Vision4Lee - Hampshire County Council

Transcription

Vision4Lee
Consultancy & Healthcheck Report
February 2008
“Our aim is to make Lee an attractive and thriving place to live,
work and visit”
Contents of Report:
Page
1. About Vision4Lee
3
1.2 Introduction to Lee Past
4
1.3 Lee-on-the-Solent Today
4
1.4 South East Market Town Awards Finalists 2007
5
2. Previous studies
7
2.1 Sustainable Suburbs Project
7
2.2 Play Profile of Gosport
7
3. Vision4Lee Roadshow Consultations
7
4. Healthcheck S.W.O.T Analyses
15
5. Vision4Lee Members
32
6. Thanks & Acknowledgements
35
Appendix: Support material & Healthcheck data
Action Grid
On disk
1. About Vision4Lee and the Market Town Initiative
Vision4Lee was founded by public meeting in Summer 2004 as part of the SEEDA
(South East of England development Agency)- SERTP (South East Rural Towns
Partnership)- MTI (Market Town Initiative) programme that is non-political and nonsectarian. A Steering Group committee evolved from workshops on the key topics
that were researched with the Healthcheck being completed in September 2006 with
the completion in December 2006 of a long appraisal of assets and shortcomings of all
aspects of community life, the SWOT analysis. (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
threats).
Public opinion was sought over a period of several months in 2006. A number of
"road-shows" and visit to local clubs were organised, giving people the chance to air
their thoughts on local matters. This included visits to local Schools, Youth groups
and Youth Clubs to gain the views from the younger generation. Many survey forms
were completed and written comments made on our photo-map using "stick-on"
notes. The use of No 100 High Street, Lee-on-the-Solent, which had been empty for
some time, helped enormously to generate interest. The results were collated and
analysed, with this information being used identify the way forward Action Plan with
the key projects being identified, from which a bid for possible funding will be
prepared. These currently include providing more for our youngsters, particularly preschool education, and regenerating the High Street. We want to involve all other local
community groups and organisations, acting as a shop window for the latest progress
and stimulating further creative and positive thoughts for local improvements.
The group liaises with Gosport Borough Council, the Local Strategic Partnership and
other community groups and organisations to work towards this aim. The group has a
dedicated website team run by Vision4Lee members Richard Needham, Alan
Tomkins & James Jack, and promotes local activities and groups and keeps the
community up to date with news, e-newsletters on a quarterly basis and related links
to other sites of interests and importance. This report is the result of 2 years of public
consultation, surveys and information gathering on behalf of the Vision4Lee group,
supported by Hampshire County Council’s Market Town Initiative.
To view the latest news and activities, or to sign up to assist the ongoing community
projects please visit the website at www.vision4lee.co.uk.
The Vision4Lee aim is:
“To make Lee-on-the-Solent an attractive place to work, live
and visit”
1. 2 Introduction to Lee Past
Lee-on-the-Solent is situated on the Gosport Peninsula close to Portsmouth. The first
fleet review was conducted by King Edward III in 1346. The event follows a long
tradition of reviews of the fleet at the Spithead mooring, dating back to medieval
times. Daedalus Base and Airfield have been part of local life since 1917, and the
base closed in 1996. The area is rich in maritime history and heritage due to its
strategic location and coastline.
Daedalus Ward Room
The small seaside town of Lee-on-the-Solent was incorporated into the Borough of
Gosport in 1930. Lee-on-the-Solent has a fine coastline with the town centre,
promenade and clifflands typifying the character of a 1930's seaside resort. Lee Pier
was built in the late 1880’s and was demolished in the early “World War” years. Lee
Tower, operated by the Gosport Borough Council, which comprised a Ballroom,
restaurant, Bowling Alley and cinema was a very popular venue, but was closed in the
late 60’sand demolished in the early 1970’s. . The remains of a narrow gauge railway
system remain, and Browndown was the site of the last-recorded duel between
Englishmen!
1.3 Lee-on-the-Solent Today
With many places to walk, cycle, eat and visit, Lee-on-the-Solent is an attractive place
for residents and visitors alike. Lee today still maintains echoes of the past with its
Victorian cottages along Gosport Road, 1920s buildings on HMS Dadalus and the
impressive architecture of Marine Parade adding special character, which restricts the
height of new buildings. Pier Street is a conservation area with Victorian shop fronts,
art deco flats and art deco buildings in Milvil Road being of special interest to locals
and visitors, and adds charm to the town. A local website and online Forum exists
with information about local issues and links and can be viewed at
www.cherquefarm.com. The town has a strong and community spirit and is well
supported by Lee-on-Solent Residents Association (LRA) which meets regularly and
has local guest speakers. Lee on Solent Community Centre is a well-used community
resource, hosting meetings and events for a wide variety of local interest groups. Leeon-the-Solent Business Association also has its own website and online Forum
www.losba.com and represents the interests of the business community. Lee seafront
is home to the Lee Advertiser office, distributed monthly free to local outlets. Sitting
right on the coast on Gosport peninsula, traffic congestion can be a problem if you are
heading for the A27, and this was reflected in the public consultations held by
Vision4Lee, and also reported in a recent edition of Hampshire Life magazine (June
2007). Due to the development on Cherque Farm there are a growing number of
families living in the area, and the future plans for HMS Daedalus, currently in the
planning stages, will have an impact on the future of Lee and its residents and
working population. Developments are ongoing at Daedalus, and part of the site has
been acquired by the South East England Development Agency, a task force has been
set up and locals are being consulted and kept informed of future plans via a new
dedicated website: www.daedalus-seeda.co.uk/site/seeda/home. Many opportunities
exist for the future.
Nearby attractions include the skating rink at Gosport, Lee-on-the-Solent Golf
Course, sailing from Lee-on-the-Solent Sailing Club or Hill Head Sailing Club, and
Lee has a Tennis Club. Many natural attractions have much to offer for locals and
visitors. Lee promenade is very popular with walkers, and the beach is wellmaintained on the whole. Alver Valley is currently being developed as a country park,
with walks, a lake, facilities for riding and a visitor centre. Tourism is limited in Leeon-the-Solent due to a lack of accommodation, and the investigation showed this is
limited to small guest houses at present. Hopefully this may be addressed in the future
as the long-term plans for Daedalus unfold, assisted by public consultation. The group
has been working with Tourism South East and shared the findings of the healthcheck
research and Roadshows, with a view to looking at the future off Lee to attract more
footfall to the town and local shops. Lee High Street has a good range of shops with a
butcher’s shop, greengrocers which sources 75% of their fresh produce locally, a fish
shop and the Lee Book Shop. There are many small independent retailers that are
popular with locals and visitors.
1.4 South East Market Town Awards Finalists 2007
To celebrate the special character and architecture of the town, Vision4Lee set up
Guided Walks in 2006, working with Gosport Borough Council’s “Walking to
Health” programme and narrated free walks are led by volunteers which showcase the
town’s natural and built heritage. The Walks have been shortlisted as finalists in the
South East Market Town Awards, 2007, at the time of this report, and the group have
won a cash prize to support ongoing community project work.
Guided Walk, led by Vision4Lee’s Ray Harding (back row, in sunglasses)
Vision4Lee’s Vice Chair, Evelyn Beale (3rd from left), leads a Walk.
2. Previous Studies in Lee-on-the-Solent
There have been a handful of other public consultations that were arranged in the
town prior or at the same time as the Market Town Initiative.
2.1 Sustainable Suburbs Project
Prior to the formation of Vision4Lee under the Market Town Initiative, a Sustainable
Suburbs Study was carried out by the Rountree Trust assisted by Hampshire County
Council, and involving residents from community groups and other organisations.
Hampshire County Council are still carrying out some small improvements such as
display information boards on the seafront and some other signage highlighted as an
issue in the report, and Hampshire County Council are carrying our a Pedestrian
Safety Scheme in Lee High Street at the time of the production of this report.
2.2 Play Profile of Gosport- Play In Parks and Open Spaces
Gosport Borough has many good quality parks and open spaces. The Gosport Youth
Strategy 2002, consultation indicated that most young people valued the open spaces,
parks, beach areas, waterfront, shopping, leisure and sports facilities.
In the Parents consultation on childcare and play 2006, parents highlighted they were
completely happy with facilities and feel there is already plenty available.
However, the play survey carried out in 2007 indicated that adults, children and
young people were dissatisfied with the lack of cleanliness in parks and open spaces
and that this was a barrier to using these facilities.
The Council has recognised areas of shortage of public space and facilities in the open
space monitoring report 2004 and address much of this with new play areas, paddling
pool, skate parks, BMX track, multi use games areas, youth shelters and sports
facilities. But there is still scope for more development in these areas.
3. Feedback from Community Events:
Launch
Some members of the Lee-on-the-Solent community approached Gosport Borough
Council (GBC) and Hampshire County Council (HCC) to enquire about the
possibility of the town taking part in the Market Town Initiative. A group was formed
with a Chair and the healthcheck document distributed to the group members.
Following 12 months a Project Officer (Sarah Snowden) was funded to support the
group with the healthcheck process on a set-term contract and funded by the Area
Investment Framework, Hampshire County Council & Gosport Borough Council.
Consultations & Roadshows
The Vision4Lee group decided to carry out a high-profile consultation in order to
engage with the local community and raise awareness of the group and the initiative.
Working with Planning For Real (part of Community Action Hampshire), the group
secured the free use of an empty shop on Lee High Street and set up a Gazebo outside
on the pavement and . A large aerial map of Lee-on-the-Solent was provided by
Gosport Borough Council, and a question sheet was handed out for people to post in
the ‘Comments Box’. People were invited to write their thoughts about Life in Lee on
coloured post-it notes and still them on the relevant area of the map. Small ‘goodie
bags’ of colouring books and pencils for children were used to tempt the passing
families in the High Street to engage with the group and share their views, and free
carrier bags for these were supplied by the local Book Shop. These comments were
collated into a folder and presented at a public event by the group on September 29th
2006.
Vision4Lee Roadshow May 2006, collecting local views & opinions
Aware that not all people would be on Lee High Street on Saturday mornings, the
group also attempted as far possible to reach existing groups by attending meetings of
organisations such as the Lee Residents Association, Horticultural Society, contact
with Lee Business Association, Court Barn Conservative Club, local events and also
adding in an extra ‘round’ to existing pub quizzes and asking local questions and
gathering research data from the people attending the quiz.
Aerial map of Lee-on-the-Solent with feedback from local people on post-it notes
In order to address the perceived weakness in gathering youth data, the local school
was visited and feedback sought from pupils, as well as research carried out via a
‘graffiti board’ method by the local youth workers, who attend Steering Group
meetings on an ad-hoc basis and feed the youth ‘vision’ back to Vision4Lee.
The Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) was approached to assist with the healthcheck,
and as a result the Vision4Lee group have shared research findings and been invited
to attend subsequent consultations and data from the healthcheck as well as Steering
Group input will be included in the forthcoming Sustainable Communities Strategy.
In March 2007, the group were approached by Gosport Borough Council, and the
research carried out by the group will be used to inform the forthcoming ‘Play
Strategy’ and this will give community groups via GBC, the opportunity to bid for
monies from the National Lottery Play Fund.
Families were treated to a free goodie bag, provided by Lee Book Shop.
Volunteers were kindly kept fed and watered by All Seasons Fruiterers, visible
across from the Roadshow, during a busy day of gathering local opinions.
A website supported the groups activities and continues to inform the public of results
and invite comments, as well as promote local groups, latest news and publicise
projects such as the Narrated Walks and online Community Newsletter, as well as a
downloadable archive of previous Newsletters.
www.vision4lee.co.uk
Everyone who took part got a free Vision4Lee pen as a ‘thank you’. Jo Dixon &
Sarah Snowden (right of picture) enjoy chatting to the residents of Lee.
Vision4Lee Chair Guy discusses issues and gathers opinions, clipboard at the
ready to record valuable information for the healthcheck!
Vision4Lee Secretary Ray enjoys discussing local issues and assists with
feedback forms which have helped identify community aspirations for Lee.
The Roadshow makes the news board ‘headlines’ outside local newsagent shop!
Thanks to all the local shops and businesses that supported
and assisted the Vision4Lee Roadshow days, your help was
invaluable and hugely appreciated. Thanks also to everyone
who came along and filled out the questionnaires, gave
opinions, and continue to support the activities of
Vision4Lee!!
Results of May/June 2006 Roadshow feedback comments
from aerial map
250
200
150
100
50
0
High Stre e t
No m ore flats
Litte r/crim e /park ing
Im prove s e afront
Ne e d hote l
Le is ure facilitie s
Dae dalus k e y to Le e
M arina, w ate r trans port
M aintain aviation
Pre -s chool/youth ne e ds
Im prove ope n s pace s
Com m unity e ve nts
Findings from Consultation Events are featured in the appendix of this report.
Data gathered from public consultations was as follows:
Business Survey: 63 questionnaires
Pub Quiz: 94 questionnaires
Roadshow: 339 questionnaires
Also comments gathered in ‘post-it note’ form on the aerial map, and for simplicity,
presented in folder form at the 29th September 2006 public event, and is held by
Vision4Lee Chair Guy Hudspith. All findings are in the appendices.
V4Lee Website Facilitator & Lee First Responder Richard, centre in red
jumper, records opinions and is ready to hand out smiley face stickers to families
4. Healthcheck S.W.O.T. Analyses.
The healthcheck is a research tool, split into 4 umbrella sections, designed to give an
overview of the ‘health’ of a market town. The sections covered are ‘Environment’,
‘Economy’, ‘Social & Community’ and ‘Transport & Accessibility’. S.W.O.T stands
for ‘strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats’ and is a useful way to distill
information from the main healthcheck document into a manageable form to give an
indication of improvements that need to be made, and where there may be gaps in
service provision. Where there are weaknesses or opportunities, there are the
possibilities for local projects which can be championed as a community-led
approach, in order to address these gaps and weaknesses and improve the overall
quality of life. The S.W.O.T findings are as follows, and link into the Action Grid in
the Appendices, where projects have been suggested. It should be remembered that
the Action Grid is a working document, and will change and evolve as issues are
addressed in the town or situations change as improvements are made. In the case of
Lee-on-the-Solent, with the Daedalus site now being managed by SEEDA under a
long-term project, this Action Grid will certainly need to be revised to reflect the
changes to come on the former MOD site. Furthermore, the healthcheck itself will
need to be revisited and refreshed, for the same reason, as nothing in life stays the
same!
Aerial view of Lee-on-the-Solent and the HMS Daedalus site
Environment SWOT Analyses
EN1 Character &
Vitality of the town
Does the town make the
most of its natural
environment features?
What/where are the
opportunities for
improvements to areas?
Does the town have
vitality and character, and
does it keep its distinctive
buildings and streets in
good repair and in use? If
not, what could be
improved?
Are there any major
environmental concerns
are being addressed and
planned for? Are there
any gaps?
Comments
The Alver Valley Country Park is
a new development which will
benefit all residents of town &
outlying areas. There is a shortfall
of funding to set this up. The
character of the seafront is an
undeveloped area. The council do
not plan to develop it or cliff tops
Yes, some of the buildings &
streets are not in good control or
use. Streets & pavements are in
need of repair
Conclusion
Strengths,
Weakness &
Opportunity
Weakness
Biggest environmental concerns
are cars. Cannot remove them
from the High Street. Some traffic
calming being implemented in the
High Street.
Strength &
The beach has a clearly defined
Opportunity
area for swimmers & jet skiers.
Received a Blue Flag for beach
cleanliness in 2005. Spectacular
views of passing shipping with the
Isle of Wight as a background.
Skatepark on the beach. Pirates
cover play area- much used and in
good repair. People like the
traditional promenade. Free on
road parking on sea front (except
the car parks)
Links to Action Grid/Projects:
•
•
•
Narrated Walks to showcase built & natural heritage to locals and visitors
Improvement to Lee High Street
Tourism possibilities for the future, working with Tourism South east and
Gosport Borough Council to enhance visitor footfall.
EN2 The town & wider
countryside
Do the town and its
surrounding countryside
have established, strong
links, and are these being
maintained? If the links
are weaker than they used
to be, why is this?
Looking at the quality of
the surrounding
countryside, its sensitive
areas and its potential, are
any areas in need of
support/strengthening?
What are the changes that
are happening in the
and how well these are
being managed? How can
the market town help with
these changes to
management practices?
What potential is there to
increase the extent of
community involvement in
the management and
conservation of the
countryside?
Comments
Conclusion
Many locals use farm shops, otherwise
weak. Greengrocer gets 75% of fresh
produce locally
Weakness
Local golf course is well supported but
expensive.
Strength
Poor interface with the sea.
Weakness &
Opportunity
The opening of the Alver Valley Country
Park will be welcomed by the locals, but
may be delayed due to lack of funding.
A great deal
Strength,
Weakness &
Opportunity
Opportunity
Links to Action Grid & Projects:
•
•
•
Improvements to Lee High Street
Possibilities for Farmers Market or similar to raise the awareness of the
benefits of using local produce and to attract footfall to the local shops
Ongoing community involvement in the future of Lee through consultation
and links to organisations and public sector bodies
EN3 The environment & quality of
life
To what extent do people fully consider
promoting and supporting
environmentally sustainable initiatives?
Are there any gaps or opportunities to
extend these actions?
What improvements could be made in
amenities such as open spaces, sites,
routes and facilities for informal
recreation that enhance the quality of
life for local people be made? Are
there any potential open spaces or sites
that could be developed?
Comments
Conclusion
Lee Recycling Group
established in 2005/6,
reached all targets set by Strength & Opportunity
HCC & was awarded
funding of £50k for local
environmental
improvements. The
schools, churches & local
groups are involved
Room for improved
facilities along the beach.
Strength & Opportunity
There may be potential
for harbour/pier as the
beach & slipways
provide the interface with
the sea. Land/areas are
available and should be
identified.
•
•
Ongoing involvement with SEEDA to ensure sustainable future and
community participation and consultation in the development of Daedalus and
open spaces
Ongoing consultations with Tourism South East to ensure sustainable tourism
development involves the local community and benefits the town and
residents.
Heron on Elmore Lake, Lee-on-the-Solent
Economy SWOT Analyses
EC1 Employment
Comments
Conclusion
Is unemployment a significant
issue locally?
Yes- for those people who wish to
work in Lee
Weakness
Are there are any recent trends
in long term unemployment?
There is an increase in long-term
unemployment which may be
accelerated by reduction in size of
MOD and its involvement in the
area
Weakness &
Threat
Is the town a dormitory town
or has it a significant
employment role?
Dormitory town
Weakness &
Threat
Is local employment
particularly dependent on
specific industry sectors and
/or on a small number of large
employers?
Dependent on MOD & its
supporting industries
Weakness &
Threat
Is employment growth within
only some industry sectors, or
spread more widely?
Restricted to small firms
Need more
information
How much confidence is there
within the business sector?
88% of small businesses who
responded to questionnaire are
confident of future
Strength &
Opportunity
Is the number of jobs available
locally increasing or
decreasing?
The business survey indicated small
increases
Strength &
Opportunity
What opportunities are there
for job creation from the
expansion of existing local
firms?
Limited, as these are small firms
Strength &
Opportunity
•
Representing the interests of local businesses as an ongoing project,
encouraging Business Roadshow and Business Support
EC2 Business Support
Comments
Conclusion
How vigorous is the local
economy - based on new
business start-ups /
closures?
Only 1 branch in Lee, rest
are in Fareham or Gosport.
Yes, as businesses have to
travel to get advice for
financial services based in
Lee
Weakness & Opportunity
Are there any
opportunities to expand
support for local
businesses
Yes, Gosport council has
employed someone to look
at this
Is there is a need to create,
develop and or fund
business events
Yes
Opportunity
Are there are enough
business meeting and
conference venues locally?
No
To what extent are local
businesses making use of
Broadband and Internet
technologies
To large extent
Are there are technical or
security concerns with
remote broadband access
to public sector ICT
systems?
No
Need more information
•
•
•
Maintaining links with SEEDA to encourage business support and economic
benefits locally
Future possibility of a Community Shop venture in the medium to long term,
subject to establishment of feasibility
Vision4Lee’s continued providing a conduit to GBC’s Economic Prosperity
Department to work cohesively to maximise all opportunities locally.
