Marxism (Questions of Method, 1960)

The civil parish of Arnside encompasses a stretch of 'coastline' which is part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as well as significant areas of open countryside, woodland and moss, including some National Trust land. The village of Arnside itself is quite compact and is situated on the estuary of the River Kent, at the point where the Furness railway line crosses the river. Historically, it owes its rapid growth over some 150 years to the arrival of the railway in 1857. The small, physically separate (and older) settlement on the other side of Arnside Knott, Far Arnside, has two largish caravan parks. A small number of farms are situated outside the settlements.

With a population of around 2250, Arnside is the most populous parish in the Cumbria section of the Arnside-Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, whose headquarters it currently houses. Arnside is included, with nine other parishes, in Cumbria County Council's Kent Estuary Forum, and is involved in the Morecambe Bay Partnership. At a recent conference of the latter, it emerged that Arnside is the third most popular place to visit around the Bay as a whole – its daily tidal bore is well known, and each summer it is the starting-point for some 30 of the famous ‘Cross-Bay’ walks led by the Queen's Guide.

In these respects, despite a certain kind of geographical isolation, Arnside is not typical of rural parishes, having more residents, more visitors and better facilities. It is also a matter of historical fact that, administratively, the Parish Council (which has eleven members) has taken on rather more responsibilities than in similar parishes – e.g. for certain garden areas and the cemetery.

The Parish has a decent range of shops for its size, a post office, its own award-winning primary school, GP and dental surgeries, a branch library, a much-used Women’s Institute/Village Hall, an equally-heavily-used Educational Institute, two pubs and three churches. It lost its last bank a few years ago.

Only a relatively small proportion of those in work are actually employed in the village, which has an unusually high percentage of retired residents and a particularly high number in the 60-85 age-bracket.

The level of social, recreational and sporting activity is high, and the range of clubs and societies in the Parish considerable. A monthly Broadsheet is particularly important for conveying information about these to residents.

Major perceived problems include parking, traffic circulation, certain inadequacies relating to transport systems, ensuring that planning decisions preserve the character of the Parish and its landscape, and lack of workspaces and work-opportunities for younger people.

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B. Preparation of Arnside Parish Plan

[Asterisks indicate documents available, on request, on CD-Rom.]

· early 2002: discussion of ‘Vital Villages’ documentation at Parish Council

· expression of intent forwarded

· enquiry sent to all village organisations and businesses: no opposition, sufficient support to justify pursuing the possibility of a Parish Plan

· the matter of a Plan raised from the floor at Annual Parish Assembly, April 2002: generally supported

· Parish Council commits fully to Plan and designates a member to set procedures in motion (May 2002)

· same member attends Cumbria Voluntary Action/Cumbria Rural Development workshop on Parish Plans (May 2002), and makes initial contact with Rural Community Officer

· Parish Council agrees (10 June 2002) to: (i) a schedule for applying for funding, preparing and presenting a five-year Plan; (ii) arrangements for beginning to establish a Steering Group and the holding of a first meeting, open to the public; (iii) a financial contribution

· July 2002: first public meeting - widely advertised - takes place: Chair of Steering Group elected; first members elected to Steering Group. (As anticipated, membership of the Steering Group – which stood mostly at 10-12 – was to change regularly over the twelve-month period, although five or six members remained throughout the whole planning process.)

· four full meetings of Steering Group, Aug-Oct 2002

· Parish Plan Open Day, 16 November 2002: around 300 residents attend; some 200 leave written comments*

· eight further meetings of Steering Group, Nov-Feb 2002-03

· Feb 2003: circulation of some 1200 copies of a questionnaire to all households in the Parish - questionnaire is 24 pages long, with 73 questions*

· Feb-March 2003: 599 questionnaires returned, covering 53% of Parish population

· eight further meetings of Steering Group Feb-June 2003

· transfer of results of each completed questionnaire onto a one-page grid;* transfer of results from grids onto a specially-designed database*

· interrogation of database and transfer of results onto a specially-designed spreadsheet*

· brief preliminary oral report on results of survey at Annual Parish Assembly, 24 April 2003

· recruitment and establishment of 5 ‘Task Groups’, corresponding to areas of opinion in the questionnaire results, a 6th area being covered by the Steering Group itself*

· preliminary printed report on selected results of survey made available to residents (May 2003)*

· early June 2003: Task Groups report back to Steering Group, which drafts Action Plan

· Parish Plan ‘Drop-in’ event, 21 June; around 130 residents attending, who

o are given a new document (with graphics) setting out full numerical results of survey*

o see a draft Action Plan

o have a last opportunity to make comments

· four further meetings of Steering Group July-August 2003, taking account of latest comments and information in revising Action Plan and drafting whole Parish Plan

· August 2003: Parish Plan completed

· August 2003: Parish Plan printed

· Sept 2003: leaflet summarising Plan is devised, printed and circulated to all Arnside households*

· 1 Oct 2003: public meeting to launch Plan and establish new Parish Plan Management Group to supervise and monitor carrying out of Plan.

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C. An Appraisal of Arnside Parish

C.1 Facts and Figures

C.1.1 Some desirable kinds of firm, up-to-date statistics about Arnside are not easy to obtain. But the following websites – among other sources – provided information for the Steering Group to work with and to use as base-lines:-

www.cumbria.gov.uk/aboutcumbria/parish_profiles/504.pdf

www.cumbria.gov.uk/aboutcumbria/district_profiles_2000/pdf_documents/south_lakeland.pdf

www.cumbria.gov.uk/aboutcumbria/slakeland/default.asp

C.1.2 Statistics from the 2001 Census are at present available only down to Ward level (Arnside is part of the Arnside and Beetham Ward): current figures for the Parish of Arnside will not be at hand before October 2003. (One of the recommendations of the Action Plan is that these statistics be made widely available by the Parish Council.)

Nevertheless, at a general level some similarities and differences between Arnside and the other settlements in the Ward are known, so that certain inferences about Arnside can reasonably be drawn from the available 2001 Census results, and certain figures are manifestly applicable. Respects in which there appear to be significant divergences from national averages are well worth bearing in mind:-

o The average age of Arnside residents is almost certainly just over 50, as against an average age of 38.6 in England and Wales as a whole. Proportionately, the national population has half as many under-20-year-olds again as the population of Arnside, while Arnside has around twice as many 60-plus residents.

o The Parish has considerably more married or re-married people than the national average, around half the number of single people, and more than one-and-a-half times as many widowed residents.

o One-person households as such appear to be at the national average, but there are half as many pensioners again living alone, and more than twice as many other all-pensioner households. There are not many more than half of the national average of households containing dependent children.

o Probably more than twice as many people in Arnside are retired as in the country generally.

o There is almost no ethnic mix whatever in Arnside, and religions other than Christianity are barely represented in the population.

o Far fewer residents have no formal qualifications than in the general population, and far more are qualified to degree level or higher.

o Owner-occupation is very substantially higher than the national average (and significantly higher than the South Lakeland average).

o Only half of the national average number of households are without a car or van.

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C.2 State of the Parish

For reasons that begin to emerge from even the briefest description of the Parish, it cannot be argued that Arnside is typically 'rural' – a survey in 1997 showed that 42% of rural parishes had no shop, 70% no general store, 43% no post office, 75% no daily bus service, 49% no school, 83% no GP, etc. – but its general nature and its physical situation make it vulnerable to some of the pressures that are bearing upon rural settlements in general. Any crisis in farming has only limited applicability to Arnside, but the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001 was, at least temporarily, damaging to tourism and business in the Parish. Furthermore, over the past ten years or so, many of the shops that have been lost have left a gap in provision – there is no longer, for instance, a pet-shop, a haberdasher, a hardware store or a shoe-shop in the village; more critically, the two banks have gone, and it is no longer possible to buy petrol in Arnside. In most cases, though not all, one type of business has been replaced by another, but there is perhaps a general tendency towards more visitor-oriented facilities. Moreover, it seems – evidence may be available when full Census results are published – that young people tend to move out of the Parish, with few young families coming in from the outside. There are relatively few job-opportunities in Arnside, and virtually no facilities for those seeking to start up new businesses.

Throughout its work, which included consultation of various kinds at all stages, the Parish Plan Steering Group was conscious of the fact that many aspects of life in Arnside Parish are broadly satisfactory to the huge majority of residents. (Informal confirmation of this can be read off the written comments left at the November 2002 Parish Plan Open Day, and more formal confirmation taken from the figures for answers to many questions in the questionnaire.) Thus, for instance, caravan parks, which are seen as constituing a problem for some parishes, appear to create few if any difficulties for Arnside. More positively, there are all kinds of activities in the Parish that simply go on without significant hitch. The success and stability in such areas is not accidental, but is generally attributable to the work of committed individuals and groups. They deserve to be congratulated, as do the volunteers who devote so much time and effort to helping the old, the young and other categories of people in the Parish. It has not seemed right that a Parish Plan should seek to intervene or interfere in these activities or features of Parish life. Of course, where a sign is given that an activity is under some kind of threat, or if some possibility of further improvement crops up during the planning process, it is part of the function of a Parish Plan to try to take account of these factors.

Good examples of areas of Parish life where all appears to be more or less as it should be are the churches on the one hand, and the sports / recreation / social groups on the other. Groups, societies and clubs exist in abundance in Arnside (more than 50 can instantly be identified from the Broadsheet and the Arnside Directory). Most – even all – inevitably encounter problems from time to time (and there are some signs of increasing difficulties in recruiting to club offices), but there are also mechanisms – both inside and outside the Parish – for helping with these, so that the general situation is largely self-regulating. It should also be acknowledged that all of the appropriate groups seem to go out of their way to draw young people into their activities. As far as the three churches are concerned, it is self-evident that their existence and good functioning is of major importance to a large number of Arnside residents. More than this, church-goers would not be the only residents to suffer from any major loss in this area. In various ways, the churches contribute to the general well-being of the Parish. (The Methodist Church, for instance, not only has a Monday Morning Meeting and a Wednesday fellowship: it also provides space and facilities – on a non-denominational basis – for many village organisations, including Age Concern, Girl Guides, the Village Show, and a youth group.). There is no obvious reason to suppose that a Parish Plan should do anything other than express the hope that this general situation may long continue.

However, if this puts Arnside's problems into perspective, it should not cause anyone to underestimate them; nor is it intended to belittle the perception of problems on the part of residents. For example, it is obvious to all – residents and visitors alike – that parking and traffic-circulation difficulties in the Parish are both real and increasing at a significant rate. Most residents, moreover, are acutely aware of some area or other in which practical improvements to services and facilities in the Parish are badly needed. And worries about what may happen in the future should by no means be neglected. Anticipation of possible losses and problems to come is both prudent and necessary: there are very clearly points on which action needs to be taken soon in order to maximise the chances of preserving the best of what Arnside already has.

In short, in addition to experiencing some – although not all – of the difficulties and threats currently associated with rural parishes, Arnside has its own particular problems, which are either created or accentuated by features distinctive of it. By and large, its residents enjoy living in Arnside, and a large majority are concerned to preserve most or all aspects of its particular character.

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C.3 Distinctive features of the Parish

C.3.1 At all stages of the consultation process, it has been striking that while residents are conscious of enjoying Arnside – and many former visitors come to live or retire here – because it is in some sense a genuine village community in an extremely attractive natural, 'country' setting, they also see its range of facilities and its transport links as indispensable to the way of life of the Parish. This makes for a delicate mix of factors that is very characteristic of Arnside. It also means that significant changes to the landscape, or loss of certain key facilities, including the Post Office and the passenger rail service, would radically change the Parish, both directly and indirectly. There are very few, if any, who believe that such changes would be for the better.

