Village Scorecard and Action Plan
Village Scorecard and Action Plan
This document looks at all the factors that help to provide and maintain a successful community, how West Hill currently matches up to the criteria and what could be done by the Association to tackle any shortfalls. The analysis is set out in tabular form with four columns:
- Elements that contribute to a successful village community
- The situation in West Hill today
- A score out of 10 giving a measure of how well we are doing compared with what might reasonably be expected in a village of West Hill’s size and location. This is obviously somewhat subjective but it does help to concentrate the mind.
- Suggested actions for how the Association might tackle the shortfalls.
The commentary is in note form to help focus on the facts.
Figures in brackets refer to percentage in favour in the survey held summer 2011.
Traffic light indicators use the following bands:
1 to 4 Poor
5-6 Reasonable, having regard to what is realistically achievable
7-10 Good
Village Scorecard and Action Plan
Elements / Current situation / Score / ActionsInfrastructure
Foul sewerage/sewage treatment / Foul system overloaded in places with foul flooding occurring at least one location in Ford Lane. SWW have plans to alleviate this problem. Sewage treatment is said to be OK for existing populations. / 4 / Continue to press SWW to improve sewerage. (Action taken March 2013)
Surface water drainage / Surface water flooding occurs at a number of places but not serious. No capacity for new development but new sites are generally required to attenuate off-site flows. / 5 / ?
Water supply / Generally reliable good quality supply (although very hard) with good pressures. Recent relining work should ensure even better quality. / 9 / None
Electricity supply / Generally reliable supply with few interruptions. However, situation varies across the village.
Many overhead lines which are unsightly and potential problem points but Western Power appear to have a programme of protecting overhead lines from trees and it is unlikely that lines can be buried in the foreseeable future. / 7 / None
Telephone and broadband / Just adequate telephone system and totally inadequate broadband. Recent improvement at Ottery exchange does not appear to have improved speed generally. [See also Economic Activity].
Mobile phone coverage is very patchy. There are mixed views on whether we should press for additional masts to improve the situation. / 4 / Obtain revised plans from Openreach for improvements to Broadband
Roads
B3180 / Only main road in the village, running along the western boundary. Subject to 30 and 40mph restrictions, both of which largely ignored. Used by traffic linking between A30 and A3052 or Exmouth area. Also by quarry lorries. May become major route for quarry lorries if Straitgate approved.
The junction with West Hill Road is dangerous for those wishing to turn north out of West Hill Road. / 5 / Press for speed limit enforcement by Police. (Letter to new Commissioner, March 2013)
Continue to support Straitgate Action Group
Press for junction improvements (Further action taken March 2013)
Bendarroch Road,
West Hill Road / The two prime routes through the village. Bendarroch is fairly wide and has footways in places. WH Rd has a footway for short stretches either side of McColl’s. Both roads are subject to 20 or 30mph restrictions. WH Rd especially is used by many children/parents going to and from school on foot. West Hill Rd is used as a rat-run between the B3180 and Ottery.
Speeding is a serious issue. The absence of a footway in this area is also a serious problem. / 3 / Press for speed limit enforcement by police. (See above)
Support Community Speed Watch(Ongoing – Speedwatch Team very active)
Continue to press for the “missing link” footway in West Hill Rd.(Further action taken March 2013)
Consider if there is a need for additional footways in Bendarroch Road.
Other roads / The two other “main” roads are Higher and Lower Broad Oak Roads. Both are narrow and unlit, but there is no known desire for significant improvement. None is gritted by DCC in icy conditions and few grit boxes are available.