EC3 Training &
Education
Comments
Conclusion
Are there are sufficient
pre-school places in
nurseries and playgroups?
No, based on current data
Is there is a problem in
local schools with
academic achievements or
exclusions?
No
Are there significant
vocational or nonvocational training gaps,
which could be filled
locally?
No
What proportion of people
have access to the
Internet?
69% employees have
internet access.
A high proportion of
households have access to
the internet (backed up by
pub quiz data)
EC4 Learning & skills
development
Are industries in the town in the
growth sectors of the regional
economy? Are the skills needs of
these sectors being met?
How does the health of the local
economy compare with other towns
and the regional economy as a
whole?
Is there any significant cluster of
businesses in the town (for
example, tourism, specialist
retailing, and engineering) and why
is the town attracting these
businesses?
What significant skills shortages or
recruitment problems are existing
businesses experiencing?
What is the mix of generic and
sector-specific skills that local
employers most value and most
need to help their business?
Comments
Conclusion
No
Weakness
Above average for local
area
Strength &
Opportunity
No
Weakness,
Opportunity &
Threat
None
Strength &
Opportunity
Customer skills &
interpersonal skills
Strength &
Opportunity
IT
Can local people access training
locally that will improve general
skills levels in the community and
work to the benefit of local
businesses and the local economy?
What delivery agencies, trainers,
and infrastructure bodies are active
in the town? What facilities are
available in the town that could
provide a venue for local delivery
of information, skills training, etc?
Yes
Few facilities available in Strength,
Lee itself
Weakness,
Opportunity &
Threat
Where are decisions made about the
provision of training opportunities
By local employers
within the town? By whom are
these decisions made?
•
Strength &
Opportunity
Strength,
Weakness,
Opportunity &
Threat
Opportunities exist to work closely with organisations such as ‘Impact’ to
offer more support to local businesses
EC5 Retail & town
centre services
How much of the local
shopping provision is in
the town centre, out-oftown centre or in the
villages?
Are there any obvious
gaps or shortages in
provision of different types
of shops and services?
Comments
Conclusion
90-95% provision is in the town
centre. Here is another shopping
in Cherque Farm area
Strength &
Opportunity
How effective is the use of
retail floorspace?
Is thriving so would appear to be
effective
Strength &
Opportunity
There seems to be a demand for
retail floorspace which is
Strength &
currently being met through
Opportunity
natural wastage
Business surveys showed
confidence
Strength
If there is commercial
demand for additional
retail floorspace?
What is retail confidence
like?
Are the local provision
and/or livestock markets
vulnerable to closure
Hardware shops, dress shops,
shoe shops and no gents clothes
shops
Yes
EC6 Commercial & industrial
property needs
How have vacancy levels for
commercial properties changed in
the last three years?
Are existing commercial and
industrial firms planning to
expand?
Are there sufficient premises at
affordable rents for new small
businesses, and for businesses
that want to expand?
What is the overall demand for,
and gaps in the provision of,
different types of commercial and
industrial property. Take into
consideration size and age of
available property.
Opportunity
Weakness &
Opportunity
Comments
Conclusion
Remained static
Strength &
Opportunity
No- remained static. No
applications to change use
or extend premises
Weakness
No, according to business
survey
Weakness &
Threat
Daedalus is a SEEDA
controlled area. There is a
demand for commercial &
industrial premises there.
Some small units have
been taken over. There is
infrastructure going in to
produce a technopark
Strength &
Opportunity
EC7 Tourism & visitor
services
How important is tourism
spending and tourismrelated employment to the
local economy?
Comments
Conclusion
Very important- need to
concentrate on this. No
hotel accommodation.
Strength, Weakness,
Opportunity & Threat
How vulnerable is the
local economy to seasonal
variations in tourism?
Vulnerable to seasonal
variations in tourism. Have Strength, Weakness,
steady numbers of visitors Opportunity & Threat
in the year, but is weather
dependent
How do historical
employment rates and
business stocks in tourism
related services, such as
hotels and catering,
compare with regional and
national averages over the
last 3-5 years?
Is visitor activity
concentrated mainly
within the town itself or
within the hinterland?
How good are the
transport links into the
town and to tourist
attractions?
What Tourism information
sources there are in the
area, and how well used
are they?
Do the town and its
hinterland have adequate
parking facilities for both
residents and visitors?
Figures have been stable
Evenly spread
Average
No TIC in Lee, nearest is
Gosport
Yes
•
•
Valuable input ongoing with Tourism South East and SEEDA to encourage
leisure & tourism opportunities for Lee-on-the-Solent, especially as the
Daedalus site plans develop and community participation and consultation
evolves, especially in relation to increasing accommodation provision.
Narrated Walks will raise profile of the attraction in and around the town and
encourage interest in Lee as a visitor destination
Social & Community SWOT Analyses
S1 Population
How does the population
profile of the town and
compare with regional and
national profiles?
Comments
Slanted towards the
elderly, but is evening out
as the population is getting
younger with new
developments
Conclusion
Growth, mainly in young
families
S2 Housing
Is there sufficient housing
available to meet the needs
of all sectors of the
population? If there are
shortfalls, where are they?
Do current housing
strategies and plans take
these areas into account?
Comments
Shortfall in low cost,
affordable housing for
first-time buyers. People
want 2 bedroom
properties. Council is
trying to address this- if
develop 20 houses have to
put 40% social houses
Conclusion
Is the available housing
stock in good condition?
Where is the poor housing
stock? What is being done
to improve it?
Generally in good
condition. Council houses
in Elmore are being rebuilt
as they were sub-standard
Is there a growth or
decline in numbers or the
location of population
categories, and what are
they?
•
•
Youth projects and collaborative working for provision for youth in the town,
as population of families increases
Book of Memories project to encourage youth involvement and raise interest
of shared cultural heritage of Lee-on-the-Solent, with involvement of the
young and older sections of the community on a shared project. Preserving
living heritage.
S3 Health & public safety
Is there adequate access to a range
of healthcare and social care
services? Where could access to,
or the quality of provision, be
improved?
Do all areas provide a safe and
healthy environment to live in?
Comments
Conclusion
More space needed for local
doctor’s practice
Weakness &
Opportunity
Yes
Strength &
Opportunity
Is a good standard provided by
the emergency services?
Yes, but road congestion is an
issue especially at peak travel
times
Is there a good strategy to fight
crime and is the community
protected? What opportunities
are there to improve provision?
Crime prevention measures are
revised at the local beat
surgery held at Lee
Community Centre. Greater
visible police presence is
considered essential as a result
of population increase. Crime
data figures are good in Lee
but are perceived as worse by
population
S4 Local government &
community organisation
How easily can local people gain
access to local government
officials or members?
Comment
How well is the community
represented in, or consulted by,
local government
How well are local issues fully
considered in local strategies and
community planning?
How active and influential is the
community in local decisionmaking?
How well is the community
encouraged and supported to
become involved in decisionmaking/development issues?
Strength,
Weakness,
Opportunity &
Threat
Strength,
Weakness,
Opportunity &
Threat
Conclusion
Very easily: writing, website,
email, telephone- all levels
Strength &
of communication
Opportunity
Well represented
Well looked after by Lee
Residents Association,
Councillors will attend any
local meeting they are
invited to
Strength &
Opportunity
Strength &
Opportunity
Active and influential
Strength &
Opportunity
Very much so
Strength &
Opportunity
S5 Sport, leisure & open space
Are there sufficient sports, leisure
and open space facilities to meet
the needs of residents? Where are
there any gaps or shortfalls?
How well maintained are these
areas and facilities? Where is
additional management or
maintenance needed?
Are the facilities accessible and
affordable for residents?
Are any of these facilities or
spaces under threat? What plans
are there to ensure that provision
is sufficient to meet future
demand?
•
Conclusion
Yes
Strength
One open space, rugby
pitches, could be
developed under a land
swap
Weakness &
Opportunity
Weakness &
Opportunity
Weakness &
Opportunity
Play Strategy to attract funds for youth provision and play was assisted and
informed by healthcheck research and Vision4Lee consultation data
S6 Culture & heritage
Are there are sufficient cultural and
heritage venues and facilities to
meet the community's needs?
How well do current events and
activities reflect the area's culture,
heritage and strong historical or
cultural associations? Have any
distinctive or famous links been
ignored?
Are members of the community
actively engaged in the area's
culture and heritage?
Are the local culture and heritage
sufficiently promoted?
•
Comment
In general yes, but local
population perceive there is
a need for a local
swimming pool and leisure
facilities. People would
like a marina
Reasonably maintained,
some improvements are
essential. Holbrooks is
tatty and needs to be
replaced
Comment
Probably yes, may need
to increase these as
population is expanding
Very well.
Fleet Air Arm has been
lost since closure of
Daedalus
Yes, many groups are
active and strive to
ensure that they promote
what they do
Yes- in Lee Advertiser,
newsletters & website
Conclusion
Strength &
Opportunity
Strength,
Weakness &
Opportunity
Strength &
Opportunity
Strength &
Opportunity
Ongoing discourse with Tourism South east and SEEDA to maximise
opportunities for the future
S7 The community legal
service
Does the local CLSP
Strategic Plan accurately
reflect the need for civil
legal service in your town
and its hinterland?
Are there particular issues
or priorities regarding
access to civil legal
services by residents of
your town and its
hinterland that you think
the CLSP has missed?
How easy is it for people
to get access to community
legal services and help?
Comment
Conclusion
Yes
Strength. More
information needed.
None identified
Strength. More
information needed.
Very
Strength
•
•
•
•
Local Strategic Partnership were involved with the healthcheck research, and
Vision4Lee provided valuable input into the forthcoming ‘Sustainable
Community Strategy’
Community Shop possibilities for the future to encourage better
communications with public sector organisations
Formation of a Town Partnership will lead to better cohesion between the
community groups and other bodies such as the Local Strategic Partnership
Strong Residents Association, represented also on the Vision4Lee Steering
Group, strengthens the community’s ability to stay well-informed and have a
collective ‘voice’ in matters at public sector level.
Transport SWOT Analyses
T1 Travel to and from
the local area
To what extent is the car
the predominant form of
transport to and from the
area?
Are there definable usergroups or usage patterns
for car-users and for the
different public transport
services?
How easy is it to change
between train and coach
and/or bus services
Are waiting times for
bus/train connecting
services acceptable?
Comment
Conclusion
Predominant travel means.
Pub quiz results back this
up
Weakness & Threat
No
Impossible- very difficult
Weakness & Threat
No
Weakness & Threat
•
•
Transport issues well represented in healthcheck and public consultation, and
are recognised by both SEEDA and Tourism South East
Aspirations for ICANGO project to encourage people out of cars and using
local public transport, also benefiting the environment through more
sustainable forms of transport locally
T2 Ease of access to
services
Are bus and train times
from outlying villages to
the town convenient for
people going to/from work
and school?
Where are the gaps in the
rural transport services
where demand exists?
Is public transport
accessible to the less able?
Is information on public
transport easy to obtain?
Do public transport
services, including special
services such as Dial-ARide, need to be more
widely advertised or more
actively promoted?
Is there a need to relocate
bus stops to bring them
closer to the town centre?
How easy is it to get to
health, education, cultural
and retail services from
outlying villages by public
transport rather than by
car?
In which parts of the area
is access to services a
problem?
How easy it is to access
electronic information
about public services
rather than having to
physically travel to get it?
Are mobile services able
to replace the need for
people to travel?
Comment
Conclusion
School, yes. Work, no.
Weakness, Opportunity &
Threat
Yes- late night and at
weekends
Threat
Generally, yes, but limited
to lower deck. All taxis are
for disabled people
Yes- displayed at
timetables on bus stops &
on the web
Strength
Strength
No
Strength
No
Strength
Health- to main cottage
hospital only. The others
are very difficult to access.
No direct transport to 6th
form college.
Threat
All of it. Very limited
direct bus routes other than Weakness & Threat
town centres
Yes
Strength
No
Weakness
T3 Ease of movement
around the town
What plans are there to
resolve traffic 'hot spots'?
Are there accident ‘black
spots’ where there is a
need to introduce safety
measures to protect
pedestrians and cyclists?
Are there any
opportunities to increase
bus access and circulation
in the town centre?
Are there opportunities to
extend pedestrian
prioritisation in the
shopping areas?
Is it easy for people,
including those with
disabilities, to find their
way around town?
How could the network of
footpaths and cycle routes
be improved for all sectors
of the community?
Do the cycle paths and
footpaths connect places
that people wish to go to?
In what ways could
dedicated/segregated cycle
routes and footpaths
linking residential areas to
the town centre and to
local schools be improved?
Comment
Conclusion
Monitored by police &
TROs introduced
No
Strength
Yes- new service to
Cherque Farm estate
None identified, some are
in hand
Opportunity
Very
Some improvement
needed
No cycle paths in village.
Footpaths & backways are
good
Cycle path down to Broom
Way, Marine Parade & up
to Newgate Lane
Links to Action grid & Projects:
•
•
Vision4Lee links to Gosport Borough Council Hampshire County Council
ongoing, with cycle routes and transport research shared in order to encourage
improvements for the future
Improvements to Lee High Street included in Action Grid, with improvement
ongoing at the time of the production of this report
5. Vision4Lee Members
Guy Hudspith (Chairman)
Guy was one of the founder members when the group was formed in 2004. Guy took
over the Chair in Spring 2007. He is a member of Lee Residents Association, Lee
Tennis Club & the Sailing Club. Guy headed up the ‘Transport & Accessibility’
section of the healthcheck and is a keen cyclist, amongst his other interests. Guy
formerly lived on the Isle of Wight in Cowes where he spent time as a local
councillor, before moving to Lee-on-the-Solent.
Evelyn Beale (Vice Chair)
Local GP Dr Evelyn Beale guided Vision4Lee through the healthcheck and
consultation process in her role as Chair from 2005-2007. Evelyn is also one of the
guides for the group’s Narrated Walks, which have recently been shortlisted as a
project finalist in the 2007 ‘South East Market Town Awards’. Evelyn took
responsibility for the ‘Environment’ section of the healthcheck, and also is a member
of the recently formed ‘Lee Leaders’ group. Among her many interests, Evelyn is a
member of the Tennis Club, Horticultural Society and Lee Residents Association.
Ray Harding (Secretary)
Ray joined the group in 2006, taking on the vital role of Vision4Lee’s Secretary,
having recently retired from a career in the MOD. Ray has been the Chair of the Lee
Horticultural Society for 12 years, and is actively involved in the very successful Lee
Recycling Group. Ray also gives his time as a voluntary driver, taking patients to their
appointments at the QA Hospital. The Narrated Walks were the brainchild of Ray in
2006, and he created the walk leaflets for the group, based on his extensive local
knowledge, and often leads the walks personally.
Alan Tomkins (Website Team)
Alan joined the group in 2006, as a recent newcomer to Lee-on-the-Solent. He learned
of the group having received the Vision4Lee newsletter at his home in Hill Head.
Alan is a local businessman with many interests, and wanted to get involved in a
worthwhile community project. Using his expertise in IT to give the existing website
an overhaul, Alan and the IT team post all news and items of interest on the website,
making it a current and hugely valuable resource for the group.
Richard Needham (Website Team)
Richard, a local businessman and founder member of the group, set up the original
website and is involved with the Lee Business Association, and was formerly a
member of the Daedalus Action Group. Richard has a variety of interests, and is also
a member of Lee’s First Responders.
Alison Roast
Alison is Vice Chair of Lee Residents Association, formerly held the Chairship, and is
a very active member of the Lee community. Alison’s understanding of planning
issues has been invaluable to the Vision4Lee group, and she was a founder member
when it was set up in 2004. Alison was involved in the ‘Social & Community’ section
of the healthcheck and is passionate about local issues that improve the quality of life
for the community.
Derek Kimber
Local councillor Derek is another founder member of Vision4Lee, and provides the
group with a valuable conduit to Gosport Borough Council. Derek assisted with the
Raodshows, providing equipment such as a gazebo for the public consultations in Lee
High Street.
James Jack (Website Team)
James came on board the Vision4Lee team in 2006 and works alongside Alan &
Richard to ensure the website stays fresh and up to date. James was integral in helping
to improve the site, and make many improvements. James will soon be heading off to
University, and Vision4Lee will miss his input and would like to thank James for all
his commitment and hard work that has helped make the website such a wonderful
and much improved resource.
Joan Pattison (Fundraising & Sponsorship)
Joan joined the Steering Group in 2007, fulfilling a much-needed role in assisting
Vision4Lee with attempting to raise much-needed funds and contacting businesses
and organisations. Joan continues to champion this role within the group and liases
closely with members to ensure the future viability of the group, who all give their
time for free.
Reverend Peter Sutton
Reverent Sutton attends the Vision4Lee meetings and provides a vital link between
the church community and Vision4Lee. Vicar of St. Faith’s Church since 1993, the
building is one of architectural note within the healthcheck and important built
heritage within the town, and hosts many community events throughout the year for
local residents.
Steve Brown:
Represents matters to the group relating to the Community Centre and local
community as a whole. Please see their website: www.losca.co.uk
Carl Inman:
Most recent member of the group, Carl is a businessman who brings considerable
knowledge and experience to the group.
Mike & Cynthia Marvin
New members to the Steering Group, Mike & Cynthia joined the Steering Group in
May 2007. As the group moves towards forming a Town Partnership, their
involvement and support in local matters and projects is hugely appreciated. Cynthia
is a former GP and is particularly interested in health issuea, pre-school places and
provision for young people in the town.
Maria Calway-Kennedy
Maria is the Senior Youth Worker for Hampshire County Youth Service Provision
(HCYS) and became involved with the group when youth issues as a priority were
identified through the healthcheck and consultation research. Maria advises the group
on youth issues, and gathered much-needed input from the youth of Lee about their
aspirations, needs and hopes for the future of Lee-on-the-Solent. Maria set up a
graffiti board for young people and gathered and collated the research on behalf of
Vision4Lee. As a result of the input from Lee youth, Vision4Lee research was used
by Gosport Borough Council’s Pam Conway to create the recent ‘Play Strategy’
document.
Vision4Lee as well as carrying out serious and valuable research through the Market
Town Initiative healthcheck and consultation process also endeavour to make
involvement in the process fun and enjoyable for the volunteers, without whom none
of the projects and successes would be possible. During the refining of the
healthcheck process, the group worked at Lee Community Centre and had an
American Supper to make the hard work a sociable event as well as a celebration of
the hard work and commitment coming to fruition.
Left-Right: Ray, Evelyn, Rev. Sutton and Guy at V4Lee American Supper
Left-Right: Rev. Sutton, Guy, Evelyn & Ray, working on the SWOT analyses
6. Acknowledgements & Thanks
Hampshire County Council: The Market Town Initiative is co-ordinated by the
Economic Development Office’s Market Towns Co-ordinator Anne Harrison, based
at Winchester. For further information please contact [email protected] or
telephone Anne on call 01962 846558. We would like to thank Anne for her support
and advice throughout the last 3 years.
Johanna Hamilton: Chair of Gosport’s Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), Johanna
assisted with parts of the healthcheck and has included the V4Lee members in
consultations working towards the new Sustainable Community Strategy.
Shaun Farrell: Shaun is Gosport borough’s Business Impact Manager, which works
towards providing opportunities for young people, local businesses (and their
employees) to develop the skills and abilities needed to ensure personal and business
success. Shaun arranged the 2006 Business Roadshow in conjunction with Hampshire
County Council’s Sustainable Business Partnership, an event set up as a result of
feedback from Vision4Lee’s business survey, as part of the ‘Economy’ section
research.
The Business Roadshow was a pilot project proved very successful, and was attended
by Vision4Lee’s Richard Needham. For further information and advice please contact
Shaun direct. Email: [email protected]
Stephen Duncan: Stephen is Hampshire County Council’s Sustainable Business
Partnership (SBP) Manager. Working for the first time with Shaun Farrell, the
Business Roadshow was created in response to Vision4Lee’s identified need for more
business support and an interest in sustainable issues locally. For further information
on the SBP and its continuing work or to contact the SBP team direct please visit the
website: http://www.egeneration.co.uk/hants/docs/tools/SBP.asp
Gosport Borough Council: The aerial map for the Roadshows were created by the
Economic Prosperity Department, who also funded the business surveys and
associated administration costs for this one-off piece of research which informed the
healthcheck’s ‘Economy’ section. V4Lee would like to thank the Economic
Prosperity team, Lynda Dine (Head of Economic Prosperity), Richard Jones
(Economic Investment Officer) and Christine Threlfall (Administration Support
Officer) for their continued input, support and assistance of Vision4Lee.
