm were designated in 1994. Hardly any development has taken place for many years.
The recommendations in this report are made in the context of a middle-aged to elderly population requiring appropriate facilities and the need to attract and retain younger people and families to sustain the community in the long term. This context has been determined from the responses received to the questionnaire and reflects the population mix of the parish. Recommendations can be found within each section.
The appraisal questionnaire was given out to all the households in Wymondham and Edmondthorpe during December 2001, and replies were received from:
Altogether, this represents approximately 59% of the total households within the parish.
The age distribution of the population of the parish shows a spread across the age range but there is a concentration of people in the 'prime of life' aged between 40 and 59 years of age (37%), as opposed to 0-21 years (25%), 22-39 years (18%), and over 60 (20%).
The picture that emerges is one of a stable population with a very low rate of newcomers, 3% had lived in the village for less than one year, yet 45% had lived in the village for 15 years or more. The main reason for this stability appears to be the rural location, 80% said they "liked to live in the country", 7% were born in the parish with 16% returning to the parish.
| Reasons given for
living in the Parish |
Number of
responses |
||
| Life in the countryside | 120 | ||
| Work nearby | 68 | ||
| Life in community | 49 | ||
| Marriage/relatives | 34 | ||
| Born in Parish | 25 | ||
| Cost/availability of housing | 23 | ||
| Good facilities/communications | 13 | ||
| Returned to Parish | 8 | ||
| Other | 2
(From 156 households) |
||
Wymondham is located in a rural setting. When asked if they see the need for further housing in the village 148 people replied. 55% agreed there was a need for further housing and 45% were against.
Residents were asked to give their views on where new dwellings should be sited. There was strong support for refurbishment of redundant buildings, e.g. the old station site, village outskirts and infill areas.
Whilst there was support for housing on the Space Foods site, this matter remains unresolved. Suggested designs submitted during 2002 are awaiting further refinement.
Due to a lack of affordable accommodation 8% reported that members of their family had left the village.
A separate analysis, using the data provided from the responses to the Parish Appraisal, was produced and submitted to the Melton Borough Council to assist with their decision-making with regards to future development of the Space Foods site. The analysis is reproduced below and was issued prior to receiving an additional two questionnaires.
Total number of returned questionnaires = 154
(130 from Wymondham; 24 from Edmondthorpe)
Of the returned questionnaires:
Further analysis of these results shows:
Wymondham (130)
There was very strong support for retaining a wide range of landscaped features.
| Features to be preserved
in the Parish |
Number of
responses |
||
| Green areas (inluding village greens) | 59 | ||
| Windmill | 37 | ||
| Other established buildings/houses | 28 | ||
| Footpaths, bridleways, lanes etc | 26 | ||
| Church | 24 | ||
| Space Foods' (former Manor House) barns | 11 | ||
| Miscellaneous features | 7 | ||
In the main, the majority of people were keen to see the green areas preserved. This included the village greens, highway verges, trees and playing fields. Many people indicated the need to preserve the historic buildings within the Parish and additionally a few specific landmark features were also mentioned e.g. the hollow oak in Edmondthorpe. Eighty-four percent of respondents appreciated and valued the surrounding countryside.
Out of the 143 that responded to the question of a Village Design Statement, 66% thought it was a good idea; 11% said no; and 23% didn't know.
Residents were asked how often they used the footpaths. Out of the 152 who responded, 45% used them three or more times a week; 28% used them weekly; 23% monthly; and 4% never.
Sixty percent of households consider this to be a major environmental issue.
| Suggestions to solve
dog fouling |
Number of
responses |
||
| Educate owners | 30 | ||
| Waste bins | 27 | ||
| Fines | 26 | ||
| Warning signs | 6 | ||
| Dog Warden | 4 | ||
| Dogs on leads | 3 | ||
| Name & Shame | 3 | ||
| Reintroduce licences | 2 | ||
| Ban from Back Walks | 1 | ||
| Ban from School area | 1 | ||
| Environmental/health warnings | 1 | ||
| Designated dog-walking area | 0 | ||
Information: Here's the link to the Melton Dog Warden's page at MeltonOnline.
