Draft Plan

Dear Colleague.

Thank you for reading the Wolsingham Parish Plan.

The plan has been developed after nearly two years of sterling voluntary effort by a dedicated group of residents, willingly supported by officers and employees of various statutory organisations and voluntary groups. Financial assistance has also been received in the form of in-kind contributions from various local businesses and organisations.

Substantive funding for expenses has been from The Countryside Agency in the form of grant-aid under the Vital Villages initiative, with additional financial support from Wolsingham Parish Council.

Additional project work has been provided by Groundwork West Durham, and by Durham County Council Economic Development Department.

We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all who have contributed.

The plan aims to address the concerns expressed by residents, and to help re-inforce the positive aspects of life in Wolsingham, laying down a framework to maintain and enhance our community.

Views of residents and visitors alike are important to the Parish Council, and we welcome your comments at our office in the Town Hall.

Yours sincerely,





John Anderson Ken Rogers
Parish Council Chairman Plan Steering Group Chairman

February 2005

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Wolsingham: An Introduction

Situated at the lower end of the Weardale, four miles to the west of the A68, Wolsingham is a settlement of about 2500 people and 1100 households. Most of the population lives in the town but there are many outlying farms. The civil parish also includes the villages of Thornley, and Harperley and extends to the edge of Tow Law.
Wolsingham is one of the original Weardale settlements –there is a detailed survey of it in the Boldon Book, a 12th century listing of Episcopal properties in the county. The church dates from Norman times and was rebuilt in the mid 19th century, by which time it had grown due to the development of the ironworks and the extension of the railway. During the 20th century, Wolsingham underwent contraction as the numbers employed in the Steelworks declined, local businesses closed and the number of retails outlets shrank.
Post-war housing developments, both public and private, mean that most available infill land has been utilised. Though the population has risen, the pattern of employment has changed; the population profile reflects an aging community, with many working people commuting outside for work – the main exception to this pattern being the secondary school which is the biggest service sector employer in Weardale. Manufacturing is taking second place to service sector activities, while agriculture continues as a significant area of employment. The small family business is the norm. The revival of the railway is providing focus for the development of the tourism sector.

Wolsingham is a settlement that was not built to meet the needs of the motor car age; the central cluster of streets reflects an older pattern. Social life in Wolsingham appears to thrive, if the number of different clubs and societies is a reliable indicator. Wolsingham has one of the oldest Agricultural Shows in the country – it is certainly the largest in the area.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Wolsingham needs to take stock and work out its future line of development. The main thrust of this lies with the Parish Plan process, as the community has been invited to contribute to deciding the guidelines for future planning.


Producing the Parish Plan

The decision to produce a Parish Plan was taken in the summer of 2003 and the inaugural meeting took place on 24 September 2003 at which a steering committee was set up, comprising of some Parish Councillors and interested local residents, under the chairmanship of Cllr Ken Rogers. The project has been funded by the Countryside Agency through the provision of a Parish Plan Grant.
By October 2003, the group had set up two sub-groups, one to investigate the issues likely to feature and another to take on the work of raising awareness and disseminating information. All local businesses and societies were identified and contacted offering them the opportunity to identify what they saw as the key areas for the plan to focus on. Public meetings were held at which presentations were given to inform the community of what was being undertaken. After research on other efforts and in the light of the initial consultation, work was commenced to draw up a questionnaire that would be sent to every household. The questionnaire was distributed via the Town Crier, with large print versions available from the Town Hall; it was also possible to reply on line at www.wolsingham.net. A separate questionnaire aimed at younger people was also organised and the findings passed on to the Steering Group
By July 2004, 307 responses had been analysed and the Steering Group then organised groups to work on specific issues that had been identified as the priority areas – these being the seven main sections of the Plan. During the course of this work, a Parking Survey was commissioned to obtain recent data on one major area of concern. Over the lifetime of the Steering Group, representatives from the police, the County and District Councils provided valuable input to the process.
By January 2005, a draft plan was produced for inspection by and comment from the community. In the light of such comments, the draft was fine tuned to produce the final document. The finished document appears in two formats; a 2 page A4 version outlining the main thrust and a more lengthy document which includes all survey data and information collected during the process. The former is freely available to all residents, the latter available at a cost of .