C.3.2 This raises, in turn, the question of the extent to which the range of facilities and the transport links are supported by, even dependent upon, the number of visitors to Arnside. An extensive survey of visitors – and the Action Plan envisages a number of ways in which information should be gathered – would take account of those who stay in both static and mobile caravans in the Parish, and of how many of these, for reasons relating to the situation of caravan parks, gravitate towards Silverdale rather than Arnside. It might even wish to consider patterns of relatives' visits to Arnside, since the scale of these appears to be considerable. But the fact is that – caravans and relatives apart – there are relatively few places for overnight stays in the Parish, and the great majority of visitors come here for the day or part of the day. (The geographical situation of Arnside is such that almost no people or vehicles at all pass through on their way to somewhere else.) Not only in the summer 'season', but at weekends throughout the year, the numbers in which they come are high – by the end of the year we may have some idea of how high. The presence and level of visitors is very much a distinctive feature of the Parish and constitutes a reality that has always to be taken into account.

C.3.3 It is clear from 'Facts and Figures' above that Arnside has an unusual – though doubtless far from unique – demography. The very high proportion of over-60s is perhaps the most obvious aspect of this, but the lack of any ethnic mix, and the high level of education of the population in general are other major factors. Yet, once more, it is the conjunction of these with some contrasting features that makes for the distinctive character of Arnside. For instance, the Parish would be very different – and impoverished – without its school, as well as without those of its sporting and other activities that are largely for younger people. Bustle and mixed activities on the Memorial Field are, in fact, as characteristic of Arnside as elderly people eating ice-cream on the Prom.

C.3.4 What is produced by the above elements is a particular mixture of opportunities on the one hand and threats or fears on the other that is itself highly characteristic of Arnside as a whole. The landscape and setting are massive advantages, and the range of facilities a very great benefit to all. The number of visitors, to one extent or another, helps to sustain those facilities. Many retired people have the time to help in the running of the Parish; and, as a result of legacies, there is occasionally earmarked money available where other parishes have none. At the same time, there are real and potential threats to the landscape (insensitive building, inappropriate activities), visitors on a large scale bring obvious difficulties (traffic congestion, parking), and an elderly population is in various ways at risk of losing the vitality and resources associated with the presence of younger people.

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D. From Survey to Action Plan

D.1 Preamble

Since no 'Village Appraisal' was carried out in Arnside when the occasion arose five or six years ago, preparation of the Parish Plan effectively started with a blank sheet. A decision was taken from the first to make a major survey of the opinions of residents the core of the preparation, and to take the results of this survey as constituting the unalterable framework of the Action Plan. It was recognised that additional elements would be included in the Plan, since no questionnaire can cover every single aspect of Parish life, but the principle would be to ensure that nothing in the final Plan was inconsistent with the wishes and opinions of residents as expressed in the survey results. Examples from other parishes served as useful guides when the Steering Group drew up the questionnaire, but comments made on the occasion of the Open Day in November 2002 pointed the way to questions more specific to Arnside itself.

Considering the length of the document and the time required to complete it, the overall level of response to the questionnaire was gratifying, especially for a Parish the size of Arnside. Even when Census figures for Arnside are available, it will not be possible – because of different age-brackets used – to confirm or dispel entirely a concern that disproportionately few of the residents between 25-44 may have included themselves in the returns. However, even if this is the case, it needs to be noted that those in this age category have had other chances – over a longish period of time – to offer their views about Arnside. There must always be worries about how representative the returns from a particular questionnaire are, yet it is difficult to find a more democratic way of allowing all residents to express opinions. If there is a 'silent majority', it will have the usual occasions to break its silence as the provisions of the Plan are carried out.

After preliminary scrutiny of the survey results, the Steering Group for the Plan called for volunteers to join particular 'Task Groups', which would produce suggestions for the Action Plan in the light of answers to the questionnaire. As at other stages in the planning process, the response to this call was quite sufficient to enable the arrangement to go ahead, and in due course Task Groups in the following areas made proposals for actions to be included in the Plan:-

Housing and Building [HB]

Business and Tourism [BT]

Traffic, Parking and Transport [TPT]

Education and Communication [EC]

Environment, Safety and Security [ESS]

The Steering Group itself took on that same role for the area that is now best designated as Facilities and Spaces [FS]. It went on to examine all of the proposals together and draw up a draft Action Plan. This was made available at a public meeting, then revised in the light of both comments made and changes in circumstances right up to the completion of the full Parish Plan.

All of the Task Groups are expected to continue in existence now that the writing of the Plan has been completed, although a better title for them at this stage is 'Action Groups'. Some individual members of the Task Groups will continue their work, some will drop out; nearly a dozen new individuals came forward at the public meeting in June to join the existing groups. The future activities of the five Action Groups will be an extremely important element in the carrying out of the Parish Plan: in many cases the specific actions included in the Action Plan are designated as the responsibility of these groups.

Since a decision was made to present the Action Plan in a format which links each proposed action to a particular aim, the Action Plan section of the Parish Plan is intended to be a kind of stand-alone, self-explanatory document. It is appropriate, nevertheless, to set it in context; that is, to give an account of some of the thinking behind it and some of the broader considerations that led to the formulation of particular aims and the recommendation of particular actions.

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D.2 General

It was never likely that anything very specific would arise out of questions 6, 7 and 8 of the questionnaire relating to 'The Community of Arnside', but there was every reason for regarding answers to them as forming general guidance to those drawing up the Plan. Very large numbers of respondents answered this group of questions, and in the ratio of over 5:1 those with an opinion on the matter wish Arnside Parish 'to stay more or less exactly as it is'. Without solving anything in itself, this result effectively gives the response to anyone disappointed to find that the Parish Plan makes no radical new proposals for Arnside and recommends no really major changes. At the same time, it stands in more obvious need of interpretation than some other results, and the 'more or less' opens the door to real, practical measures that will still have discernible effects upon the Parish.

The crucial background to the fact that three-quarters of all respondents wish Arnside to stay more or less the same is that the same proportion regard it as first and foremost a 'mixture' of elements. And nearly half would wish it – if it has to change – to become more of a mixture. Moreover, there are indications of what the desired different mix might be. While 14% see the Parish 'principally' as a community of retired people, fewer than 5% would wish it to become more so. Yet the equivalent percentages for community of 'working' families are 2.5% and 21.5%. This needs to be linked with answers to questions elsewhere, showing more than half of respondents as retired, and fewer than a third as working in some capacity; and those showing that 78% believe losing the primary school would diminish the Parish's vitality, (even if 61% don't think it would decrease their desire to remain in Arnside). It would be going too far to suggest that all of this amounts to a general 'unease' about the present high proportion of older and retired people in the Parish, but there is unquestionably some recognition that the Parish can certainly not afford to lose any younger people or families with a working member, and that, if anything, it needs rather more. It is much less important to agonise over a general formulation of this kind, however, than simply to recognise that the survey shows significant support for 'affordable housing' for younger people, as well as for the creation of more employment opportunities – arguably, the most important constructive results of all.

Another general aspect of the body of information and opinion produced by the survey relates to the 'Local Government' section. Aspects of the answers here feed into some of the more specific areas below, but there are two obvious features to responses in this final section of the questionnaire. Firstly, dissatisfaction with the performance of local bodies seems to increase with the scale of their operation. That is to say that whilst there appears, in general, to be much more satisfaction than dissatisfaction with the workings of the Parish Council, the news is less good for both SLDC and Cumbria CC, with around 30% of respondents showing some discontent in each instance. However, what is much more striking – and rather less predictable – is that the proportion of 'don't knows' is significant in every single case here, ranging between a fifth and 44% of all respondents. The implications of this are quite far-reaching, and an attempt is made in the Action Plan to address – through the production of an Arnside Parish Newsletter – the problem of communicating more effectively to residents both the decisions and the deliberations of all three bodies involved. Nevertheless, it has to be acknowledged that there may be considerable numbers of people in the community whose wish to learn about what is happening at SLDC and Cumbria CC level is not particularly strong – at least until something goes badly wrong!

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D.3 Housing and Building [HB]

This is an area where there were major happenings even while the Parish Plan was being prepared. Yet, in the event, a number of factors have come together in a rather remarkable way.

It is true that more than a quarter of respondents to the survey believe that there should be no more house building of any kind in Arnside, but only a tenth or so think that no groups at all in the Parish meet the exceptional needs for 'affordable homes'. Young local families and/or those working in and around the Parish are seen as having the highest priority in this respect, whilst the needs of elderly people requiring sheltered accommodation are also acknowledged.

Fortunately, this expression of Parish opinion is almost wholly in conformity with the latest broad developments on housing policy. An extremely severe new regional policy on new housing emerged in the spring of 2003: for our particular area, it appears that there will be scarcely any new building at all for some years to come, except for 'affordable homes' – even in-filling will mostly not be accepted.

Furthermore, the Arnside-Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which for the first time has been given a formal say in planning matters and will become far more influential in this respect, is almost certain to include in its new Management Plan a similar policy: it is likely to talk of 'identifiable local needs' as being the only valid criterion for new housing – meaning first and foremost, though not exclusively, 'affordable homes'.

In short, for a period of some years to come, all of the relevant bodies – Parish, AONB, South Lakeland District Council, Cumbria County Council – look likely to be in broad harmony over building and housing policy. If the provisions of the Parish Plan concerning building and open spaces are followed – and they make reference not only to affordable homes, but also to the related matter of building for purposes of creating employment opportunities, and to an Open Spaces Strategy – then there should be few major disagreements of principle between the different levels. The main difficulty may consist, rather, in finding appropriate sites and financial arrangements for affordable housing and other desirable types of new building. But there are also issues of information/communication here, since it is vital that the current situation should be clearly understood by all in the Parish, and that the Parish itself should be fully informed of all policies and developments at higher levels. This is essential to ensure that, while minimum time is wasted on hopeless applications, residents are equally aware of the problems involved in actually achieving affordable housing and other building goals, so that no entirely impracticable hopes and expectations are entertained.

The number of respondents wishing to move within the Parish looks quite high, but it is difficult to know what to compare the figure with. There could, and perhaps should, be further analysis of the categories that the would-be movers fall into, since the result is likely to be related to other issues about housing. It is no surprise that the price of accommodation appears to be the dominant factor in this matter, but it is uncertain to what extent this bears upon what we usually mean by the matter of 'affordable homes'. (What, for example, is the significance of the fact that only 6% of those wishing to move within the Parish cite lack of Housing Association homes as a factor?)

The survey did not pursue the matter of 'second homes'. All that is known is that there were returns from 21 of what are thought to be around 110 (or some 9%) in the Parish. It is known that the current Council Tax rebate of 50% on second homes is likely to be abolished, but one can only speculate on what effect, if any, that will have on the housing market in Arnside, and there is still uncertainty regarding how much of the extra tax raised will come to SLDC, let alone to Arnside. The logic of the present situation is clearly that any such extra money should go towards the cost of providing affordable housing.

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D.4 Facilities and Spaces [FS]

From many quarters, it became clear to the Steering Group that – although some may see this as a necessary means of eradicating certain 'anti-social' practices, and others as something to be sought after for positive reasons of principle – there is a general wish in the Parish to make better provision for young people in Arnside. Definite support by a clear majority of residents has now been established for the current initiative to create a skateboarding/roller-blading/biking area on the Memorial Playing Field. This initiative is linked with the new, broader Arnside Youth Project to which the Plan gives its full and unreserved backing (more details on this scheme are available on request). Most clearly of all, residents in a ratio of more than 4:1 have said that they would support efforts to find or create premises for a Youth Centre in the Parish. In other words, as with a number of major questions in Arnside, this can now be regarded – thanks to the survey – as a matter of space and finances rather than an issue of principle.

