Community Spirit in the South West

COMMUNITY SPIRIT IN THE SOUTH WEST

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Report Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 3 COMMUNITY SPIRIT, .....................................................................................................................................

ALIVE AND WELL 4 Case study: building ..................................................................................................................................... futures in a new community 6 COMING TOGETHER .....................................................................................................................................

FOR THE GREATER GOOD 8 Case study: an active ..................................................................................................................................... community is a happy one 10 THE BUSINESS OF ......................................................................................................................................

BEING IN A COMMUNITY 12 Case study: developing ...................................................................................................................................... a business community 14 COMMUNITIES PAST, ......................................................................................................................................

PRESENT AND FUTURE 16 Case study: drawing ...................................................................................................................................... people together 17 BUILDING A COMMUNITY ......................................................................................................................................

FROM THE GROUND UP 18 Case study: creating ...................................................................................................................................... a community from scratch 20 CONCLUSION

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REPORT SUMMARY INTRODUCTION The Office for National Statistics tells us that the South West is the region most people within the UK move to – and one of the places people are least likely to leave.

Quality of life and outstanding surroundings attract people to the region, charm them, and encourage them to stay, generation after generation. Locals tend not to want to leave; even when holidaying, people in the West Country are most likely to travel within the region than go anywhere else on this vast island. We have something very special here and at the very heart of it are thriving local communities.

Home to more than 5 million people, as a region the South West has more people living in villages, hamlets and isolated areas than in any other English region. It is an incredibly diverse setting, featuring coastlines, moorland and rolling countryside, while also boasting thriving urban landscapes, modern cities, cutting-edge businesses, outstanding schools and universities, and local communities of all shapes and sizes.

The report was commissioned by the Sherford Consortium, a partnership of three awardwinning developers – Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and Taylor Wimpey – responsible for creating a major new community in the heart of Devon.

In planning for 20 years and with another 20 years until completion, Sherford is no small undertaking. It will be home to 12,000 people, four schools, numerous businesses, community facilities and

huge community parkland.

Sherford is doing what many have done before it, but on an unprecedented scale within the region; building a community from scratch.

The purpose of this report is to look at how the existing communities in the South West see themselves, the attributes they hold dear, how active they are locally, and the amenities they value. It takes a snapshot of life in the West Country and asks its residents to share their advice on creating a cohesive and happy community. The Sherford Consortium will build these learnings into the creation of its new South West community.

To get a picture of how people in the South West view life in their region and their feelings towards the communities they are part of, 1,000 adults were polled by research agency, OnePoll, and a selection of community experts interviewed to form this report.

The report you are about to read paints a positive and optimistic view of community life in the South West. While life may not always be easy for people, they draw strength from their communities, which have a strong sense of unity and cohesion, where community spirit is still present and valued.

In thinking about what the term ‘community’ means to them, the majority of people in the South West opt to define it as a friendly, inclusive place to live. They also say it’s an environment where people care for and protect each other; somewhere they know their neighbours; and a safe and positive place to raise children.

Most people are active members of their own community, joining groups, socialising, and supporting local events and good causes. They shop locally and champion independent businesses. Local amenities are treasured and people have noticed that these have disappeared in their local communities in recent years.

Many feel that community spirit is not what it was when they were young – this is a viewpoint shared by all age groups to varying degrees. For those who think it is better or just as good as it was, it’s their community’s shared values and social integration that matter most.

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COMMUNITY SPIRIT, ALIVE AND WELL How do you define ‘community spirit’? For the purpose of this report, community spirit refers to a feeling within a local area, where residents feel involved and united, care about their local area and those living in it, show a desire to be involved in activities that better their community, and promote a shared sense of identity and wellbeing.

It’s about being part of a group; one that may have little more in common than being neighbours and wanting the best for the local area.

The overwhelming feeling is that the region has a strong, positive sense of community spirit, according to the vast majority of those surveyed. Seven out of 10 people think their area of the South West boasts a good sense of community. Two thirds of people also say that living somewhere with a good sense of community is ‘important’ to them.