ISSUES

Amenity

Wolsingham town is widely regarded as a very pleasant settlement to visit and live in.

Seen from above, the settlement forms a cruciform shape extending along the compass points. Consequently, all parts provide easy access to open countryside and the surrounding fells. Most of the settlement is low –rise building, finished in stone. Most newer infill developments have been built in a sympathetic style. Exceptionally, the eastern approach provides the only industrial aspect, with some derelict land in the vicinity of the steelworks. Residents commented on the requirement to clear up derelict areas, and this is also mentioned in the “Weardale Task Force” action plan. The Task Force have suggested that this area is improved, and spare land utilised for a mixed use housing and high-tech industrial development. Our questionnaire would seem to support improving this area, and with improving employment opportunities (see “Employment” )

The central core area around the market place was substantially re-furbished in 2003, and the questionnaire showed widespread support for this. Future development should therefore seek to preserve or enhance the centre of Wolsingham in keeping with this refurbishment. In particular, residents appreciate and wish to see further floral displays.

Residents also appreciate the facilities offered in the recreation field. Following a generous donation, the Parish Council are rebuilding the Recreation field Pavilion as a Community Centre during the currency of this plan, further enhancing this facility (see also “Young Peoples Facilities”, and “Tourism”).

Particular concern was expressed concerning litter and dog-fouling. Since the questionnaire was conducted, Wolsingham School and Community College have positively dealt with litter problems associated with their site, and both Primary and Secondary schools have run projects concerning litter and dog-fouling.

A sub-group of the Parish Plan Steering Committee undertook an unannounced midweek survey of litter and dog bins. They concluded that with one or two exceptions, there was an adequate supply of bins in the requisite locations. However, with a bin emptying cycle of once per week on Mondays, there were signs by midweek of overfilling. The District Council should therefore give consideration to undertaking a second clearance on Fridays. This will ensure no overflows, and in the summer tourist season particularly, will provide a pleasant environment in the recreation field and picnic areas (see also “Tourism”).

The Government has announced its intention to bring forward legislation to give powers to Parish Councils to “spot-fine” people who drop litter or allow their dogs to foul, and given the strong views expressed by residents, the Parish Council will give serious consideration to how these powers may be economically applied in Wolsingham, once details have been released.

The Parish Council has provided a “Dog Walk” in the recreation field, and encourages dog owners to use this. New powers may enhance the Council’s ability to enforce the bye-laws on walking dogs without leads in the rest of the Recreation field.

Traffic and Transport

Wolsingham’s central area was built before the age of the motor car and thus is challenged by the extent of car ownership today. Its location, and existing structures means that it cannot be conveniently by-passed. However, residents highlighted traffic and parking as major problems, particularly in the central area in and around the marketplace. The Parish Plan therefore puts forward policies that will attempt to alleviate some of the problems and point the way forward to a more satisfactory state of affairs that meets the concerns and wishes of the residents.

a) Parking

There are four main categories of car user that contribute to the problem:-
Residents without a garage who wish to park outside their home
People who park for short periods to access local facilities
People who park all day because they work in Wolsingham
Visitors who might be either long stay (eg walkers) or short stay (eg diners)
To deal with these different issues, a range of responses will need to be developed.
As part of the plan, a parking survey was commissioned to quantify the problem. The results are shown at appendix III

Future development needs to ensure that the existing garage facilities are preserved.
There should be a presumption against planning applications that seek to convert garages to other uses.
The Parish council should investigate creating parking facilities in areas that it owns, if demand is proven.
It could seek to have grass areas converted to hard standing.
Means of enforcing parking restrictions in the Market place and in streets that are made difficult to pass should be investigated.
Consideration should be given to more specific signposting to long stay parking in more appropriate areas.
The possibility of securing resident or long-term parking in the Demesne Mill area is a potential solution.

