Other Issues

Social Facilities And Integration

As well as providing physical facilities, there is a need to provide additional social facilities within the parish. The possibility of producing a ‘Welcome Pack; for new residents has been considered. This would cover everything from a list of contact names and numbers for local groups and facilities (school, surgery, etc) to a little village history and map so that those new to the parish are helped to integrate into village life.

Similarly, an effort needs to be made to make the travelling community part of the parish. Several comments on the questionnaire indicated that some of the travellers would dearly like to take a much more active role in village life but feel excluded. Equally, some of those in the village feel unsure about integrating with the travelling community on a social level. Breaking down old prejudices on both sides would not be easy, but an effort should be made to do so.

As well as looking at our own parish, we also have to look at the interaction between Parson Drove and other parishes. Parson Drove alone may not resolve issues such as public transport, but if several parishes can show an overall demand for new bus routes, then transport providers may be more willing to listen. Equally, there may be opportunities for schools, clubs, sports teams and community groups across the local parishes to work together.

The Village Show

The World Pillowfighting Championships at
the Village Show

A perennial issue in the village is the site of the Village Show. The show is a long-standing tradition in the village and for many years was held on the village green, but as the show has grown in size and safety concerns have grown with children and traffic, it has recently moved to the playing field, behind the village hall. We asked whether the show should be moved back to The Green or remain on the field.

Opinion was divided almost equally on this. There was a difference of one vote in 309. We broke the opinions down into age groups to see if there was a sense of tradition amongst the elder population, but still the result was even. The only difference came when we looked at those households with families. In this group there was a definite preference for the show to be held on the field, presumably due to safety concerns for their children. Even so, it will remain a subject of much debate in the village.

Continued...