West Bergholt Neighbourhood Plan

(3) 13. Village Society & Community Facilities

13.1 Objectives

• To improve and extend opportunities for all age groups and the wider community to take part in a wide range of activities.
• To identify vulnerable people or groups in our society and ensure they get the support they need.
• To promote and raise awareness of opportunities to increase participation and to maintain a thriving community support network.
• To improve facilities for the community.

13.2 Background & Intent

The village is the principal location for facilities for individuals, groups, clubs and societies to meet and take part in recreational and social activities. As a result, in part due to the generous benefactor- provided bequests in the early to mid-part of the 20^th century. There have been an ample provision of meetings areas at the Orpen Memorial Hall Complex supported by those at local churches, as well as large areas of open space at the Lorkin Daniell Field, Poor's Land, Village Green and the Allotments. A large number of individuals and clubs and societies use these facilities on a regular basis.

However, in understanding the future requirements of the village and parish it has been instructive to understand pressures that are being felt and whether these assets are well placed to provide for the future particularly as the village expands. These pressures have emerged through examining various information sources and through surveys.

13.3 Evidence

13.3.1 Community Buildings

There is a large village hall complex available to hire which is managed in Trust by the Parish Council. Part of the building is licenced to West Bergholt Social Club open to all members of the community to join.

The halls and rooms are booked up weeks, if not months, in advance and for some uses such as indoor sports are not really adequate for all the purposes asked of it. There is neither a Parish Office nor Community Hub and therefore the village lacks a central point of contact and co-ordination thus relying on contact being made through email and suchlike. Elsewhere other meeting places are available to hire at the Scout Hut and Church Halls.

Feedback from surveys highlighted these limitations and there was support for expansion where this was affordable and practical.

To support further use by the community new or expanded facilities at the Orpen Memorial Hall complex will be required.

13.3.2 Community Facilities

Away from buildings there are the allotments, 3 play areas, two sports fields and a multi-use hard court area; the recreational areas are predominantly used for football and tennis. There are regular users of all these facilities which are very well established.

Overall there are currently plots for future allotment holders but little opportunity for further uses of the sports areas. This matter is picked up later in the document, however the feeling is that some consolidation is required to allow for informal use of open spaces as distinct from regular uses. Major drawback for sport includes the lack of changing facilities and toilets.

Of concern is also the rapidly diminishing space in the churchyard for burials and this is expected to become exhausted within two years.

13.3.3 Community Activities

There is a wide range of clubs, societies and interest groups and more being set up all the time. The main issue here is over-use of the hall facilities which is covered above. Although the clubs and societies cover children up to age 15 and middle and older age groups, there is a lack of activities for older teenagers and younger adults. Central to promotion of these activities is the use of information systems, electronic booking arrangements and the link up with the website and social media. As a further example of the pressure on facilities the extensive use of the hall complex by the Bluebell Pre-school group is testament to the need to enable daytime activities to be catered for as the population ages and older residents endeavour to find places to meet up.

13.4 Summary SWOT Analysis

13.5 The Plan's Approach

The Approach in the plan is threefold:

• to provide more buildings facilities;
• to investigate further activities for young adults;
• to seek to open a community centre not just for the Parish Council administration but also to allow an informal meeting area where residents and visitors can meet over coffee and where new facilities can be considered such as space for a community library etc.

As the objectives relate in part to the use and development of land and wider community aspirations both Planning Policies and Community Ambitions have been developed.

13.6 Policies and Community Ambitions