For further information about the Economic Prosperity Department and the services &
support they offer please email: [email protected] or telephone 02392 9254
5425.
Lee-on-the-Solent Community Centre: The meetings for V4Lee have been hosted
and the hard work supported by the Community Centre and its staff and volunteers.
For further information about the services offered by the Community Centre please
see their website: http://www.losca.co.uk/
Court Barn Conservative Club: Vision4Lee were hosted for a public consultation in
2006 at the Club, where space was made available for the volunteers to set up their
aerial map and collect information and surveys to inform the ‘Social & Community’
section of the healthcheck. The club is a Grade II listed building, also offering a venue
for weddings and events. Please see their website for further details:
www.courtbarn.co.uk or telephone 02392 550448
Pam Conway: Gosport Borough Council’s Leisure Development Officer, Pan has
attended Steering Group meetings and worked with the group, who were able to
provide research data which has helped inform the new ‘Play Strategy’ document,
aiming to attract funding to the borough to improve the leisure and play provision for
young people. For further details please contact: [email protected]
Peter Patterson and Lee Business Association: A member of Lee Business
Association, Peter assisted the Roadshows and was a founder Vision4Lee member
from 2004-2005. Peter has supported the group’s activities and consultations, as well
as providing refreshments from his premises for the members undertaking public
consultation in May & June 2006. Peter has assisted with activities and supported the
consultation process by supplying questionnaires to his customers and providing a
valuable conduit between the group and the business community. Peter provided
valuable healthcheck information relating to sourcing local produce for the
‘Environment’ and ‘Economy’ sections and his popular greengrocer’s shop, All
Seasons Fruiterers, is situated at 135a High Street, Lee-on-the-Solent.
Rick Barter: Rick became proprietor of Lee Book Shop in 2004 and spent time as a
member of the Vision4Lee Steering Group until 2006. Rick supported the Roadshows
by providing the goodie bags for the group to hand out to families with young
children who came to share their views, and has supported the group’s activities by
handing out questionnaires and displaying posters in his premises. To visit the website
for the Book Shop, 142 High Street, or see the website: www.leebookshop.co.uk
Lee-on-the-Solent Residents Association (LRA): Roadshows and consultations
were held by Vision4Lee at meetings and would like to thank LRA for their support
and assistance with the initiative. For more information about the group please see
their website: www.leeresidents.bravehost.com
www.cherquefarm.com: Vision4Lee would also like to thank Daniel and Martin,
who created and run the local community online Forum and who attended Steering
Group meetings and gave their support to the group. To view their website or join the
local forum discussions please visit www.cherquefarm.com. The site contains local
information and links to groups and general information about Lee-on-the-Solent.
Lawrence Brodley: Lawrence has been inputting into the Steering Group in relation
to possible projects, and is an active member of the Lee community and has
undertaken research into the possibility of an ICANGO bus service for the future.
Lee-on-the-Solent Tennis, Squash & Fitness Club: The club allowed Vision4Lee to
hold public consultations in the form of a Roadshow in their club, which resulted in
valuable opinions and views being gathered which informed the healthcheck research.
Please view their website for further details about the club: www.lostclub.co.uk
Jo Dixon & Giv Thornton, Planning For Real: The Vision4Lee Roadshows would
not have been possible without the support and guidance of Jo & Giv, who work for
Community Action Hampshire. For anyone planning community events visit their
website at www.action.hants.org.uk. Jo & Giv assisted the group in talking to locals,
gathering their views and helping the group take an organised and cohesive approach
to gathering the public views and opinions.
Justin Harvey & Groundwork Solent : For attending meetings and giving input into
projects engaging young people in Lee with environmental projects. Further
information available at: www.groundwork.org.uk/solent
Lee Horticultural Society: A thriving local group with many recent successes, and
links are maintained through shared member and LHS Chair, Ray Harding. Further
information about LHS from : [email protected]
Maria Calway-Kennedy: Senior Youth Worker for Gosport who has collected data
on youth provision and assisted Vision4Lee in identifying needs for young people in
the town: [email protected]
Action Grid Projects Outline
1. Enhanced Provision for Youth Activities
SHORT TERM PRIORITY & SEEDA BID
Upgrade/Refurbish/Replace existing Youth
hut with modern building, several possible
sites
Improve communications with Lee Youth
Club and Groups to establish the views of the
Youth for future needs. Working with youth
leaders in Lee
Increase number of pre-school
places/provision
2. Memories of Lee
SHORT TERM PRIORITY
Interview residents of Lee with memories and
record the details
Record data and collate so memories and
recollections are not lost
Produce book or similar to give access to Lee
locals wishing to learn about the memories of
other residents
Youth
Surveys
2007
onwards
V4Lee
Attract young
families to area
Curb parents car
journeys
Better facilities for
local families
Roadshow
surveys,
Graffiti
Board
Youth
surveys
2007
Youth
workers
liaising
with
group
Youth
Council?
Improve
community
participation in
youth needs and
activities
Increase footfall to
shopping areas
Address different
activities for
variety of age
groups
Provide local access
to facilities
Enhance local area
and civic pride
More activities &
Less vandalism
Roadshow
findings
2007
Scouts &
Fiona Spain
Record intangible
local heritage
Identify areas of
heritage interest
Civic pride in
tangible form
EN2 Q2
2007
Young Roots Lottery
Fund possibility
Book sold locally
As
above
2007
Preserves living
memories
Transfer of
knowledge and
skills
Preserving cultural
knowledge
Local learning and
knowledge preserved
2007/8
Ad hoc project
manager locally
Currently depreciating swiftly.
Linked to SEEDA &
Hants County Youth Service who
are liaising to identify and
possibilities
Insufficient use?
Liaising with Surestart and Youth
Service
Basis of possible SEEDA bid
Ongoing at time of report
production
Identified as key
funding project and
funding needs
to be sought
Engaging older people
Engaging youth
In local project
3. DVD Postcard
SHORT TERM PRIORITY
Create a DVD Postcard to showcase the town
and raise awareness of events, history and
encourage footfall to the town
Roadshow
2007/8
Healthcheck
St Vincents
College
Environmental
Outcomes
Community
Outcomes
Economic Outcomes
Highlights the
areas of interest
Increases civic
pride & community
awareness of local
heritage
DVDs will be sold
locally, icreasing the
multiplier effect
V4Lee
Fit in with local
area plans
Encouraging visitors
to the town
4 Improvement to High Street Areas
MEDUIM TERM PRIORITY
Re-site planters to prevent parking/ improved
lighting
Pier Street Site
Roadsh
ows/
EN1
Q11
Love
it/Hate
it
2007/8
2007
Chris
Willia
ms
LGS
Environmental
Outcomes
Community
Outcomes
Economic Outcomes
GBC/
HCC
Enhance local area
aesthetically
Encourage pride of
place- felt is
‘overkill’ currently
Increased local
shopping
HCC/GB
C/Cllr
Snaith
Clarity of local
building use and
upkeep
Regeneration of
local area
Increased
attractiveness to
visitors
Fit in with loc
al
area plans
Sustainable Community
Strategy, input & coOrdination role only
Information conduit
Role only possibly
5. Seafront Cycleway
MEDIUM TERM PRIORITY
Cycleways identified as in need of
improvement and expansion on
seafront and around the town
Roadshows
2007
onwards
HCC
2008
onwards
Varie
d
Healthcheck
Improvements to seafront
6. Facilities for older youth
Change in demographic has increased
need for provision of facilities for
youth of Lee
As
above
Roadshows
Healthcheck
Community
Outcomes
Economic Outcomes
Fit in with local
area plans
More sustainable
travel
Improved access
Healthier lifestyles
Directing HCC funds
where most
appropriate
Liaising with Tim
Barton of HCC to share
V4Lee research
Enhanced
environment
Improved
surroundings
Increasingly
attractive to visitors
Environmental
Outcomes
Less vandalism
Community
Outcomes
Enhanced youth
satisfaction
Economic Outcomes
2008
onwards
7. Green Open Spaces Improvements
Protect the existing open spaces and
enhance local environment
HCC
sharing
V4Lee
findings
Environmental
Outcomes
Roadshows
Youth may stay in
area to live/study
Fit in with local
area plans
Sustainable
Community
Strategy
Environmental
Outcomes
Community
Outcomes
Economic Outcomes
Fit in with local
area plans
Enhanced
environment
Civic pride
Encourage visitors
Sustainable
communities
8. Panniers Market / Community
Shop Facility/Internet Café.
Encourage/Improve use of businesses
& shops
LONG TERM PRIORITY
Identify a site for a community shop or
base, information exchange, visitor &
local information. Base for Guided
Walks to begin from
9. Harbour/Marina
LONG TERM PRIORITY
Daedalus site provides opportunity to
develop a marina or investigate water
transport for the future
Road
Show
findings
2008/9
Environmental
Outcomes
Community
Outcomes
Economic Outcomes
Fit in with local
area plans
Encourage use of
local produce
Create community
hub
Increase footfall to
the town
Community
Strategy
Internet access
increased
Roadshow
Healthcheck
?
Environmental
Outcomes
Community
Outcomes
Economic Outcomes
Fit in with local
area plans
Less road traffic
Reduce congestion
More sustainable
travel
Improved access to
services such as
hospitals
Visitor attraction
Sustainable transport
Access to services
Increased work
infrastructure to other
areas
10. Stimulate Regional Tourism and
related investment
Explore opportunities to develop
tourism in the town, as not well
promoted at present
•
•
•
•
•
DVD Postcard
Community events
Liaising with Deadalus,
SEEDA group and Tourism
South East
Lack of hotel identified
Water transport as in action 9
All
findings
GBC
St Vincent
College
Environmental
Outcomes
Community
Outcomes
Economic Outcomes
Fit in with local
area plans
Town enhanced as a
destination and
valued as a visitor
asset
Enhanced civic
pride
Hotel would generate
income and create
employment locally
Boosting local
Economy
Improved
infrastructure
SEEDA identified
Daedalus as a
Strategic hotel
Site as have TSE
The Action grid is a live document. It is always changing due to circumstances and progress or change in policy, direction of group or
external factors.
Much of the onus for change and projects will be dependant on the SEEDA development of the Daedalus site.
Vision4Lee have been liaising with the SEEDA group and the Local strategic Partnership, and have participated in the public
consultation and shared their findings in the hope of a more sustainable future and projects that are community-led.
Therefore this document is only a snapshot in time, and will be updated and amended as circumstances change and project focus shifts.
***** All actions are proposed, and efforts will be made to influence the service plans of the partners mentioned, but everything must be
subject to the availability of the necessary resources.
GRAFFITI BOARD FEEDBACK FROM: FOCUS YOUTH CLUB, LEEON-THE-SOLENT. PERIOD NOVEMBER 06 – MARCH 07
AGE GROUPS 11-15 - NUMBERS MAKING COMMENTS TOTALED 30
IN ALL.
What do you like best about Lee?
The brill mates, great school (Bayhouse) and community centres.
Where I live (it is the best)
Quiet environment
Skate park on beach
The park and the beach and the school
I like the shops
I like the park
Nothing
Near the sea
Got parks
The high street
I like all of Lee because it is a nice, small and mainly friendly place
Cause it has good things in
I think it is sound and cool
It’s awesome
What improvements/changes do you think should be made in Lee
Swimming pool
More shops like New Look
More charity shops (anything to help for worthy causes)
Less charity shops
Things to do in the evenings and at weekends
Dog poo is everywhere – we need more dog poo bins (on beach mostly)
Less graffiti
More litter bins because it’s damaging the environment
More children activity centres
More stuff for children to have fun in
Ice rink
A better park
More stuff for kids to do
•
Youth projects for the town and the introduction of Gosport Borough Council’s Play
Strategy, with input from Vision4Lee and possible youth projects being proposed as
part of the Market Town Initiative
Vision4Lee Youth Questionnaire Results: School Council Lee Junior
School 11 pupils ages 7 x1: 8 x 3: 9 x1: 10 x4 and 11 x 2
What things do you like best about Lee-on-the-Solent?
• The beach and sea x 10
• Café/ Ice-cream shops x 6
• The Recreation Park because of the equipment x 5
• The Schools because there is lots to do x 2
• The Arcade x 2
• The New agents for sweets and magazines x 1
• The new houses because they look nice x 1
• It’s by the Sea which is fun x 1
• Daedalus because of the planes x 1
• The Shops x 1
• The sailing club x 1
• The Library x 1
What things do you dislike about living in Lee-on-the-Solent?
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•
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The traffic which is busy and annoying x 6
Older girls and boys being silly on the road and in the school playground, using bad
language x 4
Not enough New Clothes or Sports Shops x 3
The amount of houses and flats x 2
Not enough post boxes or litter bins x 2
The Doctors because injections hurt x 1
People that are not nice to other people x 1
The recreation Ground because the equipment is rusty x 1
Unfinished pathways because they are bumpy x 1
Small roads because of the traffic x 1
Grass Football pitches x 1
Rude pictures on the skate park ramps x 1
Dogs fouling the grass x 1
Not enough things to do x 1
If you could change anything or have a wish list for Lee, what things would you change
or wish for?
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Big Park full of flower gardens x 4
Swimming pool x 3
Remove traffic from the High Street x 3
A toy shop x 2
Reduce the amount of new houses x 2
Better Roads and Parking spaces x 2
More Post boxes and litter bins x 2
Change open fields to shops and car parks x 2
More information signs x 1
Improve the beach x 1
A Book shop x 1
Football Pitch where all the grass is on the front x 1
Get the Hovercrafts working again so that we can use them to travel x 1
Larger Sailing Club x 1
The number of responses recorded is shown against each heading
•
•
•
•
Working towards better and wider youth provision and facilities for the youth of Leeon-the-Solent
Improvements to the High Street to encourage young people to shop locally
Involvement of youth in consultation increases civic pride in the town, and projects
such as the Book of Memories will encourage better understanding of the cultural
heritage of the town
Ongoing youth involvement will identify needs of the growing younger population,
and be able to provide a conduit to ensure their views are heard and projects to
address those needs encouraged and implemented for a more sustainable future.
Many thanks to Fiona Spain (Lee Scout Leader) and Maria Calway-Kennedy
(Hampshire Youth Service), for their hard work and encouragement of the views of the
young people living in Lee-on-the-Solent. Also thanks to local schools who participated
in the collection of views represented above.
Post-it Note results/Comments
1. Improvements to local sports and leisure facilities (851 mentions in total)
•
242 would like to see more facilities for our youth (23 say more local school and
nursery places needed)
166 mention an indoor swimming pool
98 want better and more cycleways
91 like the idea of a harbour/marina
87 suggest Daedalus might be used in some way
82 mention that the sea front needs improvements
61 would like to have more sports facilities
17 say keep the hovercraft museum
7 would like to see a cinema
5 want Lee to have more public events
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2. Improvements to the High Street- to turn it into a more vibrant and interesting retail
experience (424 mentions)
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223 would like a bigger number of shops
162 want more free parking, particularly in the High Street
36 say “no more charity shops”
17 want the pavement on NE side renewed
12 would like to see new lamp-posts (to match those on the seafront)
11 suggest some trees would look good
4 suggest pedestrianisation
3. Transport improvements to, from and around Lee (405 mentions)
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177 want better roads and more of them (links A27, M27)
98 say improve cycleways
85 mention fast ferries/water buses
45 wants better public transport (particularly bus services)
4. Those who would a hotel back in Lee- 150 mentions
5. Better police presence- total 109 mentions (58 concerned about “boy racers”)
6. Better street and beach cleaning- 86 mentions (23 want more dog bins)
7. More local employment opportunities- (10 mentions)
8. Daedalus to remain active for light aircraft (40 mentions, including gliders)
9. Opposed to any further apartment blocks- (85 mentions)
MARKET TOWNS WORKSHEETS
ADVICE ON PREPARING A ‘SNAPSHOT’ AND COMPLETING THE WORKSHEETS
The market town healthcheck consists of questions that cover all aspects affecting peoples’ quality of
life in a market town and its surrounding countryside. It starts with a factual ‘snapshot’ of the market
town and continues with worksheets covering the main topic areas: environment, economy, social and
community issues, transport and accessibility. Full information about how to establish a community
partnership, which is needed to carry out a healthcheck, is given in the Healthcheck Handbook.
‘Snapshot’ of the town and surrounding countryside
The purpose of this exercise is to provide a ‘snapshot’ of the town and surrounding countryside which
will help answer the questions in the worksheets. Factual information about existing services and
facilities will provide a background that can be balanced with the community’s aspirations (which will
emerge from the worksheets). The basic information can be obtained from published sources, reports
and other studies compiled by the district council and other organisations. Advice on existing data
sources and ways to carry out other surveys is given in the Data Sources and Survey Methods
Directory. Additional guidance is given with each worksheet about methods and sources of
information.
‘SNAPSHOT’
This list will help to record the basic facts about the market town and surrounding countryside.
Make a note of the sources of information and add any additional comments and facts that are
important. Where change over time is asked for, define a time period such as a year, except where
another timescale is specified.
ENVIRONMENT Snapshot
National Park
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Heritage Coast
Number of Conservation Areas
Number of RAMSAR sites (international bird
conservation areas)
Number of special protection areas
Number of special areas of conservation
Number of National Nature Reserves
Number of Local Nature Reserves
Number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Number of sites of importance for nature conservation
Number of listed buildings/scheduled ancient
monuments
Number of footpaths
Number of bridleways
Number of National Trails
Number of cyclepaths
Number of byways open to all traffic
Answer / summary of data
Manor Way/Pier House
Alver Valley
Off shore at low tide
Alver Valley & Browndown
?
Promenade
0
1
2
0
ECONOMY snapshot
Number of jobs
Change in number of jobs
Percentage employed by large employers (over 200
employees)
Jobs by industrial sector
Percentage employed in hotels and catering
Unemployment rate
Percentage unemployed over 6 months
Jobs to economically-active residents ratio
Professional e.g. public sector, medical, financial and
legal services, employees as a percentage of
all economically-active residents
Number of Job Centres
Number of new businesses registered
Members of Chambers of Trade/Commerce
Presence of a Business Link office
Presence of a one-stop-shop for business advice
New industrial units built
Average rent for industrial premises
Rent for prime retail unit
Change in rents
New shops built and/or converted in last three years
Regular general market
Regular farmers' market
Number of comparison goods shops in the town
Number of supermarkets over 1000sqm
Number of other convenience goods shops in the town
Number of vacant shops in the town in proportion to
total number of shops
Number of public toilets in town centre
Residents with post-school qualifications
Number of primary schools
Number of secondary schools
Number and type of post-16 education (VI Form
College, Technical College)
1
0
0
SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY snapshot
Ranking in indices of deprivation
Number of residents
Change in population since 1991
Percentage of population over 60/65
Percentage of population under 16
Number of new homes built by tenure
Number of households by tenure
Percentage of single person households
Percentage of households with elderly people living alone
Percentage of housing stock without whole-house heating
Number of households on the local authority/housing authority
waiting lists
Average house price
Change in average house price
Recorded crime rates
Number of police stations and when open
Number of Magistrates Courts
Number of Crown/other courts
Presence of Registry Office
Presence of Town Hall
Presence of Citizens’ Advice Bureau or Community Legal Services
Partnership and when open
Number of fire stations and whether staffed by full time staff or
volunteers
Number of ambulance stations
Number of swimming pools and when open
Number of sports halls
Number of outdoor sports pitches
Number of Post Offices
Number of health and fitness centres
Number of banks and building societies
Number of cash points
Number of solicitors
Number of accountants
Number of hospitals and which facilities provided e.g. A&E,
maternity
Number of doctor’s practices/doctors and whether private or NHS
Number of dental practices/dentists and whether private or NHS
Number of opticians
Number of public houses
Number of hotels
Number of hotel bedspaces
Number of bed and breakfast bedspaces
Number and type of restaurants and cafes, including take-aways
Presence of a cinema
Presence of a theatre
Public halls/community centres
Presence of museum(s)
Presence of a library
Presence of art gallery(ies)
Number of churches according to different denominations
Number of voluntary organisations and societies in the town and its
7000
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2/3
1
1 club
2
3
1
0
1 NHS
2 private
2
6
0
0
100 approx
18 (15 T/A)
0
0
4/5
1 (Hovercraft)
1
0
3
TRANSPORT AND ACCESSIBILITY snapshot
Number of bus stations
Number of train stations
Number of coach parks
Percentage of households without a car
Number of short-stay car parking spaces in the town
Number of long-stay car parking spaces in the town
Number of cycle paths
Journey times by car and public transport to nearest
large town or city
Bus route services from villages to train stations
Bus routes/services serving the town and surrounding
countryside
Number of disabled car parking spaces in the town
0
0
0
2/3
10-15 minutes Gosport or Fareham
2
Answering the worksheets
The worksheets have been designed to act as a practical checklist which allows communities to
express their views on the town and its surrounding countryside. They are intended to be as objective
as possible and will reflect the extent of community aspirations, concerns and priorities. They are not
meant to be prescriptive or onerous - they are merely guides to establishing information about the
area. What is most important is that the evaluation of the worksheets reflects people’s aspirations,
concerns and priorities. The results should be drawn together in a vision for the market town and
surrounding countryside and will form the basis for an action plan.