b) Traffic

The people of Wolsingham perceive that there are problems with traffic, in terms of speed and volume and the inappropriate use of certain streets by heavy vehicles. Many people find difficulty in crossing the road in the Market place. In summer time there is a perceived problem with crossing the roads to the Recreation Field. Fortunately, no serious accidents have occurred, but there is no doubt that the amenity value of the centre would be dramatically improved by appropriate sympathetic traffic calming and pedestrian crossing measures.


c) Public transport

The responses to the questionnaire indicated that only a small percentage of residents were users of current bus services through the town, but that there was support for the idea of a town shuttle. There is an issue of public transport links to other locations and the timing of the last buses to get people home. It would be impossible for a local person to visit the theatre in Darlington and get home by public transport.

During its study of the issue, the Steering Group has become aware that there are a variety of services that could be utilised to address some of the concerns of residents.

All existing bus services should continue to be supported.
Any attempt to reduce the present level of service should be opposed.
The feasibility of providing a shuttle service to link parts of the town which are distant from existing services should be investigated. This could involve discussion with the Rural Ride provider – at present the bus waits in the Market place for about seven minutes each time it comes to Wolsingham.

Future Action

During the preparation of the plan, a good working relationship has developed between the steering group, the highways authority (DCC), the police, and other involved parties. There would seem to be a willingness to work together in order to implement positive changes to our traffic and transport problems. It is therefore proposed that a new steering group, specifically for this topic be formed from the above and led by the Parish Council, to fully investigate and bring forward proposals for implementation.

Young Peoples’ Facilities

The residents’ questionnaire showed a majority expressing the view that facilities for younger children were adequate, but for older children inadequate.

In addition to the residents’ questionnaire, a questionnaire was designed by Groundwork Trust for the young people of the Parish. The results can be seen in Appendix 2.

The overwhelming finding of the Young People’s Questionnaire was the need to have somewhere for young people to go, where they could have a degree of independence in choosing the activities available, with the minimum of adult supervision and intervention. A central location would be preferred.
School facilities and buildings are currently used out of school hours for the provision of youth activities, but young people are not keen on returning to the school environment (which is located on the periphery) out of school hours.

New community facilities could seek to incorporate this sort of provision. The Parish Council are seeking to encourage a positive relationship with the Community College following the appointment of a new Head, and a liaison group is being established. This may act as a vehicle to develop youth facilities in Wolsingham, working with the new Weardale Youth Panel.

The Weardale Youth Panel has been established to support young people who have ideas for leisure activities or employment in the dale. They have raised money to set up a ‘Small Projects Fund’, which can be accessed by young people in the Dale for their own projects. Initiatives to support local young people in pursuing their own aims and projects should be encouraged where appropriate.

Community Facilities

During the preparation of the Parish Plan, it was announced that the public use of the swimming pool at the Community College was to be ended, because of withdrawal of funding by Wear Valley District Council. Unsurprisingly therefore, over 75% of respondents listed keeping the swimming pool open as the most important community issue. Following the formation of a voluntary Community Trust, the pool should re-open for public use in May2005.

Over the same period, the availability of the Parish Hall and Methodist Hall for community use ended. There has therefore been increased pressure on remaining facilities, with the Town Hall now effectively been utilised every evening of the week.

Although the residents’ questionnaire clearly expressed a preference for new facilities close to the centre, the Parish Council received the offer of a substantial financial donation for the development of new facilities in the recreation ground, and has therefore decided to go ahead with a new community centre there. This facility will offer flexible facilities for mixed usage.

Once this facility is operational, consideration may have to be given to ensuring that both facilities (Town Hall and Community Centre) are used optimally to meet the needs of all residents.

Employment

A high proportion of residents felt that there are an inadequate number of local employment opportunities.

Traditional employment opportunities are in decline, and there is currently very little infrastructure for the development of new facilities.

The Weardale Task force have identified that land in the vicinity of the Steelworks is potentially suitable for “high-tech” industrial development, and Wear Valley District Council have responsibility for leading this project.

The residents questionnaire showed a small but significant number of respondents interested in forming their own businesses, and the biggest barrier to local establishment is seen as availability of suitable premises. At the time of writing, all light industrial units within the Parish are occupied.