In the time available, the Steering Group has been unable to suggest specific practicable solutions to the whole cluster of issues centrally concerning 'public' spaces and the manner of resourcing these (Library, WI/Village Hall, Educational Institute, Parish Council Office, potential Youth Centre, space for police surgeries, etc., etc.). In certain ways, some of these matters are already inter-linked: depending upon the solutions pursued, all of them may or may not become even more closely inter-related.

The whole tangle might have been unpicked, had significant space for use by the community of Arnside become available in the house of Ashmeadow – which is what residents have hoped for and expected for some years. For some time this outcome has seemed unlikely in the extreme, although the very latest developments may open up that possibility once more. The 'Friends of Ashmeadow' continue to strive for arrangements whereby the building and grounds will be used in some sense to the permanent benefit of the community of Arnside. They deserve the support of all residents in this aim. In recent years, Ashmeadow woodlands have been opened up to the public by the Trustees, who also deserve full backing by everyone in their aim to maintain this state of affairs in perpetuity. No firm arrangement has yet been entered into for the sale of the house. The hope has long been that any sale would result in a use of the premises that is of some direct benefit to the community and that the sale itself would produce certain sums of money available for community purposes. Major factors like the recent stock-market slump and United Utilities' wish to use part of the Ashmeadow grounds as part of a new sewerage scheme have complicated matters greatly. Until very recently it seemed that there was little that residents could do directly about the situation.

In the absence of extra community space in Ashmeadow House, the possibilities seem to be: (i) some sort of space-exchanging scheme; (ii) existing space somewhere else in the Parish becoming newly available to residents; (iii) a new community building of some kind. The first would probably solve nothing in itself, since additional space is required, but neither the second or third possibility is out of the question. If, in the case of the second, it were to be a matter of renting extra space (which seems almost certain to be so), part of the solution to financing this could conceivably be, in the long run, the use for this purpose of moneys from the sale of Ashmeadow.

If, on the other hand, the best solution is thought to be a new community building of some description, then in addition to finding a location, the Parish has the problem of raising the money. This is by no means impossible. There is a great deal of money available, in a variety of funds, for community purposes, and a significant number of parishes are already benefiting from the opportunities provided. Askam and Ireleth Parish is reported to have attracted £1 million in connection with a first parish plan, and now to be seeking a further £2 million for a second plan. Although it would not be appropriate to speak of the 'regeneration' of Arnside in precisely the same sense, a strong bid could legitimately be based partly on the undoubted need for workspaces and more employment opportunities in the Parish. Survey results clearly indicate support for such a claim: what remains to be seen is whether the required number of competent individuals come forward to invest the considerable time, effort and energy required in such a major project. The Parish Plan can do no more than point the way to this possibility by facilitating the establishment of a Parish Plan Management Group and by recommending that this group enter into partnership with all appropriate bodies (including, of course, the Parish Council), as well as drawing into its work the most skilled and committed members of the community.

A new community building would probably also require the involvement of at least one 'major player'. One reason to believe that Cumbria County Council might fulfil this role is the fact that Cumbria Library Services are known to be seeking to re-locate Arnside Library. It is more than speculation to suggest that, given the current difficulties of access and its awkward location, a significant number of non-users would begin using a Library with better access and on a level spot. If a suitable location can be found, therefore, one might envisage a new building financed partly by Cumbria County Council and partly from various funds tapped into by a group of energetic Arnside residents, working in conjunction with the Parish Council. Some combination of the following – in addition to the Library – might be housed in such a building:- workspaces, information centre, Parish Council office, youth centre, crèche/facilities for younger children, computer suite/IT centre, heritage displays, space for police surgeries, etc. (Needless to say, if Ashmeadow House were for some reason to become fully available to the Parish, a similar range of facilities might be provided by refurbishment rather than construction from scratch – money for this could be bid for from the same sources.)

A 'new' community building, however, would be by no means the end of the story concerning facilities and spaces in the Parish. Both the WI/Village Hall and the Educational Institute – to which such a building would be designed to be complementary – are very heavily used 'public' spaces and it is nearly impossible to conceive circumstances in which this would cease to be the case. Modifications, renovations, improvements are planned and in some measure in hand in both cases. And thanks to a legacy, financial resources for certain types of future development are available to the Educational Institute. The Steering Group came to feel, however, that collaboration between the two committees responsible for the buildings could and should be extended, so that, in some sense, Arnside residents might see them together when certain questions of space and location arise. It is no criticism of either institution to say that there is some uncertainty – even confusion – in the Parish concerning the precise status and function of both. Debates about whether, or to what extent, the WI Hall is 'really' a 'village' hall are intense and this seems to have implications for the response of residents when – as is currently the case – the Hall is in need of resources. The matter of the extent to which the Educational Institute is 'really' an 'educational' institute may seem to be less important, but it does, in turn, have consequences for the Institute itself, which is currently being obliged to revise its constitution. Following its principle of leaving well alone, the Steering Group has no wish to interfere, let alone to undermine the excellent services that both bodies give to the Parish. But it stands by the point that greater clarity – possibly even greater transparency – regarding roles, as well as more extensive collaboration between the two, could only add to the benefit they bring to the Parish. Nor are they entirely unique in this respect: there are moments when uncertainties concerning the situation/status/role of certain other organisations using important space in the Parish come to the surface. It is always desirable that such uncertainties should be brought into the open and that as many residents as are interested should be given an opportunity to have an input into any discussions.

A final aspect of public spaces and facilities in the Parish is the existence of certain buildings that are unused, scarcely used, and/or to one degree or another dilapidated. With one exception, these are privately owned, so that informal enquiries about any possibilities of Parish use constitute the only proper way forward. Residents are strongly in favour of having such approaches made. Needless to say, if there were to be success of some kind in even just one case, it could open up a whole new dimension to Parish life (for instance, via the creation of an information centre, or a heritage centre), or it might help significantly with the problems outlined above, without closing down other options.

The Cemetery Chapel at the top of Silverdale Road is in Parish Council hands, so that the route to action is much more direct here and the expectations of a speedy outcome much higher. In a ratio of more than 6:1 residents want the Chapel to be brought into suitable additional use for the Parish. Indeed, the first steps in this connection have already been taken: an Open Afternoon has been held in the Chapel (with music and displays), to give residents a chance to see inside and make additional suggestions for the building's use. Since the Chapel is situated inside the cemetery, there are obvious limits to appropriate uses. Moreover, the building is relatively small and currently lacking in either electricity or running water. It may not be able, therefore, to make any significant contribution to the solution of the space problems mentioned, but it could already be used in imaginative ways on summer afternoons and evenings, thereby adding something quite distinctive to life in Arnside. Moreover, with an established strategy for its development, money could be raised to provide facilities in the Chapel that would extend the range of its possible use.

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D.5 Business and Tourism [BT]

The answers to some of the questions in the 'Employment' section of the survey produce sets of facts and figures that provide useful background to a number of issues (like transport, in the case of travel-to-work patterns). But in other cases, although the numbers involved may be small – for instance, of those seeking work, or seeking to set up a business – it is arguable that they are disproportionately important, in that this is precisely where action is unmistakably required and might be particularly effective. In this sense, question 24 is of special significance. In a community where more than half of the people seem to be retired, it is very striking that 50% of respondents should support the establishing of craft workshops to create new work-opportunities; and, in a community where at least 40% are over 60, equally striking that 35% should support an Information Technology Centre for the same purpose. The Action Plan makes suggestions for tackling these issues directly, and they may be regarded as a good deal more appropriate to a 'Vital Villages' scheme than many others.

To highlight the need for new employment opportunities in the Parish is entirely compatible with also looking at matters from the 'consumer's' viewpoint, and the survey has provided not only information about the shopping patterns of Arnsiders that will be useful in a number of different ways, but also insight into the perceived – and doubtless in most cases very real – needs with regard to shops and other services. The Action Plan has constructive and practical ideas concerning how certain gaps might be filled. It also indicates how the Parish might go as far as it is possible to go in connection with retaining 'essential' shops and services – an area where it is extremely difficult to counter brute 'market forces'.

This is bound up with the open question – already raised – of the extent to which visitors/tourists help to keep alive certain shops and businesses in the village that are of clear benefit to residents. At the moment, it is simply not clear whether the 62% of respondents who believe that they do not benefit at all from local tourism are right. But, in any case, answers to that particular question provide a pointer to attitudes rather than a guide to action, indicating that proposals to increase tourism – which could very easily be devised – might, for many, be vulnerable to the objection that this would bring no advantage to residents. On the other hand, although it should not be ignored that more than a fifth of respondents believe that there should be no tourist literature at all about the Parish, more than two-thirds of respondents (792 out of 1160) think there should be 'tourist literature encouraging visitors to Arnside'; and, interestingly, more than half of respondents believe that such visitors should be encouraged to stay overnight or longer. There are difficult, delicate and in some ways crucial questions here: anyone who believes that it would have been possible to get to the bottom of them in the time available, let alone arrive at any kind of Parish consensus, is probably underestimating the complexities.

All in all, there is little sign that the present level of tourism in itself is causing great concern in Arnside, some suggestion that it would help if fewer visitors came by car and by coach, and probably a feeling that more of the present number might stay overnight or longer. It is certainly known that some traders are bothered that the numbers of visitors coming for Cross-Bay walks bring little business into the village; and that many believe that the number of parking-places tied up as a result is a significant problem. The Action Plan focuses on the fact that there is a great need for more hard information in this whole area, and that the survey has provided a clearer insight than has previously been available into certain 'appropriate' and 'inappropriate' aspects of tourism in Arnside.

In connection with the means of transport to be encouraged/discouraged, as well as in some other respects, there are clear indications that environmental considerations are important to most residents' view of tourism. The importance of the countryside both inside and around the Parish is unmistakably at least as great to residents as it is to visitors. This (together with the answers to question 33) shows that it is very much in the interests of all in Arnside to uphold and strongly support the function and activities of the AONB Office. This Office, unlike the Parish itself, has influence over the fate of the countryside immediately surrounding Arnside. It can also be expected to lead the debate about the 'sustainability' of tourism in its Area. This could be crucial to a Parish visited, not, for the most part, for its historical heritage, but primarily for its physical situation and setting.

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D.6 Traffic, Parking and Transport [TPT]

If there is one single area in which there appears to be universal agreement on the need for some action, it is that of Traffic, Parking and Transport. Even in relation to means of transport other than private cars – where the Parish has relatively little control, and changes often take some time – there is a definite urgency about devising and carrying out particular measures. For the first time thanks to the survey, some systematic information is now available about residents' perceived dependency on particular modes of transport. Hence, with 44% of all respondents claiming to be dependent upon railway services, current reports concerning possible closure of passenger services along the Furness Line need to be taken with the utmost seriousness. To the extent that they prove to have any foundation, steps may need to be taken immediately to avoid what could be a disastrous development for Arnside. And although the problems of lack of information/lack of other facilities at the station and of difficult access to station platforms – primarily, but by no means only, for the disabled – have been with us for a long time, they, too, need to be tackled as extremely high priorities.

Also for the first time, the survey gives some indication of what it would take to encourage residents to use bus and train services more (rather than their cars). This will be of assistance as the Parish seeks greater co-ordination and integration of different transport systems, although there are obvious limits to what can be achieved by the Parish alone. Here, as in a number of areas, it is of the utmost importance that Arnside should look for common ground with, and try to make common cause with, surrounding parishes and the AONB Office; and that it should endeavour to work in close co-operation or partnership with outside bodies like FLAG, Carnforth Connect, the Countryside Agency (which has rural transport schemes), etc.