The worksheets are individual sheets for each topic area. They can be distributed to individuals and
groups in the community. They can be printed out and completed by hand. Or they can be
completed and saved on computer; if you do this you will find it easier to adapt the worksheets to your
needs and expand the answer boxes as much as is necessary. You should adapt the questions to
local needs and can add your own questions to address your particular issues.
Basic information is likely to be available from published sources, reports and other studies. The
district or unitary council may have already undertaken studies on one or more of the main issues,
and may be able to provide assistance to working groups. In some instances, new surveys may be
necessary. Advice on existing information and data sources, and on survey methods, ranging from
traffic counts to townscape appraisals, is given in the Data Sources and Survey Methods Directory.
The overall emphasis, however, is on the community’s aspirations for the town and it's surrounding
countryside. It is this which will help form the vision. It is important to secure a broad and
representative understanding of the issues and concerns of the community as a whole.
The healthcheck is designed to join up economic, social and environmental matters and
should not focus on one issue at the expense of others. The topics covered by the Worksheets are
Environment
• EN1 Character & vitality of the town
• EN2 The town & the wider countryside
• EN3 The environment & quality of Life
Economy
• EC1 Employment
• EC2 Business support
• EC3 Training and education
• EC4 Learning & skills development
• EC5 Retail & town centre services
• EC6 Commercial & industrial property needs
• EC7 Tourism & visitor services
Social and community
• S1 Population
• S2 Housing
• S3 Health & public safety
• S4 Local government & community organisations
• S5 Sport, leisure & open space
• S6 Culture & heritage
• S7 Community Legal Service
Transport and accessibility
• T1 Ease of travel to and from the local areas
• T2 Ease of access to services
• T3 Ease of movement around the town
Each worksheet has:
• A short definition of the task and an introduction to the task.
• Preliminary or "fact-finding" questions. The questions are written into a table that has three
columns headed:
o "starting points for information": this lists some sources from which you might get
information to answer each question
o "Information you need": this is where the questions are listed: some questions have
cross-references to other worksheet topics
o "Information: a blank column where the answers to the questions can be written
•
Concluding or analytical questions. The information you get by answering the preliminary
questions will enable you to answer these "So what….?" questions. This section of the worksheet
is where the implications of the answers to the preliminary questions get drawn out. It can also
be used to help to start to make connections between the conclusions from different worksheets.
The section is a table with 3 major headings:
o "How well does the information show….?". In this column will be listed the key
themes that the preliminary questions provide information about. As themes from
one worksheet are likely to be common to others, it will be possible to use these
shared themes to draw conclusions from the whole set of worksheets.
o "Write your answers here, based on the information you have gathered". This column
is where a summary of the answers to the questions can be written in.
o "Conclusion”. This section is split into 6 sub-headings: It's a fact; Strength;
Weakness; Opportunity ; Threat; More info. needed. These columns only require
ticking.
This technique will make it easy to complete a SWOT analysis based on the whole set of worksheets.
It also flags up where the need to plug gaps in information can be written in to the Action Plan.
Section 3 of the Healthcheck Handbook gives more information about SWOT analysis.
In summary, the process for getting answers to worksheet questions is:
1. Establish what information is available: each worksheet has suggestions about where to look
2. Work out where there are gaps in the information you need
3. Find out what are the sources that could fill the information gaps
4. Agree who will have responsibility for completing the worksheets
5. Set a timetable for completing the worksheets
Worksheet Format
WORKSHEET TITLE
Definition of the task in 1 or 2 short sentences.
1: Short introduction to the task
2: Getting the following information will …… short text referring to the task
Starting points for Information you need
Answers and notes
information
Sources for
Questions to be answered Space to write your answers
information
3: This part is called a SWOT analysis, where you identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats. Once you have the information, use the tickboxes in this table to show the Strengths and
Weaknesses. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things, or where there might be
Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the
Healthcheck Report. You may need to tick more than one column for each question.
This technique will make it easy to complete a SWOT analysis based on the whole set of worksheets. It
also flags up where the need to plug gaps in information can be written into the Action Plan
Need more
info
Threat
Opportunity
Where a summary of the
answers to the questions
can be written in
Weakness
Questions about the
key themes of the
worksheet….
Conclusion
Strength
Write your answers here.
Base them on the
information you have
gathered.
It's a Fact
You need to consider
what the information
you have gathered
tells you in the light
of these questions:
WORKSHEET EN1: CHARACTER AND VITALITY OF THE TOWN
Task: to find out what aspects of the town and its hinterland give it character and vitality, and to describe the quality of these features.
1: Introduction to the task
Most market towns and their surrounding countryside contain environmental and historic features that help give the town a special character. Some of these
may be well managed and in good repair; others may be neglected or in poor repair. Your task should cover both the built and the natural environment. You
should also consider what activities are being undertaken by local groups to improve the environment and try to build on these activities. In so doing:
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Use the Local Plan and/or Town Design Statement for existing information and plans
Try to assess what is distinctive about the town’s environment (both natural and built)
Think to the future and consider any concerns about wider environmental issues which may affect the town
If there is not enough information available, you could carry out a survey of the town to fill the gaps. A map of the distinctive areas may be a useful way to get
a full picture.
1
2; Getting the following information will help you decide what is special about the environment of the area
Starting points for
information
Information you will need
Answers and notes
Sub-section 1: Description of the environmental features of the area
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Maps or aerial
photographs
Local knowledge
Maps or aerial
photographs
Local survey
Q1
Where is the town situated within the local landscape?
For example, is the town in a valley, in the open countryside, or
alongside a river?
Q2
What are the distinctive features that define the limits of the town?
For example, are there historic city walls, or a
river or bypass?
(Worksheets S5 Q6 and S6 Q6 also refer to environmental
features and local distinctiveness).
On the coast opposite the Isle of Wight and 4 miles West of
Portsmouth harbour. Occupies part of the coastal plain between
Alver Valley and Meon Valley.
The seashore to the South.
HMS Daedalus airfield to the West.
Alver Valley to the East.
Lee on Solent Golf Club to the North.
Copy of map enclosed. Foreshore & shingle beach. The beach
has been built up recently with new sea defences, including
widening the beach with shingle, raising up the level of the beach
and creating artificial groynes/stone breakwaters. The beach is
well maintained, although some of the beach huts and buildings
on the shore are not . Slipway from HMS Daedalus well used by
jet skis. The common land from Elmore Fishing Club to
Browndown ranges- wildlife area, used by dog walkers, becoming
health land. The Alver Valley is going to be developed to become
a country park, with walks, lake, facilities for riding and visitor
centre. Another nature area. Trees around St Faith’s Church,
chestnut tree on Manor Way have preservation orders on them,
likewise trees on Crofton Avenue. Open coastal area- cliff lands
above promenade. Well kept. Wild grounds- SSRI and Oakland.
Browndown range- extensive shingle beach to rare grass heath
habitat. Coastal area- no longer important for geological reasons
since the SSRI was destroyed when beach was built up. 2 local
nature reserves- West of the river reserve are in Alver Valley in
2
Lee on Solent. Coastal- green sward on cliff top and promenade.
Good access to shoreline.
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•
Local survey
District Council
(ask for:
Conservation
Areas, Local
Plan, Design
Statement, Tree
Preservation
Orders)
Q3
Landmarks:
a. Where are the town’s natural environmental landmarks
(for example, groups of trees, parkland, and nature
areas)?
b. Are they protected or well maintained?
(Worksheets S5 Q6 and S6 Q6 also refer to environmental
features and local distinctiveness).
a. Group of trees around St Faith’s Church are ptotrcted and
surveyed and minatained.
Recreation ground.
Seafront and foreshore.
Browndown.
HMS Daedalus- looking unkempt especially listed buildings.
West Lee mature trees etc.
b. Sites of important nature conservation.
• Lee on Solent Golf Club- wetlands.
• Alver Valley- wetlands
• Gravel plant silt ponds- wetlands
• Browndown Common- heath land vegetation is
protected- SINC
• Browndown coastal area- grasslands support some rare
species- SSSI
3
Starting points for
information
• Local Wildlife
Trust
• Local
Biodiversity
Action Plan
Answers and notes
Q4
Biodiversity:
a. What areas are important for local biodiversity?
b. What measures are in place to protect or enhance them?
The beach area is to be surveyed to determine species of plant
life
Consider, for example, bats, great crested newts, badgers, rare
plants, insects or birds on the red list, or specific habitats.
Sub-section 2: Built features of the town
Q5
• Maps
What is the shape and density of the town (that is, are buildings
• Aerial
clustered together, dispersed or a mixture)?
photographs
• Local knowledge
(Worksheets EC6 Q1; EC7 Q18; S2, S3 Q11;S5 Q8 and S6 Q1&
3 also refer to the built environment).
Buildings tend to be clustered together in High Street, then more
spread out into newer areas. The estate built in 1970s made up of
terraced housing, but arranged in short terraces and cul de sacs
surrounded by gardens. Council estates of 1970s again in
terraces with open spaces. New estate 2000 onwards is spacedout buildings.
Ribbon development of Victorian cottages, Gosport Road.
Buildings spread out in West Lee. New estates from 1978- Fell
Drive, Skipper Way. Bird estate 1987. Cherque Farm 2000.
Aerodrome. 1920s buildings on HMS Daedalus- messy with old
hangars. Pier House- Victorian. 40 hectares in Lee on Solent, 160
hectares- runways & isolated airfield buildings in Fareham. In Lee
on Solent- airfield buildings & accommodation blocks. 12
hectares- used for 300 family dwellings with further development
underway.
4
Starting points for
information
• District Council
(ask for:
Conservation
Areas, Listed
Buildings, Local
Plans)
• Town Design
Statement
• Local history
group
• Tourist
Information
Office
•
District Council
Answers and notes
Q6
Where are the town’s distinctive built landmarks and conservation
areas, and are they are in good condition?
Marine Parade is an area of special character, restricts height of
new buildings. Pier Street is a conservation area- Victorian shops,
art deco flats, art deco buildings in Milvil Road.
(Worksheet S6 Q6 also refers to local distinctiveness. Worksheets
EC6 Q1; EC7 Q18; S2, S3 Q11;S5 Q8 and S6 Q1& 3 also refer to
the built environment).
Daedalus Conservation Area- looks shabby and overgrown with
weeds, boarded up.
Le Breton farmhouse- Manor Way.
Church of St Faiths- Victoria Square.
Buildings of local interest:
• Moat to Stokes Bay lines H Battery No 2 & Portsmouth
Road (boundary)
• Cambridge Road, Cleveland House, 31 Solent Cottage
• Court Road- No 1 Dean House
• Gosport Road- Victorian letterbox
• High Street- library
• Manor Way, 71 Jarvins
• Marine Parade West No 16
• Milvil Road- No 17, 33-41, 42 & 47
• Inn by the Sea public house, Court Barn Club
• Swanage Road No 3, 6 & 8
• Victorian buildings on Manor Way
• The Bun Penny
New café/restaurant being built on promenade next to playground.
Skateboard park has been redeveloped
High Street too narrow and cluttered and south side. Foot paths
uneven.
Old hangars and buildings of HMS Daedalus- likely to be
redeveloped?
Site of Belle Vue Hotel going to be developed into sheltered
housing on seafront. Old council houses to be redbuilt in Cherry
and Maple Close.
Pier House is a run-down building on the seafront.
Q7
Development:
a. What are the areas where there are rundown or derelict
buildings needing repair or restoration?
b. What plans are there to revitalise or redevelop these
areas/buildings?
3 also refer to the built environment. Worksheets EC6 Q1,8,9; S2;
S5 Q10 and T1 Q3 also refer to development)
5
Starting points for
information
• District
Council (ask
for Local
Plan
proposal
map)
Answers and notes
Q8
What is the range of uses of buildings in the town?
Most buildings are used for housing. The buildings in Pier Street,
High Street, and those facing Marine Parade West between Pier
Street & Milvil Road are shops with flats above. Very few buildings
are used to provide employment. The main ones are coastguard,
health centre, care homes (both residential and nursing), the
garage, library, solicitors & estate agents. Only one bank remains.
Most facilities for employment other than care homes are smallscale offices, again in the High Street. There are 4 public houses,
7 cafes, restaurants and 4 takeaways. A few Shops and flats
being built in Portsmouth Road. shops in Portsmouth Road.
Mainly small, independent retailers.
Main route from Fareham congested. Road in reasonable
condition.
Other routes attractive- seafront in good condition.
Are they, for example, for shopping, for housing, or used to
provide employment?
3 also refer to the built environment)
•
•
Local survey
Town Design
Statements
Q9
Are the main routes into the town, including those from train and
bus stations, attractive and in good condition?
•
•
Local survey
Town Design
Statements
Q 10
Are the main pedestrian routes between car parks and the town
centre attractive, well maintained, well lit, and safe to use (for
example, with security CCTV cameras in use) both day and night?
(Worksheets EC7 Q13,14 and T1;T2 & T3 also refer to pedestrian
access)
Pedestrian routes reasonable. Re
R access ways need attention, they are service roads which are a
mix of private and country roads.
Feels safe being out and about, except the area on seafront by
amusement arcade & promenade on seafront.
CCTV is in use on seafront and in high Street
6
Starting points for
information
• Local survey
• Town Design
Statements
Answers and notes
Q 11
Are street fitting and fixtures in the town well located and in good
condition?
Reasonable to poor condition only. Phone boxes are on seafront.
Skipper Way, Portsmouth Road & High Street. Rest were
vandalised. Some street furniture vandalised e.g. bus stop in High
Street & Marine Parade West, High Street lampposts are elderly
and ugly.
Look, for example, for cracked pavements, vandalised phone
boxes, graffiti-covered walls, and overflowing or insufficient waste
bins.
•
•
Local survey
Town Design
Statements
3 also refer to the built environment. WorksheetsEC7 Q10,17,18;
S3 Q7,11 also refer to environmental quality)
Q 12
Which areas of the town are over-cluttered with signs, street
furniture, advertising hoardings, etc?
Pavement not too cracked, but are uneven, especially the High
Street. People frequently have fallen there.
Flower troughs planted up in the summer especially along the
seafront.
No areas are over cluttered with signs, hoardings etc
3 also refer to the built environment. WorksheetsEC7 Q10,17,18;
S3 Q7,11 also refer to environmental quality)
7
Sub-section 3: Environmental issues for the town
Starting points for
information
Q 13
• Local survey
The town’s environment:
a. What are the environmental issues facing the town?
(ask for Local
b. What plans are there to deal with them?
Plan and Town
Design
Look, for example, at flooding, air and noise pollution, etc.
Statements)
(WorksheetsEC7 Q10,17,18; S3 Q7,11 also refer to
environmental quality)
•
•
•
•
Local survey
District Council
(ask for Local
Plan and Town
Design
Statements)-
District Council
conservation
officer
Town Design
Statement
Q 14
Brown field land:
a. What brown field land is available for building?
b. Is this available land being considered in planning
decisions?
(WorksheetsEC7 Q10,17,18; S3 Q7,11 also refer to
environmental quality. Worksheets EC6 Q1,8,9; S2; S5 Q10 and
T1 Q3 also refer to development)
Q 15
What townscape or heritage initiatives are there?
Examples may include: Historic Economic Regeneration Scheme,
Local Heritage Initiatives, and Conservation Areas.
Answers and notes
a. Flooding- in Alver Valley & eastern edge of new estate. Much of
the free surface water 1.e. fishing l;akes, are dependent on the
water table & dry up in warm weather. Since the Cherque Farm
estate has been built, surface water is drained through to the
balancing pond & Gosport BC has the responsibility to open flood
gates to allow excess water to drain away.
Road by sailing club can flood as it is low-lying.
Plan to meet this by not developing areas prone to flooding.
b. contaminated land- has strategy in place. Military safeguard
area- aerodrome. Restricts height of buildings. Air pollutantsmeet standards. Water pollution- sea issues. Methane gas from
new estate which is built on gravel pits.
Protecting- strategic gap and urban gap.
The coast zone- geological sites. Historic built environment. Open
space, promotes use of these.
a. Brownfield land- 11 Cherque Lane & Portsmouth Road,
previously used for gravel extraction & infill site. Now used
for building Cherque Farm estate.
Other buildings are still being infilled when a larger property
is sold, the plot is sub divided and developed. Certain areas
of HMS Daedalus under the control of SEEDA and LAs
b. All brownfield sites are considered with priority being
given to job provision rather than for housing. Please see EC
17 & 18
Conservation areas.
Air pollution from traffic.
Listed buildings- 2 hangars on HMS Daedalus , some buildings on
Daedalus, Bun Penny, le Breton House, St Faith’s. Conservation
8
area- Manor Way & Pier Street & Daedalus, see Q6.
•
•
•
Local planning
office
Estate Agents
Local council
Offices
Q15
What land and buildings that could help the town’s initiatives are
available for purchase (and are they at affordable prices?
There are no buildings or land available at the moment in Lee
other than Pier House (HCC owned) and Daedalus (SEEDA/
Fareham Borough Council owned). The adopted Gosport
Borough Local Plan Review does have policies which support the
development of new community facilities and land has been
allocated at the Cherque Farm development to support such
provision. (Kim Catt, GBC)
9
3: This part is called a SWOT analysis, where you identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Once you have the information, use this table
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the environmental character and condition of the area. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve
things or where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the Healthcheck Report.
Biggest environmental concerns are cars, can’t remove them
from the High Street. Some traffic calming in High Street,
being implemented.
The beach has clearly defined bathing areas for swimmers,
jet skiers. We received a Blue Flag for cleanliness in 2005.
Spectacular views of passing shipping with the Isle of Wight
as a background. Have a skatepark on the beach. Pirates
cove play are much used and in good repair. People like the
traditional promenade. Free on-road parking on the seafront
(except the car parks)
•
Does the town have vitality and character, and does it keep its
distinctive buildings and streets in good repair and in use? If
not, what could be improved?
Are there any major environmental concerns are being
addressed and planned for? Are there any gaps?
Strength
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
10
Need more
info
•
Threat
The Alver Valley Country Park is a new development which
will benefit all residents of town and outlying areas. There is a
shortfall of funding to set this up. The character of seafront is
an undeveloped seafront area. The council does not plan to
develop it or cliff tops.
Yes, Some of the buildings & sreets are not in good control or
use. Streets & pavements in places in need of repair.
Weakness
Does the town make the most of its natural environmental
features? If there are opportunities for improvements to
areas, what/where are they?
It's a Fact
Write your answers here. Base them on the information
you have gathered:
Opportunity
Conclusion
You need to consider what the information you have
gathered tells you in the light of these questions:
WORKSHEET EN2: THE TOWN & THE WIDER COUNTRYSIDE
Task: to record the quality of the town’s surrounding countryside, how it is changing and the links it has with the town
Market towns and their surrounding countryside are linked both visually and physically. Most of the practical links between the town and its surrounding
countryside (hinterland) are based on the town’s traditional role as marketplace, shopping centre and the source of necessary local services for those living in
the area. It is important for market towns to appreciate the changes happening in the countryside and to be able to adjust their services and facilities to meet
changing needs. During this task try to:
•
•
•
Identify the important present and past features that link the residents of town and countryside residents and their what they do for a living
Assess the impact of management practices on the quality of the countryside
Where appropriate make links to Worksheet T2: Accessibility of services
If your County Council has not already carried out a landscape assessment of the surrounding countryside, you could map your own findings to help people
understand the character of the surrounding countryside.
