PREFACE

From Alistair Burt, MP for North East Bedfordshire

The opportunity presented by the Vital Village Initiative is a most encouraging one.

Throughout the country politicians, local and national, are searching for ways in which to involve their constituents in making decisions about the communities in which they live. They rightly sense that an increasingly articulate and thoughtful public want more say in some of the most vital decisions which will profoundly affect both where they live, and their quality of life whilst they are there.

That opportunity has been firmly grasped by my constituents in Harrold, who I warmly congratulate for their effort. The degree of involvement of the community as a whole, individuals, representatives and organisations, has been excellent, and their desire to participate has been noteworthy. Though it is never humanly possible to achieve unanimity, the outcome is a document which reflects a consensus of opinion in so far as it is possible to achieve it.

Harrold now awaits expectantly, as I do, for the next stage. To what extent can these hopes and wishes be translated into action by the various authorities, local and national, which have legal responsibility for them? How should we resolve whatever conflicts may arise with those whose responsibilities are more widely drawn?

If we can achieve an understanding and balanced relationship between the various parties involved then this Initiative will be most valuable, and instructive way beyond the Bedfordshire boundary. It could not have been given a more determined start by any community, and I look forward to following its progress keenly.

Alistair Burt MP

The Parish Council is particularly pleased that the report has taken account of the views of a large number of parishioners.  Those who take forward the recommendations need to recognise this wide democratic basis that underpins the whole report.  We also hope that the drive and enthusiasm associated with this initiative can be maintained and indeed built upon in transforming some of the ideas into practice.  Support from the village, its organisations and wider public bodies such as the Borough and County Councils are essential

The Parish Council recognises that the varied and ambitious recommendations in the report represent the collected views of parishioners.  We also recognise that some of the ideas may not turn out to be practicable, or may by frustrated by matters that we are currently unable to foresee.  Whilst we therefore cannot guarantee to take forward every aspect of the recommendations we nonetheless believe the report to be of the highest relevance, truly a Vital Village Initiative.

It is clear that the main concern to parishioners was the increased development in the village and the traffic problems that will be intensified by this.  The Parish Council also feel that this is a priority area, and one which cannot be solved without the full co-operation of others, in particular Bedford Borough Council and Bedfordshire County Council.  In commending this document to these bodies the Parish Council invites them to respond positively and take this opportunity to view the problems of Harrold in a holistic way.  The Village Plan provides us all with an opportunity to improve Harrold, and we ask parishioners to play their full active part in implementing it, either individually or through their village organisation, otherwise the aspirations contained in this document will not be fully realised.

HARROLD PARISH COUNCIL

Acknowledgements:

A special thanks to a number of local businesses that have supported our efforts to create our Village Plan.

AdDesign

Fairfield Systems

Harrold Butchers

Invisible Networks

Lucas & Co

Paul Young Associates

PMTC International Limited

Practical Design Solutions Limited

Redrow Homes

SeaHorse Solutions Limited

Taylor Woodrow

The Finer Detail

The Harrold Village Plan has been produced largely by the Community of Harrold together with considerable support from the Parish Council, support and guidance from the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity and funding from the Countryside Agency.

The Government’s White Paper of November 2000 entitled ‘Our Countryside The Future’ launched the concept of Parish & Town Plans. In July 2001 Margaret Beckett, the then Secretary of State for the Environment, officially announced this new initiative aimed at helping rural communities tackle some of the problems and challenges they faced and to ensure that people living in England’s villages are able to access essential services, leisure opportunities and community facilities. The initiative, was called ‘Vital Villages’, the event was marked with the award of its first grant for a Parish Plan to Dymock Parish Council in Gloucestershire.  Ewen Cameron of the Countryside Agency stated:

"Smaller communities in rural areas are a vital part of the fabric of our countryside - indeed one in ten people in England lives in a village. The work of our Vital Villages programme will focus on helping communities to solve a variety of the challenges villages face in the 21st century. We will help communities to take stock of their position and the problems they face and create an action plan to address their own needs. We will also provide advice and funding for villages who wish to improve local transport and essential services."

The aim of the Vital Village Initiative (VVI) programme is to help small rural communities to assess themselves, identify what they need to revitalise, regenerate - to ensure local people have a voice in their future and to provide support to enable communities to make their own decisions and implement some of the improvements locally. The Government's intention is to encourage 'bottom up' approaches to local issues and decision making. It is hoped that issues identified in this plan will be accepted at a higher level.