The Action Plan has proposals in all of these areas. But it has no magic – or even simple, direct – solutions to offer. The Parish as a whole, let alone the Parish Council, can do very little that is immediately effective in relation to train and bus services, or station facilities. Representations can, of course, be made, and regularly are, but action always involves contacting other bodies and this sometimes works and often does not. Those respondents to the questionnaire who believe that simple solutions are available failed to convince the Steering Group: they will have further chances to persuade the relevant Action Group and others in the Parish as the Plan is put into effect. More generally, perhaps on these matters in particular there is a strong onus on all Arnside residents to watch developments very closely, to digest all of the information available (which will be more extensive, if the provisions of the Action Plan are carried out), and to be pro-active rather than complaining after the event: it is well known that County Councillors and MPs rarely fail to respond to a decent volume of messages from their constituents on a given matter.

The obviously inter-related issues of traffic-circulation and parking in the Parish are also multi-layered, and a good deal more complex than many in Arnside recognise. How many of the more simplistic 'solutions' envisaged by some are seriously undermined, for example, by the following facts?

(a) Station Yard is privately owned and it is currently believed that a Compulsory Purchase Order for purposes of creating a car park is not a possibility.

(b) The foreshore area next to the viaduct is not recognised as a car park by SLDC, which some years ago threatened legal action against the Parish Council for attempting to improve the surface.

(c) Station Field is privately owned, so that even 'biting into' it for purposes of a lay-by would involve the purchase of land which the owner might or not be willing to sell.

(d) Such matters as double yellow lines, restricted-time parking, payment for on-street parking, residents' parking permits, etc. are all governed by Traffic Regulation Orders. These can be issued only by Cumbria County Council. Requests for changes to TROs can be rejected, and their implementation can be very greatly delayed. (The substance of the response to a recent, straightforward request by the Parish Council for the extension of current Monday-to-Saturday parking restrictions to Sunday too was that Cumbria CC may or may not be able to do this, eventually, depending upon whether they have the required resources.)

(e) Only some – not all – of the residents currently parking their cars on the road next to their homes have off-road parking available.

The purpose of listing these facts is not to argue that nothing can be done – all of the above issues are in fact addressed in the Action Plan. It is to emphasise, once more, to residents that there are no one-step, non-controversial, instant solutions to these problems. Why would they not already have been adopted, if there were?

On parking specifically, the results from question 55 of the survey do not suggest that there are major problems relating to residents parking their own cars as they move about the Parish, although the 'seasonal' element stressed might point, eventually, to differential arrangements for parking according to the time of year. Question 56 was an attempt to inject some realism into requests for more off-street parking. Since fewer than half of all respondents are willing to pay for this and nearly a third are not, no initiative of this kind requiring extra expenditure for residents could be justified as part of the Plan. Of course, a certain reading of the answers, as well as common sense, suggests that appropriately-located extra off-street parking without extra cost to residents might be generally supported.

No one disputes that on certain days of the year (involving, for instance, Bank Holidays, particularly good weather, car-boot sales, Cross-Bay walks) the influx of visitors' cars into Arnside causes major problems. Everything possible should be done to avoid the unacceptable consequences that sometimes result (no access for emergency vehicles, residents unable to drive onto their own property or conduct their regular business). But such cases are exceptional: it is more difficult to know exactly how much inconvenience, if any, is caused to residents by visitors' cars on a 'regular' Saturday or Sunday (or weekdays) in the summer. It is equally difficult to quantify the ill-effects of the fact that the unrestricted parking spaces along the Western Promenade are often occupied for most of the day by a single vehicle (in the case, for example, of Cross-Bay walkers, country walkers, and fishermen). Before solutions can be proposed that reconcile the different interests involved, the Parish needs more information. In these cases, as in the whole area of traffic and parking, a better understanding of the situation should come after at least one survey has been conducted. There is emphasis on this in the Action Plan.

It is arguable that the most urgent problem of all those relating to traffic and parking is one that has become of increasing concern to residents over the past 18 months or so and is now, legitimately, a very considerable worry. That is, the dangers caused by on-street parking on certain specific stretches of road in the Parish (outstandingly, perhaps, particular parts of Silverdale Road, Station Road, Black Dyke Road, Redhills Road). Wherever such parking reduces two lanes to one, there is a potential danger. Where the line of parked vehicles is a long one, this will at least increase the irritation caused and the chance of incidents of one kind or another: where the parking is on or close to a corner or junction, the danger of a major accident is considerably greater. For a number of reasons already touched on, it will not be at all easy to solve these problems. A survey may help us towards an understanding of the extent to which they are bound up with the number of visitors to Arnside, but questions 53 and 54 of the questionnaire were virtually the first formal steps towards addressing a matter that has somehow recently come to overtake in urgency most other parking matters. It is really quite remarkable that 17% of all responding residents (i.e. 202 individuals) know that their on-street parking makes things more difficult for other road-users. When one remembers that questionnaire-returns cover only rather more than half of the Arnside population, the figure is almost difficult to believe. But at the same time the severity of this problem is undeniable: it is undoubtedly the very worst aspect of Arnside's current parking problems. It is so serious that it could, in due course, cause many people in the Parish to re-consider any objections they have to a one-way system. The scope for other solutions is limited by various factors, although on an ad hoc, place-by-place basis it might be possible to bring about crucial improvements. A rather surprisingly small proportion of respondents answered a question about other road safety measures (question 66), but the Action Plan's proposal to identify 'black spots' in the Parish may eventually result in 20mph speed-limit zones, more parking restrictions and speed bumps all being recommended at different points.

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D.7 Education and Communication [EC]

Survey questions in this area produced answers that have allowed the Steering Group to make very specific and practical proposals in a number of cases (after-school clubs, holiday play-scheme, types of adult classes, etc.). Sometimes solutions are in the hands of residents themselves and sometimes it is a matter of approaching, or lobbying, other bodies.

Computer and Internet use stands at higher levels than might have been expected in Arnside, and the suggestions in the Action Plan regarding an IT Centre, Broadband, and an 'Adopt a Computer Novice' scheme aim to build on this for the future.

More generally, a whole series of measures are recommended that are designed to improve different aspects of the problem of information/communication in the Parish, from better notice-boards to a regular Newsletter. In the last case, it is particularly important that the various groups with a stake in this (one or two Action Groups, the Parish Council, etc.) should be brought together to pool ideas and resources, and to avoid duplication. The suggestion is one that bears in an especially significant way on the low level of awareness of the deliberations of local bodies mentioned above, as well as on the Parish Council's commitment to attain 'Quality Parish' status. But the implications that any new publication(s) might have for the continued existence of the estimable Broadsheet need to be borne in mind.

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D.8 Environment, Safety and Security [ESS]

In this area, the survey once more provided some results that can be used piecemeal over a considerable period of time. It is not clear how much relevance answers on Parish recycling facilities will have in the light of new refuse collection arrangements that are due to be brought in, but the numbers produced by question 39 – on environmental services – have direct and fairly straightforward implications for utilities and other service-providers beyond the Parish. In a number of cases, the figures should be drawn to the attention of the bodies concerned. This would not necessarily be for critical purposes in every instance, but where the Parish Council and others should press for improvements, the Action Plan sometimes makes particular suggestions about how these might be brought about, thereby yielding an opportunity to be specific rather than general, and to improve the chances of a positive outcome. In other cases (for example questions 35 and 36), answers will certainly provide detailed guidance for the Parish Council as it establishes its own priorities. Within the broader picture, issues like litter, dog-fouling, uneven pavements, and street-cleaning can seem trivial, yet it has emerged time and again (in Arnside, in other parishes, and in other countries) that such factors matter a great deal to residents, who regard them as important, on a day-by-day basis, to their quality of life. It is appropriate that a Parish Plan should address such questions as well as wider, weightier ones.

There appear to be no major concerns about health and welfare provision in the Parish, but the overwhelming support for all of the 'rescue' services, which are seen as absolutely essential, must be taken as a call to residents themselves to do their best to ensure that these are able to continue functioning with their present speed and efficiency.

The question in the survey about paying for a local policeman has been overtaken by events, but the Action Plan suggests that the promises made in conjunction with a huge rise in the police element in Council Tax for 2003-04 should be very carefully monitored over a four-year period. The results from question 62 (83% of respondents feel safe and secure in Arnside) and question 67 (70% believe that a greater/more frequent police presence in the Parish is required) should not be regarded as contradictory: among other things, they probably point strongly to concerns about vandalism in the Parish, which is a particularly live issue at the moment. The Action Plan suggests that particular initiatives by the Police (like the current COPS) should be strong supported; it also has other recommendations concerning a continuing search for practical ways in which the Police might improve their service to the local community.

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E. Action Plan

E.1 List of Aims and Actions

ACTION PLAN

Planning [P]

Aim P1 : To bring into being a Parish Plan Management Group (PPMG) which – entering into Partnerships with other bodies, as appropriate – will ensure that :

(i) the recommendations in the Parish Plan are pursued;

(ii) the Plan is reviewed at appropriate intervals and modified, as necessary, in the light of changing circumstances;

(iii) consideration is given to extending its scope beyond 5 years.

Action P1.1 (by Steering Group): set up a meeting, open to all Parish residents, at which the Parish Plan will be officially 'launched' and the Parish Plan Management Group brought into being.

General [G]

Aim G1 : To improve the flow of general information about Arnside within the Parish, and to raise awareness of facts and figures relating to its position/status.

Action G1.1 (by Steering Group): ask the Parish Council to ensure that all information relevant to Arnside and South Lakeland is extracted from the 2001 UK Census, and made available within the Parish in all appropriate ways.

Aim G2 : To situate Arnside's Parish Plan in relation to other relevant plans and react accordingly (making common cause; acting jointly - e.g. on some funding applications; resolving conflicts, etc.).

Action G2.1 (by plan management group): scrutinise nearby Parish Plans, new AONB Plan, SLDC Local Plan, Cumbria CC Structure Plan, etc., and cause action to be taken, as appropriate (the Joint Parishes Committee can be used for these purposes, in the case of parishes within the AONB).

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Housing/Building [HB]

Aim HB1 : To conserve the open spaces in the Parish.

Action HB1.1 (by Housing Group): begin devising and formulating a Parish Open Spaces Strategy which will identify the open spaces that should be conserved and describe their value to the community. Notes towards this to be passed on to the Parish Council.

Action HB1.2 (by Housing Group): monitor the production, implementation and review of Cumbria County Council’s Structure Plan, South Lakeland District Council’s Local Plans and the AONB’s Management Plan, acting to ensure they take account of the views of the Parish as expressed in the Open Spaces Strategy.

Aim HB2 : To ensure that housing development within the Parish over the next five years strongly favours (i) ‘affordable housing’ for young, working, local people; and (ii) sheltered accommodation for older people – the higher priority being given to (i).

Action HB2.1 (by Housing Group): gather and make widely available information on ‘affordable housing’ and local housing needs.

Action HB2.2 (by Housing Group): monitor the production, implementation and review of local authority plans and South Lakeland District Council’s Housing Strategy, acting to ensure they take account of the aims of the Parish as expressed in HB2.

Aim HB3 : To consider the desirability of having a Design Guide for the Parish, to guide bodies making judgements and decisions on building applications in relation to the appearance of new buildings, materials used etc.

Action HB3.1 (by Housing Group): assess the viability and need for such a Guide and identify the people/bodies who might take on the task of its preparation, and, if appropriate, pass on a recommendation to the Parish Council.

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Facilities and Spaces [FS]

Aim FS1 : To bring the Cemetery Chapel into additional Parish use.

Action FS1.1 (by Steering Group): recommend that the Parish Council establish a Cemetery Chapel Advisory Group (members not confined to Parish Councillors) and put before it the suggestions that emerge concerning its use.

Aim FS2 : To investigate ways in which certain unused / scarcely-used / dilapidated buildings in the Parish might be brought into general Parish use.

Action FS2.1 (by Steering Group): recommend that the Parish Council form a small group (members not confined to Parish Councillors) to look into the ownership of such buildings and approach the owners informally.

Aim FS3 : To support the Arnside Youth Project in its current and projected activities.