WORKSHEET EN2: THE TOWN AND THE WIDER COUNTRYSIDE
1
2: Getting the following information will help you define the environmental links between the town and countryside
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Sub-section: Links between town and countryside
•
•
Maps or aerial
photographs
Local survey
Q1
What is the location and impact of any natural or man-made
features such as rivers, canals, roads or railway lines that
physically or visually link the town and country?
Seafront- linking to Stubbington & Gosport.
Main road alongside.
Main road north to Fareham, congested much of the time.
Stunning views of the Isle of Wight.
3 also refer to the built environment. Worksheets S5 Q6; S6 Q5
also refer to environmental features)
•
Local survey
Q2
Are there unique design elements found in both the town and the
surrounding countryside?
Art deco buildings in Milvil Road, Marine Parade & the library.
Look, for example, at distinctive local house types, local
architectural detailing and use of local materials.
3 also refer to the built environment. Worksheet S6 Q5 also refers
to local distinctiveness)
2
Starting points for
information
• Local survey
• Local Tourist
Board
• Maps
•
•
•
•
Local knowledge
Local History
Group
Local Tourist
Board
Library
Local survey
Answers and notes
Q3
What are the memorable views either from the town to the
countryside, or from the countryside to the town, and where can
they be seen from?
(Worksheet S6 Q5 also refers to local distinctiveness)
Q4
What historic commercial links such as market halls, a corn
exchange, mills, wharves, market squares between the town and
country are still evident?
3 also refer to the built environment. Worksheet S6 Q5 also refers
to local distinctiveness)
Q5
Does the character of the surrounding countryside become less
distinct the closer it gets to the town edge?
Views over the Solent from the seafront.
Daedalus buildings, eg Ward Room etc, hangars, show history of
20th century airfield.
Pier Street conservation area- Victorian and early 20th century
seaside development.
Bun Penny was a coaching house and has been converted to
flats.
Old station house at Elmore Halt.
Old station buildings on Marine Parade. Most of shops in the High
Street are Victorian.
No.
(Worksheets S5 Q6; S6 Q5 also refer to environmental features.
Worksheet S6 Q5 also refers to local distinctiveness)
Sub-section: Countryside landscape character
•
County Council
(ask for
landscape
character
assessment)
Q6
What are the unique characteristics of the local countryside?
Look, for example, at farmed land, heath or moorland, open, small
fields with hedgerows or dry stone walls, and traditional
settlements.
Flat coastal plain leading to seafront . Portsdown hill to the north.
Farmed land- much of it market garden development,
greenhouses etc.
Local farms- Pick-Your-Own strawberries, sweetcorn, pumpkins,
daffodils.
(Worksheets S5 Q6; S6 Q5 also refer to environmental features.
Worksheet S6 Q5 also refers to local distinctiveness)
3
Starting points for
information
(ask for Local
Plan)
• County Council
• English Nature
• Local Wildlife
Trust
•
•
District Council
(ask for: Local
Plans,
Conservation
Areas, Listed
Buildings,
archaeologically
important areas,
Historic Parks
and Gardens)
English Heritage
Answers and notes
Q7
What areas are covered by national, regional or local landscape,
conservation or wildlife designations such as:
• National Parks
• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
• RAMSAR
• Special Protection Areas
• Special Areas of Conservation
• National Nature Reserves (NNR)
• Local Nature Reserves (LNR)
• Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
• Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
(Worksheet EC7 Q10,17,18; S3 Q7,11 also refer to environmental
quality)
Q8
Areas of historic importance:
a. What areas of historic importance have concentrations of:
• Listed Buildings
• Conservation Areas
• historic parkland
• Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM)
• Areas of Archaeological Importance
See previous answers for detailed information.
Conservation area mentioned previously.
b. What other areas of historic importance are there?
3 also refer to the built environment. Worksheets S5 Q6; S6 Q5
also refer to environmental features)
4
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Sub-section: Countryside landscape quality, use & management
•
•
•
•
•
County Council
Dept for
Environment,
Food & Rural
Affairs (DEFRA).
(Ask regional
office
DEFRA for
current schemes)
Environment
Agency
County Council
Q9
Land:
a. What are the proportions of agricultural land at Grade 1, 2
or 3a?
b. Where are they?
Group have maps from DEFRA outlining this.
Q 10
What areas of the countryside are being managed through
national agri-environment schemes? Current schemes are:
• Countryside Stewardship Scheme
• Environmentally Sensitive Areas
• Nitrate Sensitive Areas
• Habitat Scheme
• Moorland Scheme
• Organic Aid Scheme
• Countryside Access Scheme
Group have DEFRA maps showing areas..
(Worksheet EC7 Q10,17,18; S3 Q7,11 also refer to environmental
quality)
5
Starting points for
information
• Internet (local
community
network)
• Library
• Local Wildlife
Trust
• British Trust for
Conservation
Volunteers
(BTCV)
• Business
directory
• Local knowledge
Answers and notes
Q 11
Groups:
a. How do community and voluntary groups participate in the
management of the local countryside?
b. How do they contribute to the town’s and surrounding
countryside’s conservation?
(Worksheets EC2 Q5; EC3 Q10; S4; S6 also refer to community
involvement)
Q 12
Is there a horticulture or market gardening industry on the
outskirts of the town which supplies the town markets?
If yes, identify proportionally how much they do supply.
• Soil
Association
(look at
organic
farmers and
growers)
•
Linking
Environment and
Farming (LEAF)
• District
Council
Local Plan
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife group, and Gosport
Groundworks participate in management of local countryside.
(Worksheets EC2 Q2,3; EC5; also refer to land-based industries)
Q 13
How many local agricultural or horticultural produce businesses
are certified organic producers or members of other environmental
standards schemes?
There is a horticultural and market gardening industry locally,
based at Titchfield, 4 miles away. This provides the greengrocer
with 75% of his fresh produce. This includes green vegetables,
potatoes, carrots, onions, root vegetables and soft fruit in season.
There are some farms which supply local businesses direct. The
number of market gardens has declined markedly over the last
10-15 years.
A few are certified organic.
(Worksheets EC2 Q2,3; EC5; also refer to land-based industries.
Worksheets EC7 Q12; S5 Q9 also refer to food)
Q 14
Changes:
Are there plans for future major change on the urban edge?
What are they and when are they planned for?
Development of Alver Valley on edge of Gosport & Lee on Solent,
keeping it as a green area. Managing existing wetlands and lake.
Setting up a community park with facilities for riding, cycling,
walking and fishing. Should maintain the existing green
6
What landscape impacts might they to have?
Look, for example, at community forest land, etc.
landscapes and allow people to enjoy it more fully. Due to be
completed in next 10 years.
Stubbington bypass to be built I next 10-15 years- dual
carriageway taking cars away from Stubbington village, will go
across some farmlands at the north of Lee on Solent. Some
houses currently being built on Daedalus near the allotments.
Helicopter pad for air/sea rescue is due to be moved to be nearer
to these new houses. Ensures that some of the airfield will remain
as a open space
7
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the links between town and countryside, the landscape character and features around the town. Also flag up
where there are Opportunities to improve things or where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go
forward to the Healthcheck Report.
Many locals use farm shops, otherwise weak.
Greengrocer gets 75% of fresh produce locally.
•
Looking at the quality of the surrounding countryside, its
sensitive areas and its potential, are any areas in need of
support/strengthening?
Local golf course is well supported but expensive.
Poor interface with the sea
•
•
•
•
What are the changes that are happening in the surrounding
countryside and how well these are being managed? How
can the market town help with these changes to management
practices?
What potential is there to increase the extent of community
involvement in the management and conservation of the
countryside?
The opening of the Alver Valley Country Park will be
welcomed by the locals, but may be delayed due to lack of
funding.
•
•
•
•
A great deal
•
Threat
Strength
Weakness
Opportunity
Do the town and its surrounding countryside have
established, strong links, and are these being maintained? If
the links are weaker than they used to be, why is this?
It's a Fact
you have gathered:
•
•
8
Need more
info
Conclusion
WORKSHEET EN3: THE ENVIRONMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE
Task: to establish the effects of the quality of the town’s and countryside’s environment on the quality of life.
The way people live and work has an impact on the quality of the environment. Many people now want to “do their bit for the environment”, particularly in
their own local area. This task will help you to consider:
•
•
•
o
o
o
How and where residents can use or support environmentally friendly initiatives
How and where community members interact with their environment for leisure and recreation
Where appropriate make links to Worksheets
T2: Accessibility of services
S5: Sport, Leisure and Open Spaces
T3: Ease of Movement around the Town
1
2: Getting the following information will help you review how environmental quality could be enhanced to improve
peoples' quality of life
Starting points for
information
Information you need
Information
Sub-section: Environmental sustainability
Q1
What opportunities are there for people to understand and
• Local
become active in reducing or managing waste? Include
community sustainable waste management such as collection points, facilities
and support offered, and consider local schemes to:
group
• recycle
• Charity
re-use
• produce bio-gas energy
schemes
• compost organic waste
•
Local Authority
•
Local Authority
(Worksheets EC2 Q5; EC3 Q10; S4; S6 also refer to community
involvement)
Q2
How are energy conservation methods and local renewable
energy sources used within the town and the surrounding
countryside?
Q3
Low carbon initiatives:
a. What initiatives are in operation for the town to become a
low carbon area?
b. How are these initiatives contributing to improved air
quality, health and creation of employment opportunities?
Collection points at Grange Road, bottle bank etc on seafront.
Recycle schemes are expanding.
No council scheme to encourage use of composting at home.
Council sell bags of soil improver which is made from green waste
composted at recycling centre
A sustainability report has been commissioned, details available in
2006.
More use could be made of wind and sun energy generators.
Low carbon initiatives- again subject to a report due in 2006
2
Starting points for
information
• Local Authority
Planning Dept
• Local builders
•
Local survey
Answers and notes
Q4
What use is being made of sustainable building materials for new
buildings within the town?
No official strategic usage at present according to GBC
Q5
Where goods and products from the local countryside are
produced, how many of them carry a local Environmental Quality
Mark (EQM)?
Something that is being considered for the future.
There is a recycling concrete crusher in use at Cherque Farm to
produce hard core for the roads.
Unknown- tried HCC Hampshire Fare who have no data, and
GBC have no data at present on this
(Worksheets EC7 Q10,17,18; S3 Q7,11 also refer to
environmental quality. Worksheets EC2 Q2,3; EC5; also refer to
land-based industries. Worksheets EC7 Q12; S5 Q9 also refer to
food)
Sub-section: Quality of life through leisure and recreation
•
Local
Authority
Q6
Do community open spaces, sites and facilities currently available
for informal recreation and amenity meet the needs of the local
people?
(Worksheets EC7 Q10,17,18; S3 Q7,11 also refer to
environmental quality. Worksheet S5 refers to open space.
Worksheets EC7 Q13; S5; S6; T3 Q17 also refer to recreation &
leisure)
•
•
•
Local Authority
Local survey
Tourist or Visitor
Q7
What recreation routes for walking and cycling are available to
local people?
NO. There is room for improved facilities along the beach areas,
e.g. cafe’s, paddling pools, beachside refreshments etc. Fall short
of requirements as it is a direct result of increased population &
visitors.
Alver Valley Country Park is due to be completed in the next 10
years which will improve the access to a large area of open
ground. It will include facilities for horse riding, fishing, cycle parks
and footpaths.
There may be potential for harbour/pier as the beach & slipways
provide the interface to the sea
See map
3
Information
Centre
(Worksheet EC7 Q13,14;T1 Q5; T2 Q6; T3
also refer to pedestrian access ;
Worksheets EC7 Q13; S5; S6; T3 Q17 also
refer to recreation & leisure)
SWOT: This part is called a SWOT analysis, where you identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Once you have the information, use
this table to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the ways that contribute to a better environment for all. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to
improve things or where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the Healthcheck Report.
What improvements could be made in amenities such as
open spaces, sites, routes and facilities for informal recreation
that enhance the quality of life for local people be made? Are
there any potential open spaces or sites that could be
developed?
•
•
•
•
•
•
4
Need more
info
Strength
Threat
Lee Recycling Group established 2005/6, reached all targets
set by HCC & was awarded funding of £50,000 for local
environmental improvements. The schools, churches and
local groups are involved.
See answer for Q6
Land/areas are available & should be identified for
development.
The beach & slipways provide the oly interface with the
sea, there may be potential for a harbour/pier
Opportunity
To what extent do people fully consider promoting and
supporting environmentally sustainable initiatives? Are there
any gaps or opportunities to extend these actions?
Conclusion
Weakness
you have gathered:
It's a Fact
WORKSHEET EC1: EMPLOYMENT
Task: The task is to assess the strength of the local job market.
Employment in rural areas is extremely varied, but in very broad terms is characterised by higher rates of economical, activity and self-employment than in
urban areas. There are lower levels of formerly unemployed people and a high proportion of the labour force work in very small firms. Most employers work in
four industries:
• Distribution, which includes retail, wholesale and public services sector
• Hotels and catering
• Manufacturing
• Business and financial services
An overview of rural employment and its sources of information can be found in the Countryside Agency’s ‘Annual State of the Countryside’ report and Rural
Economies ‘Stepping Stones to a Healthier Future’. There is probably a regional version of these reports. Your regional development agency, Local Authority
and Learning and Skills Council all produce profiles of employment, which may help you create your own employment profile for the town and hinterland.
The main sources of information that should help answer the questions are:
•
•
•
•
Census of Population 2001 (which records employees and self employed at their places of residence)
Annual Employment Survey and the unemployment data produced by the Office for National Statistics and Department for Work and Pensions
Annual and Quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Business Inquiry’s (ABI) Workplace Employer Survey
Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR) – this records forms for VAT and/or PAYE
Apart from using published data, you may find a survey of local employers useful.
1
2: Getting the following information will help you find out the basic facts needed to understand the local employment
situation
Starting points for
information
•
Census of
Population
Answers and notes
Sub-section 1: Employment
Q1
What is
a. The ratio of employed people to the total working age
population?
b. The ratio of working women to working men?
Lee
Gosport
S/E
GB
Total
79.8 %
79%
82.1%
78.3%
Men
82.9%
83.3%
84.1%
79.1%
Women
76.6%
75%
73.8%
69.7%
Compare these ratios with regional and national averages. This
will help identify if there is hidden unemployment locally.
•
•
•
Census of
Population 2001
More recent local
surveys
Comparing LFS
with ABI
employer
analysis
(Worksheet S1 Q4 also refers to employment)
Q 2: What proportion of local people commute out of the
town/hinterland to work and how far do they go?
See census information attached
Compare the proportion with averages for other market towns (a
list of towns is available on the Market Towns website).
(Worksheets T1; T2; T3 also refer to travel)
Gosport Borough has a population of 84,000 people with 30,000
commuting out of the area to work; this is a third of the population.
In Lee on Solent, most people who work have to leave the town to
do so. Most commute within M27 corridor- from Eastleigh &
Winchester, Southampton to Portsmouth & Chichester. Some
commute to London, Aldershot & Farnborough. Most use their car
to commute. Some drive to Gosport ferry and then use public
transport to go to work in London/Portsea Island. Some drive to
Fareham and/or Southampton Parkway to commute by train from
there. Few use the buses as they are too infrequent &
inconvenient. New estate is largely a dormitory town.
2
Starting points for
information
• New Earnings
Survey,
published by the
Office for
National
Statistics
• Surveys by the
Local Authority.
•
Census of
Population
Annual
Employment
Survey
Q4
How do employment rates in specific key industry sectors
compare over time with regional and national averages?
Employment rates in Gosport.
Local survey of
businesses
Labour Force
Survey
Q5
Employers:
a. Which employers employ over 100 people?
b. What is the proportion of the local workforce employed by
them?
None locally in Lee.
•
•
•
Answers and notes
Q3
Household earnings:
a. What are average household earnings?
b. How do they compare with the national and regional
averages?
c. What percentage are above and below the average
income level?
a.
Local Authorities
Job Centre Plus
Q6
How do local unemployment rates for
• male unemployment
• female unemployment
• youth unemployment
compare with regional and national averages?
Lee
GB
£385/week
£465.70/week
£422.90/week
Labour market profile attached
a. None
b. 441 full time employed, 61 part-time employed in a
local population of 6000. Unable to determine
accurately what % of Lee locals are employed and
how many commute from outlying areas
Lee
SE
GB
Sub-section 2: Unemployment
•
•
Gosport
Total
1.5
1. 5
2.4
Male
2.1
2.2
3.5
Women
0.8
0. 8
1. 3
3
Starting points for
information
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
NOMIS.
(Worksheets S1 Q3; T2 Q2; T3 Q18,19 also refer to children &
young people)
Q7
What sectors of the unemployed population are proportionally
higher by age/gender than the regional and national averages?
Answers and notes
18-24 higher in Gosport than regional and national figures.
Gender- comparable with region, less than national figures
Annual
Employment
Survey
NOMIS
Annual
Employment
Survey
NOMIS.
Q8
Has unemployment fallen or risen in the last 5 years, compared to
the national average?
Figures for national attached, plus Gosport DC
Q9
Are there any specific trends in unemployment in the local area,
for example in a particular industry?
% decrease less than national average.
Retail is considered by local employers by be “very important”
according to 53% of local businesses surveyed.
As a result of continuous downsizing by the armed forces, there
has been an increase in unemployment in the area which is
forecast to get worse.
Annual
Employment
Survey
NOMIS
Q 10
What proportion of those who are unemployed have been out of
work for:
• over 6 months
• one year
Figures attached
8.4% unemployed over 6 months
1.4% unemployed over 1 year
4
Starting points for
information
• Customs and
Excise VAT
Registration.
• The local
Business Link
Operator
Sub-section 3: Employment outlook
Answers and notes
Q 11
i. What are:
• the success rates for new business start ups?
• the failure rates for new business start ups?
Compare local statistics to the regional and national average, over
a five year time period to identify trends
ii. How many specific business closures have there been in the
last three years?
Recent initiative ‘Working for Yourself’ aimed at women starting
up in business has met with success and already Lee local s are
setting up for themselves according to project leader Georgette
Purches.
Otherwise, information at local levels not available.
Impact Business Manager Shaun Farrell has highlighted that
business support and access to information and assistance is
weak throughout the whole borough.
Vision4Lee survey highlighted that local businesses felt that it
would not benefit them (18%) if training courses were available
locally. Only 14% of respondents said these would be of benefit.
25% stated this was not applicable to their business.
•
surveying local
firms
• enquiries to the
Business Link
Operator,
LAD/UAs or
Learning & Skills
Council
• local Business
Link Operator
economic
development
department
• Regional
Development
Agency.
Q 12
i. How many local firms are planning to expand?
Q 13
What economic development/inward investment grants are
available?
16.5% of businesses who returned the survey forms (response
rate of 33%)
Georgette Purches free courses for women via AifFinitiative.
No others identified as yet in lee on Solent..
Identify types of funding, eligibility criteria, sources and amounts
available.
5
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the local jobs market. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things or where there might be
Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the Healthcheck Report.
Need more
info
Threat
Strength
Opportunity
Conclusion
Weakness
you have gathered:
It's a Fact
Yes- for those people who wish to work in Lee
•
•
•
Are there are any recent trends in long term unemployment?
There is an increase in long-term unemployment which may
be accelerated by reduction in the size of MOD & its
involvement in the area
•
•
•
Is the town a dormitory town or has it a significant
employment role?
Dormitory town
•
•
•
Is local employment particularly dependent on specific
industry sectors and /or on a small number of large
employers?
Dependent on MOD & its supporting industires
•
•
•
Is unemployment a significant issue locally?
6
Is employment growth within only some industry sectors, or
spread more widely?
Restricted to small firms
•
How much confidence is there within the business sector?
88% of small businesses who responded to questionnaire are
confident of the future.
•
•
•
Is the number of jobs available locally increasing or
decreasing?
The business survey indicated small increases
•
•
•
What opportunities are there for job creation from the
expansion of existing local firms?
