Geldeston Parish Plan / Village Survey

From Survey to Action Plan: An Update

Since spring this year the Parish Council has been working to an Action Plan based on the Village Survey. Parishioners said what they wanted and what concerned them. Now the Parish Plan team has come up with a limited and realistic number of targets for this year (road safety and cleanliness, maintenance of footpaths and wildlife conservation, support for Village Hall and creating a policy about housing and planning issues).

It's taken many months. But, in the end, it has proved well worth doing.

In 2003, with some funding from the Countryside Agency, a team of volunteers began to work on a Parish Plan for Geldeston. They first carried out a detailed survey of parishioners' wishes, needs and concerns. Some results were made public in May 2005 and the final report, delayed for a couple of weeks more at the printers, will shortly be available. It is now published here first in its entirety.

The Survey caught Geldeston at a turning point. The village shop had closed. Soon after, the post office shut as well. There was concern about the village hall. Recently it has been suggested that many new homes might be built within the parish.

Two thirds of those living in the parish filled in the questionnaire. This was a very good response and enabled us to make a detailed Action Plan for the parish in 2006. This will be distributed to every household in early July, with a copy of the report, a map of parish walks and Rights of Way and a list of local contacts.

Link to the Parish Plan report (Acrobat Reader Required )

The Village Conservation Area

The Conservation Area, established in 1984, is intended to monitor plans to build in this part of the parish or to convert and extend existing properties that give the village centre its character. It also aims to preserve the general appearance of the area by providing added protection for trees and certain hedgerows.

Recent proposals for development just outside the Conservation Area boundary seem to run counter to its spirit and purpose. So far the high-density housing on Local Development Framework (LDF) plots is no more than a suggestion.

Details of the Conservation Area ( Be Warned this is a Large File )

A copy of the map may also be viewed on the Council noticeboard at the Village Hall or in the Parish Papers file at the Wherry Inn. It will be included in the Plan report that every household in the parish will receive.