On-road parking is not generally a problem in West Hill. However, in Lower Broad Oak, the verges are used by those visiting the Woodland Trust land with the result that the verges become muddy and unsightly. / 6 / Continue to support Village Snow Warden scheme(Ongoing)
Continue to press for some form of improvement which provides a firm surface for cars whilst retaining green appearance.(Action taken March 2013)
Footpaths/footways / As noted above, there are few footways alongside roads and many roads are potentially dangerous for pedestrians, particularly for the young and the infirm. Life for pedestrians is made difficult by the dispersed nature of the village – many residents live more than half a mile from the centre – and the undulating terrain. There are some footpaths, including: between Moorlands and Beech Park; between School Lane and Potters Close; between north Lower Broad Oak Road and West Hill Rd; between Lower Broad Oak Rd (Badgers Bend) and Elsdon Lane through Elsdon Woods; and between Lower and Higher Broad Oak Roads through the Woodland Trust woods. These offer off-road routes for pedestrians but, with the exception of the first two, they are unpaved and unlit. / 5 / Explore the possibility of improving pedestrian links and pedestrian safety throughout the village. (Action Plan to be developed)
Public transport / Bus services
Stagecoach provides an approximately hourly service to Exeter Bus Station (first 7.23, last 19.58, last return 18.30). This route also provides a service to Ottery and, less frequently, to Honiton and Axminster.
Hatch Green provide one service a day to Sidmouth, departs 10.27, returns from Sidmouth at 13.25.
The bus service is made more difficult to use by the comparatively large distances to the bus-stop for many residents and the lack of places to park near them. / 6 / Consider what steps can be taken to (a) improve the service (impact of Cranbrook?) and (b) improve accessibility to the services.
Good train services are available from Whimple, Honiton and Exeter / 7
Education
Pre-school / There is a thriving pre-school held at the Village Hall. This is not an ideal location as other users are in the hall at the same time creating security issues. / 7 / Liaise with Pre-school to understand problem and how to assist.
Primary school / There is an excellent school in the village. However, capacity is limited. / 8 / Support councillors, governors and PTA, but no separate actions
Secondary school / There is an excellent Academy, Kings School, on the west side of Ottery which has a sixth form. Again, capacity is limited and the existing site is unable to support expansion. There is a top grammarschool at Colyton and independent schools in Exeter. / 8 / Support councillors, governors and PTFA, but no separate actions
Other / There is a FE College at Exeter which teaches A level and beyond. Exeter University has an excellent reputation.
[see also public transport] / 8 / None
Health Services / Small but excellent hospital at Ottery.
Outstanding medical centre at Ottery (but probably at full capacity?).
No surgery or pharmacy in the village but prescription deliveries can be made to those who want them. Recent survey suggested that there is some desire for a satellite surgery/pharmacy but this was not a widespread view.
There is a dentist within the village, believed to accept NHS patients. There is a large practice in Ottery but this is almost entirely private.
Probably as good as can be expected. / 8 / None
Social and voluntary services / We have little knowledge of how well vulnerable and dependent residents are catered for in West Hill.
The following services exist in Ottery St Mary:
OSM Help Scheme based at Coleridge Medical Centre
Friends of Ottery Hospital
Later Life Forum
Food Bank set up with voucher scheme
CAB operational again, one afternoon a week. / ? / Liaise with and support Ottery Help Scheme
Housing / The village comprises some 800 dwellings, of which [X] are social housing. Most houses are detached higher value homes with owner/occupiers. A survey carried out by the Community Council of Devon in summer 2011 reported a need for 9 affordable rented homes. The Association’s own survey reported some support (44%) for retirement homes within the village so that existing residents could downsize without leaving the village. / 8 / The need for affordable homes will be catered for by the provisions in the Draft Local Plan. (17 of the proposed 35 dwellings will be affordable.)
Through the LP consultation process, the Association will continue to press for the inclusion of retirement homes in the allocation of 35 dwellings.
Environment / The village has a unique environment characterised by extensive trees and “green” roads i.e. where most roads have verges rather than footways and front boundaries are formed by hedging. This is covered in more detail by the Village Design Statement which also sets out how this environment can be protected and enhanced where new development takes place.
The village has a voluntary Tree Warden who works closely with EDDC Tree Officers to protect threatened trees. / 9 / Continue to support the application of the Village Design Statement in the development control process. (Ongoing)
We have recently prepared a summary of VDS to be incorporated in the new LP
Recent discussions with the Council to extend the number of TPOs have taken place. Although EDDC have resisted, it was agreed that the Association would prepare a “Special Trees of West Hill” document..
