The Westbury-on-Severn Parish Plan:

Your Future in Your Hands

 

The Westbury-on-Severn Parish Plan sets out how our community wants to develop over the coming years. The Plan aims to:

 

About Westbury-on-Severn

Westbury-on-Severn is a large, rural parish, bisected by the A48 and bounded by the River Severn to the south and west. Comprising over 12 separate settlements, the parish is a lively community with a tradition of strong support for a broad range of social events and sports and leisure groups. Problems faced by the parish include the traffic and litter generated by the A48, access to services (particularly for younger and older people) and communication between different parts of the community.

How was the Plan developed?

The Plan has been developed through broad consultation, including a questionnaire sent to each of the 700 or so properties in the parish, stalls at local events and public consultation meetings. Many different views have been expressed and while, inevitably, not all of these can be reflected in the final Plan, they have all contributed to a better understanding of the needs and aspirations of our community.

Designed to make a difference

We want the Plan to make a difference - to be read, remembered and acted upon. The Plan therefore focuses on the community's highest priorities for which realistic goals and actions could be identified. The result is that we have established 9 Plan Priorities (in no particular order) for Westbury-on-Severn Parish:

 The 9 Plan Priorities

  1. Improve community services by promoting the development of a Health Centre in the parish, in conjunction with the local doctors' practice. [Currently one of the Councillors is looking into this.]
  2. Create better facilities for young people in the parish, by updating the Parish Play Area for younger children and establishing a meeting place or youth club. [This was completed in December 2007.]
  3. Enhance the quality of our local environment by tackling the problem of litter and by entering a "Best Kept Village" competition. [Northwood Green entered the competition.]
  4. Improve access to and the quality of local footpaths and bridleways, starting by publishing a map of local rights of way and places of interest. [Unfortunately no-one was willing to take this forward.]
  5. Extend access to local shopping centres to more sections of the community by arranging a dial-a-ride service. [Currently assessing if there is a need in the Parish for such a service.]
  6. Make our community safer by tackling traffic problems on both the A48 and side roads in the parish. [This is on-going with the help of the Police, Glos Highways and the A48 Meeting.]
  7. Help future development in the parish to reflect local views on what is appropriate for our area by producing a Village Design Statement.
  8. Enrich our community by extending the availability of affordable housing in the parish for local people and sheltered housing for older people. [Undertaking a Housing Needs Survey to assess the need.]
  9. Improve awareness of the many services and events already available in the parish. [Information Leaflet produced and on website.]

    10. Some of these priorities can be achieved by the parish alone; others will require the support of partners such as the District Council and the local health authority. Most of the priorities have a cost; in particular, improving facilities for young people will require significant funding. Implementation of the priorities is therefore dependent upon the necessary funding being made available from sources such as grants, the Parish Council precept or sponsorship. The Parish Council will lead implementation of the Parish Plan, but achieving these goals will be the work of many. The Plan illustrates ways in which every parishioner can help make our community an even better place to live.

     

    Photographs by Mark Terry-Lush, Renegadephoto.net

    Supported by the Countryside Agency and the Gloucestershire Rural Community Council

    October 2008

    Page updated February 2010