Parish Councils face an ever increasing burden of local issues and the Countryside Agency has acknowledged this and therefore agreed that a 'steering committee' in the Parish can be set up to implement the Vital Village Initiative, reporting back to the Parish Council at regular intervals.

Support is available from the Countryside Agency through grants which enable a community to action identified local priorities. The grants include:

Parish Plan: Countryside Agency funding provided to produce an Action Plan based on the local social, economic and environmental issues of the village/area. The process involves the entire community and takes a very democratic and holistic view of the village. It includes all issues relevant to the people who live and work in the community from employment needs, for example: children’s playgrounds. The Community decides what is important and the community sets the agenda.

The Rural Communities Council (RCC) – The RCC has the service contract with the Countryside Agency to help communities draw up their Parish Plans.

Community Service Grant: Supports projects that improve or introduce new services, such as a new mobile bank service to visit the village, or establishing a childcare scheme and providing help for a village shop.

Parish Transport Grant: This grant can support small-scale transport projects like Taxi-Buses and car share schemes.

Rural Transport Partnerships: Supports and plans larger transport projects such as minibus brokerage schemes, and can join up public, private and community transport services to benefit local people.

The Harrold Vital Village Initiative was set-up in April 2002 with the aim of producing a Parish Plan to present to the Parish Council and the Borough Council by July 2003.

This Plan for the village of Harrold has been produced in accordance with the principles of the County Structure Plan. It largely mirrors the aims and objectives for development laid out in the Bedford Borough Council’s Community Plan 2001-2004. The Council’s Aim for Bedford, the urban area of Kempston and all 43 rural parishes, of which Harrold is one, states: ‘Working in partnership with our diverse community and through effective community leadership, we will strive to promote the social, economic and environmental well being of the Borough, its residents and its businesses. In short, we will strive to deliver sustainable communities and an improved quality of life for all through a process of continuous improvement’.

The main purpose of the Harrold Village Plan is to guide environmental improvements and to provide a detailed basis for development control including the allocation of sites for specific purposes over the next ten years or so. The Village Plan applies the policies and general proposals of the County Structure Plan to the Parish of Harrold and also serves to bring local detailed planning issues before the public and particularly the community of Harrold.

The area covered by the Plan is the Parish of Harrold.

The Village Plan has been finalised by taking into account the tremendous support from the inhabitants of Harrold, comment from neighbouring villages and guidance from the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity. Several open Public Meetings have been held, questionnaires have been completed, people have participated with adding their ideas to a detailed model of the village and there has been much discussion and argument through action groups. All this participation resulted in a cohesive action plan for Harrold being produced.

The Harrold Village Plan consists of this written statement that describes and justifies the policies and proposals in the form of Action Plans for the village.

2. Description and History of Harrold - the Parish and Village

The parish of Harrold, situated in an Area of Great Landscape Value, occupies a roughly square area between the river Great Ouse and the ridge of high ground separating the Ouse & Nene valleys. The village lies on the north bank of the river, on a shelf of gravel above the flood plain. To the north and west the land rises to a limestone plateau covered with boulder clay. The village has a population of approximately 1,200 people, and is situated to the west of the road from Carlton to Odell. Its basic form is linear, roughly parallel to the river, reflecting its meandering course. The exceptions to the main east-west axis of the High Street are the northerly extensions along Brook Lane and Orchard Lane, and the development in Odell Road. Excavations reveal a greater emphasis on a north-south axis with the continuation of Dove Lane in Saxon times and further north-south boundaries with the ‘old town’ bounded by the ditch and brook in Backway. The remainder of the Parish consists largely of agricultural land.

On approaching the village one gains the impression of a small, pleasant settlement overlooked by the spire of St Peter’s church. The general appearance is of a pleasant red brick and stone built village, with a core of limestone buildings roofed with clay tiles forming the basis of the character of Harrold. This is especially so in the High Street, Brook Lane and in the vicinity of The Green. Some of the stone buildings have thatch or slate roofs. This special character in the centre of the village has been recognised by the designation of a conservation area. Several of the dwellings are Grade II listed buildings

Several other distinctive areas can be identified. Interwar housing is mainly concentrated along the western end of High Street and a large area of more modern development has taken place at the eastern end of the village – Meadway, Peach’s Close and the Odell Road. Other modern development has taken place along Mowhills on the former Pettit’s Factory site and more recently (2002), development of the former Eagle Works site. Due to the form and development of the village, access to the river is restricted. Harrold is very much a place of contrasts, of individual areas rather than overall unity. One walks through a sequence of different experiences. For example the tight knit scene around Dove Lane junction, through broad Church Walk to the open views around the river – the soft enclosed space of the village green in contrast to the hard space around the High Street/Brook Lane junction and the distinctive jumble of buildings and stream crossings in Brook Lane.

