Clapham Newsletter Update - December 2018 issue

The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group

The Neighbourhood Plan is moving forward. Recent public consultation meetings in Newby, Keasden and Clapham have given an up-to-date picture of the range of issues which matter most to local residents.

The Neighbourhood Plan is a way of building on all the tremendous work which was put into compiling the Parish Plan back in 2008. Very little action resulted from all that work but the Localism Act of 2011 has given new hope of progressing the ideas and priorities in that 2008 Plan.

An impressive range of aspirations and ideas came to light - as well as a few frustrations and complaints. But these are all grist to the mill, when we think about improving life in Clapham and its parish. The list is a long one, with too many to mention here.

Among the many priorities, some major items cropped

up time and again:

˗ promoting businesses,

˗ job opportunities at differing levels;

˗ work units and start-up units with adequate parking;

˗ infrastructure for visitors and tourism;

˗ low-cost housing;

˗ the desperate need to support local services such as school, buses, shops, cafes, pub, churches and existing leisure facilities such as the tennis court (use it or lose it);

˗ youth provision;

˗ more adult education opportunities and social activities.

It was clear from some of the suggestions that not everyone knows just what is already going on in the parish.

We also need to ensure that we capture the views of all residents, not just those attending the open meetings. The Neighbourhood Plan steering group is developing a questionnaire for this purpose. More details will be in the next newsletter and also on our existing Facebook page and new Neighbourhood Plan website to be launched in the New Year.

All of us need to make sure that we read local noticeboards, get hold of a copy of the Clapham newsletter, make full use of the admirable facilities of the village hall and support the neighbourhood plan.