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6. COMMUNITY SERVICES, FACILITIES AND LEISURE

Introduction

6.1 Public participation in relation to both the Parish Plan and this Neighbourhood Plan showed a high degree of local pride and community spirit. This is reflected in the large number of clubs, societies and events organised and supported by all age groups who contribute to maintaining a vibrant community. For example, a wide range of leisure activities takes place in the Neighbourhood Plan area. These include:

• a monthly Coffee n’ Cake meeting, the Wriggle Valley Women’s Group, Art Classes, the Mothers’ Union, and the Wriggle Valley Players. These are held in venues around the area, including private residences, the Jubilee Hall, the Methodist Church, the café in High Street, and the White Hart public house.
• The Yetminster Fair Association runs an annual street fair which claims to be one of the oldest in Dorset. The fair is traditionally held along the High Street with other events at venues around the village. Proceeds from the fair are used to give grants to local good causes.

Coffee“N”Cakes, Jubilee hall, Yetminster

The Yetminster Street Fair

6.2 Community information is disseminated throughout the area using the Parish website, Facebook pages, the Wriggle Valley Magazine and noticeboards in Yetminster, Ryme Intrinseca and Hamlet. There are also thriving voluntary services such as Helping Hands which support less able members of the community.

Existing Community Services and Facilities

6.3 The community benefits from a range of community services and facilities¹⁹ , some of which are owned and managed by the Parish Council, by community groups or commercially (such as in the case of the local village shop and pub). These are described below:

• Community Halls. The Jubilee Hall, Yetminster, was built in 1922, was subsequently extended, and was renamed to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee in 2012. It is owned by the Church but acts as a village hall and is managed by a committee representing regular users. The Hall is for hire for parties, meetings, lectures and other entertainments. The small car park is also used by people visiting the Church and the Health Centre. Amongst the many clubs and societies currently using the hall are:
  
  • The Yetminster and Ryme Intrinseca Garden, Art and Craft Society
    
  • The Hundred of Yetminster History Society
    
  • The Short-mat Bowls Club
    
  • The Guides
    
  • Moviola Film Night
    
  • Pilates Sessions
    
  • The Yetminster Community Project, which arranges entertainment shows.
    
  In addition, the Scout Hut and Clubhouse at the Recreation Ground are used by community groups as well as in conjunction with the sports and recreation facilities. The Scout Hut is leased from the Parish Council and is used by the Scout Troop, Beavers, Cubs and a table-tennis club. The Clubhouse is leased by Yetminster Community Sports Club Ltd from the Parish Council and has changing rooms, a bar, pool table and a skittle alley.
  
• Churches. There are three churches in the Neighbourhood Plan area: St Andrew’s Church and the Methodist Church in Yetminster and St Hippolytus’ Church in Ryme Intrinseca. These are being increasingly used for community events such as concerts and poetry readings in addition to worship.
  
• Shops, Services and Cafés. The Spar shop in Yetminster, which includes a Post Office, is regarded as a key facility serving the plan area and surrounding villages, as shown by questionnaire responses. Nearby is a delicatessen and next door to this is a café which serves as a meeting place and provides facilities for small local groups such as art classes, including support for disabled people. The Veterinary Practice provides services within and beyond the plan area. Near the railway station there is a second-hand furniture and antique shop, together with a hairdresser and a further café which is also a valued meeting place. The telephone box in Ryme Intrinseca is used as a lending library.
  
• Public House. The White Hart in High Street, Yetminster is an active public house with a skittle alley. It is well supported and widely valued by the local community.
  
• Health Centre. Four doctors, practice nurses, dispensers and other members of the health care team provide a wide range of services which are highly valued by the community within and beyond the plan area.
  
• Education. Yetminster has two schools. St Andrew’s CE Primary School is a well-respected and supported primary school with a large catchment area. It is a member of the Sherborne Area Schools Trust and is a feeder to the Gryphon Secondary School in Sherborne. St Andrew’s is proud of its status as a Rights Respecter school – one of only seven in Dorset to have achieved Level 2 status. Some of the school’s facilities are available for use by the community (when the school was built there was additional precept to ensure that it would have extra features such as a higher ceiling in the main hall to allow community use for sports) and further use will be considered, subject to ensuring the safety of children and adequate insurance provision. Lower Covey, a Montessori school, is valued as a pre-school facility, again serving a wide catchment area.

6.4 Just outside of the plan area Chetnole (close to Hamlet) has a village hall, its own church (St Peters) and the Chetnole Inn public house, and there are similar facilities in Leigh and Thornford villages slightly further away.

6.5 Although all of the above facilities are valued by the community, the key facilities that are used by a significant proportion of the population and are regarded to be the most critical to the long-term vibrancy of the village are: the village shop and Post Office, the village pub, the community halls, the Health Centre and the primary school.

6.6 Although there are no known plans for further facilities, more would normally be welcomed as these should increase the sustainability of the existing settlements and reduce the need for trips by car to the nearby towns. In considering where these may be located, the most appropriate place would be within or adjoining the main village of Yetminster. However, the smaller settlement of Ryme Intrinseca already has a church and may also be a suitable location, and (depending on access) existing rural buildings could be re-used for community purposes.