LIMITED AS THESE ARE SMALL FIRMS
•
•
•
How vigorous is the local economy - based on new business
start-ups / closures?
The local economy is stable. There are like for like changes
•
•
•
•
•
7
WORKSHEET EC2: BUSINESS SUPPORT
Task: to find out what business support services and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are used by local businesses and
1. identify if these are effective
2. point up where things could be improved
All businesses need advice, information, funds or other support at some stage. Many very small rural businesses prefer to secure some help from their banks,
accountants, families and trade associates, rather than through public business support organisations. However, some businesses need help with compliance
with regulations and should seek it from local or national regulators and the Environmental Health Office or the Health and Safety Executive.
To help you draw conclusions about how the support available to businesses could develop you may need to
• Look at findings from monitoring of public sector funding initiatives
• Evaluate the number of enquiries to Business Support Agencies in relation to the total number of businesses
• Identify how easily information on business support services can be obtained
Organisations, which may hold useful information, include:
• the economic development department of the Local Authority
• the regional development agency
• the town centre manager or forum
• the business volunteer mentoring association
• the Business Link Operator
• the Chamber of Trade and Commerce
• the local business associations
1
2 Getting the following information will help you decide how support for business - or access to that support - needs to be improved.
If there is not enough information available to answer the questions, you could carry out an audit of facilities to find out about the
work of business community support agencies in the area.
Starting points for
information
Local Business
Directory
•
•
•
Yellow Pages
Business
Directory
Regional
Development
Agency
Answers and notes
Sub Section: Support available to businesses
Q1
What services are offered to businesses by local bank branches?
Most completed by Shaun Farrell, GBC
Q2
Which of the following organisations have a presence in the town?
• Small Business Service
• Business Link
• Chambers of Trade or Commerce
• Learning and Skills Council
• Enterprise Agency
• Local food network/partnership or farm advisory service
(Worksheets EN2 Q15,16; EN3 Q5; also refer to land-based
industries)
From the information we have received from our Baseline
evaluation businesses receive a lot of support from Banks,
Solicitors and accountants. This is mainly around finance,
business planning and legal matters. The survey contacted 100
businesses and 10.3% said they received advice from their bank.
• Business Link Wessex (Fareham)
• European Information Centre (Southampton)
• Hampshire Broadband
• Economic Development Office, HCC
• Federation of Small Businesses
• Hampshire Economic Partnership (Southampton)
• Gosport Business Initiative
Shaun Farrell responded:
Business Link is based in Fareham
The Chamber is in Havant
LSC is in Fareham
Enterprise Agency is in Fareham
Not sure about the other 2. They all come into Gosport Borough
though. The Chamber have a 3% penetration in the Gosport area
(I have a list of these businesses and can provide you with them if
needed). Business Link have a 26% penetration, although they
do not give us business names. The Enterprise agency do a lot of
there work on the back of the partnership they have formed with
Business Link. They deliver Business Start Up courses for them.
Again I can probably get you figures of the amount of Lee
Businesses if needed
2
Starting points for
information
• Register of
Business
Enquiries
• Business
Directory
Business
Surveys
•
•
•
District Council
the Business
Link Operator
the Regional
Development
Agency
Answers and notes
Q3
How well used are business support agencies such as:
• Business Link Operator
• Business Links
• Chambers of Trade or Commerce
• Learning and Skills Council
• Enterprise Agency
• FRA/National Association of Farmers’ Markets
Q4
a. What previous business support or initiatives have been
available/been used?
b. What is the evidence of these initiatives proving successful?
See above. Not sure what the FRA is.
My role as a Business Broker is an initiative taken on by the
Council through AIF funding. It is too early to say whether it has
been a success though.
For the other initiatives that have taken place before I was
employed then I would contact Lynda Dine.
3
Starting points for
information
• Local knowledge
Answers and notes
Q5
If the town has a town centre manager, town centre forum or
similar partnership organisation, who are they?
Not aware of a town centre manager. I am sure you know more
than me but I believe there is a Lee Business Association.
If there is more than one town centre manager, town centre forum
or similar partnership organisation find out if there is an overlap
between their services/ remit.
The local business association, and local community groups have
established a forum to look at local issues.
(Worksheets EN2 Q11; EN3 Q1; S4 also refer to community
involvement)
•
Town Centre
Manager(this
may be the
District Council,
one of the local
business advice
centres, or a
consortium of
local
businesses).
Q6
What results have there been from any existing town centre
management work?
Lee recycling group initiative led to a successful bid for
improvement including flower tubs.
you need to evaluate any results of monitoring and funding
reviews, and also identify examples of good practice or ways in
which activities could be extended.
The High Street is undergoing improvements as a result of the
Sustainable Suburbs project.
4
Sub section: Business networking
Starting points for
information
Q7
• Business Link
What regular events are there to bring the business community
Operator
together; for example, breakfast clubs and trade fairs?
• Chamber of
Commerce
Find out:
• what they are
• how often they are held
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chamber of
Commerce
Local business
people
Q8
What arrangements are there for local suppliers to be able to
network? Examples may include a Business Directory or website
for the town.
Local surveys
Yellow Pages
Chamber of
Commerce
Local businesses
Q9
What business meeting and business conference venues are
available?
Are these venues available when needed?
Are these venues big enough?
Are these venues available at reasonable rates?
Chamber of
Commerce
Q 10
Is there a published strategy relating to the use of information and
communication technology (ICT)?
Is the strategy readily available?
Is the strategy easily understood?
Answers and notes
Business Link and the Chamber do not run any specific events for
Gosport businesses although a few are on their books and
therefore they will attend breakfast meetings etc. These are held
outside the borough. Business Link are just about to roll out
another round of Speed Networking events across Hampshire and
I have arranged for one to be in Gosport. The Chamber have
regular Breakfast meetings. There is nothing specific for Lee other
than the Business Association which meets monthly.
There is a Business Directory that is being brought together for
the SE Hants area. The Business Support Directory is an
initiative being led by Jan Field
(Business Link Wessex) and Andy Pringle (Start Your Own
Business). It will be a comprehensive directory of the business
support available in South East
Hampshire, and will be both web-based and in paper format. The
plan is that it will be widely available
(e.g. we're hoping that the web version will be accessible from all
partners' websites) and will be completely independent.
The Council – Committee Room – 30 people
Explosion – over 40
Gosport Business Centre – around 12 people
Thorngate Halls – large venue
Some of the larger Hotels
No conference facilities available in Lee. There are large-ish
meeting rooms in St Faith’s, Lee Community Centre & Methodist
Church. These are often fully booked, but are at reasonable rates.
There is a strategy published by the Chamber of Commerce in
Portsmouth.
No.
5
Starting points for
information
• Chamber of
Commerce
• Business Link
Operator
• Local surveys
Answers and notes
Q 11
What local training and support is there to help companies
address ICT problems and to develop their ICT capability?
Hampshire Broadband will give companies £100 grant towards
setting up Broadband in their premises and £100 grant to get ICT
training.
Hotspots is also available through Hants BB and is an initiative to
offer free wi-fi broadband for any business in Gosport.
Gosport UK Online offer ICT courses as well as other training
organisations such as HMD, Fareport and the ‘It’s your turn’
project, which is more community based.
•
Q 12
What is/will be the availability of high-speed Internet access (at
512 kbits/second and at 2Mbit/ second) :
• Now
• In 6 months’ time
In 12 months’ time
Q 13
• What proportion of all businesses use broadband?
• What local businesses are considering using broadband in the
near future?
www.bt.com/broa
dband
•
www.adslguide.o
rg.uk
•
•
•
Chamber of
Commerce
Business Link
Operator or by
Local surveys
Both are available now
No figures available as such, but as most businesses use
computers, they are bound to have a broadband connection in
many cases.
6
Starting points for
information
• Chamber of
Commerce
•
Business Link
Operator
• Local surveys
Answers and notes
Q 14
What do local businesses see as the key benefits of using
broadband?
Examples could be: speed, convenience, cost savings, access to
wider markets, increased customer contact, faster response,
access to wider resources, business innovation.
Speed, convenience, cost, access to wider markets, to check best
practice, check business processes, customer contact, business
innovation.
•
Q 15
Why do some local businesses not use broadband?
♦
•
•
•
•
•
Chamber of
Commerce
Business Link
Operator
Local surveys
Chamber of
Commerce
Business Link
Operator
Local surveys
Because they are not computer literate or have no
requirement to use this.
Reasons may include
•
•
•
•
•
Difficulty with availability
Financial cost
Too time consuming
No business advantage
No ICT support available
Q 16
How many local businesses
a.
b.
c.
d.
Use e-mail?
Have a website?
Make purchases or sales over the Internet?
Gain access to key business resources over the Internet?
a.
b.
c.
d.
59%
35%
43%
39%
7
Starting points for
information
• Chamber of
Commerce
• Business Link
Operator
• local survey.
•
Local
Authorities
Answers and notes
Q 17
How many local businesses collaborate over the Internet with
partner firms?
One estate agent collaborates with partners
Look here at cluster or supply chain relationships
Q 18
Which public sector offices and sites currently have broadband
communication facilities for external access?
The library has 8 terminals. It is the only public sector site in Lee
on the Solent
What proportion is this of all public sector office locations?
(Worksheets S2 Q5; S4; S5 Q10; S7 Q6; T2 Q11,12; T3 Q16 also
refer to local government services)
8
3: This part is called a SWOT analysis, where you identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Once you have the
information, use this table to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the provision and use of business support services. Also flag up where
there are Opportunities to improve things or where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can
go forward to the Healthcheck Report.
Yes, Gosport council has employed someone to look at this
Is there is a need to create, develop and or fund business
events?
Yes
Strength
•
•
Yes, as businesses have to travel to get advice for financial
services based in lee
•
•
•
•
9
Need more
info
Are there any opportunities to expand support for local
businesses?
•
Threat
Only 1 branch in Lee, rest are in Fareham or Gosport.
Opportunity
Are there shortfalls in the range of services offered by local
bank branches, financial institutions and other business
support services? If so, what are they?
Conclusion
Weakness
you have gathered:
It's a Fact
Are there are enough business meeting and conference
venues locally?
No
•
To what extent are local businesses making use of
Broadband and Internet technologies
Large extent
•
Are there are technical or security concerns with remote
broadband access to public sector ICT systems?
No
•
•
•
•
•
10
WORKSHEET EC3: TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Task: to assess the quality of training and education available, and identify where there are gaps and opportunities for development.
It will be valuable to identify the educational profile of your area’s workforce and residents. This profile is usually taken as an indicator of the skill base of the
workforce, and is generally measured in terms of NVQ levels. For example, a low proportion of the economically active population holding triple level NVQs
may show low potential, poor participation and little applicable knowledge: this would present a greater challenge to raising productivity, outputs and wages.
Sources that might hold useful information include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Labour Market Trends (Statistical information about employment and unemployment, from National Statistics Online)
Labour Force Survey (3-monthly survey of households providing information on employment and unemployment, from National Statistics Online)
Household Surveys (Survey of households looking at training and employment issues, from National Statistics Online)
Employer Surveys (Survey of employers looking at skills issue, from the Learning and Skills Council; latest version is 2003)
Regional Intelligence Unit
Regional Economic Assessments (Carried out on behalf of the Regional Development Agency, assessing skills and employment issues in the region)
You might also want to carry out a survey of local employers to help you identify vocational and work based training needs. You should also gather
supporting information about the standard occupational classification categories of the workforce and vocational training principles.
1
2: Getting the following information will help you draw conclusions about the quality and suitability of the learning and
training opportunities available.
Starting points for
information
Sub-section 1: Pre-school to College Years
Q1
• Local Education
How many pre-school places in nurseries and playgroups are
Authority
there compared with the number of pre-school children in the
area?
Take into account any planned changes in the levels of service
provision.
Local Education
Authority
(Worksheets S1 Q3; T2 Q2; T3 Q18,19 also refer to children and
young people)
Q2
Is there access to good quality schools in the area?
•
Local schools
and colleges
Compare rankings in school league tables with other, similar
towns.
Q3
How well qualified are local school leavers?
•
Local Education
Authority
•
Answers and notes
69 places in Lee on Solent for children about 116.
Some children may go elsewhere.
There would seem to be under-provision, these figures only
included the registered places.
Surestart has identified a need for provision with the change in
demographic in the town and results from their consultation
evidence will be available shortly.
Yes- all. Bay House, Crofton community school, Lee on Solent
Infant school & Junior school, Crofton Anne Dale & Crofton
Hammond have above average reports.
51% pupils gained 5 GCSEs in A - C level at Bay House
83% pupils gained 5 GCSEs in A - C level at Crofton
Compare the number of pupils at
• age 16 with five GCSEs at A-C level
• age 19 with one or more A Level
to the regional and national averages
2
Starting points for
information
• Local Education
• Authority
• Individual
schools
Answers and notes
Q4
Is there a high number of school exclusions?
No
•
Q5
Does the area attract and retain enough graduates?
•
•
Chamber of
Commerce
Business Link
Operator
Local survey
Identify the levels of exclusions and compare with other towns.
If no, are there any policies in place/being planned to address this
problem?
Sub-section: Vocational & Adult Learning Opportunities
Q6
• Learning and
Do local training organizations provide vocational work based
Skills Council
training that reflect the needs of local residents and employers?
• Local schools
and colleges
Compare training areas with local employment opportunities.
• Chamber of
Commerce
• Surveys of local
residents,
employees and
employers
•
•
Adult education
centres
Surveys of local
residents,
employees and
employers
There are limited employment opportunities for graduates within
Lee. Graduates may come here to live and woek elsewhere and
most likely not have come here straight from University.
Q7
What non-vocational courses are provided locally and how easy is
it for people to access a wide range of courses.
Caramba- provides computer training.
18% businesses thought local training was good and suited their
needs.
Only available in Gosport & Fareham
3
Sub-section: IT-supported learning
Starting points for
information
Q8
• Library
How many public Internet learning and access points are there
• Local Education
within the town and its hinterland?
Authority
• Survey
Find out the number of Internet points available in the towns and
the surrounding villages per head of population. For example, are
there Internet points within a telecottage, electronic village hall,
telecentre, internet café, library or school?
Answers and notes
1 High Street
8 Lee Library
•
Local surveys
Q9
What proportion of households have Internet access at home,
work or school/ other educational establishments?
Most groups use internet communication and there are various
websites within Lee which suggest there is a high proportion of
households who have internet access.
•
The town
website
Tourist
Information
Centre
Library
Q 10
Is there a local community ICT group?
No
•
•
(Worksheets EN2 Q11; EN3 Q1; S4; S6 also refer to community
involvement)
4
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the education and training profile and standards achieved locally. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to
No
Strength & opportunity
Are there significant vocational or non-vocational training
gaps, which could be filled locally?
No
What proportion of people have access to the Internet?
69% employers have internet access, a high proportion of
households have access to the internet
5
Need more
info
Is there is a problem in local schools with academic
achievements or exclusions?
Opportunity
Weakness
No, based on current data
Strength
Are there are sufficient pre-school places in nurseries and
playgroups?
It's a Fact
you have gathered:
Threat
Conclusion
WORKSHEET EC4: LEARNING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Task: To explore local skills and learning issues and assess how a learning culture could be developed to foster economic performance and individuals'
development.
The strength of the labour force can be a key driver of economic competitiveness. Well developed entrepreneurial and management skills feed the growth of
small businesses and a more highly skilled labour force is essential for increasing productivity and moving to a higher wage and value-added economy. This
means that the skills of the local workforce are crucial in attracting employment and supporting entrepreneurs.
There are generic skills that help to:
• ensure good business practice and development
• meet legal requirements
• foster staff development
The presence or absence within the workforce of these skills has an important impact on the employability of local people. It is also important to know what
employers’ specific skills and training needs are, and what their recruitment and staff development experiences are.
Market towns may have a key role in delivering training and skills development opportunities. As a minimum, towns have an information and support role in
assisting local businesses and individuals (including those from the rural hinterland). The larger market towns and those that play a key service-centre role for
a large rural hinterland could look to providing more comprehensive facilities and services. This is a role that is particularly applicable in delivering generic
business skills.
Adult Education and volunteering are recognised pathways back to work for a significant number of people. However, often the adult education provision in
market towns is not as broad as in urban areas and voluntary sector training services are also weaker. There may be potential in larger market towns to
broaden the adult education curriculum and integrate it more closely with other learning opportunities. Voluntary sector training could be encouraged and
provided locally so that skills that are relevant both to voluntary organisations and to the workplace are developed.
1
The last part of the analysis involves finding out:
• what training and learning is available
• who decides what is provided and how to influence these providers
• what opportunities there are to meet identified need
2: Getting the following information will help you examine key trends in the local economy and identify opportunities to support local
people in acquiring the right skills and participating in lifelong learning.
Starting points for
information
Sub-section 1: Overall Economic Performance
Q1
What are the regional norms and trends for those industry sectors
that are present in the town?
Q2
To what extent has the town centre become a less significant
location for retail and service sector development?
Answers and notes
Some growth of transport business on Daedalus. There are above
average number of community homes in Lee. There are no major
industry sectors
There is a significant location for retail in the town centre. The only
major chain is the Co-op and the other shops are independent.
Lee does not attract major chains
Assess to what extent it is maintaining and attracting branches of
major chains, and maintaining or attracting independent shops.
(Worksheets S7; T2 Q12; T3 Q16 also refer to the retail and
service sector)
Q3
How has employment in retail and service sector changed
regarding full time/part-time jobs?
Remained stable
service sector. Worksheet S1 Q4 also refers to employment)
2
Sub-section 2: Generic Skills Gaps
Starting points for
information
Q4
What are the issues around the attainment of basic literacy and
numeracy skills?
Q5
Skills:
a. What particular generic skills needs do the industries in
your area have?
b. To what extent are they being met?
Sub-section 3: Employers’ Needs
Q6
Training:
a. How do existing training services in the town meet
employers’ requirements?
b. How good are those services?
Answers and notes
None
Survey highlighted general wish for following skills
♦ Ability to communicate
♦ Enthusiastic
♦ Teamwork
♦ Customer skills
♦ IT
♦ Book keeping
a. Adequate if training is provided in-house, otherwise people
have to travel
b. Adequate, but people have to travel to
Portsmouth/Southampton
Q7
Which employers provide local training or have their own training
facilities for which there might be scope for sharing?
Each individual employer provides local training, there may be
some scope for sharing.
Q8
What are employers' specific skills training and development
needs?
♦
♦
Computer skills
Book keeping
3
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Q9
What specific recruitment and staff retention issues are there that
could be addressed through local training provision?
Quotes from business survey:
(Worksheet S1 Q4 also refers to employment)
Q 10
Skills development:
a. How do employers encourage training and skills
development?
b. How do employers participate in training and skills
development?
c. What are the barriers to that participation?
Q 11
To what extent do employers recognise the business benefits of
training and skills development?
Sub-section 4: Peoples' Needs
Q 12
Is there adequate local provision for all the types and levels of
learning that are needed?
♦
♦
♦
♦
Local printers- nearest printing college is London.
Bus times not good for start/end business day
Gosport to Fareham travel woeful
10% of respondents specified they had difficulty attracting
applicants with the right skills
a. 64.5% employers surveyed encourage training & skills
development
b. Arranging training for their staff either by providing in-house
training or encouraging staff to go on courses
c. time, cost, money, travel, other business pressures
The majority see this as being important for the continued success
of their business
Yes
Look into whether different learning preferences are met or
reflected in what is available.
4
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Q 13
Learning opportunities:
a. Are people aware of learning opportunities either as
individuals or as employees?
b. By what means have they become aware of the
opportunities?
Q 14
To what extent do people have to travel elsewhere to match their
skills and aspirations with appropriate employment?
a. Yes
b. Extensive advertising by local colleges and through their line
management and career development
See EC1 Q 2
At least 30% of people have to travel out of Lee to go to work
(Worksheets T1; T2; T3 also refer to travel)
Q 16
How important is the voluntary sector in the town as a pathway to
skills development?
Not important. Lee is limited in voluntary provision
(Worksheets S5 Q6; S6 Q5 also refer to the voluntary sector)
Q 17
What is the voluntary sector's track record as a training provider?
Limited
5
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Q 18
Is transport an issue specifically in the context of accessing
training/education?