Action FS3.1 (by all residents and relevant Parish groups): keep themselves informed of the activities of the Youth Project, and give support, in terms of finance and manpower, wherever possible.

Aim FS4 : To support the current initiative to create a skateboard / roller-blading / biking area on the Memorial Playing Field.

Action FS4.1 (by all residents and relevant Parish groups): keep themselves informed (through Parish Council minutes, circulars and other forms of publicity) of the state of play of this initiative, and give support, in terms of finance and manpower, wherever possible.

Aim FS5 : To investigate possibilities for a Youth Centre in the Parish.

Action FS5.1 (by Steering Group): draw the Parish Council's particular attention to the established strong support for 'efforts to find or create premises for a Youth Centre in the Parish', and recommend that the Council formally adopt, before the end of 2003, an appropriate means of searching for premises and driving this project forward.

Aim FS6 : To ensure that Ashmeadow Grounds and Woodlands remain permanently open to all residents of the Parish.

Action FS6.1 (by all residents and relevant parish groups):

keep themselves informed of all developments relating to Ashmeadow, and support in every possible way both the Trustees in their policy to keep the woodlands open to residents, and the 'Friends of Ashmeadow' in their determination that the building and grounds should be used to the permanent benefit of the community of Arnside.

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Business and Tourism [BT]

Aim BT1 : To establish a multi-purpose Arnside Information Centre, to serve both the community and visitors and provide a base for organisations offering 'outreach' advice to residents.

Action BT1.1 (by Steering Group ): ask the Parish Council, as a top priority, to make contact with potential partners, with a view to establishing the responsibilities, opportunities and resource implications relating to this initiative, which is eminently consistent with the wish to attain 'Quality Parish' status.

Aim BT2 : To investigate the feasibility of providing workspaces / small-scale employment units in the Parish (craft workshops, IT centre, Studio Offices), to create new work-opportunities for residents and space for those seeking to become self-employed.

Action BT2.1 (by Business/Tourism Group ): approach the Parish Council and all potential partners, with a view to establishing the responsibilites, opportunities, and resource implications relating to this initiative.

Aim BT3 : To establish an Enterprise Advice and Information Service within the Parish, to arrange for information from various agencies to be available, and organise informal Enterprise Evenings.

Action BT3.1 (by Business/tourism Group ): approach the relevant bodies for help, and take the initiative in this.

Aim BT4 : To obtain and disseminate information about tourism in the Parish and for visitors to the Parish.

Action BT4.1 (by Steering Group ): ask the Parish Council to obtain and disseminate in the Parish the results of the AONB Office's Visitor Survey as soon as these are available.

Action BT4.2 (by Business/Tourism Group ): improve information available on sustainable transport options (via website, and through tourist literature before visitors arrive).

Aim BT5 : To encourage appropriate tourism in the Parish, particularly overnight stays and environmentally-friendly activities.

Action BT5.1 (by Business/Tourism Group): with the 2004 season in view, research local accommodation provision (bedspaces) and occupancy levels throughout the year, as a first step to finding ways to encourage appropriate tourism.

Aim BT6 : To investigate the feasibility of a regular 'indoor market', to provide some of the commodities highlighted in the survey as being in demand but currently unavailable in the village (e.g. haberdashery, ironmongery, DIY equipment, needlecraft, pet supplies, etc.).

Action BT6.1 (by Business/Tourism Group): approach the two local Women's Institutes, to ask them to consider taking this on (say, once a month, in the WI Hall) as a joint initiative.

Aim BT7 : To investigate the feasibility of setting up Veterinary Clinic Sessions on an outreach basis for non-urgent, booked appointments (e.g. booster inoculations, worming, teeth-cleaning, micro-chipping).

Action BT7.1 (by Business/Tourism Group – or a newly-formed group): ascertain how many clients from Arnside are currently on the books of local vets (Milnthorpe, Carnforth) and to establish which practice(s) might be willing to hold such clinics.

Aim BT8 : To set up a 'consumer' group to act in the interests of the Parish as a whole in connection with shops and services.

Action BT8.1 (by Business/Tourism Group): facilitate the creation of an independent 'consumer' group in Arnside, the functions of which would be (in the light of answers to Q25, Q26, Q27, Q28, Q39 of the survey): (i) to monitor the range of shops and services available in the Parish and act quickly when there is risk of a significant loss; (ii) to encourage residents to adopt buying patterns that increase the chances of retaining outlets in Arnside ('Use it or Lose it'); (iii) to look into the possibilities of remedying any deficiencies in the array of trades available; (iv) to work with the Parish Council in attempts to maintain/improve the quality of utilities and environmental services provided in the Parish.

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Traffic, Parking and Transport [TPT]

Aim TPT1 : To ensure that the views of all residents on traffic, transport and parking matters in the Parish are regularly canvassed and presented to Parish Council as well as to other relevant bodies, and to try to ensure that these views are acted upon.

Actions TPT1.1 – TPT1.14 (by traffic/Transport group):

Speeding

TPT1.1: as a top priority, identify speeding 'black spots' in the Parish and pass on this information as appropriate.

Pavements

TPT1.2: seek proposals concerning places in the Parish where new footways/pavements are required for road safety purposes and pass on these proposals to the appropriate bodies.

TROs

TPT1.3: find and use means of increasing awareness of Traffic Regulation Orders in the Parish, and ways of ensuring that they are properly enforced.

Parking

TPT1.4: find and use all means of encouraging residents always to park off-road at home, wherever this is possible.

TPT1.5: ask Parish Council to write to proprietors of hotels and boarding-houses in the Parish to request that they strongly urge their guests to park, wherever possible, within the limits of the property and use all of the parking spaces therein.

TPT1.6: look into the possibilities and implications of: (a) imposing a limited set-down and pick-up time for coaches on the Promenade (and finding an area for their parking in between); (b) imposing peak-time restrictions on delivery vehicles in the village, and make recommendations to the Parish Council, as appropriate.

TPT1.7: look into the possibilities and implications of 'Pay and Display' parking on the West Promenade and make a recommendation to the Parish Council, as appropriate.

TPT1.8: ask Parish Council, as a matter of routine, to seek special arrangements for parking on days when particular congestion is expected (e.g. days of Cross-Bay Walks and Car Boot Sales, certain Bank Holidays, etc.) – these to include requesting the presence of parking wardens on the day and asking the police to place cones on certain stretches of road.

Buses

TPT1.9: conduct/find a way of having conducted a survey of the use of service buses to and from the Parish in relation to routes, links, times, frequencies, and make appropriate recommendations to the relevant bodies (taking account also of answers to Q51 of the survey).

TPT1.10: ensure that recommendations under TPT1.9 take account of, and are consistent with, whatever emerges from the Rural Transport Partnership already being worked on.

Trains

TPT1.11: in the light of answers to Q50 of the survey (44% of all respondents consider themselves dependent upon the railway), act vigorously – through FLAG, by other routes, and by encouraging all residents to be involved – to ensure that it is recognised that the continuing existence of a passenger service on the Furness Line is absolutely vital to Arnside, and that this is precisely in conformity with national policies for rural transport, as well as with the Cumbria County Council Structure Plan.

TPT1.12: in conjunction with FLAG, and taking account of answers to Q52 of the survey, ensure that everything possible is being done: (a) to improve railway information systems, timetables, and reliability of services; (b) to keep prices down.

Integration/Co-ordination

TPT1.13: support in every way current efforts to co-ordinate and integrate different transport systems in the area; consider ways in which such co-ordination might be brought about in the Parish itself and make appropriate recommendations.

Travel Vouchers

TPT1.14: make direct representations and vigorously support all efforts being made by individuals and groups to ensure that the SLDC travel-voucher scheme takes a form appropriate to the people of Arnside.

Aim TPT2 : To have a traffic and parking survey carried out in Arnside.

Action TPT2.1 (by Steering Group): ask Parish Council, with the weight of opinions expressed in the questionnaire results behind it, to press Cumbria County Council to complete their traffic/parking survey by the promised date ('in 2003').

Action TPT2.2 (conditional) (by Steering Group) ask Parish Council, if the Cumbria County Council survey is not completed by that date, to examine ways of financing an independent ROSPA survey.

Action TPT2.3 (by Steering Group) ask Parish Council to consult the Traffic/Transport Group before implementing the results of any survey.

Aim TPT3 : Since parking has taken place on a demarcated area of the foreshore next to the viaduct for many years, and since there is no indication that any official body wishes to prevent this, to seek to maximise and optimise the use of this area for parking purposes.

Action TPT3.1 (by Steering Group): ask the Parish Council to seek ways of sensitively re-opening negotiations with bodies that have resisted changes to this area in the past, with a view to improving its surface and thereby encouraging parking there by some of the vehicles currently parking elsewhere (e.g. Station Road).

Aim TPT4 : In the light of great – and growing – concern, to ensure that everything possible is done to tackle the problem of parking on Station Road, as the highest of priorities.

Action TPT4.1 (by all residents and relevant Parish Groups): support current efforts being made to alleviate immediately difficulties caused by parking on Station Road.

Action TPT4.2 (by Steering Group): ask Parish Council to press, with the full weight of Parish opinion behind it, for the resolution of the matter of a car park on Station Yard – the matter to be resolved by a specified date.

Action TPT4.3 (conditional) (by Steering Group): ask Parish Council, if and when such a car park is created, to review the prevailing Traffic Regulation Orders relating to parking on Station Road and reconsider their appropriateness..

Action TPT4.4 (conditional) (by Steering Group): ask Parish Council, if by the specified date it emerges that there is no prospect of a car park on Station Yard, to present residents with a number of other options for dealing with parking for the station, and consult residents on these options.

Aim TPT5 : In the light of great – and growing – concern, to ensure, as the highest of priorities, that everything possible is done to tackle the problems of parking at all identified parking 'black spots', including Silverdale Road.

Action TPT5.1 (by Steering Group): ask Parish Council, in the light of the results of any survey carried out, to take all possible measures to decrease the dangers created by some of the parking on Silverdale Road – these measures to be carried out by a specified date.

Aim TPT6 : To seek to improve access to station platforms for the infirm, the disabled, and mothers with pushchairs.

Action TPT6.1 (by all residents and relevant parish Groups):

as the highest of priorities, agitate vigorously (by attendance at meetings, putting on agendas, writing letters, enlisting the help of public figures) for some action or plan of action on this to be evident before the end of the year.

Aim TPT7 : To seek to improve facilities at Arnside Station (shelter, toilet, telephone, information).

Action TPT7.1 (by all residents and relevant parish Groups):

agitate (by attendance at meetings, putting on agendas, writing letters) for some action or plan of action on this in the coming twelve months.

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Education and Communication [EC]

Aim EC1 : To extend and improve communication in the Parish.

Action EC1.1 (by Education/Communication Group): publicise, in alphabetical order, facilities available in the village (not organisations, but e.g. services like photocopying and their location); do this via website and either on an additional page in the Arnside Directory, if possible, or in a new newsheet-type publication, or both.

Action EC1.2 (by Steering Group): ask Parish Council to consider replacing and extending notice-boards in the village with common design sponsored by local companies or private individuals.

Action EC1.3 (by Steering Group): ask Parish Council to introduce an Arnside Parish Newsletter to inform about Parish Council and Local Government matters in easy-to-read format with opportunity for feedback (at at least a frequency consistent with an application for 'Quality Parish' status).

Action EC1.4 (by all relevant action groups): investigate whether the newsletter envisaged in E1.3 might become a full community newsletter (quarterly?), incorporating the material indicated in E1.1 and E.1.3, contributions from voluntary organisations, letters, etc., etc.

Action EC1.5 (by Education/Communication Group): investigate which village 'publications' (including Parish Council Minutes, Broadsheet, Directory, etc.) could and should be made available in the form of an audio tape for those with failing eyesight.