Most respondents were satisfied with the waste collection and recycling service provided by Melton Borough Council. The main issues raised related to the collection of garden waste, i.e. the lack of information about the dates of collection and uncollected bags left at the roadside. Comments made about household waste covered the lack of bags and subsequent collection (24 households), and the need for wheelie bins (11 households).
Information: Melton Borough Council (MBC) has recently
introduced a new policy. The compost-collection lorry now has
compartments to take away those bags supplied by MBC. This does not
however apply to your own fertiliser or other bags, which will still be
left, uncollected, at the property boundary. The green and grey bags
for recycling can be collected from the reception desk of Melton Borough
Council.
Further to recent press articles on Wheelie Bins, there are no immediate
plans to introduce them into Wymondham. Recycling boxes were
introduced in April 2003.
146 households responded to the question, How important is the school to the parish? 72% thought it extremely important. Of households with pre-school age children, 20 households indicated that they had children and would send them to the local school. On the subject of pre-school provision 36% thought there was enough pre-school provision, 4% disagreed. The other 60% said it was not applicable to them.
Information: Link to St Peter's (C.E. Aided) Primary School
75 households replied to the question of the need for more after-school clubs. 72% agreed there should be more of these. 66% thought they should be educational. We then asked for suggestions, the most popular being: Sports; Gymnastics; Choir; Guides and Brownies; and Computers for the Young.
Out of 51 households responding, 47% said their children would attend a play scheme during the holidays; 32% didn't know; and 31% said No.
Information: A holiday play scheme runs during the summer holiday at King Edward VII School, Burton Road, Melton Mowbray. Parents of children at the village school receive information during the Summer Term. A week long play scheme, held during the summer holidays, has operated in previous years at the Sir John Sedley Education Centre, led by Phil Gaskell (01476 564290).
146 Households responded that they had attended the Parish Church.
Of those responding, 101 households indicated that they had attended Easter and Christmas services, whilst members of 99 households had attended a funeral and 72 households had attended a wedding in the Parish.
28 households attend church in another parish. Of these, 29% went into Melton; 13% to Oakham and the remainder elsewhere.
The importance of the Church to the village was captured as follows:
75% of the respondents believed the Church important for Sunday Worship; 46% for Spiritual Guidance; 81% for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals; and 80% identified the Church as having an historical importance.
| Suggestions for additional activities
to be held in the Church |
Number of
responses |
||
| Musical events | 93 | ||
| Exhibitions/Displays | 73 | ||
| Sunday School | 55 | ||
Information: On the third Sunday of each month, there is an informal All-Age Worship Service in Church at 11:00am in which the children participate and families and young people - of all ages! - are especially welcome.
When asked if they regarded the Village Hall as an important amenity, 130 households (91% of those responding) said they did.
128 households responded to the question regarding the parish precept: 80% stated that they were in favour of a precept to support the running costs of the Village Hall.
Information: As a result, the Parish Council voted to cover the running costs of the Village Hall through the precept, from April 2002.
103 households make use of the Village Hall.
| Most popular reasons for
using the Village Hall |
Number of
responses |
||
| Theatrical productions (participation
and/or attendance) |
36 | ||
| Private functions | 30 | ||
| Dances | 23 | ||
Information: Pam Hickman (787274) should be contacted for
Village Hall bookings.
Plans are currently being drawn up to refurbish the Village Hall.
Subject to consent, it is hoped the improvements to the Hall will provide
for a completely revamped surgery, kitchen, bar, toilets and meeting rooms.
62 households make use of the Surgery facilities at the Village Hall. 25 households identified Physiotherapy and Chiropody as two of the services that they would like to see made available at the Village Hall.
92 responses were received for a total of over 30 different types of courses/classes etc. The most popular are listed below:
| Suggestions for courses/classes
at the Sedley Centre |
Number of
responses |
||
| Arts & Crafts | 18 | ||
| Yoga | 14 | ||
| Aerobics & Keep Fit | 12 | ||
| Computer courses | 11 | ||
60% of those responding said that they would prefer courses to be run in the evening, with 20% opting for the weekend and the remaining 20% preferring the daytime.
79% of those responding said that they were aware of the computer facilities at the Sir John Sedley Educational Centre. 25% of these households indicated that they would like to make use of these facilities.