In addition to the buildings of stone and brick, there are three other important features that form part of Harrold’s character. Firstly, boundary walls are important as a link between the various buildings. Stone walls are especially important in High Street, around The Green and along the south side of the walls in Brook Lane. Secondly, the grass and lime trees of The Green highlight the character of the buildings and The Mansion grounds provide a further contrast within the village. Many other individual trees or groups of trees around the village soften the outlines of buildings and provide pleasant background features. Thirdly, there is the feature of water in the village. In addition to the river, which is obviously vital to the village character especially at the Bridge and the Mill, there is the Country Park with its two lakes and also Tusting’s Lake. There are streams running alongside Church Walk, Brook Lane and the footpath between the Harrold Centre and Dove Lane (Backway). Many of the important tree groups are associated with these streams.

Even in a village of such pleasant character and appearance as Harrold, it is inevitable that there are problem areas – places where views of industrial premises, derelict buildings or untidy plots detract from the generally high quality of the area; or where the number of overhead lines, poles and road signage spoil the street scene. It is hoped that the Village Plan will provide an impetus to the solution of these problems.

History of the Parish

The parish was not defined until a century or so before the Norman Conquest, but people have lived intermittently in the area of Harrold from Mesolithic and Neolithic times. The earliest substantial settlement evidence known so far is a group of Bronze Age burial barrows north of the present village presumably associated with a living site. They are known only from discolourations in growing crops, because the sites have long since been ploughed flat. By this time, in the early 2nd or late 1st millennium BC, clearance of primeval woodland and forest had already begun.

Early settlement seems to have moved from place to place. An Iron Age farmstead was established on the site of the Bronze Age barrows. Another, east of the present village, which continued in existence until the 4th century AD, probably succeeded it: this was recently excavated in advance of gravel extraction. A general drop in the level of population at the end of the Roman period may account for a more mobile Saxon settlement pattern. Several sites are known, including one with a cemetery containing 13 skeletons.

Excavations in 1990 and again in 2003 reveal a settlement extending back from the existing High Street, a Romano-British settlement which declined at the end of the 1st century also later Saxon settlements and field patterns. The 2003 excavations show field boundaries and ditches and a ‘lost’ river. The Romano-British farm at some time had activity involving a kiln. This structure uncovered on the former Bridgman site dig is unusual and its function not clear, possibly it was for corn drying. It is of considerable archaeological importance. A bone horse bit and toggle found on the same site indicate some degree of status in the settlement. The site appears to have been abandoned at the end of the 1st century and resettled in the 6th or 7th century, possibly as the incoming settlers had ploughs able to cope with the heavy clay.

Parish boundaries and the permanent village site were probably established in the period from the 8th/9th centuries up to the Norman Conquest. Several open fields are named in the earliest surviving documents that date from the 13th Century.

Possibly, as a result of plague and agricultural depression in the late 14th century and 15th centuries, parts of the open field system were converted from arable to pasture or enclosed into smaller fields. A number of new farms were founded away from the main village, such as Harrold Park Farm (17th century) and Dungey Farm (1690’s). Parliamentary enclosure of the remaining open fields in 1799 continued this process. In the mid 19th century, much more of the surviving ancient woodland was removed. In the last half century, more pasture has been converted to arable and hedges uprooted.

History of the Village

The name Harrold has several possible origins, and almost certainly refers to the area generally or to settlements predating the present one. ‘Har’ can mean ‘grey’, ‘stone’ or ‘boundary’, perhaps that of the County or the Danelaw? ‘Weald’ means high ground, perhaps where the grey (or lime) stone was available? A recent paper for the Scandinavian Society claims the name to have a Danish root; certainly it is near enough to the boundary of Dane law to be credible.

The river crossing for the road from Hinwick and Odell to Carlton and Chellington probably explains the location of the present village. The first mention of an actual bridge is in 1274, and much of the surviving stonework dates from the 14th century.

The origins and development of the village are obscure, and what can be seen today may represent several stages. St Peter’s Church lies between the main road and the river, north of the site of Harrold Hall, which was built from 1608-10 and demolished in the early 1960’s. The Hall was on the site of the Augustinian nunnery that existed from 1136-38 to 1539. In the 17th Century, the Mansion and its formal grounds were grafted onto the west side of the village. There is also some 18th and 19th Century ribbon development at each end of the High Street.

