3.1 The Parish Plan and the results of the household questionnaire showed that having local services and shops, community facilities that support a good social life and community spirit, a good school and leisure, sport and recreation facilities, were all important factors in making this area a good place to live.
3.2 The opening of the Broadwindsor Community Stores illustrates this community’s tenacity for continuing the many local services that are valued by local residents. When the original shop in the Square closed at the end of August 2011, the return of a shop to Broadwindsor was the highest immediate priority for most people, as recorded in the Parish Plan. A team of residents, with tremendous backing from the community, embarked on the road to prove that there could be another shop in the village. Unsuccessful attempts were made to buy or rent the original shop, and despite setbacks, the breakthrough came when planning approval was given to turn the Old Telephone Exchange in Drimpton Road into a shop. Many local volunteers are now helping to run it, and we need to ensure it continues to thrive.
3.3 The various community halls similarly play a key role in the social life of many local residents. Activities available include social clubs, film shows, pantomimes and Artsreach events, short mat bowls, skittles, keep fit classes, coffee mornings, youth club activities and much more. There is broadband available in all three village halls.
3.4 The Local Plan includes policies that protect local community buildings and structures, public open space and recreational facilities, unless they will be replaced elsewhere with equal or better facilities, or the facility is no longer needed or viable to run (in which case alternative community use of the facilities should be considered first). In the Neighbourhood Plan area, important community facilities that existed at the time this Plan was written are listed in Table 4 that follows, and their locations shown on the Policies Map.
Table 4. Community buildings, public open space and recreational facilities
| Facility | Ref | Description |
| Local shops | CF10 CF24 |
Broadwindsor Community Stores Shops and Services at Broadwindsor Craft Centre |
| Post offices | CF21 | Post Office outreach held at Comrades Hall (Broadwindsor) |
| Banks / building societies | none at present | |
| Cafes, restaurants and public houses | CF12 CF11 CF24 |
White Lion Pub (Broadwindsor) Royal Oak Pub (Drimpton) Craft Centre café / restaurant (Broadwindsor) |
| Petrol stations | CF17 | Kittwhistle Garage |
| Education and training | CF15 | Broadwindsor CE, VC Primary School |
| Healthcare facilities | CF06 | Nursing home at Broadwindsor House |
| Community halls, cultural facilities and places of worship | CF21 CF04 CF02 CF13 CF03 CF09 CF22 CF18 CF05 |
Comrades Hall (Broadwindsor) Drimpton Village Hall Blackdown Village Hall St John the Baptist’s Church (Broadwindsor) St Mary’s Church (Drimpton) Netherhay Methodist Chapel Holy Trinity Church (Blackdown) St Andrew’s Church (Burstock) St John's Church (Seaborough) |
| Open space and recreational facilities | CF04 CF20 CF23 CF01 CF15 |
Drimpton Recreation Ground and Play area Broadwindsor Cricket Ground and Pavilion Broadwindsor Allotments Oathill Allotments Playing fields associated with Broadwindsor Primary School Hursey Football Field and Bernards’ Place are both protected as a Local Green Spaces. |
3.5 The main concerns with local facilities raised through the earlier scoping consultations on the Neighbourhood Plan related to the need for improvements to the existing play areas (and a new Multi Use Games Area is being planned by the Parish Council) and allotment spaces.
3.6 Local Service Providers who operate in the area were contacted in May / June 2017, and responses were received from Broadwindsor Community Store; Broadwindsor CE VC Primary School; Kittwhistle Garage; the Royal Oak Pub Drimpton and the White Lion Pub, Broadwindsor. The survey asked whether the services would cater with an increase of up to 30 homes; up to 60 homes; and up to 100 homes.
3.7 No concerns were raised in catering for up to 30 more homes – although the school is broadly at capacity a small number of its pupils come from outside the local catchment area. There could be a need to invest in on-site improvements to the school and shop or even to expand / relocate with a more sizeable increase in population (although as house prices become less affordable to young families there is also the risk that the school roll could decline).
3.8 Both pubs felt that they would have capacity to take increased customers from up to 60 new homes. The Kittwhistle Garage noted a need to invest in facilities for hybrid / electrical vehicles regardless of housing growth.
3.9 Any improvements to these facilities should be supported in principle, although consideration will still need to be given to avoiding any adverse impacts – such as amenity, road safety and environmental harm as set out in other policies.
Policy BGNP8. Important community facilities
Community facilities (as listed in Table 4) should be retained where possible. The local community should be consulted on proposals to remove, diminish or replace an important community facility. Proposals that allow existing facilities to modernise and adapt for future needs, or to diversify in a manner that would support a new or improved community facility to become viable, will be supported.
3.10 From the first consultation a lot of comments were about transport. In rural areas such as here, investment in public transport solutions is limited, and the rural nature of the highway network does not readily accommodate the larger vehicles used by modern industries, increasingly higher traffic speeds, or provide safe passage for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians that share the road with these motor vehicles.
3.11 Our neighbourhood plan is limited in what it can achieve, but one project that was identified was the provision of passing places where this could improve safety for all road users. The Parish Council are happy to receive suggestions and work with the Highway Authority to bring about such improvement works where these may be supported.
Examples where passing places could be beneficial – Sandpit to Broadwindsor
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