Information: As part of the Leicestershire County Council Youth & Community Education Programme, a questionnaire has been circulated around the parish to assess demand for Adult Learning courses to be run at the Sir John Sedley Educational Centre. These courses will be run under the direction of the Adult Learning Development Group from Bottesford Community Centre. For more information, please contact Pat Peters, 2 Gretton Gardens (Tel. 787358, e-mail patriciapeters@supanet.com).
When asked whether people would like to be employed within the village, 61% of those responding said that they would.
Of those responding, 96% of households indicated that they did make use of Wymondham Post Office and Cottage Stores. Of these, over half used the store on a fairly regular basis.
| Suggestions for improvements
to the Cottage Stores |
Number of
responses |
||
| Sunday opening | 36 | ||
| Later opening | 35 | ||
| Greater range of newspapers | 28 | ||
| Other stock | 22 | ||
| Earlier opening | 19 | ||
| Accept credit/debit cards | 15 | ||
| |
|||
|
Most-used/wanted
Post Office services |
Number of
responses |
||
| Stamps | 130 | ||
| Bill payments | 77 | ||
| Personal banking | 44 | ||
| Foreign exchange | 35 | ||
| Other | 27 | ||
Information: Newspapers can be ordered through Stella Graham,
who currently supplies daily newspapers to a number of Wymondham residents
on a self-collection basis. Stella can be contacted on 787273.
The Cottage Stores currently provides a delivery service to the elderly.
| Yes | No | ||||
| Butcher | 39% | 61% | |||
| Fruit & Veg | 52% | 48% | |||
| Fish | 45% | 55% | |||
A total of 148 households responded to the questions concerning the Berkeley Arms. Only 22% of households stated that they visited the pub on a frequent basis.
Many comments were received about the service provided by the Berkeley Arms. These comments mainly covered the ambience and atmosphere within the pub as well as the type and value for money of the food.
Information: The landlord of the pub has changed in the time since the questionnaires were returned.
A total of 147 households responded to the questions concerning the Windmill. Only 14% of households stated that they visited the Windmill on a frequent basis.
Comments were received with regards to the food served at the Tea Shop, the type and variety of shops on the Windmill site, and the play facilities provided within the Windmill grounds.
Information: The ownership of the Windmill and several of the shop tenants have changed in the time since the questionnaires were returned.
A total of 145 households responded to the questions within this section. 30% of those responding indicated that they had an involvement with a sports or social group.
A wide variety of additional groups/activities were put forward within the responses to the survey. With the exception of tennis (where a court is under consideration by the Sir John Sedley Trustees), there is insufficient local demand for further adult sporting and social facilities in the village other than keep-fit type classes. (See Sedley Centre, Training and Employment)
The overwhelming majority of households (152 answered out of 156) considered traffic to be a problem. The majority of responses indicated that the volume and speed of heavy goods vehicles to be the main concern (88%), with as high a percentage being concerned about the speeds of the cars and vans but not so much about the volume.
An overwhelming majority of respondents felt that a number of ways could be used to restrict the speed of vehicles in the village:-
In addition to these suggestions a further six households indicated the need for speed restrictions over the Edmondthorpe Road bridge.
Information: The Parish is nearing the top of the list for funding from Melton Borough Council for traffic calming measures. Discussions regarding the best method of traffic calming will take place with the Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council.
A slight majority (51%) felt on-street parking was a problem in the village, the main area for concern being the road from Park Cottages down to Wrights Lane.
| Perceived problem
areas for parking |
Number of
responses |
||
| Park Cottages | 46 | ||
| Wrights Lane/Edmondthorpe Rd | 19 | ||
| Main Street, Wymondham | 11 | ||
| Main Street, Edmondthorpe | 4 | ||
| Viallage Hall | 2 | ||
| Corner of Spring Lane | 2 | ||
| Church Lane | 1 | ||
| Meadows Rise | 1 | ||
| Council houses | 1 | ||
| Side road to P.O. | 1 | ||
| Opposite Berkeley Arms | 1 | ||
| Old Newsagent/Art gallery | 1 | ||
| Areas where parking
needs to be improved |
Number of
responses |
||
| Off-road parking | 31 | ||
| Village Hall | 10 | ||
| Park Cottages | 7 | ||
| Use of Space Foods' site | 6 | ||
| Church | 5 | ||
| Edmondthorpe Rd | 2 | ||
| P.O. and Antiques Shop | 1 | ||
| Wrights Lane/Edmondthorpe Rd | This row used for spacing, please ignore | ||
69 households expressed a view on the bus service to and from Melton, while 45 households expressed a view on the service to and from Oakham. No single cause for concern arose from the analysis, although there were several households who expressed a concern over the routing of the Oakham service.
