WHAT IS THE VILLAGE PLAN?

The aim of creating a Village Plan is to find a clear direction for the future development of our community through consultation with the people of the parish about what the actual needs and aspirations of the community are.

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Since the turn of the century, Central Government – both Labour and Coalition – has been in favour of local people having a greater say in local affairs. This concept is being enshrined in the Localism Bill, which is part of the government’s Big Society challenge, and there is no doubt that the process will gather momentum in the coming years.

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It is important that we in Great Staughton take full advantage of this initiative to bring positive benefits to the Village at a time when all expenditure is subject to very close scrutiny. This is where the Village Plan comes in.

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DEVELOPMENT OF THE VILLAGE PLAN

Following a public meeting at the Village Hall at the end of November 2009, a Steering Group was formed of volunteer Villagers. This Steering Group was given the task of consulting with all the residents of the Parish and developing an action plan which would reflect the aspirations of the Village as a whole.
An initial consultation process led to the production, testing and refining of a comprehensive Questionnaire, which was delivered to all households in the Village during the Autumn of 2010.

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The response to this Questionnaire was amazing, with almost 85% of occupied households giving us their views – all members of each household were encouraged to complete the form, and so we learned the views of children and adults alike.

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HOW LONG WILL THE VILLAGE PLAN LAST?

The plan sets out actions for the community over the next five years or so. However, the methods that we have used in the preparation of the plan can be used to enable the Villagers to have their say on any new issue that arises.

The Steering Group will be replaced by a Parish Association that will continue to monitor progress on the actions set out in the rest of this document, and should ensure that the Village Plan will be continuously renewed so as to reflect the developing aspirations of the Villagers.

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The changes in Local Government that may follow from the Central Government’s Big Society initiative could cause us to reconsider some of our priorities.