Harrold in post medieval times was one of the larger Bedfordshire villages, though it never really qualified for the status of even a small town. It gained a market by charter in the early 17th Century, but this was already being described as inconsiderable a century later. In common with many other villages, it declined in the 19th Century, a process reversed in the 20th century with in-filling, some industrialisation and new housing estates.

Between the first and second world wars the cottage industries in Harrold declined and were replaced by larger leather producing factories, due to the proximity to the local shoemaking industry and the abundance of a suitable water supply from the River Great Ouse. This industry was added to in latter years by a joinery business. The demise of this industrial base from around 1975 onwards has led to these sites being subject to residential development without the supporting changes to village infrastructure.

Thanks to David Baker, Harrold Plan 1981 and to Albion Archaeology 2003

3 Community Involvement - Harrold Residents' View of How Their Village Should Develop

Our Village

Harrold is a vibrant village enjoying 42 businesses and many social organisations. Despite having lost much of its industry and therefore becoming more dependent on employment in Bedford and further a field, community life is buoyant.

There are plenty of active organisations for young children, teenagers and adults to become involved with and most of these organisations are run voluntarily.

Scouts, football and cricket teams, Badminton and snooker are some of the activities on offer as well as the Bowls club which has it’s own club house on the former Eagle Works site. The lower school runs art classes at the school in the summer holidays as well as a holiday club, and the Pre-School have a least one outing per term for the children and parents.

Ad-Hoc the popular amateur dramatic society keeps much of the village entertained throughout the year with home-grown productions as well offerings from more famous playwrights.

An annual ball is held on the Cricket Club grounds raising money for a different village cause each year.

The Institute building (donated to the village many years ago) and now known as the Centre, opens its’ doors to the WI, the allotment society show, Parish Council meetings and much more. It also has the tennis club and courts attached and a re-furbished children’s playground.

Local businesses range from a discotheque to web design companies, software companies to financial advisors. Many of the businesses are located in people’s homes, but there are several offices within the village and more are planned for the former Bridgman Joinery site.

Meals on wheels and a visiting library, a local butcher selling English meat, fish and vegetables as well as 3 lively pubs all uniquely different, make sure that Harrold residents are fed, watered and educated.

The local Post Office/Co-op has videos to rent, plus all the national papers and magazines, and the Post Office has taken up the challenge of becoming the local bank! Our cars are serviced and repaired at the local garage and the ladies of the village find out the latest news at the hairdressers.

Much of the village is under conservation, with many Grade II listed buildings and these often reflect the past history of the village, such as the Old Court House, the Old Smithy, the Mill House and the Old Snobbery.

The elderly are not forgotten with a lunch club and outreach group and recently have formed an action group to arrange many interests, such as computer training for 65+ and reading to the younger school children at the lower school.

There is a general awareness of the needs of the disabled and disadvantaged who attend the ‘Corner Club’. Two of the churches have full disabled facilities, likewise the Country Park. Work has been continuing on pavements and kerbing to ease access to clubs and shops.

Harrold is also twinned with Ste Pazanne in France, and exchange trips are organised on a regular basis.

The annual Pit Run sponsored by Michael Bliss, the local electrical shop, starts at the village green and is run around the Harrold Country Park. This annual event attracts many of the villagers as well as visitors and the village green is full of stalls representing many of the organisations within Harrold such as the florists, Romania Aid, Twinning Association, cake stalls as well as the more traditional stalls –shove-halfpenny and guess the weight of…

There is a thriving Pre-school based at the Harrold Centre and a Toddler group based at the United Reformed Church.

Both the schools receive excellent reviews annually and are in the catchment area of Sharnbrook. The village has 4 churches that play an active role with the Churches Together scheme and the bell ringers of St. Peters can be heard practising on Friday evenings. The United Reformed Church is also used as a meeting hall and is used by the local ballet class as well the VVI, Ad-Hoc and the welcome mornings for new residents.

There are two websites, one is devoted to Harrold its history and what the village has to offer and the other site is linked to the building sites with updates on the construction, the VVI minutes and related matters. Local news is posted on this site as well as the results of the best Christmas lights competition and photos of the annual Carols on the Green at the Butter Market adjacent to the former village jail.

Harrold also has the magnificent Country Park, formerly the gravel pits and the Parish Council and VVI are working closely with the Country Park in helping to maintain and preserve this wonderful asset.