Action EC1.6 (by Education/Communication Group): initiate a village forum to develop closer links between organisations in the village, especially organisations providing space for community activities (with a view to more sharing of facilities) – this forum also to clarify for Arnside residents the status and functions of the Educational Institute, the WI (and Village) Hall, and certain other organisations.

Aim EC2 : To improve facilities for pre-school and school children in the village.

Action EC2.1 (by Education/Communication Group): undertake a survey of parents of pre-school children to determine demand for pre-school care and, if necessary, then: liaise with Cumbria CC to have publicity campaign to attract childminders.

Action EC2.2 (by parents and the E.I. Committee) ensure that the ‘Arnies’ after-school club starts in September 2003 and extend its remit to include a holiday play-scheme starting summer 2004.

Aim EC3 : To improve telecommunications in Arnside.

Action EC3.1 (by Education/Communication Group): organise registrations for Broadband to gain priority for Arnside in roll-out programme.

Action EC3.2 (by Education/Communication Group): organise a lobby to local MP for better TV/mobile reception.

Aim EC4 : To extend opportunities for Adult Education, improve Library facilities, and establish an IT Centre.

Action EC4.1 (by Steering Group): ask Parish Council to investigate potential locations and funding for purpose-built building(s) to accommodate a new Library and an Information and Technology Centre (either or both might be combined with space for certain other community services), and to give full support to local district and county councillors in connection with any appropriate Library re-development plan.

Action EC4.2 (by Education/Communication Group): set up an ‘Adopt a Computer Novice’ scheme – with computer-literate volunteers offering one-to-one computer and mobile phone/text messaging training.

Action EC4.3 (by Education and Communication Group): with particular reference to answers to Q18 and Q45 of the questionnaire, discuss with Dallam and Lancaster University's Department of Continuing Education, an extended choice of adult education courses in the village (probably to be held in the Educational Institute) and/or assist with transport (e.g. by minibus) to Dallam.

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Environment, Safety, and Security [ESS]

Aim ESS1 : In the light of replies to Q62 and Q67 of the survey (an overwhelming majority of respondents feel safe and secure in Arnside, but an extremely large majority believe that a greater/more frequent police presence is required), to find ways of addressing residents' concerns with regard to safety and security.

Action ESS1.1 (by all residents and relevant parish Groups): monitor closely over a four-year period the Police Authority's commitment to providing a local policeman for the Ward within four years – remembering that this was the justification for a massive rise in the Police Authority element in the Council Tax in 2003.

Action ESS1.2 (by all residents and relevant parish Groups):

give support in all respects to any initiative by the Police to tackle particular problems – initiatives like the current Community-Oriented Problem Solving (COPS).

Action ESS1.3 (by environment/safety/security Group): gather detailed information on the Community Support Officer scheme in operation elsewhere in the area and, if appropriate, recommend that the Parish Council, SLDC and any other relevant bodies press for such a scheme to be considered for implementation in Cumbria – areas to be covered by such an Officer to include: advice on home security, liaison with Neighbourhood Watch groups, safety-training for children, mediation in certain types of local disputes, and (possibly) dog-fouling.

Action ESS1.4 (by environment/safety/security Group): look into the feasibility of having an 0800 telephone number provided, available 24 hrs a day, for people to contact the Police for non-emergency matters, and make representations accordingly.

Aim ESS2 : To ensure that residents remain constantly aware of the vital nature of safety services like Air Ambulance, Coastguard, Fire Service, First Responders, Helpways, and that the high quality of these services is maintained.

Action ESS2.1 (by all residents and relevant parish Groups): give support to these services by all possible means, direct and indirect, and make sure not to obstruct their efficiency in any respect.

Action ESS2.2 (by environment/safety/security Group): find ways of regularly drawing the attention of those inside and outside the Parish to the vital work of these services, by publishing (non-confidential) figures, publicising special events, etc.

Aim ESS3 : To improve the state of roads and pavements and verges within the Parish.

Action ESS3.1 (by steering group): ask Parish Council to take careful account of the fact that a singularly small number of survey-respondents consider pavement and footpath maintenance in the Parish to be 'good', and to make or press for improvements where necessary.

Action ESS3.2 (by environment/safety/security Group): investigate the possibility of dropped kerbs, in particular locations, for users of wheelchairs, pushchairs, etc., and make recommendations to Parish Council accordingly.

Action ESS3.3 (by environment/safety/security Group): to gather detailed evidence and ask Parish Council to press for an improved street-cleaning service in the Parish, through the proper fulfilling of their contract by SLDC.

Action ESS3.4 (by environment/safety/security Group): gather detailed information on the Parish Lengthsman scheme in operation elsewhere in the area (one lengthsman shared by a number of parishes helps to maintain verges, public footpaths, etc.) and, if appropriate, find ways of pressing Cumbria CC to adopt such a scheme.

Aim ESS4 : To improve the situation with regard to litter and dog-fouling in the Parish.

Action ESS4.1 (by environment/safety/security Group): publish features in newsletters, designed to educate and persuade dog-owners; design and display appropriate posters; seek to have established a dog-park or dog-garden specifically for use by dogs and their owners (poop-scoops, bags and bins provided).

Action ESS4.2 (by environment/safety/security Group): design and display prominent posters to discourage the leaving of litter (including litter left by fishermen); arrange Community Litter Days, with fun events to attract all ages, competitions, refreshments, etc.; ask Parish Council to press for more effective management of litter bins.

Aim ESS5 : To try to have 7-day-a-week Meals on Wheels service introduced in the Parish.

Action ESS5.1 (by environment/safety/security Group): approach local government bodies, WRVS, Age Concern, etc., to examine the feasibility of such a service to cover provision of a daily hot meal and light cold meal for later (e.g. sandwiches), and make representations as appropriate.

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E.2 Flow Chart for the Action Plan

The flow chart on the following pages may be of interest to anyone seeking more information about how the actions in the Action Plan are envisaged as being carried out, but it is primarily intended as an outline for those who are directly involved in the implementation of the Parish Plan.

There are obvious respects in which the flow chart is necessarily more tentative than the Action Plan itself. Indications of the group responsible for the first move in connection with any particular suggested action (in column 2) are firm, and it is hoped that the timings of the first move to be made (column 3) will be adhered to in virtually all cases, although some of these are already a little speculative. But sheer volume of business will be a major factor here: where a group is assigned a great many actions by the Plan, it will obviously not be able to carry them all out at once, and may need to prioritise. This is especially so in the case of Arnside Parish Council, which – at a particularly busy time, after the summer 'break' – will be confronted by a very long list of requests and recommendations. All residents will hope that such situations do not lead to great delay, by the Parish Council or any other body concerned, and this is one area where the new Parish Plan Management Group will need to be vigilant. Nothing will be gained, however, by unrealistic expectations, which makes it desirable that any foreseen delays or deliberate 'slipping' of the timetable should be made known publicly.

Equally, it would be inhibiting and possibly damaging to be inflexible about which groups/bodies are expected to take up responsibility once a particular 'action' is in motion (column 5). Firstly, there are cases where it is not possible to know this, and hence draw up a definitive list before the event. Secondly, in many instances where an Action Group has a proposal put on the agenda of some other body, that body may wish to come back to the Action Group – or go to others – to have certain tasks carried out.

In these as in other respects, it is not claimed that the flow chart has the same kind of authority as the Action Plan. Actions Groups, the Parish Plan Management Group, and Arnside Parish Council should all regard it as just a broad guide, and one that may rapidly need to be refined, modified, and added to. Those residents who have been members of the Steering Group and the Task Groups will sometimes be able to supply a little more detail, if this is required, to explain the thinking behind particular actions and projections concerning the course that these actions may take.

FLOW CHART for the ACTION PLAN

[key to abbreviations: Steering Group = SG; Parish Plan Management Group = PPMG; Arnside Parish Council = APC; Housing/Building Group = HB Group; Business/Tourism Group = BT Group; Traffic/Parking/Transport Group = TPT Group; Education/Communication Group = EC Group; Environment/Safety/Security Group = ESSG Group.]