The success of a telemarketing business (which also offers homeworking opportunities to residents) based in the steelworks, and using satellite broadband, shows that such modern industries can be successfully established in the area if suitable premises and infrastructure is available.

Priority should therefore be given to the new industrial development.

The alternative new employment sector is tourism. There is little doubt that tourism is very undeveloped in Wolsingham, but that there is significant potential. Interestingly, over 73% of residents were in favour of the development of tourism in Wolsingham – a substantially larger proportion than other surveys have indicated for Weardale as a whole. New attractions, such as Harperley Prisoner of War Camp, have shown the potential to attract large numbers of visitors and create employment opportunities without adversely affecting local amenity.

Anecdotally, the seasonal re-opening of the Weardale Railway as a Steam Tourist line for part of the summer season in 2004 led to substantial increases in footfall and purchases in local shops, cafes and pubs. Residents showed strong support for its re-opening in the questionnaire. Its continued operation should therefore be supported.

Support should be given to any new tourist development, sympathetic to the local environment. The potential is further discussed in the section on “Tourism”.



Tourism

An overwhelming majority of residents indicated support for the development of Tourism in Wolsingham.
Wolsingham is known as the “Gateway to Weardale” and as such is well placed to capitalise on current promotions and assistance schemes for tourism in Weardale.

The four most highlighted tourism assets identified by residents were :

Our extensive range of public footpaths and waymarked walks
The Recreation Field, which includes the children’s play equipment and also the space for recreational activities (football, running etc)
The countryside generally.
The Rivers (Wear, Waskerley Beck, & Thornhope Beck).

Some places of interest are known to locals and not publicised such as the position of old mill races; the Chapel Walls where the silver cross was found (now residing in Durham Cathedral), stone sheltered wells; the Duckett’s Cross at the top of Redgate Bank.

The summer of 2004 saw the opening of two significant tourist attractions within Wolsingham:

The Harperley POW camp.
The Weardale Heritage Railway

However, there is a lack of infrastructure to promote Wolsingham and its attractions as a whole. With the exception of the www.wolsingham.net web-site provided by the Parish Council, there are no other comprehensive sources of information about the Parish. A visitor to any single attraction is not made aware of other attractions and facilities within the Parish. There is little provision of information boards and signage generally, and there is a feeling that Wolsingham is in danger of becoming somewhere that people pass through en-route to the rest of the Dale, without taking advantages of its facilities (and therefore contributing to its economic wellbeing).

There has also been a decline in serviced accommodation over recent years, and consequently there can be a problem of visitors obtaining overnight accommodation at peak times. Development of sympathetically designed and appropriately located accommodation should therefore be encouraged. There are limited camping facilities in the Parish. Many walkers and cyclists prefer this type of overnight facility, and therefore the availability of such facilities could attract a wider group taking advantage of our countryside.

The vast majority of tourist visitors for the foreseeable future will be day visitors. We have already drawn attention to the problem of car-parking in the “Traffic and Transport” section. For the successful development of tourism, appropriate car-parking must be made available.


Housing


The residents’ questionnaire revealed a very strong desire against any further housing development, with the majority of responses wishing for none or up to 50 dwellings. Subsequent to the questionnaire, planning consent has recently been given for the redevelopment of the St Anne’s Convent and School for 42 dwellings. However, Wolsingham will probably continue as a highly desired place to live, and there will continue to be upward pressure on prices, and for additional housing provision.

The Parish and District Councils recognise the importance of a dynamic and balanced population, and that housing needs continue to change. In order to ensure continued prosperity, there needs to be a supply of suitable housing.
Apart from a potential area identified by Wear Valley District Council near to the Steelworks, there are no large parcels of land currently or potentially available within the Parish for housing development. Therefore, sympathetic housing development should be allowed where appropriate.

Residents did recognise the problems associated with the relatively high cost of housing in Wolsingham, with the majority of responses favouring only the development of low-cost/affordable dwellings.

However, wherever possible the Planning authority should resist the development of “executive” housing in favour of lower-cost properties, in order to assist local younger families to remain in the Parish.