Scene from the past

As the local leather industry went into decline, Harrold became seriously affected. The decline triggered a series of leather factory closures; the land was developed for residential housing. In 1999 the largest industrial concern, Bridgmans, a manufacturer of wooden products and fire doors, closed down. This was the end of relatively labour intensive industry in Harrold.

Several small industrial establishments provided work for a number of the villagers thus revenue was generated within the community. Employees and visitors to the local businesses purchased goods and services from the local suppliers. This in turn made for more employment opportunities and ensured a degree of sustainability.

Once the bicycle became economically available to all, village residents were free to seek employment from outside the village. As the motor car became more readily available and people more mobile, rural communities have changed in both their social mix and their reasons for choosing village life.

Our community has probably never been able to meet the needs and desires that enable people of all age groups to live and work in the village. Employment opportunities and marriage were two of the factors that caused people to leave. The same two factors are evident in new residents reasons in choosing to live in Harrold.

Present community involvement

Faced with this decline of traditional industries, residents were very aware that these former industrial sites were being earmarked for residential development. Increasingly it was felt that Planning Approval was being granted with little regard to infrastructure, core services and the wishes and needs of the villagers.

A Pressure Group was formed to question what appeared to be un-planned developments. Later this group became ‘The Vital Village Initiative’ under the auspices of the Countryside Agency. This agency has been given the task of overseeing the national programme launched by the current Government. The agency’s aim is to give the inhabitants of rural communities a say in the development and sustainability of their own communities.

The Vital Village Initiative Committee (VVI) has striven to uphold the Government’s policy when putting together the Parish Plan. This policy demands a truly democratic approach involving everyone within the community. In other words, a holistic survey of our village.

To ensure maximum participation, the committee involved the community at every opportunity. As the Village Plan developed communication with the community has been at the very core of all that has happened over the 18 months of the committee’s existence.

Key Events…

February 2002 - Applied and was given a grant from the Countryside Agency to begin the process of putting together a Parish Plan

March – Parish Council approved formation of Steering Group – VVI Committee formed

April - Open meeting attended by 150 residents plus local MP, Bedfordshire Rural Charities Committee (BRCC) and Bedford Borough Planning Dept.
Mini questionnaire to highlight main concerns of residents (90 responses)

May – Questionnaire distributed to every household in Harrold (321 responses)

June – Construction of village model for resident participation

July – Local MP requests meeting with VVI

August – Village Model Training day with BRCC

September – BBC Look East comes to Harrold

October – Village model presented to the Parish Council
180+ villagers participated Action Groups established
170+ residents attend 2nd Open evening

November – Web site launched. Local Agenda 21 environmental conference, VVI presentation

December – Discussion on social housing ratios with both developers, Bryant & Redrow

January 2003 – Environment Action Group organise village walk
February - Bedford working Mayor visits Harrold VVI including local MP
Broadband/EEDA funding competition presented to VVI & interested parties.

March - Tree preservation orders checked

April - Action Groups reports submitted.

May - 3rd Open meeting to thank villagers and advise on action plans (150+ attended)

June - VVI meet with BRCC to discuss format of Parish Plan

July - Steering Group present draft action plan to Parish Council

August - Harrold Parish Plan published and distributed to every household in Harrold

Future: Parish Council & VVI present Parish Plan to Borough Council for acceptance
Commence Design Statement
Please refer to Appendix 1 for full programme of events.

The Survey and its development

The Flyer

The first objective in the production of the Survey was to obtain a reaction from residents by placing a flyer in several key public places such as the Post Office, Local Public Houses and shops. This flyer asked those, who participated to write down what they most liked about Harrold and what were their three major concerns.

The response to the Flyer was very good with 90 residents taking the trouble to give us their thoughts. In fact there was a good deal of unanimity with those issues that were at the heart of residents concerns. From these results we were able to form the basis of the Harrold Survey.

The Harrold Survey

The ‘Harrold Vital Village Initiative’ working party was recommended by the BRCC to use a Village Appraisal Questionnaire that had been developed by the Countryside and Community Research Unit at Cheltenham & Gloucester University (sponsored by the Countryside Agency) for those communities who intended to participate in the Vital Village Initiative, sponsored by the Government.

For the Harrold survey 63 questions were chosen from a choice of 300, as being the most relevant to our village. The questions attempted to obtain a cross-section of the residents’ views itemised in the Flyer and the issues that were thought to be conducive to maintaining Harrold as a sustainable community.