The majority of people see their communities as active, inclusive and supportive places – hugely positive sentiments and perceptions about where they live. And more than two thirds of people say their community is friendly. Those living in Wiltshire are the most likely to feel they have a friendly community.

Participation in activities at the heart of community life is, without a doubt, an ingredient that helps people feel included and part of something greater.

Whether it’s sporting events,

clubs, school fundraisers, charity functions, or community celebrations; most people feel there is something going on in their local area and they relish being part of it. Consequently, more people participate in these types of activities in their community than not (55% versus 45%).

The only element left wanting within West Country communities is a sense of vibrancy. Perhaps a little quiet for some residents’ liking or lacking social activities; slightly more people feel their local community is ‘boring’ as opposed to ‘vibrant’. The youngest age group surveyed (18-24 years) are the most likely to feel that their communities are ‘inactive’ and ‘boring’.

Further to this, one in six West Country residents say they don’t get involved in community activities, such as fêtes and fundraisers, because they aren’t aware of such things.

At opposite ends of the age spectrum, the youngest people surveyed (18-24 years) and the eldest (55 years upwards) are the most emphatic that their local area has a deep-seated sense of community. And by a significant margin, it’s the Cornish that feel they enjoy the strongest community spirit in the region.

consider a community to be a place that embraces all ages, cultures and minorities – they are the age group most likely to feel this way.

Those more likely to have younger children – in the 25-44 year old age bracket – are the most inclined to say a community is a safe and positive place to raise children.

A third of the region’s youngest adults (18-24 years)

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CASE STUDY:

building futures in a new community

Cranbrook is a new town being developed in East Devon, a few miles outside of Exeter. With many of the first 2,900 homes now built and residents happily settled, there are big plans for expansion, to create a bustling new town – complete with its own railway station, which opened last year.

Tania Beard Head of St Martin’s Primary School

Tania Beard is the Head of St Martin’s Primary School in Cranbrook, a primary school that opened in the heart of this new community. The research conducted amongst adults in the South West asked people what the notion of ‘community’ means to them; more than a third responded that it is a safe and positive place to raise children.

Tania understands better than anyone why families would be drawn to a new community for this very reason.

“Originally, we were Clyst Honiton School, a small 32-pupil local parish primary. We moved to this fantastic, newly built school in Cranbrook and one

boy, a new resident in the town, joined the school. Our numbers grew rapidly to 140 pupils; it was faster than anticipated but it was a town designed for young families and it proved really popular.”

In the early days of the school opening, Tania devoted up to half of her working day giving personal tours to all the families that showed interest in applying.

“Such a new school in a new area meant parents were naturally more inquisitive, perhaps a little anxious about all of the unknowns. They needed my time and reassurance.

Schools help sell homes –

parents will happily buy homes to ensure their child gets a good school place. I worked closely with the developers’ sales teams to make sure they knew about the school’s ethos and values. I gave them tours and produced material for their sales packs.

settlers, ‘pioneers’ if you will, and we felt it our duty to reach out to them. Through residents’ coffee mornings, a running club, toddler group, film nights and pop-up restaurant nights, the school became a community hub.

“The hard work paid off and our first day was spectacular.

We kicked off with a treasure hunt to explore the new school, then outside to make fires and toast marshmallows in the forest school, a coaching session with Exeter Chiefs rugby club, story-telling in the library, and cooking with a chef in the school kitchen. What was important to us then, as it remains today, was creating a sense of identity and integrating children of all ages.

“These vibrant community clubs and activities were set up by the newly appointed minister for Cornerstone Church, who worked with the school to provide for the new town.

Forging a close link with the school, the Reverend Mark Gilborson also managed to draw those without children into social groups. They would not have had access to shared activities otherwise, and that’s so important in a community.

“In the early days, the school was the only real piece of infrastructure in the area. For many months there was no bus service, so those – often in social housing – that moved to the area quite quickly, often with no transport, were like early

“We’ve also worked with families that have needed help and they have since started contributing to the school. Ultimately, it’s a growing sense of community, which is built over time and through the hard work of all involved.”