Existing Leisure Facilities

6.7 The Parish Council owns land (The Hamcrate)at the eastern end of Yetminster which was given in 1941 ‘for the benefit of the inhabitants of the … Parish of Yetminster.’

6.8 The sports field area is leased by Yetminster Community Sports Club Ltd from the Parish Council. As well as the clubhouse with its bar, pool table and a skittle alley, there is a hard tennis court owned by the Tennis Club on land leased from the Sports Club operator, a croquet lawn and a football pitch. In the past there was also a cricket pitch. At the entrance to the sports field are the allotments, which are well cared for and well used. The children’s play area by the Scout Hut is also well used.

6.9 Two additional outdoor areas are available for public use:

• Vecklands (Millennium Wood). This large wooded open space is popular with dog walkers and other people enjoying the outdoors. It is owned and managed by the Woodland Trust.
• Meadens Area. This area of open space at the western end of Yetminster is a valued recreational and dog exercising area. It is owned and managed by the Parish Council.

The larger sports and recreation areas have been identified for protection as Local Green Spaces under policy EN4 with the buildings and associated land protected as community facilities under policy CS1.

6.10 There are aspirations to improve opportunities for recreation, including the potential for such things as a village green and improved sports and play facilities in Yetminster. The school has a play area that may be made available for use by the community. The Parish Council will continue to investigate and take forward, if necessary, more detailed proposals in a future review of this Plan.

6.11 As with community services and facilities, any new leisure facilities would be best located close to the main centre of population in Yetminster, or alternatives at nearby Ryme Intrinseca. However alternative locations could still be considered, particularly if the proposal requires a rural location (for example horse riding or similar activities).

Assets of Community Value

6.12 Assets of Community Value (ACVs) can be nominated to the local authority if they are of interest socially (such as for sport, culture or recreational uses) or increase the wellbeing of the community now and into the future. A community group (such as a society, parish council, or other not for profit organisation) that is locally connected to the area can make nominations and, if registered, the asset remains on the list for an initial period of 5 years during which the community can bid for the asset if it is being considered for sale, though registration does not confer a right to buy.

6.13 The following assets are considered to be likely to meet the necessary criteria for nomination:

Table 4: Potential Assets of Community Value Jubilee Hall The Health Centre St Andrew’s School The Spar shop and Post Office First Yetminster Scout Hut The Old School The White Hart public house The sports field and clubhouse The allotments The Meadens open space Vecklands (Millennium Wood)

Community Inclusiveness

6.14 Services and facilities should be equally available to all members of the community.  Some physical limitations (such as steps and steep gradients that are not suitable for wheelchair users) are inevitable because of the historic nature of the core Yetminster and Ryme Intrinseca but action should be taken, where possible, to identify and overcome these limitations and to ensure that they are not perpetuated by new development.

Community Services, Facilities and Leisure Objective 1 To maintain and encourage a range of services and facilities to ensure the neighbourhood remains a thriving community.

Community Services, Facilities and Leisure Objective 2 To create a safe and supportive environment to encourage a healthy lifestyle and the well-being of residents by the provision of open spaces and other facilities for sport and recreation.

Community Services, Facilities and Leisure Objective 3 To ensure that practical steps are taken to give all members of the community the best possible access to community facilities.

Policy CS1: Existing Community and Leisure Services and Facilities Development proposals that would expand or enhance (including improved inclusive access) the following existing services and facilities will be supported in principle: The Jubilee Hall, Sports Clubhouse and Scout Hut The three local Churches The Health Centre St Andrew’s School and the Lower Covey Pre-School The shops, cafés and similar service-based uses in the employment area around the railway station and along the High Street, including the White Hart public house, the Spar shop and Post Office and the Veterinary clinic Development proposals that would result in the loss of, or a reduction in, a key facility (the village shop and Post Office, the village pub, the community halls, the health centre and the primary school) will not be supported, unless: secure arrangements are in place to ensure that the service or facility will be replaced by a similar one of equal or greater value to the community, or the service or facility is no longer needed by the community and the premises would not be appropriate for alternative community use, or in the case of privately-owned services and facilities, a financial viability report has been submitted and steps have been taken over at least a six month period to secure alternative business, community or social enterprise use. Any anticipated change, closure or expansion should be discussed with the Parish Council at the earliest opportunity.

Policy CS2:  New Community and Leisure Services and Facilities Development proposals for the provision of new community and leisure services and facilities will be supported within or adjoining Yetminster or Ryme Intrinseca, or through the re-use of a rural building.  The provision of new outdoor sport and recreation facilities may be supported away from the settlements of Yetminster or Ryme Intrinseca if they require a rural location and would not be intrusive in the landscape. In all cases the proposal should not: cause an unacceptable impact on local amenity, result in vehicular movements that would not be safely accommodated on the rural road network undermine the commercial viability of nearby community facilities which may be better placed to service the needs of the surrounding community. The design of any such facilities should ensure that the facility is accessible to all potential users, including car parking provision that caters for disabled , access routes, entrances and overall legibility (with the public entrance and access routes clearly defined).

 

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¹⁹ A broad definition of Community and Leisure Services and Facilities is provided in the Glossary

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