Before issuing the survey a number of copies were distributed to a select number of residents including members of the parish Council and the Countryside Agency, asking for their reactions to the objectives, format and questions of the survey. The responses from all asked were taken into account in the final design of the survey.

The Village Model

The village model was constructed to give a 3D representation of the village on a large scale (some 6ft by 8ft). The aim of this was to encourage the villagers to make their own constructive suggestions. These were in the categories later used for the action groups. Suggestion cards were created some based on designs from the BRCC and some free format ‘your suggestion’. The attendees placed the cards at the appropriate point on the model each one was recorded and grouped

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Action Groups

The action groups were set up comprising the volunteers registered at the October open meeting and those coming forward via other routes. These were based on the 11 categories recommended by the BRCC that gave a reasonable spread across the issues without excessive overlap. Each action group consisted of a leader, a VVI committee facilitator and the active members that varied - considerably - up to 12 on the larger groups. Over 100 people were registered as volunteers or interested parties and a substantial subset of these continued through the action group phase.

The action groups assessed the issues arising in their area from the survey, the appropriate suggestions from the model and other ideas, existing initiatives or expertise already within the group.

Each group, after a number of meetings presented its report and recommendations that were then condensed into the action plan that is central to this report.

There are several issues which either did not have specific action groups or which cut across several groups and are summarised here:

Preservation of the village envelope:

An Environment Action Group recommendation but goes well beyond this with support form the Parish Council and many others. This is central to the Plan for Harrold as it defines the village population and hence requirements for infrastructure and facilities.

Protection and enhancement of the Country Park:

Covered by Environment and Leisure Action Group recommendations but goes well beyond this and links closely with the Country Park Enhancement Plan, being lead by the Countryside Officer at the County Council. There has been strong support for this process from the VVI and its aim of retaining the current ambiance of the park while enhancing its commercial potential.

Provision for disabled people:

The Elderly and Health action groups had specific actions in this area and also the Community Liaison Groups for the Country Park. The VVI Committee has made the Village Plan’s central objective to be fully inclusive for all residents of Harrold.

Provision for Youth:

Large majorities in the survey highlighted this as a major area of concern and a variety of solutions have been presented. The Youth Action Group and indeed the Parish Council focused very much on independence for Youth rather than managed facilities. Education and Leisure Action Groups have focused more on the latter ensuring the full range of options has been addressed in the Action Plan.

Village Design Statement:

A Housing Group recommendation that will pick up a wider range of issues not covered in detail by the Action Plan. This would include building design, street furniture design, appropriate local and sustainable materials, energy conservation and light pollution.

4 Summary of Survey Results

Survey Results

Survey questionnaires were returned by 321 households, which represented 732 residents. 60% of those entitled to participate did so. Residents under the age of 11 were excluded. In Appendix 3 we have published the full results to the questions. Appendix 4 forms a summary of the comments questions, as many of the comments were of a broadly similar nature.

How Long Have You Lived in Harrold?

29.5% of those replying to the survey have lived in the Village for less than 6 years, 79.05% having been resident for far longer – all their lives - people have chosen to remain in a village environment.

Age Profile

The predominant age groups are in the middle of the bands 25-59 years with a gentle slope upwards for those younger and a similar slope for those over 75 years old. It certainly needs to maintain this form of age profile to remain a viable and sustainable community.

This information is important to those who are responsible for ensuring that there are adequate facilities for all age groups

What is Most Important to You about Harrold?

There is little to choose between residents preferring to live in Harrold for its Environment, its Community and its Location. People like to live in Harrold because it is a village with an agreeable environment, location and community. In fact on one or two of the returns the case of nearby Bromham village was cited in that they thought it had ceased to be a village environment. They emphasised that they did not wish Harrold to become another Bromham.

Concerns

The major concerns expressed by residents were that of the increase in housing and the traffic problems encountered in the village.

More than 79% of respondents stated that increased housing development would spoil the environment. 5% thought such development would improve the environment.

Over 60% indicated that traffic calming should be introduced, whilst others called for a reduced speed limit, especially along the Odell Road and asked for signs to alert motorists that children may be at play.

Concern about the lack of adequate facilities for teenagers was registered by a large number of residents. It is felt that the limited facilities currently on offer does little to entertain younger people. Many expressed the opinion that boredom contributed to vandalism.

Support for an indoor sports centre was around the 80% mark, which reflected the need to provide new facilities for the younger age groups.