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The school became a community hub.

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COMING TOGETHER FOR THE GREATER GOOD While local infrastructure and facilities are vital, there are intangible elements crucial to feeling part of a community and wanting it to thrive, such as empathy, connection and responsibility. A third of those surveyed support local charities and/or give their time to voluntary causes in the area. A further quarter say they either organise or actively go out and support community run events; the type aimed at uniting local people. One in 12 run or contribute to campaigns that seek to improve their local community.

The research found that people in Cornwall are the most giving within their communities. They are the most likely to support local charities and volunteer (42%), likewise they are the most likely to support campaigns aimed at bettering their local community. Out of the whole region, the Cornish top the list for having held fundraising or charity events within the last year. Standing at 43% of people in Cornwall having supported such events, it is significantly higher than its more urban counterpart Bristol, where the figure stands at 25%.

It’s the over-55s that tend to be the most kind-hearted; twice as likely to support local charities and volunteer than the youngest adults within their communities, and the most likely to back campaigns to improve the local area.

Being drawn towards other people and sharing common

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interests is clearly a component of feeling part of a community.

A fifth of people are regular attendees or members of local groups, clubs or societies.

An additional 18% say that members of their families – spouse or children specifically – are part of community clubs.

And while both genders are both fairly evenly split on the array of activities they pursue, the research shows that the region’s men are almost three times as likely to be part of a local sporting group or team.

It’s evident that, for the most part, people in the region want to integrate themselves and their families with what their community offers. Within the last year, local communities across the breadth of the South West have held an array of events or activities that have helped bring local people together in one way or another.

In the last year, has your community done any of the following?

35%

have held a street party, fair, carnival or similar.

25%

have run a sporting club or event.

30%

have celebrated public events or marked festivities.

31%

have held parent and baby groups.

20%

have held youth groups.

24%

have held events or run support services for OAPs locally.

32%

have held charity and fundraising campaigns.

17%

have created a social group – in person or via social media.

12% 9%

have united to ‘police’ the local area to help it feel safer. have come together to respond to a local emergency.

CASE STUDY: an active

community is a happy one

Poundbury residents in the allotments

Professor David Leaper and his wife, Fran, moved to Poundbury in Dorset in 2004. Poundbury is an urban extension of Dorchester, still under construction, and when completed in 2025 it is planned to grow to 2,200 homes, increasing Dorchester’s population by about one quarter.

“We moved to Poundbury quite by chance, simply because it seemed like an exciting new place to settle”, says David. “At the time, there was less than a third of the urban extension built and within months of arriving we became involved in the Poundbury Residents Association.

“It was important for us to feel involved. Poundbury is a wonderful mix of people, from young families to retirees. We have 35% affordable housing, which helps contribute to the diverse community and strong sense of community spirit.”

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The Poundbury Residents Association (PRA) was formed to apolitically represent the interests of Poundbury residents, both owners and tenants, and the community generally. It is run by an elected committee and David was elected to the Chair.

“We wanted to make people feel welcome from the minute they arrived and feel part of something – somewhere – special. The PRA holds coffee mornings for new residents and supports, as individuals and sometimes financially, an array of clubs and events, many of which have independently sprung

up from within the community.

These include walking clubs, wine tasting evenings, gardening groups, plus events such as Burn’s Night, New Year’s Eve and an annual square dance.

“We find people make the effort to get out and about, which is so important for an integrated, happy community.

The Brownsword Hall Events Committee has been instrumental in many of these events but most depend on the enthusiasm of outstanding individuals’ efforts.

“What was also important to us was not feeling isolated from the wider Dorchester community.

Events such as the annual food fair help to integrate people from neighbouring villages.

And we have great shops and facilities that have become a ‘destination’ for those in the wider community.”