1. Action	2. By whom?	3. Timescale	4. Details/ Suggestions	>	5. Ensuing Action by whom?	6. Timescale	7. Details/ Suggestions	8. Who Monitors?
P1.1 form PPMG	Steering Group	Sept 2003	some preparation needed if PPMG is to be formed	>	PPMG		some basic terms of reference established by SG	all residents
G1.1 2001 Census	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	before end of 2003		PPMG
G2.1 other Plans - general	Parish Plan Management Group	act as drafts & plans are published		>	APC & various bodies			all residents
HB1.1 Open Spaces Strategy	Housing/ Building Group	Sept 2003	notes towards draft to be forwarded to APC	>	APC	strategy to be in place by early 2004		HB Group; PPMG
HB1.2 other Plans - open spaces	Housing/ Building Group	act as drafts & plans are published		>	APC; HB Group			PPMG
HB2.1 affordable housing	Housing/ Building Group	from Sept 2003 onwards	info and documents especially from SLDC	>	HB Group	ongoing	meetings with those with housing needs; contacts in SLDC	PPMG
HB2.2 other Plans – afford. housing	Housing/ Building Group	act as plans appear, are reviewed and implemented		>	HB Group; APC; other groups	ongoing	possible group(s) of those with housing needs	PPMG
HB3.1 possible Design Guide	Housing/ Building Group	autumn 2003 onwards	feasibility study	>	[APC]	[ongoing]	[APC submits Guide to SLDC]	PPMG; [APC]
FS1.1 Cemetery Chapel	Steering Group	Sept 2003	suggestions for extended use	>	APC; Chapel Advisory Group	ongoing	short-term actions and longer-term strategy	PPMG
FS2.1 unused buildings	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	ongoing	informal beginnings only	PPMG
FS3.1 Youth Project	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	Sept 2003 onwards	info flow vital; more volunteer help possible	>	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	ongoing	regular reports on progress at APC	PPMG
FS4.1 skateboard area	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	Sept 2003 onwards	info flow vital; involvement of more residents desirable	>	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	ongoing	regular reports on progress at APC	PPMG
FS5.1 Youth Centre	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	a search in progress in 2003	regular reports on progress at APC	PPMG
FS6.1 Ashmeadow	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	Sept 2003 onwards	info flow from Trustees and 'Friends ..' essential; UU position clarified	>	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	ongoing	different strategy acc. to whether house is sold or not	PPMG
BT1.1 Information Centre	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC; BT Group	Centre in operation by April 2004	regular interim reports on progress at APC; cf. 'Quality' status	PPMG
BT2.1 workspaces; employment units	Business/ Tourism Group	from autumn 2003 onwards	groundwork by BT Group essential	>	APC; BT Group; various bodies	new facilities available by summer/autumn 2004	feasibility work essential; regular reports on progress at APC	PPMG
BT3.1 Enterprise Help Service	Business/ Tourism Group	from autumn 2003	BT Group makes info available	>	BT Group; various bodies	evenings from early 2004 onwards	low-cost initiative	PPMG
BT4.1 AONB visitor survey	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	as soon as possible		PPMG
BT4.2 sustainable transport	Business/ Tourism Group	from late 2003		>	BT Group	for 2004 'season'		PPMG
BT5.1 appropriate tourism	Business/ Tourism Group	from late 2003		>	BT Group	for 2004 'season'		PPMG
BT6.1 possible indoor market	Business/ Tourism Group	autumn 2003	approaches to WI groups; feasibility study	>	[BT Group; WI groups]	[from late 2003 onwards]		PPMG
BT7.1 possible vet outreach	Business/ Tourism Group or other group	autumn 2003	approaches to vets; feasibility study	>	[BT Group or newly-formed group]	[from late 2003 onwards]		PPMG
BT8.1 poss. consumer group	Business/ Tourism Group	autumn 2003	(prepared) meeting ascertains viability [and sets up consumer group]	>	[Consumer Group; APC]	[from autumn 2003 onwards]		BT Group; PPMG
TPT1.1 speeding	Traffic/Parking Transport Group	end 2003		>	APC; SLDC; CCC	2004		PPMG
TPT1.2 safe pavements	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	beginning 2004		>	APC; SLDC; CCC	2004 onwards		PPMG
TPT1.3 Traffic Regul. Orders	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	autumn 2003 onwards		>	TPT Group; APC; other relevant bodies	beginning 2004 onwards		PPMG
TPT1.4 on-road parking	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	autumn 2003 onwards		>	TPT Group; APC	ongoing		PPMG
TPT1.5 hotel parking	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	late 2003		PPMG
TPT1.6 coaches, delivr. vehicles	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	autumn 2003 onwards	detailed recommendations to APC	>	APC	2004		PPMG
TPT1.7 West Prom parking	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	autumn 2003 onwards	detailed recommendations to APC	>	APC	2004		PPMG
TPT1.8 peak-day parking	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	autumn 2003 onwards		PPMG
TPT1.9 bus services	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	autumn 2003 onwards		>	TPT Group; APC; other bodies	spring 2004 onwards		PPMG
TPT1.10 Rural Transp. Partnership	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	autumn 2003 onwards	info needed from APC	>	TPT Group; APC	autumn 2003 onwards		TPT Group; PPMG
TPT1.11 Furness Line	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	Sept 2003 onwards; urgent	latest info needed at all times; should be made widely available	>	TPT Group; APC; FLAG; all residents	ongoing, as necessary		PPMG
TPT1.12 railway services, prices	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	Sept 2003 onwards		>	TPT Group; FLAG	ongoing		PPMG
TPT1.13 co-ordination of transport	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	autumn 2003 onwards	possible recommendations to APC	>	TPT Group; APC	ongoing		PPMG
TPT1.14 travel vouchers	Traffic/ Parking Transport Group	autumn 2003 onwards		>	TPT Group; relevant groups; individual residents	pressure in time to affect decisions for 2004-05		PPMG
TPT2.1 Cumbria CC traffic survey	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC; Cumbria CC	deadline for CCC survey: end 2003		PPMG
TPT2.2 ROSPA survey	[Steering Group]	[January 2004]		>	[APC]	[decision and ROSPA survey by spring 2004]		[PPMG]
TPT2.3 consult TPT Group	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	2003/2004		PPMG
TPT3.1 foreshore parking	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	ongoing	informal contacts; report in due course to APC	PPMG
TPT4.1 Station Road parking	All residents and relevant Parish groups	Sept 2003 onwards	info. needed from Cllr Stewart etc. on latest initiatives	>	All residents and relevant Parish groups; APC	ongoing	reaction to latest developments	PPMG
TPT4.2 Station Yard car park	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	deadline to be set		PPMG
TPT4.3 restrictions on Station Road	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	[APC]	[immediately after decision]	[review of TROs if car park is built]	PPMG
TPT4.4 station parking	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	[APC]	[immediately after learning]	[residents to see possible options, if no car park]	PPMG
TPT5.1 Silverdale Rd parking	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	after survey		PPMG
TPT6.1 station access	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	from Sept 2003 onwards	letters and messages to reps essential	>	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	plan of action before end 2003	publicity probably essential	PPMG
TPT7.1 station facilities	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	from Sept 2003 onwards	letters and messages to reps essential	>	All residents and relevant Parish Groups; APC	plan of action by summer 2004	monitor all developts re. future of station building	PPMG
EC1.1 info. on facilities	Education/ Communication Group	late Autumn 2003	EC Group to compile initial list for discussion	>	EC Group; website, Broadsheet, & Directory compilers	from end of 2003 onwards	need to determine whether independent of Broadsheet and Directory; who prints/delivers, etc.	PPMG
EC1.2 notice-boards	Steering Group; Education/ Communication Grp.	autumn 2003	EC Group contacts Beetham PC, & prepares report for APC	>	APC (following report from EC Group)	2004		PPMG
EC1.3 Parish Newsletter	Steering Group; Education/ Communication Group	autumn 2003	EC Group to investigate what might be included, and submit proposed format to APC	>	APC (following report from EC Group)	late 2003	first newsletter to be circulated spring 2004	PPMG
EC1.4 Parish Newsletter	All relevant Action Groups	beginning 2004	EC Group to take initiative and set up meeting with other relevant groups.	>	APC (following meeting); EC Group; PPMG	proposal to APC early 2004	PPMG to appraise response to first newsletter	PPMG
EC1.5 audio-tapes for poorly-sighted	Education/ Communication Group	from autumn 2003 onwards		>	APC and other relevant groups	2004	produce and distribute audio tapes as appropriate	PPMG
EC1.6 Village Forum	Education/ Communication Group	early 2004		>	EC Group; Village Forum	spring 2004 onwards	regular Forum meetings and action	PPMG
EC2.1 pre-school care	Education/ Communication Group	autumn 2003 onwards	survey via baby/toddler & play groups	>	EC Group; Cumbria CC	2004	establish appropriate pre-school care	PPMG
EC2.2 after-school club, holiday play-scheme	Parents and EI Committee	Aug-Sept 2003	EC Group to assist, as necessary	>	EC Group; Parents and EI Committee	summer 2004 onwards	holiday play-scheme & Arnies fully established	PPMG
EC3.1 Broadband	Education/ Communication Group	from Sept 2003	via other groups and organisations in Parish	>	EC Group; Cumbria Broadband Initiative; local MP	2004	continue pressure, as necessary	PPMG
EC3.2 TV and mobile- phone recept'n	Education/ Communication Group	autumn 2003	programme for lobby and publicity	>	local MP	2004	continue pressure, as necessary	PPMG
EC4.1 new Library and IT building	Steering Group	autumn 2003	status document provided by EC Group, to promote discussion	>	APC; District and County Councillors	from autumn 2003 onwards	continue pressure, as necessary	PPMG
EC4.2 Computer Novice Scheme	Education/ Communication Group	autumn 2003 or January 2004	EC Group to prepare action plan, find co-ordinator and organise volunteers	>	EC Group; scheme co-ordinator; volunteers	ongoing	amend scheme according to user needs	PPMG
EC4.3 Adult Ed. courses	Education/ Communication Group	autumn 2003	EC Group to initiate discussions with University, Dallam, EI.	>	EC Group; Univ., Dallam, EI	ongoing	volunteers for assistance with transport may be required	PPMG
ESS1.1 local policeman	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	autumn 2003-summer 2007		>	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	autumn 2003-summer 2007	accept no excuses	PPMG
ESS1.2 'COPS' initiative, etc.	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	Sept 2003 onwards		>	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	Sept 2003 onwards	monitor effectiveness of particular initiatives	PPMG
ESS1.3 Community Support Officer	Environment/ Safety/ Security Group	autumn 2003 onwards	prepare to make recommendations	>	APC; SLDC; CCC; other relevant bodies	decision and implementation as soon as possible		PPMG
ESS1.4 extra police phone contact	Environment/ Safety/ Security Group	autumn 2003 onwards	feasibility study	>	[APC; Police; CCC]	[decision and implementation a.s.a.p.]		PPMG
ESS2.1 rescue services	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	Sept 2003 onwards		>	All residents and relevant Parish Groups	ongoing		PPMG
ESS2.2 rescue services	Environment/ Safety/ Security Group	Sept 2003 onwards		>	ESS Group	ongoing	publish figures; publicise/organise special events	PPMG
ESS3.1 pavement, path maintenance	Steering Group	Sept 2003		>	APC	autumn 2003 onwards		PPMG
ESS3.2 dropped kerbs	Environment/ Safety/ Security Group	autumn 2003	prepare recommendations for APC	>	APC	pressure from end 2003 onwards		PPMG
ESS3.3 street-cleaning	Environment/ Safety/ Security Group	autumn 2003	prepare evidence for APC	>	APC; SLDC	pressure from early 2004 on		PPMG
ESS3.4 lengthsman scheme	Environment/ Safety/ Security Group	autumn 2003	prepare recommendation for APC	>	[APC; CCC]	[if appropriate, pressure from early 2004 on]		PPMG
ESS4.1 dog-fouling	Environment/ Safety/ Security Group	autumn 2003 onwards	publications, posters; recommendation re. dog-park	>	ESS Group; APC	end 2003 onwards		PPMG
ESS4.2 litter	Environment/ Safety/ Security Group	Sept 2003 onwards	posters, Litter Days	>	ESS Group; APC	autumn 2003 onwards		PPMG
ESS5.1 Meals on Wheels	Environment/ Safety/ Security Group	autumn 2003	feasibility study	>	[local bodies, WRVS, Age Concern]	[end 2003 onwards]		PPMG

F. Benefits and Limitations of the Parish Plan: the Future of Arnside

F.1 As anticipated from the first, many benefits have already accrued to the Parish from the very preparation of the Parish Plan – in a sense regardless of the content of the Plan itself :-

· Facilities acquired specifically in order to complete the various phases of the planning process - for instance, a photocopier, an overhead projector, a new website - will be available from the autumn onwards for the use of residents of the Parish, under the general supervision of the Parish Council.

· Certain new initiatives that have been taken in the Parish over the past months are not unrelated to preparation of the Plan; for example, the plan to create a skateboarding/roller-blading/biking area on the Parish’s Memorial Field and to link this initiative with the pre-existing Arnside Youth Project was set in motion on the occasion of the Parish Plan Open Day organised in November 2002.

· Over 30 individuals in the Parish have been directly involved in the work of either the Parish Plan Steering Group or the Task Groups that it set up in May 2003 (more came forward to join Action Groups at the public event of 21 June). Others still have participated in aspects of the process like delivering leaflets, preparing and displaying posters, etc. Not only is such participation a good thing in its own right, it also augurs well for future co-operation in the carrying out of the Plan.

· This is just a particularly tangible manifestation of the fact many people in the Parish have begun thinking about its nature and its future in a way that would not have come about had a Plan not been in preparation.

· Along the way to the Plan itself, the Steering Group has produced documents and computer files that can be of use in the Parish for some little time to come, especially those relating to the questionnaire, which constituted the most extensive survey of Parish opinion carried out in living memory. Further scrutiny of these at any future stage could prove productive in a number of ways.

F.2 Under the terms of the 'Vital Villages' scheme, the Steering Group enjoyed extremely wide freedom in deciding what form the final Parish Plan should take. As explained above, the Group thought it crucial, from the beginning, not just to carry out an extensive survey of Parish opinion, but also to use the results of that survey as the framework of the Action Plan. Moreover, at the public occasion on 21 June, 2003, as well as elsewhere, a draft of the Action Plan itself was made available to all Parish residents, whose comments on it have been fully taken into account. For most people, the Action Plan will constitute the core of the Parish Plan, being the section of it that can actually be put into effect and achieve – directly and indirectly – certain concrete, practical results. The material surrounding the Action Plan will be seen by many as secondary. It is certainly largely intended to be considered as leading up to, and setting into context, the Action Plan proper. But it also explains in some detail what the Steering Group, in the light of all of the information and opinion gathered, regards as the current state of the Parish, as well as tracing in various directions some of the implications of the actions proposed. Providing an opportunity for all residents to vet a draft of this Parish Plan in its entirety was not possible, but anything in the text that may come to be regarded as controversial should be seen in relation to an Action Plan that everyone has had an opportunity to scrutinise and comment on.

F.3 Inevitably, developments and changes took place during the twelve months or so of the planning process. In some cases, even the February 2003 survey was overtaken by events in a way that undermined certain specific questions (e.g. local policing, recycling). But, equally, the Steering Group was often able to react to quickly-changing circumstances, by incorporating elements into the Action Plan that constituted a response to the latest factors or worries (e.g. recent reports on the future of local rail services).