Crime Prevention

The lack of policing in Harrold was highlighted by 78% of respondents demanding a Police presence in the village. 51% thought that consultation between the Police and the Village would lead to a better understanding of the vandalism encountered in the village.

Emphasis was placed on a drug and alcohol education programme to prevent the use and abuse of drugs. Residents feel more comfortable when a policeman is seen periodically patrolling our village.

Local Business

Of concern is the loss of opportunity for emerging businesses to provide employment within the community. Employment within the village will assist traders and other businesses to exist in Harrold.

Respondents cited the importance of retaining commercial properties within the village envelope.

Housing Development

A high proportion of those taking part in the survey were dissatisfied with the scale of housing development currently under way. The sites are a mixture of former industrial areas and infill.

A percentage of the respondents did not wish for any development, a greater number thought that new houses would be acceptable if they were smaller developments such as affordable houses for younger people, accommodation for the elderly and all development should blend into village character.

With an estimated 28% increase in residential accommodation in Harrold it is difficult to accept development other than by working with an overall village plan.

Most respondents are concerned that Harrold will not be able to accommodate the expected increase in residents

Summary

The survey resulted in the forming of action groups who have striven to find address matters of concern. Included in this Parish Plan are comprehensive reports from each of the action groups, which prioritise actions in the short, medium and long term.

Included in Appendix 4 is a summary of the comments made by respondents to the questionnaire. Many of the comments were similar; to avoid repetition they have been amalgamated. However, all comments were taken into account and carefully considered.

5. Development Objectives

Overall Goal: A better quality of life for everyone in the Parish of Harrold with the active involvement of the community, for the community, so all residents' legitimate expectations are fulfilled.

1. Church & Community Facilities
By the end of 2004 suitable sacred spaces will be designated and the opening times for private prayer at St Peter’s Church to be extended.

By 2004 Churches Together will have developed a welcome programme for all village newcomers.

During the next five years a plan for the Churches and Chapels to include social events for all age groups will be created and implemented through Churches Together.

2. Environment

With immediate effect, Bedford Borough Planning Department will support the preservation and protection of all green spaces both inside and outside the existing definition of the Village Envelope.

By 2010 the Harrold village Environmental Action Group will have completed the design and gained agreement from Landowners for access and the Borough Council for funding, for the construction of a footbridge to improve foot access between Harrold and Carlton.

The Parish Council will continue to improve control on dog mess and litter.

3. Youth

By the end of 2005 the Parish Council will provide a hard surface area for ball games.

By mid 2005 the Harrold village Youth Action Group will have lobbied for funding to create a Cyber Café to include Broadband access points.

4. Traffic

In the interest of road safety in the village the Parish council in partnership with the Harrold village Traffic Action Group, within the next three years, will:

5. Business

By the end of 2004 a Register of all businesses will be compiled by the Harrold village Business Action Group and used to set up a Harrold Chamber of Trade on the Olney model.

By July 2004 the Harrold village Business Action Group will have successfully overseen the provision of Broadband Internet access.

With immediate effect identify, retain and restore actual and potential local artisanal and commercial worksites.

6. The Elderly

Supported by the Harrold village Traffic Action Group, by 2006 there will be local transport by bus to Lavendon, Olney, Milton Keynes and Bedford Hospital via Pavenham

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The Parish council will continue improvements to pavement surfacing and kerbs with wheel chair access points as appropriate.

By July 2006 the Harrold village Elderly Action Group will have revived the pensioners club and be successfully providing Day Care facilities

7. Education

The Harrold village Education Action Group in partnership with the Leisure Action Group and education authorities will:

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8. Law & Order

The Parish Council will continue to lobby for the provision of proactive policing via a community Police Constable.

The Parish Council will continue to improve lighting in specified areas for safety at night.

9. Leisure

During the next five years, the Harrold Playing Field Association will enhance the character of all sporting activity sites, relocating activities as appropriate and agreed by the Parish Council.

Over the next decade – by 2013, the Harrold Centre Committee will continue to develop the Institute as commercially viable community centre.

10. Housing

By July 2004, the Harrold village Housing Action Group in partnership with the Parish Council and Design Statement Committee will:

11. Health

With immediate effect the Harrold village Health Action Group will protect and enhance the existing Meals on Wheels service.

With immediate effect the Harrold village Health Action Group will support plans to retain and extend Harrold Medical Practice in Harrold.

By July 2008, the Harrold village Housing Action Group in partnership with the Parish Council and others will initiate nursing and respite care preferably linked to residential provision.