David concludes, “I believe a lot of people come to Poundbury for the community spirit. There is so much for them to do, if they are keen to be involved in the community. Our garden plots, quiz nights, wine events

and other social activities are always oversubscribed and have a waiting list – there is a good appetite for community activities. For those who come to Poundbury for a quiet life, it caters for them as well. A community has to work for everyone in it and for those outside of it too.”

Historically, the PRA produced and distributed a local newsletter, as a way of keeping people informed and included in local news and event announcements. The newsletter has become incorporated into the 32-page glossy Poundbury Magazine, which generates money through advertising. All profits are put back into the community and distributed to local events such as Christmas parties, and to ‘Cheeky Monkeys’, a baby and toddler group, and the annual square dance. The magazine has now become part of a charity in its own right, the Poundbury Community Trust, which is governed by the Charities Commission.

“

We wanted to make people feel welcome from the minute they arrived and feel part of something – somewhere – special.

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THE BUSINESS OF BEING IN A COMMUNITY The ‘shop local’ movement has become incredibly popular, as people seek to retain their local high street or villages stores, and hanker after traditional, thriving local communities. Businesses and community facilities play a vital role in this, and in providing services and social settings for residents. Two thirds of people in the South West say they ‘shop local’, and a further 46% make the effort to support local and independent businesses.

It has been long debated – and proven – that a lack of social infrastructure and amenities impact on the wellbeing of those in a community. The research in the South West proves that, where available, people are making use of their local amenities; be those libraries, leisure centres, village halls or pubs, with 46% of people

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classing themselves as ‘regular’ users.

When ranking the types of amenities that are important to a community to help it function, shops and schools top the list.

This is quickly followed by a Post Office, doctor’s surgery, parks and green space. With people choosing these options in

droves, it’s clear that they form more than just a ‘nice to have’, but rather an essential at a local level.

All age groups are united in their view that shops are imperative to enabling a thriving community.

The over-55s place the highest value upon education, as they are the group most likely to consider schools an essential amenity. The youngest South West adults (18-24 years) place the most importance on having access to sports and leisure facilities.

Thriving urban city, Bristol, perhaps unsurprisingly felt shops are the most crucial of the amenities needed on your doorstep, while those in Wiltshire are the most inclined to see green space as vital within their communities. This high value placed upon outdoor space may be because those in Wiltshire are the most likely to have lost local green spaces within the last couple of years.

The absence of these major amenities is keenly felt. Almost a quarter of people have noticed a loss of shops in their local area within the last two years. A further 15% have seen their local Post Office go, while 13% have witnessed the closure of places to eat and drink. One in 14 has bid farewell to a library, and the same proportion has seen green space vanish. These losses evidently matter to those living nearby, who rate the provision of such amenities as so crucial to community life.

When asked to consider their local communities now compared to the ones they grew up in, those who felt the sense of community spirit had improved or stayed much the same, pointed at local amenities as a key reason for this. One in four of this group believe that both the quality and the quantity of local amenities and facilities have improved over the years.

“

Shops and schools were seen as the most important amenities, followed by a Post Office and a doctor’s surgery.

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CASE STUDY: developing a

business community

Tim Jones is Chairman of Devon & Cornwall Business Council and a board member of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership. He is also involved in a number of other leading business organisations in the region, as well as sitting on the Sherford Project Board.

Given his extensive credentials, he is naturally keen to ensure a thriving business community is cultivated in Sherford.

“It is crucial that people have a variety of amenities and businesses on their doorstep.

This offers them not only a broad choice for leisure and retail, but it also provides local employment opportunities too.

“Part of the foundation for Sherford is to create a unique package where you can live and work in the same place, should you so wish. With safe routes for walking and cycling, it will be specifically designed to encourage healthy lifestyles and there’s no reason why this can’t transpose to having a healthy business environment too.

Healthy, active workforces are proven to be more productive, motivated and there is less absenteeism. For businesses looking to Sherford as a base, this is surely as an attractive prospect.

“In the South West, we often suffer from the ‘brain drain’ of young, talented individuals moving away from the area, only to return at around 35-40 years old for the quality of life. There is often more of a focus on quality of life than quality of businesses.

