THE MAKING OF THE PARISH PLAN  -  A PUBLIC MEETING AT THE VILLAGE HALL ON 26th APRIL 2004

Bergh Apton made another step along the way to completing its Parish Plan on Monday 26th April when the results of the recent village Questionnaire were unveiled.

Derek Blake (chairman of the Parish Plan steering committee) welcomed more than fifty people to the meeting in the Village Hall.  He told them that the response to the Questionnaire was very high - more than ninety five percent of households in the village had responded - and he thanked those who had taken the time (about twenty minutes on average) to reply.

He also paid tribute to all those who had given their time to deliver the Questionnaire to every house and – more important to the result  – ensure that they were collected again after they had been completed.

Derek explained that The Plan’s next phase is the collation of all the answers engendered by the Questionnaire.  He told the meeting that the project is indebted – both for this next step and for the creation of the Questionnaire itself -  to Keith and Ann Etta Mann of  Lion House (the old “Red Lion” pub on Loddon Road) whose experience and application was a key part of the success of the project.

Derek then invited people to help further by spending the next hour or so reading display boards around the walls of the Village Hall that showed the comments and constructive proposals that had been included in people’s responses in the Questionnaire.  He invited them to add their own views – and whether they agreed or disagreed – to the proposals that had been arranged under headings that ranged from the environment to the community and included specific sections for the village hall, the parish church, housing and traffic.

In this endeavour those present were fortified by a glass of wine and nibbles provided by the project!

The Parish Plan, scheduled for publication in late August 2004, will provide a summary of the hopes and aspirations of the village that include such key issues as democracy, communication & information services, the economy, leisure, and the environment.  It is intended to provide an important briefing for those who need to take such issues into consideration when planning future development and services for this area of Norfolk.

Derek Blake