Survey results showed 18% said it was an issue.
14% stated it was not an issue.
24% of businesses stated this was not applicable to them.
Q 19
Is Adult Education recognised locally as a pathway to future
learning?
Yes
Q 20
Is childcare available and adequate to meet the needs of those
attending courses?
Possibly no, not all
(Worksheets S1 Q3; T2 Q2; T3 Q18,19 also refer to children and
young people)
Q 21
Are there a significant number of childcare providers requiring
local training?
Q 22
What links are being made locally between children and family
learning programmes and the encouragement of further learning
opportunities?
Not known, Surestart new evidence may assist with this question,
data currently being collated by Surestart
Not known
6
Sub-section 5: Provision & Mechanics
Starting points for
information
Q 23
Training provision:
Who provides training within the town?
Where does the training take place?
When does the training take place?
Q 24
What mechanisms are in place to link the main learning
information, advice, and guidance advisors/providers?
Answers and notes
Driver training iat Daedalus.
Caramba provides complete training.
Local library.
Courses in Community Centre, library & St faith’s
Not known
7
3: This part is called a SWOT analysis, where you identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Once you have the information, use the
tickboxes in this table to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in provision of and access to local training and skills development. Also flag up where there
are Opportunities to improve things or where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the
Healthcheck Report.
You may need to tick more than one column for each question.
How does the health of the local economy compare with other
towns and the regional economy as a whole?
Above average for the local area
•
Is there any significant cluster of businesses in the town (for
example, tourism, specialist retailing, and engineering) and
why is the town attracting these businesses?
No
•
What significant skills shortages or recruitment problems are
existing businesses experiencing?
None
•
Strength
Need
more info
•
Threat
No
Opportuni
ty
Are industries in the town in the growth sectors of the regional
economy? Are the skills needs of these sectors being met?
Conclusion
Weaknes
s
you have gathered.
It's a Fact
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
8
What is the mix of generic and sector-specific skills that local
employers most value and most need to help their business?
Customer skills & interpersonal skills
IT
•
•
•
Can local people access training locally that will improve
general skills levels in the community and work to the benefit
of local businesses and the local economy?
Yes
•
•
•
What delivery agencies, trainers, and infrastructure bodies are
active in the town? What facilities are available in the town
that could provide a venue for local delivery of information,
skills training, etc?
Few facilities available in Lee itself
•
•
•
•
•
Where are decisions made about the provision of training
opportunities within the town? By whom are these decisions
made?
By local employment
•
•
•
•
•
9
WORKSHEET EC5: RETAIL AND TOWN CENTRE SERVICES
Task: to discover the key facts about the retail and town centre services available and consider how well they meet people's needs
The economic and social health of the majority of Market Towns most often shows in the health and vibrancy of its high street and other retail and consumer
services. Retail is the largest single employing sector in rural areas.
(There may not be reliable information on size of shops or their turnover. Advice on retail turnover surveys is given in Data Sources and Survey Methods.)
1
2: Getting the following information will help you assess what range of shops and services are available locally and give some idea
of possible future trends.
Starting points for
information
Sub-section: Retail shops and services
Q1
• Chamber of
Trade or
Look at the businesses in the town
Commerce
a. What proportion are retail, and how many people do they
• The district
employ?
council (if they
have undertaken b. What proportion provide consumer services, and how many
people do they employ?
a retail study)
• GOAD Experian
(Worksheets S1 Q4 also refers to employment. Worksheets S7;
town centre
T2 Q12; T3 Q16 also refer to the retail and service sector)
surveys or your
own local
surveys
Q2
• Chamber of
a. How many shops in total are there?
Trade or
b. What is the total floorspace
Commerce
• in the town centre
• The district
council (if they
• in out-of-town centres
have undertaken
• in the villages?
a retail study)
• GOAD Experian
town centre
surveys or your
service sector)
own local
surveys
Answers and notes
a. 53% retail approx 100 staff FT & PT
b. 47% consumer services approx 70 FT & PT
30
2
Starting points for
information
• Chamber of
Trade or
Commerce
• The district
council (if they
have undertaken
a retail study)
• GOAD Experian
town centre
surveys or your
own local
surveys
Answers and notes
Q3
a. What type of shops and services are there in the town centre
and surrounding villages?
b. List them by numbers and percentages of each type. An
example might be:
Banks, 6, 12%
Other shops and services may include chemists/pharmacies;
butchers; charities, antique shops; clothes stores; shoe shops;
bakers; grocers; supermarkets; hardware stores; general stores;
solicitors; accountants; garages; pubs; cafés; dentists;
doctors/medical/care - and so on; add to the list as appropriate.,
1 baker
2 butcher
2 chemist
4 art/craft
4 estate agents
1 travel agent
1 greengrocer
1 supermarket
1 paints/blinds
2 opticians
1 computer repairs
1 book shop
1 printers
Canine trim shop
2 newsagents
1 fish shop
1 sausage shop
1 supermarket
2 doctors practices
1 petrol station
1 library
5 charity shops
1 card shop
1 sheet music shop
c.
Identify any particular shops and services that attract visitors
and shoppers from outside the town. Include any shops and
services which have branches in other areas or towns.
Q4
How many charity shops are there? (Charity shops pay lower
rates and rentals.)
2 small locality shops
2 dentists
1 cycle shop
5 cafes
4 restaurants
3 takeaways
1 off license
1 bridal dress shop
A health food shop
1 childrens hairdresser
2 beauticians
1 barber
3 hairdressers
1 physio
1 funeral directors
1 soft furnishings
1 interior accessories
1 car parts shop
2 insurance brokers
1 bank
1 florist
1 seaside novelties shop
1 greengrocer
1 book shop
1 butcher
2 post offices (1 main, 1 sub)
5
(Worksheets S6 Q6; S7 Q5 also refer to the voluntary sector)
3
Starting points for
information
• District
Council: look
at their Retail
Capacity
Studies and
Retail Impact
Assessments
of specific
development
s
• Property
Intelligence plc
• From local
property agents
•
•
•
GOAD Experian
town centre
surveys
District Council's
Retail Capacity
Study
your own local
surveys
Answers and notes
Q5
Has retail floorspace in the town centre been lost in the last five
years? If so, by how much?
3 shops have been demolished but are due to be redeveloped in
the High Street. Most of businesses/shops which have shut have
been replaced
Look at historical data on retail and commercial floorspace in the
town centre and compare it with any out-of-town developments.
Q6
Retailers register their interest for additional floorspace. What are
the anticipated retail floorspace requirements in the future based
on this?
Q 7.
How many shops are vacant in the town centre and how many
have been vacant for more than two years?
Not known
4 are currently vacant. 1 may have been vacant for 2 years
If there seem to be a large number compared with the regional
and national vacancy rates, find out why the vacant shops are not
being reopened.
4
Starting points for
information
• GOAD Experian
town centre
surveys
• District Council's
Retail Capacity
Study
• your own local
surveys
Sub Section: Markets
• National
Federation of
Market Traders
• Association of
Town Centre
Managers
• National
Farmers’ Retail
and Markets
Association
(FARMA)
• British
Association of
Market
Authorities
Answers and notes
Q8
• How many new shops in the centre have opened in the last
three years?
• How many shops have had major refits in the last three
years?
Q9
a. Do the town and surrounding countryside have markets? If so
• What kind (eg, provision markets, livestock markets, farm
shops, farmers' markets, WI markets)?
• How many?
• How often?
• What size?
•
•
5
4 shops & 2 restaurants
Occasional farmers market held in Lee on Solent. Held irregularly.
Previously they were held once a month- did draw people into the
town but was poorly advertised and on a weekday, excluding
workers. Local produce was sold- meat, fish & vegetables. French
market has been held occasionally
a. How many of these sell local produce?
Stubbington- weekly WI market held in church hall.
b. Which local producers are not represented in
local markets?
Fareham- general market on Monday. Used to be monthly farmers
markets
(Worksheets EN2 Q12,13; EN3 Q5 also refer to the land-based
industries)
Gosport- General market Tuesdays and Saturdays. Doesn’t
appear to be much local produce sold there, except fish and meat.
This is a large market which fills the High Street and has stalls on
both sides of the pavement.
5
Starting points for
information
• The market
operator
(often from
the District
Council or
from the
National
Association
of British
Market
Authorities)
Answers and notes
Q10
a. How often is the general market held?
b. How have the number and type of traders and stalls changed
over the last three years?
No real livestock market.
•
Q 11
What are the potential threats to the local provision and/or
livestock market?
•
•
The National
Farmers Union,
District Council
The Market
owners and
operators.
General market in Fareham on Monday- again, reduced number
of stalls
Look at historic data on number of stalls, turnover levels,
throughput, how many people they employed, etc. This will help
you to assess any vulnerability to closure
industries)
•
Defra
General market Gosport on Tuesdays & Saturdays.
Most farmers markets are monthly or every 2 months. Numbers of
farmers doing market gardening, and producing fresh food has
declined markedly in past 10-15 years.
Q 12
How far away is the nearest abattoir or meat cutting plant
industries)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduction in number of abattoirs
Reduction in animal husbandry
Distances animals have to travel to abattoirs
Poor attendance
Produce is good quality but perceived to be expensive
Proliferation of supermarkets who market cheap food of
often inferior quality & transported large distance
Reducation in number of farmers in market gardening has
reduced over past 10-15 years
Abattoir- Newman RW & Partners (Farnborough)
Low output MOD abattoir, Aldershot.
Meat cutting plant- Pinnacle, Gosport. Browns of Romsey.
Reduced over past 15 years.
6
Sub-Section: Looking to the future
Starting points for
information
Q 13
• Any survey
Are local retailers confident about future trading and the town’s
of local
role as a shopping destination?
shops and
services
Find out whether local retailers plan to expand or move to new
premises, or if they are concerned about particular constraints on
future business. If they have concerns, what are they?
Answers and notes
Retailers are confident as there are shops closing and opening.
No long-term shop closures
service sector)
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Valuation
Office
The District
Council
Through local
property agents
Q 14
Are rents for retail premises stable or increasing?
The Tourist
Information
Offices for your
town and
nearby/other
county towns
Local/nearby
hotels
The Internet
Q 15
In which brochures or other publicity material is the town centre
actively promoted as a shopping destination?
Look at rents over the last three years and compare them over
time with competing centres.
Rents are increasing, 50.75% of people surveyed thought there
are not enough premises at affordable rents, according to our
survey
None at all in the town.
Fingers point in the town, but no written material
7
3: This part is called a SWOT analysis, where you identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Once you have the
information, use this table to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the number and type of shops and services. Also flag up
where there are Opportunities to improve things or where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for
a summary that can go forward to the Healthcheck Report.
Is thriving so would appear to be effective
Strength
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
8
Need more
info
How effective is the use of retail floorspace?
•
Threat
Are there any obvious gaps or shortages in provision of
different types of shops and services?
90-95% provision is in the town centre. There is another
shopping area ear-marked on Cherque Farm plan now
underway. Pub quiz surveys identified much out-commuting to
other areas to shop
Hardware shops, dress shops, shoe shops, no gents clothes
shop
Opportunity
How much of the local shopping provision is in the town
centre, out-of-town centre or in the villages?
Conclusion
Weakness
you have gathered.
It's a Fact
Has the town centre has become a more or less attractive
location for retail development?
Pub quiz survey results would appear to show people shop
out of town
If there is commercial demand for additional retail floorspace?
There seems to be a demand for retail floor space which is
currently being met through natural wastage
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is retail confidence like?
Survey showed no severe concerns
Are the local provision and/or livestock markets vulnerable to
closure
yes
•
•
•
9
WORKSHEET EC6: COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY NEEDS
Task: to identify whether there are likely to be enough commercial and industrial properties for existing and new businesses
It is important to keep in mind that the typical profile of rural self employed is for one third to work from home and one third to be mobile.
1
2: Getting the following information will provide some key facts about the commercial property market in the local area
Starting points for
information
Sub-section 1: Supply of property
Q1
How much land for development has been allocated in the Local
• Local property
Development Plan plan?
agents
(Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3 Q4; S2; S3 Q11; S5 Q8; S6 Q1,3
also refer to the built environment. Worksheets EN1 Q7,14; EN3
Q4; S2; S5 Q10; T! Q3 also refer to development)
Answers and notes
Property supply: 4 new shops with flats above are currently being
built in the High Street. A large brownfield site is currently being
developed, about 700 of the planned 1050 homes have been built.
This includes a small retail area and additional car parking for the
community centre. IN the next few years, the MoD are going to
release HMS Daedalus for development. Part of this is in Lee-onSolent, the remainder belongs to Fareham Borough Council. 300
new houses are being built for service personnel and their families
and there is planning permission being applied for another 250
homes. The new air sea rescue service is going to be based along
there. The development has been earmarked for mixed use
development to provide employment. Housing density 30-50
dwellings per hectare, mix of dwelling sizes and types.
The amount of land for development is very limited possibly
restricted to Daedalus for B1, B2 and B8 uses.
•
•
District Council
Local property
agent
Q2
Floorspace:
a. What is the total amount of commercial and industrial
floorspace available?
b. Where is it?
c. How much of it has been built or let in the last three
years?
No industrial floor space available, commercial limited to
High Street, Pier Street and Marine Parade.
No new buildings have been constructed in the last 3 years.
2
•
•
District Council
Local property
agent
Q3
How many premises suitable for new small businesses are there
at affordable rents?
There are no available industrial buildings in Lee on the
Solent as there is no purpose built industrial estates.
The only commercial buildings that become available are
within the High Street and Pier Street locations.
Look at the number of smaller premises and find out rent levels.
•
•
District Council
Local property
agent
Q4
How many premises are there that allow for ‘expansions’ or ‘grow
on’ by existing local firms?
Small units in the High Street become available occasionally,
rentals levels are between £15 and £20 per sq.ft for retail, offices
up to £7.50 per sq.ft. Small industrial rents could be up to £8 per
sq.ft.
Very limited. The space tends to be available at economic rents
suitable for both start up and expansion purposes
Generally, you will find shortages are more often in the space for
expansion rather than for start up premises
3
Sub-section 2: Demand for properties
Starting points for
information
Q5
• Local property
Available floorspace:
agents
a. How much available office or industrial floorspace is
vacant or on the market?
• Surveys of
b.
Where is it?
local
employers
•
•
District Council
Local property
agents
Q6
What have been the trends in vacancy levels in industrial and
commercial property?
Answers and notes
Large industrial / warehouse space available on Daedalus, limited
retail and office space available in the town centre.
Very little evidence on the availability of industrial property,
commercial properties become available infrequently. The local
market is far more buoyant now than it has been in the recent
past.
Compare historical vacancy levels in properties of different ages
and sizes.
•
•
District Council
Valuation Office
Local property
agents
Q7
What have been the trends in rental returns in recent years?
Compare historical data on commercial rents. Note that increased
rents and yields denote greater demand for floorspace.
Rents have continued to rise slowly over recent years particularly
in the retail sector; rental values will always lag behind High Street
Gosport. Strong demand from owner-occupiers for freehold
properties.
4
Starting points for
information
• Local employers
• Business Link
• Regional
Development
Agency
Answers and notes
Q8
Future planned expansion:
a. How many existing commercial and industrial businesses
are there with commitments to expand?
b. Where are they located?
Limited number of enquiries from local businesses in Lee on the
Solent for expansion purposes. Industrial properties non-existent
in Lee. Companies are forced to consider Gosport or Fareham
locations
(Worksheets EN1 Q7,14; EN3 Q4; S2; S5 Q10; T! Q3 also refer to
development)
•
•
•
District Council
Small Business
Service
Regional
Development
Agency
Q9
What economic development and funding initiatives are in place to
assist the expansion of local firms and incoming firms?
a. 11% stated yes, 46% stated no. 2 reported they
have recently expanded.
b. Lee on Solent surveyed only for health-check
purposes.
See EC1 Q 13.
5
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the local commercial property market. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things or where there
might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the Healthcheck Report.
Are existing commercial and industrial firms planning to
expand?
No-very limited
•
Strength
•
Need
more info
•
Threat
Remained static
Opportuni
ty
How have vacancy levels for commercial properties changed
in the last three years?
It's a Fact
you have gathered:
Weaknes
s
Conclusion
•
•
No applications to enhance use or extend premises
Are there sufficient premises at affordable rents for new small
businesses, and for businesses that want to expand?
What is the overall demand for, and gaps in the provision of,
different types of commercial and industrial property. Take
into consideration size and age of available property.
•
•
No according to our survey
•
•
Daedalus is a SEEDA controlled area. There is a demand for
commercial & industrial premises there. Some small units
have been taken over. There is infrastructure going in to
produce a technopark.
6
WORKSHEET EC7: TOURISM AND VISITOR SERVICES
Task: to measure the level of tourism activity in the area and make assessments of visitor services and facilities.
Although tourism is part of the local economy you may find that it is difficult to get hold of reliable information about tourism issues. If there is not enough
published information available to answer the questions, you may want to carry out an audit of tourist and visitor activities. Your audit will probably need to
include a wide range of topics including:
• Visitor attitudes: what do they come for, what do they do, and what do they think about what the town/hinterland have to offer?
• Community Attitudes: how does tourism impact on the local economy both economically and socially, and what are the benefits and the problems?)
• Economic impact assessment: how does tourism and tourism related employment affect the area?
The regional development agency or local authority tourism officer may be able to help with collecting and analysing the data. You might want to consider
'benchmarking' the town's businesses and facilities. This involves making a comparison between your town and other similar towns. The Countryside
Agency’s ‘Leaky Luggage’ model may help you with this process.
Techniques for visitor attitude surveys, benchmarking and gauging the community benefits of tourism are given in Data Sources and Survey Methods. On the
website you will also find 'Tourism Guidance for Market Towns' a step-by-step guide to help market towns realise their visitor potential.
NB The provision of sports and leisure facilities is covered in Worksheet S5: Sport, Leisure and Open space.
1
2: Getting the following information will give you the facts you need to assess visitors' needs and the services and
facilities available.
Starting points for
information
Sub Section 1: Who are our visitors?
Q1
• Local Tourist
Information office How many visitors come to the area each year? Consider:
• Day visitors
• Visitor surveys
• Overnight visitors
• Longer stay visitors
•
Visitor
Surveys
conducted by
the District
Council or
Tourist
Board
(Worksheets S1 Q8 also refers to visitors and tourism)
Q2
Visitor activity:
a. Is visitor activity susceptible to seasonal peaks and
troughs?
b. If yes, when do these occur, and why?
Answers and notes
No figures available from GBC, Manager of TIC says the would
need to pay Tourism South East for this information
a. Yes, limited mostly to good weather in Summer.
b. Sailing competitions, jet skis. Hot, settled & sunny weather.
Compare visitor numbers and employment rates at different times
of the year.
(Worksheets S1 Q4 also refers to employment)
Sub Section 2: What do tourists want?
Q3
• Local Tourist
Information office Where do visitors go during their visit?
• Visitor surveys
Beach & cafes.
Pool Hall & bars.
Off shore sports
2
Starting points for
information
• Local Tourist
Information office
• Visitor surveys
Answers and notes
Q4
What do visitors do during their visit?
Look at, for example, whether they go shopping, visit tourist
attractions, do sport, visit friends/relatives, etc.
Few attractions, but sailing and jet skiing are popular. Many
people sunbathe on the beach and many people swim in the sea
•
Q5
How much money do visitors spend in the town and the
surrounding area?
Very difficult to quantify- food shops are popular as are seafront
cafes & pubs with grub, sailing club, amusements, pool hall and
ice cream vans.
Visitor Surveys
conducted by the
District Council
or Tourist Board
GBC Manager of TIC informs data for Lee does not exist, and
data for Gosport would need to be purchased from Tourism
South East.
Sub-section 3: What does our town offer tourists?
Q6
• Local Tourist
Activities:
Board
a. What are the main tourist or visitor activities in the town or
• Yellow Pages
nearby?
b. Are there any specialist tourism enterprises, such as
language schools or conference centres that may
encourage people to visit the area? If so, what proportion
of visitors use these facilities?
Consider both major activities (for example, festivals, sports
events, key landmarks, etc), and smaller scale activities (for
example, footpaths, cycle ways/cycle hire, etc).
a. Penguin Café, Bluebird café, The Old Ship, Inn by the Sea.