Retaining young adults is essential, as is enabling them to develop quality businesses. New and dynamic communities, such as Sherford, have the potential to offer an exciting solution. It will offer the best of rural life, with contemporary living and modern connectivity to the business community.”

With the research showing that people in the South West want to support local businesses and notice the loss of the vital services they offer if they disappear from communities, there is a clear mutual benefit for community based businesses.

The right businesses can profit from a supportive community, while helping to drive that community forward.

Tim summarises, “We have a unique offering in the South West. Local sourcing and engagement is always high, and staff churn rates are always low.

Combined with it being such a compelling area to live in, this could be an attractive prospect for the workforce - both local and talented people looking to relocate.”

Tim Jones Devon & Cornwall Business Council

Which amenities do you consider it vital for your local community to have?

84% shops

79% schools

76% Post Office

76% doctor’s surgery

75% parks

59% library

52% sports and leisure facilities

51% community hall

50% nursery/ pre-school

49% dentist

64% places to eat and drink

40% places of worship

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COMMUNITIES PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE While more than a quarter (28%) of people in the region feel that community spirit is much the same now as it was when they were a child, there is a rose tinted view of the past, with more than a third (35%) saying our sense of community spirit has grown weaker over time. Opinion is certainly divided, as one in 10 say we have ‘lost’ our sense of community spirit in the region entirely, while conversely a similar amount of people feel it is ‘stronger’.

Of those who say that community spirit has improved or stayed much the same since their youth, the top three reasons they give for this are: that their communities still share the same values (45%); local people still know each other and socialise (34%); and the community feels safe and secure (33%). Those in Devon are most likely to feel their communities share the same values now as they always have.

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The success ultimately lies with the people running it. Their passion and dedication makes all the difference.

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Respondents were asked for their thoughts on what they believed had improved; one South West resident commented, “Locals rally around when strangers or locals need help.” Another felt that “social media has helped people unite.”

On the other hand, of those who feel that community spirit has weakened or been lost in the South West, the top three overriding reasons they feel this way are: that society feels more divided (58%); local people no longer know each other and socialise (58%); and communities

no longer share the same values (49%).

The research found that the younger you are, the more you feel your community spirit has strengthened – this sentiment declines with age. The older the respondent, the more inclined they are to feel community spirit has been lost over the years.

When it comes to gender; men are slightly more inclined to say community spirit has been lost over the years, while women are somewhat more likely to say it has got stronger.

Subjective as this topic is, it seems to point to a fondly remembered feeling of community in peoples’ childhoods; something they want for their current communities. There is also a promising message in the fact that our youngest adults surveyed – those aged between 18-24 years old – are the ones with the highest hopes for communities in the South West in the future.

CASE STUDY: drawing

people together “The sense of community can be different today”, reflects Karen Byrne, who represents the Community Development Trust (CDT) for Leybourne Chase in Kent. “Communities are now being created online and in the workplace, it’s not just about where we live – this is inevitable in todays world. With the right kind of support, there can be more than one way of creating and maintaining a sense of community.

“It is now about the movement between physical and online communities – social media can be just as likely to get people involved in an event as a poster may have been in the past. But make no mistake, the design of a community is really important, you have to anticipate what people want both now and in the future – meaning it’s always a work in progress.”

Leybourne Chase is being developed on the grounds of a former manor house. A semirural setting, this will eventually be home to around 800 properties and a village centre with community and sporting facilities. Karen says, “Physical spaces are really important, they help to bring businesses and organisations, as well as people, into the area. Open spaces, such as parks and sports pitches are also vital. You constantly have to work on bringing them all together, because it’s the people and the facilities which create a

vibrant community.

“When developing a community from scratch, you need to first ensure that the building blocks are in place, the shared facilities such as the schools, community and sports facilities as well as other infrastructure - the roads, pathways and designated open space. However, the success ultimately lies with the people - residents, users of sports and community facilities as well as other interested parties.