6 Harrold Action Plan

ACTION GROUPS HIGH PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Church & Community Facilities

2. Environment

3. Youth

4. Traffic

5. Business

6. The Elderly

7. Education

8. Law & Order

9. Leisure

10. Housing

11. Health

7. Village Review of the Action Plan

The Parish Plan cannot be implemented without the members of our village. Many residents are keen to participate and helping to achieve the Parish Plan goals does not necessarily mean sitting on endless committees.

Many residents already belong to community groups, such as the WI, Friends of the Surgery, Lunchtime Club, etc. and these groups can play a pivotal role as well as those who do like sitting on committees!

Some of the residents are happy to pass on information that is very important, others don’t mind delivering leaflets, photocopying articles or undertaking research for a cause. Every bit of help is vital if we are to implement our Parish Plan.

A new group will be formed that will meet three to four times a year and will be directly responsible to the Parish Council. This group will be the Parish Plan Group (PPG) and will be made up as follows:

Chairman Steve James
Vice Chairman John Hopkins
Secretary TBA
Action Group Co-ordinator Jackie Stubbs
Committee Members:
1 representative of each Action Group
+ 2/3 members of the Design Statement Group

It will be the role of this group to keep the Parish Council fully informed as to the progress of the action groups and progress of the Parish Plan implementation, as well as updating the Parish Council on the progress of the Design Statement.

The PPG will continue the VVI practice of printing their minutes as well as the Parish Council minutes (once ratified) on the village website. The PPG will be included as an agenda item at the Parish Council monthly meetings.

Public meetings will be held to gain consensus on major decisions and the village web site will be used to keep you updated as well as give residents the opportunity to comment on-line.

The PPG will work closely with the Parish Council to ensure that ‘overlap’ does not occur and that there is a two-way line of communication, hence the reason we have John Hopkins (a Parish Councillor) as the Vice Chairman.

The PPG along with the Parish Council will also keep everyone informed by holding regular public meetings, print articles in the Bridge magazine, place posters, etc. on the village notice boards including the Schools and Church notice boards.

The Design Statement is the next step in the Village Plan and the Design Statement Group will work closely with the PPG and Parish Council. This will review at how the character of the village can be maintained in building design and street furniture such as: litterbins, signage, street lighting, public benches and notice boards. Architecture will be of significant importance as new developments should be in keeping with the village vernacular.

8. Harrold Links to District-wide Plans

This section demonstrates how the Harrold Parish Plan 2003 supports the Bedfordshire and Luton Structure Plan 2016

National and regional guidance recognises the positive role of the planning system in ensuring that development and growth are sustainable

Planning Policy Guidance Notes state this is to be achieved by:

The aim of the Structure Plan is to ensure Bedfordshire continues to move towards achieving sustainable development by providing a framework of control and initiatives through which appropriate development and activities may be achieved.

Harrold will be contributing to this overall Structure Plan by supporting the sustainable development theme of promoting environmental stewardship, enhancing economic opportunities and increasing social opportunities.

Harrold will demonstrate progress towards sustainable development, reflect the linkages between the Structure Plan policies and our village and be consistent with national and regional indicators by measuring our progress against the Structure 2016 indicators:

Policy statements from the Structure Plan of particular relevance to our Harrold Parish Plan include:

Policy 4 Agricultural Land

Proposals which involve development of agricultural land will be required to secure the re-use of derelict farm buildings – (Harrold Development Objective 5).

Policy 9 Areas of Great Landscape Value

The landscape quality of the Upper Ouse Valley will be safeguarded by resisting development, which would adversely affect the character of the area and by the preparation and promotion of conservation, enhancement and management measures (Harrold Development Objective 2)

Policy 12 Managing the Historic Environment
The conservation, enhancement and management of historic buildings, historic areas, archaeological sites and historic landscape features and their settings will be promoted by requiring proposals to demonstrate a high standard of design which responds to local character and respects the historic environment (Harrold Development Objective 10) and also by encouraging the preparation of village plans and other local initiatives

Policy 21 Employment Provision

The local planning authorities will have regard to the supply of employment premises compared to employment need in terms of ensuring an appropriate range and quality of premises in order to meet the needs of existing businesses, new enterprises and firms wishing to move to Bedfordshire, including units designed for expansion and starter business units (Harrold Development Objective 5)

Policy 27 Housing in Villages and Open Countryside

In villages, residential development will be limited to that which is within the village envelope and which contributes to and respects the individual character of the village (Harrold Development Objectives 2 and 10).