F.4 There can be no legitimate disappointment that the Parish Plan is not more radical. From early on – certainly after the Open Day in November 2002 – it never seemed likely that the view of Parish residents would be that great changes are needed in Arnside. The survey results confirm this (answers to question 7 in particular). What is more, it gradually emerged that it would not be possible to make, in the Plan, specific, practical recommendations concerning some dramatic, large-scale new project for Arnside. Most projects of this kind suggested in the survey (marina, restaurant on stilts, pleasure boats, footway over the viaduct …) are either not practicable or cannot be assumed to command sufficient support within the Parish. Nevertheless, far from ruling out certain major new projects at some future date, the Plan itself may promote discussions and consultations that eventually lead to such a result. If the right opportunities present themselves, for example, the survey and the Action Plan could lead stage by stage to a new community building of some kind, as envisaged under Facilities and Spaces above.

F.5 If the Parish Plan has its limitations, it also doubtless has its faults. Hard as the Steering Group has tried to take the known opinions of residents as the essential guide, the Plan might have come out differently if produced by a different group of individuals. Some residents will be aware of omissions – perhaps major ones – and a long document almost inevitably contains errors of one kind or another. But nothing that may be wrong with this Plan is irretrievable. In fact, one criterion of its success would consist in its coming to be regarded as no more than the first stage in a long ongoing process. In some cases, the Steering Group has manifestly had to bring its deliberations to an end where there is still 'unfinished business'.

F.6 In recommending and facilitating the establishment of a Parish Plan Management Group (PPMG), the Steering Group has made what it considers to be the best set of arrangements not just for carrying out the Action Plan, but also for monitoring its implementation in the light of the broader Parish Plan as a whole, subjecting both to periodic review, and eventually giving consideration to extending the Plan's five-year span. These should constitute PPMG's major terms of reference, and it is suggested that its membership should include the elected Chair of each of the Action Groups (or substitute), at least one Parish Councillor, and perhaps one member of the Steering Group, for purposes of continuity. The Steering Group itself was never empowered to go further than recommendations of this kind: what actually happens once the Plan becomes public property will be in the hands of others. Furthermore, since the majority of actions in the Action Plan necessarily involve asking/recommending that some other group do – or at least consider doing – something in particular, the Plan anticipates that its execution will have to involve 'partnerships', formal or informal, between the PPMG and other bodies of various kinds.

F.7 The importance of Arnside Parish Council in the whole process of carrying out the Parish Plan can scarcely be over-estimated. The Plan has been prepared by a Steering Group that has operated entirely independently of the Parish Council (although it has included Parish-Council members). It is an attempt to express the collective wishes and views of the residents of Arnside as a whole. But the Parish Council is also autonomous, and has the authority that comes with being the only elected body that officially represents the community. What is more, from the very first it has had a certain kind of stake in the planning process, which it initiated: it was required by the Countryside Agency to make a financial contribution to costs, and it has been responsible for handling the funds granted by that Agency and by Cumbria Rural Development Programme. Above all, most of the areas in which the Parish Plan recommends actions are to one extent or another the legal responsibility of the Parish Council. Of course, the hope must be that there will be little, if anything, in the Parish Plan that the Parish Council feels obliged to oppose, and this is one interface where it seems essential that the Parish Plan Management Group should enter into some sort of partnership. The Parish Council is fully committed to becoming a 'Quality Parish Council' under a new government scheme, and a recent document from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made it clear that there is a particularly close relationship between such an intention and the existence of a Parish Plan:

'A Quality Parish Council will wish to develop a Parish Plan in partnership with its local community. These plans … include an action plan with details of how to realise the objectives within the plan …';

'Quality Parish Councils will be in a better position … to help realise the ambitions and goals contained within their parish plans. They will be in a better position to represent the views of local people and to ensure that principal local authorities and other service providers listen to and respond to the needs of local people.' (The Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme, 2003).

F.8 The existence of Action Groups which derive from the Task Groups set up in May 2003 should also be a major factor in the implementation of the Plan. Certain broad terms of reference have been suggested, and precise actions to carry out have been assigned to them in the Action Plan. But these groups are, again, independent of any other body, and will elect their own Chair. They are likely to have influence only insofar as they can be seen to be speaking on behalf of the great majority of Arnside residents and, for some time at least, to be working within the parameters set by the Plan and survey. Their strength lies in the fact that they will each operate in a relatively narrow field, being able to make good contacts, acquire and evaluate very specialised information, and adopt well-informed positions on specific issues. Part of the role of the new Parish Plan Management Group will undoubtedly consist in encouraging and co-ordinating the work of the Action Groups. It is already clear that there are some projects (for instance, in the area of communications and a possible Newsletter) that ought to draw together certain strands from the work of different groups.

F.9 There is also a continuing role for the residents of Arnside as a whole in this. Their vigilance may be a major factor in ensuring that anything done in the name of the Parish Plan does in fact fall within the framework of opinion that emerged from the survey. They have a responsibility to demand clear and honest explanations where this is not the case, and, similarly, a right to expect some kind of justification whenever a body rejects – or even procrastinates over – any recommendation in the Action Plan.

F.10 The setting of a time-limit to the scope of a plan often has something arbitrary about it, and the five-year span envisaged here springs largely from a norm in the 'Vital Villages' scheme. The Steering Group has established certain priorities/timings in the proposed Action Plan, but has engaged only minimally in the process of precise phasing or setting targets that have a dateline attached to them. One of the early tasks of the Parish Plan Management Group might be to sift the recommended actions in order to produce greater precision on the question of timings and set up some sort of year-by-year programme.

F.11 If this were to be done, it might or might not bring residents a little closer to what it would be fashionable to call a 'vision' of Arnside in five years time. There are a number of reasons why the Steering Group has not been anxious to make such a vision a major aspect – much less the guiding light – of the Parish Plan. For one thing, it will not be clear until the appropriate Census information is available what basic trends it would be sensible to take account of – if, for instance, Arnside's population is increasing, then at what rate; and is this expected to continue? More generally, the task of acquiring all of the detailed information required to make serious, well-grounded predictions in the appropriate areas would be a massive one. It would, of course, have been easy to be much less realistic, much less bound by facts, and simply to have taken a 'vision of Arnside' to mean some model of how residents would like it to be in five years time. To some extent, such projecting and imagining is a part of what everyone does in thinking about the future, what respondents did in completing the questionnaire. Yet the dangers of having a small group attempt to define such a vision and make it the centre-piece of a Parish Plan will be obvious to all. The whole exercise of drawing up a Plan has been conceived as a 'bottom-up' rather than a 'top-down' one. That is to say that it has been driven by a concern to elicit and express, as far as this is possible, the general views of residents, rather than to impose anything upon them. And it is very far from clear that the 1160 visions of Arnside in five years time that may or may not be discernible from the survey could be merged in a useful collective 'vision' that would satisfy even a significant majority.

F.12 At the same time, if the Parish Plan is a broadly accurate representation of residents' views, then the 'Aims' formulated in its Action Plan should, taken together, go some way towards countering any worries that, without a 'vision' as such, a plan is rudderless. In other words, it is possible to say something non-prescriptive about how Arnside would be five years from now if the aims of the Plan were achieved. The best way to visualise this is to imagine that all of the present good and satisfactory features of the Parish are preserved and that improvements have either been made or are in the process of being made in the following respects:-

o residents would be better informed: more statistics would be available in the Parish about the people who live here, their status, their homes and general trends; measures would have been taken to extend and improve the communication of information within the Parish (via the website, extra pages in the Directory, more notice-board space, and a regular Parish Newsletter); all of this would constitute one aspect of Arnside's achievement of 'Quality Parish' status

o residents would be in a better position to see Arnside's plans for the future in relation to the plans of broader bodies within which the Parish is situated (AONB, South Lakeland DC, Cumbria CC), and hence to be involved in critical decisions relating to these bodies; the Parish would – by sometimes making common cause with surrounding bodies – be in a stronger position to ward off threats and to make claims on funds available from various sources

o the Parish would have a strategy for preserving the open spaces within its boundaries, but would also have been consistently pressing for rather more sheltered accommodation and, especially, for more affordable housing to be available; its concern to retain young families would also be reflected in the provision of new work-opportunities in the Parish, where things would have been made easier for those wishing to become self-employed and set up new businesses – partly by the creation of new workspaces and partly by virtue of the existence of an Advice/Information Centre linking to various agencies (this might be combined with information facilities for visitors)

o much more hard information about visitors/tourism in the Parish would be available, enabling key decisions to be well-based; certain selected kinds of tourism and modes of visitors' travelling, as well as environmentally-friendly activities, would be encouraged by specific measures

o the use of both the house and the grounds/woodlands of Ashmeadow for the benefit of the Parish would be permanently assured; some other buildings that are currently scarcely used would have been brought into use, and a new community building might have been constructed (or be in the planning stage), which would house the Library and incorporate some combination of other public spaces

o pre-school children, young children and youths in Arnside would be better provided for in a number of ways (including a skateboard area and an ongoing Youth Project); and there would be a dedicated Youth Centre of some kind

o extended opportunities for Adult Education would be available in the village; clubs and societies would have more access to public spaces of one kind or another, and a village forum would develop greater contacts between organisations, thereby encouraging the sharing of facilities

o the deficiency of some types of shops and services in Arnside would be to some extent remedied by a regular indoor market and outreach facilities; a watchdog group would exist to ensure that every effort was made to avoid further critical losses

o a systematic traffic and parking survey would have been carried out in the Parish, and, in the light of this, the situation with regard to traffic circulation and road safety would have been improved; major measures to cope better with the problems caused specifically by the parking of visitors' vehicles would have been taken, or would be in motion

o there would be better access to railway platforms and improved facilities at the station; and a variety of established means would be available for the expression of users' detailed views on all transport services in and around the Parish, as well as for pressing the case for desired changes

o thanks to a range of particular measures, the roads, pavements and verges in the Parish would be in a better state; there would be considerably less litter, and less dog-fouling

o the presence of a local policeman would be assured; certain police initiatives in the Parish would be supported; better facilities for contacting the police over emergency and non-emergency matters would be in place; all of the 'rescue' services that operate in the Parish would be better supported and given more positive help by residents

o arrangements would be in place to ensure that parish-planning involving all Arnside residents was an ongoing process, entailing regular review and revision of aims for the Parish and of the means for achieving these.

It would be surprising – though pleasantly so – if all aspects of this 'vision' were to be realised. Apart from anything else, there will be unexpected events and developments at all stages of the five-year period, which will require flexibility of response on the part of all involved. However, if 'Quality Parish' status is achieved by Arnside, the Parish Council may have the opportunity of taking on many responsibilities currently carried out by one or other of the principal local authorities (e.g. maintenance of highway verges, pavements and footpaths, parking restrictions, street lighting, litter control): there are still uncertainties about this process, but such a development could ultimately have very significant practical effects on many aspects of life in the Parish. Furthermore, one of the great advantages of setting out an Action Plan in terms of both 'Aims' and 'Actions' is that, if a particular action, for whatever reason, should prove not to be the best way of achieving a specific aim, then another – more appropriate – action can be substituted for it without in any way undermining the objectives and intentions of the Parish Plan as a whole.

F.13 At the very least, the Parish Plan and everything that its preparation has entailed will have raised awareness of the issues that Arnside faces and helped to formulate those issues in the terms that residents consider most appropriate. The extent to which its value proves to be greater than this will now depend upon the determination and commitment with which its implementation is pursued by the whole community. All in Arnside will, in any case, wish to express their gratitude to the Countryside Agency, to Cumbria Rural Development Programme, and to Arnside Parish Council, for the funding that made it possible to create a Plan. And the Steering Group would like to thank all those in the Parish who have given assistance of one kind or another along the way.