Their passion and dedication can make all the difference, and ultimately, at Leybourne Chase as well as in many other developments across the country, it is a CDT which supports delivery of this vision.

“For a community like that within Leybourne Chase to be effective, it needs careful managing, especially in the early years when facilities might not be fully available and the builders are still a constant presence.

Eventually, the CDT needs to be self-sustaining, with strong communication to and from residents and others, as well as having an effective mechanism in place to ensure views from everyone involved form a part of the on-going decision making process. Our intention is that this approach will aid both the continuation and growth of community participation and community spirit well into the future.”

Elements to be included in a new community, as suggested by the South West public:

Parent and baby group Fundraising initiatives Green spaces Renewable energy

Local market

Picnics

Communal gardens

Festivals

Music groups Fairs Community hall Sports clubs

Coffee mornings Youth group Family friendly pub Community fund Library

Allotments

Women’s Institute

Street parties

Disability-friendly activities

Place of worship Play areas Social groups

Barbecues

Neighbourhood watch

Dog walking Children’s clubs Residents’ group

BUILDING A COMMUNITY FROM THE GROUND UP Creating a community from the ground up offers all those involved in the planning, design and development a blank canvas to bring together all the very best elements and amenities a modern community could have. As the report has demonstrated so far, community is not solely about the amenities on your doorstep, but also about the people that live there. It is also a combination of the two; the coming together of people in communal places, finding common ground and working together for the good of the area they live in.

A community cannot function in isolation if it is to succeed, it has to integrate with the wider area – otherwise it won’t succeed in being seen as ‘friendly’ and ‘inclusive’, and all the other positive attributes people value so much. The research asked people for their suggestions on what the team at Sherford could do to help encourage a strong, positive spirit to grow in the new community. They had an array

of ideas. There were hundreds of suggestions, which were wide ranging. The most common suggestions, when grouped together were: community halls, social groups, street parties and shared outdoor space. When it comes to creating community spirit, what is abundantly clear, is that people in the South West value activities and places that bring them together and help them to unite.

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CASE STUDY: creating a

community from scratch Poundbury sits on the fringe of the Dorset county town of Dorchester, built on Duchy of Cornwall land according to architectural principles advocated by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. In 1988, architect and urban planner, Leon Krier, was appointed to create a new town within the context of traditional Dorset architecture, using the urban design principles held dear to HRH the Prince of Wales. Now home to 2,500 people living in different types of housing, including affordable housing, Poundbury provides employment for some 2,000 people working in 170 businesses.

Elements of the design and the principles behind the creation of Poundbury have acted as a blueprint for Sherford. Poundbury has paved the way for creating a community ‘from scratch’ and, as such, has some important views on how to help a new community thrive, as well as lessons learnt.

Simon Conibear The Estate Director, Dorchester

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Simon Conibear, the Estate Director, Dorchester, oversees life at Poundbury on behalf of the Duchy of Cornwall.

He comments, “It’s partly physical design that helps draw a community together.

Poundbury is an active, working community with venues – from cafes and hairdressers, to doctor’s surgeries and restaurants – that enable people to socialise. This is part of the oil that creates a functioning community, and it is an important one.

“These formal structures, the physical buildings, are

important. So too is the layout of the town. Cul-desacs off a ring road were never an option, as nobody would ever have known each other. However, by planning how you want the public to engage, you can lay a subtle infrastructure that ‘causes’ community to happen. Of course, any community does take a while to develop and find its own feet, but residents’ associations, community management companies, social activities and an abundance of local facilities all help. This is certainly the case at Poundbury.

“Communal spaces and sustainability are important features for us – and are part of the ethos behind Poundbury. We have created a really successful gardening club. Different to traditional allotments, we have a large Victorian Kitchen Garden, sheltered behind a cob wall, where plots are about tennis

table size. Full of raised beds, benches, and teeming with activity, it is a real little Garden of Eden. This in a nice example of a community space, that requires little investment beyond time and hard work, to produce so much and unify so many people.