| Suggestions for bus
service improvements |
Number of
responses |
||
| Evening service | 10 | ||
| Increased frequency | 6 | ||
| Buses & shelters in Ed'thorpe | 3 | ||
| Student subsidy | 1 | ||
| Sunday service | 1 | ||
| Wrights Lane/Edmondthorpe Rd | This row used for spacing, please ignore | ||
| Rutland Flyer Melton-Oakham Bus Service | ||||
| Melton | Wym'ham | Ed'thorpe | Oakham | |
| 07:00 | 07:11 | 07:14 | 07:55 | |
| 09:00 | 09:11 | 09:14 | 09:55 | |
| 11:00 | 11:11 | 11:14 | 11:55 | |
| 13:00 | 13:11 | 13:14 | 13:55 | |
| 15:00 | 15:11 | 15:14 | 15:55 | |
| 16:00 | 16:11 | 16:14 | 16:55 | |
| 17:05 | 17:16 | 17:19 | 18:00 | |
| 18:05 | 18:16 | 18:19 | 18:50 | |
| Oakham | Ed'thorpe | Wym'ham | Melton | |
| 08:00 | 08:41 | 08:44 | 08:55 | |
| 10:00 | 10:41 | 10:44 | 10:55 | |
| 12:00 | 12:41 | 12:44 | 12:55 | |
| 14:00 | 14:41 | 14:44 | 14:55 | |
| 16:00 | 16:41 | 16:44 | 16:55 | |
| 17:05 | 17:46 | 17:49 | 18:00 | |
| 18:05 | 18:46 | 18:49 | 19:00 | |
Information: The Rutland Flyer uses Stand 4 on St Mary's Way,
Melton Mowbray; and Somerfield supermarket, Oakham. The route between
Edmondthorpe and Oakham passes through Teigh; Market Overton; Cottesmore;
Greetham; Exton; Burley-on-the-Hill crossroads. From Oakham, the
service travels via Uppingham to Corby.
There is a free shoppers' bus on Mondays to the Co-Op outside Oakham,
leaving from outside the former Newsagents, Wymondham at 09:55 and returning
at lunchtime.
59% found the maintenance standard of the roads to be fair, whilst 21% thought it was poor. On the standard of maintenance of the pavements, 59% thought they were fair whilst 20% thought they were poor, but with regard to the back walks, 56% thought maintenance to be fair and 33% thought it was poor.
64% considered that the facilities and safety features for pedestrians were fair; 23% considered them poor.
| Main problem areas for
road/pavement maintenance |
Number of
responses |
||
| Backwalks: overgrown/leaves | 32 | ||
| Road surfaces | 13 | ||
| Narrow pavements | 9 | ||
| Park Cottages | 5 | ||
| Wrights Lane | 4 | ||
| Cleaner paths in Edmondthorpe | 4 | ||
Information: Since the Questionnaire was issued, the Council have resurfaced the footways within Wymondham (Summer, 2002). As a result, a number of dropped kerbs have been introduced, enabling better access for pushchairs and wheelchairs. The lanes off Main Street, Wymondham have been resurfaced, and work on the Backwalks has commenced (Summer, 2003).
141 households responded to the question of how often they used the mobile library, with just 22 households actually using the service. 89% wished the frequency of the service to stay the same; 42% thought the stock was good; and 47% thought the stock to be reasonable.
Information: You can join the mobile library on the vehicle. The library comes every other Friday, and stops outside the former Space Foods' site (15:05-15:15); the Berkeley Arms (15:20-15:35); and at the top of Sycamore Lane (15:40-16:10). Videos and CDs are available for hire and, along with books, may be ordered from the main collection. More details are on the Melton Library webpage.
| How do villagers usually find
out what's going on? |
Number of
responses |
||
| Wymondham-Edmondthorpe Journal | 118 | ||
| Word of mouth | 109 | ||
| Posters in the villages | 92 | ||
| Village/Church notice boards | 56 | ||
| Local newspapers | 39 | ||
| Village Directory | 30 | ||
| Village School | 10 | ||
| Village Website | 3 | ||
| Local libraries | 1 | ||
Further suggestions for communication included Fliers; the Women's Institute; and the Melton Times.