Recreation/Leisure
Adult - indoor / First class village hall which caters for a wide range of sports and leisure activities including dance, badminton, keep fit, bowls, bridge, society meetings etc. The hall is also available for private hire.
There are excellent public swimmingpools at Honiton and Sidmouth. / 7 / None.
The Association is represented on the Village Hall Committee and will continue to offer support where required. Aim is to work more closely with the VH Committee e.g. on our website.
Adult - outdoor / None other than walking and tennis (??) in the village but excellent gym/dance studio, all-weather pitches, tennis, cricket and bowls in Ottery.
Probably as good as can be expected. / 7 / Canvas residents’ views on what facilities are desired.
Children / Various activities in the Village Hall. New play area is very successful. As for adults, most outdoor activities take place in Ottery. / ? / ?
Open spaces / There are no designated open spaces in the village. The Woodland Trust maintains a piece of woodland between Higher and Lower Broad Oak Rd which has open access and is used extensively by dog walkers. The NT has an open area just outside the NW corner of the village.
The lack of open spaces is not generally seen as a problem as there are large areas of beautiful countryside all around the village and the coast is very close. However, there was some support for a village green (39%). / 6 / Where larger developments are proposed under the LP, explore with developers options for provision of open space.
Economic Activity
Shops/services / There is an excellent village store and Post Office which includes a butcher, bakery, and off-licence. Inevitably, prices are generally higher than in larger supermarkets. This shop faces increasing competition from the new Sainsbury’s in Ottery.
A garage supplies fuel, servicing, MOTs etc. Other businesses/services include a hairdresser, dentist, estate agent, riding stables.A wider range of shops is available at Ottery (including the large Sainsbury’s), Sidmouth, and Honiton. Exeter provides a regional shopping centre. / 7 / Liaise with shop to try to ensure that it remains in business as a village store.
Banking / There are no banks in the village but there is a free cash machine in the shop and the Post Office offers a range of financial services. The main banks are present in Ottery. / 6
Employment/businesses / There is little employment other than the shops and services listed above. Limited opportunities exist at Taylor’s Foods on the outskirts of the village and at Ottery but most employees look to Exeter and other towns. / 6
Homeworking / It is believed that a significant number of people run businesses from home although no data are available. For these people, the Post Office is an important service as is Broadband which, despite recent improvements remains poor. / 4 / Press for Broadband improvements.
Religion / There is a Church of England church with an active congregation. The church’s Narthex provides a venue for both church and secular activities.
The church publishes a bi-monthly magazine which is delivered to every house in the village. Half of this is devoted to church matters, and half to general village matters. It provides a very effective means of communication with the whole village.
No other denominations have establishments within the village but there are Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Reform, Methodist and New Life Churches and a Salvation Army Citadel in Ottery.
Other religions have places of worship in Exeter. / 7 / None
The Association will continue to use the Messenger for communicating with the village.
Libraries and Museums / There is a good small library at Ottery with slightly larger ones at Honiton and Sidmouth.
Sidmouth and Honiton both have small museum and the recently refurbished RAMM at Exeter is first class.
Honiton has a good art gallery. The PTFA organise an annual selling art exhibition at the School which is of a high standard is very popular. / 7 / None
Entertainment / Occasional entertainments are held in the Village Hall and at Kings School. The British Legion has a weekly film night.
Concerts are held in Ottery church, in Sidmouth, and Honiton.
The nearest cinema and theatre are in Sidmouth.
Exeter provides a wide range of first class presentations at the Northcott and Barnfield theatres, the University Great Hall, the Arts Centre and the Cathedral. There is also a cinema. / 7
Eating/drinking / There is neither pub nor cafe/restaurant in the village. However, there is a British Legion which is open to all and operates as a pub. It is in a reasonably central location but is not well used.
There is some support for a pub/cafe/restaurant (44%) in the village but this is by no means universal. / 5 / Explore possibility of working with the Legion to provide additional facilities e.g. coffee shop in the morning
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