Demographics

Payne School, Parson Drove

This shift in the make-up of the village over recent years is an important factor to come out of the demographic data and has implications for village facilities, such as the local school, as well as planning for housing and public transport, etc.

We also asked about people leaving the parish, as well as looking at the changing trends in those joining the community.

Of the 186 households that answered, 37 had seen people leave the parish in the last 10 years – 19.9%. The reasons for leaving were varied. The most common ones were a lack of affordable housing and taking up employment elsewhere, and two-thirds were unlikely to return.

It’s always unfortunate to lose members of the community to other places, but given the general growth of the village in recent years, the relatively small numbers that are leaving and the new housing that has been built and filled, the overall trend in Parson Drove seems to be one of a growing village that is moving away from it’s perception of a place to retire to and towards becoming a more thriving community.

Points To Take Forward

• The population of the village is changing slowly to include a larger proportion of younger people, both children and young adults.
• Despite this trend, 40% of the village is over 60 and many have been here for over 20 years, some for their entire life.