When informed that villages in the Melton were soon to be provided with website facilities, out of the 134 that responded 51% were interested and 49% not.
84 households responded when asked if they could access the Internet at home. 70% had access.
| Online services/information
for which there is a demand |
Number of
responses |
||
| Local public transport timetables | 44 | ||
| Local planning applications | 42 | ||
| Nearest out-of-hours chemist | 42 | ||
| Renew car tax | 35 | ||
| Book a child minder | 9 | ||
| Complete a benefit form | 6 | ||
When asked whether they would make use of a village database, 120 households responded to the question: 48% said yes but 52% said no.
80% of households subscribe to the Village Journal. All the respondents were happy with the frequency, content, presentation and advertisers.
We asked for suggestions on how the Journal might be improved and circulated. Views requested more general interest and humorous art, articles from children, garden tips, a youth section, and local school and playgroup reports. 25% said they would be willing to provide copy.
Information: You can obtain a copy of the Journal through the
Post Office. The Journal is delivered monthly and is available free
of charge for the first month to new residents.
The Church Council has agreed to take community responsibility for creating
a 'Newcomers' Pack' containing essential and interesting information about
the parish and to deliver it to all newcomers. (Co-ordinator:
Gillian Robertson)
145 households responded to the question about use of the telephone Kiosk. The kiosk is recognised as a public service, especially for people passing through the village, for emergencies and for the youth. If it was withdrawn 15% said it would cause them a problem.
When asked if they knew how to contact the local Police, 75% said they did.
Information: Calls to the Police in the Leicestershire area are routed to local stations via a central call centre. To contact the Police, call 0116 222 222
When asked for views on the level and response of policing, 4% thought it was good; 48% adequate; and 48% poor.
99 households made a suggestion as to how policing and security may be improved. Most wanted to see a beat bobby, with policing nearer to Wymondham.
73 households responded when asked if they were satisfied with the way the Parish Council can raise money through the council tax and how it was spent. 62% were satisfied. When asked if they knew how it was spent, 67% of Households didn't know.
They were then asked if they would be prepared to pay a slightly higher council tax to meet some of the needs highlighted in this appraisal. 121 households responded: 44% said yes; 56% said no. Of those who responded, 37 had views in which area it should be spent. The main areas recommended for increased spending were on traffic control measures and general maintenance around the village, especially in the area of litter and cleaner footpaths e.g. the Backwalks.
When asked how well does the Parish Council publicise its activities and decisions: 135 households responded, and of those 7% thought well; 61% reasonably; and 32% poor.
When asked if they were aware that residents could attend the meetings 81% said yes. Those that said No said they would attend if the meetings were more welcoming and discussed interesting topics.
90% of households agreed the Parish Council does an effective job.
Information: The Parish Council AGM is open to the public and
everyone is encouraged to attend.
Residents' comments on the possible uses for increased Council Tax have been
passed to the Parish Council.
A total of 83 households (85% of those responding) indicated that the village would benefit from a Good Neighbour scheme.
| Types of voluntary work people would
be prepared to get involved in |
Number of
responses |
||
| Neighbourhood Watch | 30 | ||
| Shopping for the housebound | 26 | ||
| Voluntary driving scheme | 11 | ||
| Newcomers' Welcome Pack | 11 | ||
Details of those people who volunteered have been put on file and will be contacted as the voluntary services are developed. This will be done in conjunction with the Melton Voluntary Service Bureau.
| Kay Bruce | Women's Institute | ||
| Jeremy Crampton | Chairman | ||
| Pamela Crampton | Parishioner | ||
| Hazel Fish | Rural Partnership | ||
| Steve Freeman | Analysis & Report Production | ||
| Liz Milnes | Parish Council | ||
| Malcolm Owen | Parochial Church Council | ||
| Pat Peters | Parish Council | ||
| Andy Smeaton | Treasurer | ||
| Jane Smithson-Connelly | Secretary | ||
| Jackie Wilson | Parishioner |