In considering what lessons have been gained from the development of Poundbury over the years, in terms of bringing the community together, Simon reflects, “If

we started again, it would have been good to have encouraged more youth involvement. Our Residents’ Association really emerged naturally and has been a dynamic force in bringing people together, but by nature it is something that younger adults tend not to lead. We are lucky to have a lot to offer people of all ages in Poundbury, but the ideal should always be to have all ages and backgrounds actively involved in community groups.”

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The ideal should always be to have all ages and backgrounds actively involved in community groups

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CONCLUSION Clare Brimble on behalf of the Sherford Consortium.

The team at Sherford is listening. We have already committed to putting the vast majority of the suggestions into place; from a community centre and sports hall, to communal green spaces and allotments. These have been on the plans since the project’s inception decades ago and we inch ever closer to them being built.

The Town Code was constructed during the early stages of planning, a process that started more than 20 years ago. It is the blueprint for the vision of Sherford, which we – the developers, in conjunction with Local Authorities – are responsible for bringing to life. Within the Town Code are many references to how Sherford should take shape to become a thriving community, including: • Neighbourhoods where most people live within a 5-minute walk of the centre, where daily needs will be provided. The minor street network should be designed to allow safe and efficient access to amenities • A mix of uses, including retail and employment must be located at the heart of the neighbourhood centres.

These may vary, from a simple pub or corner shop fronting a square or crossroads, to the local High Street where commerce and offices will be located.

• A range of house types must be provided which

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will be suitable for different incomes and ages.

• A series of civic buildings and community facilities must be located within walking distance of the majority of residents. These include community buildings such as a town hall, a church/worship facility, one secondary and three primary schools, a Health Centre, a Youth Centre and a Sports Centre.

• A network of interconnected streets, greenways and public spaces should be organised as a deformed grid which will provide several routes to every destination, will offer the possibility of pedestrian and cycle access to main services and daily facilities and will minimise the need for car travel within the town.

• A community park on the southern and eastern edges of Sherford will be provided to offer high quality open spaces with recreational and ecological value and the potential for an organic farm.

• Sherford will not only be a place to live but also a place

to work, shop, be entertained and be active. To do this, it will have a full range of daily activities: offices, shops, pubs, a hotel, entertainment, a library, schools, a health centre and a surgery. It will also have the appropriate distribution of uses within each neighbourhood, all within easy walking distance.

• Community gardens will provide areas for informal seating, informal children’s play, planting to attract wildlife, including wet land areas, herbs, fruit trees and fruiting shrubs.

• The allotment/community garden site will be suitable for disabled access. 10% of plots must be designed for disabled access. This will include smaller raised beds for wheelchair users.

Also in the pipeline is the formation of a Community Trust. This will become the foundation for uniting and representing the local residents’ interests. All of the suggestions made as part of this research will be given to the Community Trust and, with our support, efforts will be made to implement as many of the suggestions as possible. Hopefully you can see that many of the ideas and suggestions raised within this Community Spirit report mirror the pledges made within Sherford’s Town Code.

Empowering the community of Sherford is important to us. You may have visited the website (www.sherford. org), which is currently run by the Sherford Consortium to provide news and updates to the local community. In time, this will be handed over to the residents of Sherford to be used as a community portal for town news, events, and information on the neighbourhood facilities.

For the community, run by the community is an ethos that stretches beyond just the website. So many of the amenities, from the communal gardens and allotments, to the community hall and social activities will be brought to life by those within the new community.

We can provide the physical spaces and facilities, but it will be people and enthusiasm that builds it into something bigger.

Ultimately, we want the South Hams’ newest town to have its own special identity, but we also want it to feel part of the vibrant wider community. Whether you will live in Sherford, work there, send children to Sherford schools, or just visit to use the sports facilities, or enjoy a country walk; we hope that in the coming years Sherford provides what you need and proves to be a welcoming community.

sherford.org

www.

Sherford Press Enquiries: formedia@sherford.org | 01752 764222