Beach Bar, Solent Café plus restaurant/cafes in High Street.
Days on the beach- picnics- amusements- playground- skate
park.
Sailing Club meets, off-shore sports, beach huts, the Bun Penny
b. Caravan Park
5 bed & breakfast establishments in Lee
3
Starting points for
information
• Local authority
• Local transport
providers
Answers and notes
Q7
What are the transport links:
a. To the town in the first instance (for example, road and
rail)
b. For visitors once they have arrived (for example, buses,
hire cars)?
a. Road- B3385 from Fareham and M27 (J11)
B3335 from Gosport and Alverstoke and Stubbington
b. Buses and taxis
Consider whether there are viable alternatives to private cars.
•
•
•
The Tourist
Information
Office
local survey.
www.tourismforal
l.org.uk
•
www.holidaycare.o
rg.uk
•
•
District Council
Local Tourist
Board
Local surveys
•
(Worksheets EN1 Q10; S3 Q1,4; T1; T2; T3 also refer to public
transport or travel)
Q8
How accessible is the town and its facilities for people with
disabilities?
(Worksheets T3 also refers to disability issues)
Being all on the same level- good.
High Street and Pier Street could do with the promised ‘pedestrian
friendly’ improvements.
The lowered kerbs to alow wheelchairs etc to cross the road can
be at the wrong angle to the road junctions for safety.
Q9
What is the range and capacity of accommodation available with
respect to these grades:
• B&B
• Guest House
• Hotel
• Self-catering
• Caravan and camping
• Youth hostels
• Bunkhouse barns
•
About 100 beds B & B and Guesthouses total
•
No hotel in Lee
•
Caravan Park & Holiday Flats 100 static pitches
•
No youth hostels or bunkhouse barns
•
5 have 4 diamond rating
4
Starting points for
information
• Local Tourist
Board
•
•
local food groups
Tourist
Information
Office
Answers and notes
Q 10
Competitions:
a. Does the town enter any national competitions, such as
'Britain in Bloom'?
b. Do the surrounding villages enter the 'Best Kept Village'?
a. Various parts of the town enter Gosport in Bloom. One
residential home is usually the winner in this category for the
South East.
(Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3; S3 Q7,11 also refer to
Q 12
Food directory:
Is there a local food directory for the town and surrounding
hinterland?
a. How is it produced?
b. Who is it distributed to?
c. How often is it updated?
b. No
No local directory at present.
Internet information is very out of date
Tourist information
(Worksheets EN2 Q13; EN3 Q5; S5 Q9 also refer to food)
5
Sub-section 4: Do we need to improve what we offer?
Starting points for
information
Q 13
• Tourist
Visitor information:
Information
a. If there is a Tourist or Visitor Information Centre in the
• Visitor Centre
town, how well used is it?
• Local surveys
b.
Where are the Visitor Information Points in the town?
• Visitor surveys
c.
Around
the town and its environs, are there:
• Tourist Board
o
current
visitor guides
• Tourism officer
o town trails
o up to date walking and cycling trails
Answers and notes
a. No
b. Seafront sign (keeps disappearing) and a public computer
terminal in High Street. 8 computer internet points in the public
library
There is a walking trail and a leaflet is available in the library. Also
a cycleway sheet 3:17
Consider the number of enquiries in various forms, including
phone calls, ‘hits’ to the Internet and the number of visitors to the
Centre.
•
•
•
•
Visitor surveys
Tourist Board
District Council
Tourism Officer
Local survey
•
Local survey
(Worksheets EN1 Q10; EN3 Q7; T1 Q5; T2 Q6; T3 also refer to
pedestrian access. Worksheets EN3 Q6,7; S5; S6; T3 Q17 also
refer to recreation and leisure))
Q 14
Is there adequate and effective pedestrian and road signing to
visitors’ attractions and services (for example, parking and public
toilets, the Tourist Office and the town centre)?
Look at signage to/from tourist attractions from key points such as
at car parks, the train station, and between attractions.
Q 15
How convenient is public transport for shopping areas/facilities
and tourist attractions?
Such as there are
No TIC in Lee.
Bus stops well sited for beach and High Street
(Worksheets EN1 Q10; S3 Q1,4; T1; T2; T3 also refer to public
6
Starting points for
information
• Local survey
•
•
•
Visitor surveys
Tourist Board
District Council,
Tourism Officer
transport or travel)
Answers and notes
Q 16
Parking:
a. How many car parks, coach parks, meters, free parking
zones, etc, are there?
b. Are they situated conveniently for the Town Centre,
shopping and tourist attractions?
(Worksheets EN1 Q9; S7 Q2; T1; T3 also refer to transport
access)
Q 17
To what extent does the number, range and quality of visitor
services and ancillary services match visitor expectation and
needs?
•
Local survey
Q 18
What do visitors think about the general appearance and
attractiveness of the town/hinterland, and the public facilities?
Look at:
• The number of and standard of public facilities (for example,
public toilets; seating (in covered and uncovered areas);
accessibility for older people and the less able; litter bins. Add
to this list as appropriate.
•
a. 6 car parks, 5 coach spaces. 230 spaces in town centre, 12
disabled street spaces
b. Convenient
GBC have no information for Lee, and no
information available about this even on
Gosport- basically data does not exist at
present time.
3 sets of public toilets (all OK)
Seating is limited on busy days.
Good access for elderly and chair bound.
See EN 3 & EN2
The general appearance: for example, are the streets clean
and tidy? Is graffiti a problem? Are there well-tended flower
beds and borders, etc? Are the railway station/bus terminals
in good repair? Add to this list as appropriate.
7
environmental quality. Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3 Q4; S2; S3
Q13; S5 Q8; S6 also refer to the built environment)
8
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the visitor and tourism services currently on offer. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things or
where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the Healthcheck Report.
How vulnerable is the local economy to seasonal variations in
tourism?
How do historical employment rates and business stocks in
tourism related services, such as hotels and catering,
compare with regional and national averages over the last 3-5
years?
Is visitor activity concentrated mainly within the town itself or
within the hinterland?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Threat
Lee vulnerable to seasonal variations in tourism. Has steady
number of visitors for the year. Visitor demands is weather
dependent
•
•
•
•
Figures have been stable
Evenly spread
Need
more info
Opportuni
ty
Very important- need to concentrate on this
Weaknes
s
How important is tourism spending and tourism-related
employment to the local economy?
Conclusion
Strength
you have gathered:
It's a Fact
9
How good are the transport links into the town and to tourist
attractions?
Average
What Tourism information sources there are in the area, and
how well used are they?
No TIC in Lee, nearest one is Gosport
Do the town and its hinterland have adequate parking facilities
for both residents and visitors?
Yes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
10
WORKSHEET S1: POPULATION
Task: to identify the population profile of the town and surrounding countryside
The basic data collected will be important for many of the other assessments required in other worksheets. Much of the data can be obtained from the
Census of Population 2001 and is very easy to get from National Statistics On-line.
•
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/default.asp provides information at national, regional and Local Authority level.
•
Click on "Neighbourhood" or go directly to http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/default.asp to view, compare or download statistics for your local area on
a wide range of subjects including population, crime, health and housing.
1
2: Getting the following information will help you establish how the population of your town and surrounding countryside compares with the
national picture
Starting points for
information
• Census of
Population
Answers and notes
Q1
Local populations:
a. What is the total population of both town and surrounding
countryside?
b. What proportion of the total population live in the town as
compared to the surrounding countryside (hinterland)?
c. Whereabouts do they live?
All the answers are based on 2001 census. Since then 800
dwellings have been built in Lee East and the population has been
increased
a. 7067 in 2001, now about 8500
b. Population is in Lee on Solent itself. No outlines in hinterland.
c. in Lee on Solent
• Census
of
Populatio
n
Q2
Retired population:
a. How many of the population are of retirement age (that is,
65/60 or over)?
b. What is this as a proportion of the total population?
c. Is this higher or lower than the regional and national
averages?
a. 1920 in 2001, has gone up slightly since then
b. 18.83% in Lee east. 33.63% Lee West
c. Above regional average & national average, especially in Lee
West where it is double. There are several homes for the elderly
in Lee West
•
Q3
Younger population:
a. How many of the population are under 16?
b. What is this as a proportion of the total population?
c. Is this higher or lower than the regional and national
averages?
a. 1077 in 2001, this has gone up since then
Census of
Population
b. 19.68% Lee East. 11.82% Lee West
c. Lee east is slightly below regional and national average. Way
below national and regional average in Lee West
(Worksheets EC1 Q6,7; EC3; EC4; T2 Q2; T3 Q18,19 also refer
to children and young people)
2
Starting points for
information
• Census of
Population
•
•
Census of
Population
Census of
Population
(Compare
population
levels from
the 1991 and
2001
Censuses)
Answers and notes
Q4
Employed population:
a. How many people are employed?
b. How many of this population have professional and
managerial jobs?
c. How many of these have semi-skilled manual and
unskilled jobs?
d. What are these figures as proportions of the total number
employed?
e. Are these figures higher or lower than the regional and
national averages?
a. 1587 in 2001
b. 812
c. 482
d. 51% managerial
25% manual
e. Below national and regional average for managerial and above
national and regional averages for manual
(Worksheets EC1; EC4 Q3,9; EC5 Q1; EC7 Q2 also refer to
employment)
Q6
Household population:
a. How many households are there
b. What proportion of households are there elderly people
living alone?
c. Is this higher or lower than the national average?
Q7
Population trend:
a. Has the population of the town and hinterland grown or
declined in the last ten years?
b. By how much?
a. 3199 in both wards in 2001
b. 22%
c. Higher than national average
a. Grown
b. 1000 households
3
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the population profile of the area. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things or where there
How does the population profile of the town and surrounding
countryside compare with regional and national profiles?
Is there a growth or decline in numbers or the location of
population categories, and what are they?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Slanted towards the elderly, but is evening out as the
population is getting younger in the 2 developments
Growth, mainly in young families
4
Need more
info
Threat
Strength
Opportunity
Conclusion
Weakness
you have gathered:
It's a Fact
WORKSHEET S2: HOUSING
Task: to find out the basic information needed to assess the housing situation in the town and surrounding countryside
•
•
•
If there is not enough information available to answer the questions, it may be possible to work with the district council to do an up to date housing needs
assessment
Guidance on housing needs assessment is given in Data Sources and Survey Methods and on the Market Towns' Learning Network
Cross reference this to Worksheet S1: Population
1
2: Getting the following information will help you assess the housing situation in your town and surrounding countryside.
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Sub-section 1: Housing Availability and Need
•
•
•
•
Local estate
agents (for
general
information on
housing market)
District Council &
Local Housing
Associations (for
information on
their housing
stock)
Q1
Currently available housing:
a. What types of properties are there? Look at type, size
and tenure (freehold, leasehold, rented).
b. Where are they located? For example, are they clustered
in the town centre, town edge or hinterland settlements?
c. Is there an under- or over-supply of housing of different
types?
District Council
Planning Dept
Local Plan
Q2
New housing:
a. How much new housing is being planned in the area?
b. What type is it?
c. Where is it?
(Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3 Q4; EC6 Q1; EC6 Q18 also refer to
the built environment)
(Worksheets EN1 Q7,14; EN3 Q4; EC6 Q1,8,9; T1 Q3 also refer
to development)
a. 70/30 on freehold. No recorded data on rented yet available
b. Throughout the borough, but particularly at Cherque Farm
c. Gosport Housing Needs Survey 2003 indicates that in the
private sector there is a surplus of 28 one bed flats, 8 two bed
flats, 14 two bed bungalows, 158 three bed houses and 13 four
bed houses. There is a shortfall in the private sector of 56 three
bed bungalows, 25 one bed houses and 20 two bed houses
(compared with demand). In the affordable sector, it shows a
shortfall of all dwelling types (except 4 bed bungalows), ranging
from 2 four bed flats to 92 two bed houses and 97 one bed flats.
Starter homes needed.
a. In Lee there are 55 new units planned at Elmore Road and 14
new units planned in High Street- some additional sites are
possible, e.g. Belle Vue & Marine Parade- negotiations not yet
finalised. South East Plan and Strategic Development Area (SDA)
will be applied. Maximum of 45 homes a year, in Green Belt
areas, for Gosport as a whole if SDA is NOT built.
b. Various- family sized houses and flats at Elmore Road and flats
at the High Street scheme- possibly designated elderly? A total of
4608 new builds are planned for Gosport as a whole over the next
10 years. No data is available in respect of what % Lee will have
overall total. Mixture of developments for first time buyers mainly
on redevelopment of existing sites e.g. demolish old and rebuild or
convert existing i.e. Current Elmore Road Housing Association
development.
c. All within 1 mile of Lee High Street
2
Starting points for
information
• Local estate
agents
• County council
Answers and notes
Q3
Housing costs:
a. What is the cost of buying or renting property?
b. Can local people afford to buy houses in the area?
c. Where is there a supply of affordable (social) housing at
below-market prices?
d. Where is there a supply of starter homes?
e. Does supply meet local needs based on current statistics?
a. Cherque Farm – general needs rented accommodation from
£70pw (1bf) to £85pm (3bf). Sale value approximately £150k (3bh.
Sold on shared ownership basis.
Buying in Lee- maximum is £1million. Average is £250k with
lowest at £85k. Renting £500-£1200 depending on size or
furnished/unfurnished
b. There is an affordability issue (HNS 2003 shows that across
Gosport 87% of concealed households would not be able to
access home ownership and/or private rental, so a percentage of
all new housing on larger estates such as CF is offered as shared
ownership.
c. Elmore Road and Cherque Farm both of which are current
Housing Association projects
d. Limited to Fell Drive area e.g. Osprey Gardens
e. Housing needs survey 2003 states that “After allowing for
existing stock re-let supply, there will still be an annual affordable
housing shortfall of 312 units…..which is projected over the eight
year period to 2011 is a total of 2,496 units”.
Demand is currently greater than supply, however until
infrastructure is improved little or no possibility for this to balance
out.
3
• District
Council
figures for
Housing
Investment
Programme
• Local
charities
•
Local survey
•
District Council
(ask for waiting
list allocation
rules)
Nomination
Agreement
between Council
& Housing
Associations
•
Q4
Homeless people:
a. How many people are homeless in the area?
b. How many of these are formally counted as homeless by
local authorities compared with those that may be staying
with friends and are without a home of their own?
c. How does this compare with regional and national
averages?
Q5
Housing priorities:
a. Does the local council give local people priority in
accessing affordable housing?
b. What provision is there for people who may want to move
back to their local area following time away to train or
study?
c. Does this differ in settlements in the surrounding
countryside and in the town?
(Worksheets EC2 Q18; T2 Q11,12; T3 Q16 also refer to local
government services)
Awaiting response GBC Housing Department, Ray sent March
2006, SS chasing 25 July by email
1st September , no response from GBC therefore unable to
identify this data accurately, but does not appear to be a problem
a. Yes. This Council awards additional priority for customers who
have a local connection to Gosport through either being a
resident, a former resident, having family in the borough or
working in the borough.
b. None
c. No
4
Starting points for
information
and Housing
Association (ask
for comparisons
of demand for
specialist
housing with
current and
planned)
District Council and
Housing
Associations (ask for
comparisons of
demand for specialist
housing with current
and planned)
Answers and notes
Q6
Supported housing:
a. What supported housing is available to those who need it
through special units (for example, for the elderly or
disabled)?
b. Does this meet current or projected demands?
a. There are a number of sheltered schemes in Lee- the borough
council owns and manages one, with a further scheme being
owned and managed by our Housing Association partner
b. The Housing Needs Survey 2003 states that “there will be a
combined requirement over the next 5 years of 848 units of
sheltered accommodation from old4r people currently living in the
borough and those who may in-migrate to be beside their family413 in the affordable sector and 435 in the private sector. Some of
this will be addressed by flow of the existing sheltered stock but
acceptability of existing stock to meet today’s standards will need
to be assessed in calculating the scale of new delivery”. (NB
borough wide). Unlikely demand will be met, as the population is
getting older, with increased demand likely in the future. Pressure
on other facilities in the surrounding area will be increased.
(Worksheets EC7 Q8T2 Q4,5; T3 also refer to disability issues)
Q7
Housing for older people:
a. Does the housing provision and cost provide for older
people who may want to move to smaller/more
manageable homes or from villages to market towns?
b. Is this provision sufficient?
a. The Council has an incentive scheme for people who wish to
move from family sized accommodation into 1 bed
accommodation- from within its own or partner housing
associations stock. Many of the older residents in privately owed
property will downsize and purchase smaller properties or rent
from Housing Associations. Existing Housing Association
residents can apply to move to smaller premises e.g. flats to
generate family housing for the next generation
b. No response to date GBC
Total of 9 privately owned Care Homes in Lee (listed on GBC
website). Pier House operated by Social services now closed.
5
•
•
District Council
Social Services
Q8
Housing for elderly/disabled people:
a. What support is provided for people such as the elderly or
disabled in their own homes?
b. Does this meet current or projected demand?
(Worksheets EC7 Q8T2 Q4,5; T3 also refer to disability issues)
a. For registered disabled:- DFGs. For vulnerable elderly HRAs for
emergency repairs. Free loft insulation for past 5 years
Now:- free or subsidised insulation through an Energy
Management Company (ENACT) in partnership with GBC
Rogers House is the only local sheltered housing operated by
Gosport BC operated facility (that can be identified). Care
packages are provided through Social services, NHS District
Nurses etc.
b. Free loft insulation stopped this financial year due to large falloff in demand. Over 1600 homes in the borough insulated.
ENACT was hoping to reach and help every household.
Demand is unlikely to be met as average age of population is
increasing.
6
Starting points for
information
• Census of
Population
• Council Tax
records
(compare
number of
2nd/holiday
homes with total
number of
households)
•
•
District Council
Housing
Investment
Programme or
Housing Needs
Surveys
Local survey of
premises
Answers and notes
Q9
Availability of homes:
a. Are there a high number of homes not available to the
local population?
b. Is there a high level of second home ownership or holiday
lets locally?
c. Are these confined to particular parts of the area? (for
example, those attractive to tourists or near business
centres, etc)?
a. MP- limited to West Lee area e.g. Milvil Road, Victoria Square
locations
b. 163 second homes in the whole of the borough. Increasing as a
result of Lee’s position adjacent to the Solent
c. yes, in particular the waterfront and coastline locations.
Q 10
Empty houses:
a. Is there a high level of vacancy or empty houses?
b. Where are these located?
c. Are there opportunities to make redundant housing and
additional homes available to local people?
d. What opportunities are there to bring housing into the
town centre (for example, flats over shops) back into use?
(compare number of vacant houses with total number of
premises)
a. According to last Private Sector House Condition Survey, the
borough has 1% (315) ‘empty’ properties, which compares to 3%
nationally.
b. Within the borough
c. Very low number of empty houses (1%) in the borough.
d. Grants awarded to private landlords who renovate empty
shops/offices into private rented accommodation.
the built environment. Worksheets EN1 Q7,14; EN3 Q4; EC6
Q1,8,9; T1 Q3 also refer to development)
7
Sub-section 2: Quality of Housing
Starting points for
information
• Housing
condition survey
•
•
District
Council
District
Council
Answers and notes
Q 11
Housing conditions:
a. What is the condition of existing local housing?
b. How many properties suffer from damp, lack of central
heating, external and structural problems, or disrepair?
c. Where are they located?
a. generally good (Private Sector House Condition Survey 200405)
b. 1.5% (473 No) Private Sector homes fail the Fitness Standard.
9% (2838 No) fail the Descent Homes Standard
c. Pepper-potted throughout the borough, no main areas/ghettos
as found with cities
Q 12
Where there is poor quality housing, how is this being addressed
through improvement/investment programmes?
No Clearance/Improvement Areas as no main areas, see above.
Development (in line with Government Guidance that home
owners should be responsible for own repairs) of Loan Scheme.
Q 13
Are there areas of poor quality private housing that are not being
addressed?
No.
There are individual houses that are not being kept up, rental by
private landlords
8
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the local housing stock. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things or where there might be
Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the Healthcheck Report.
Is there sufficient housing available to meet the needs of all
sectors of the population? If there are shortfalls, where are
they? Do current housing strategies and plans take these
areas into account?
Is the available housing stock in good condition? Where is
the poor housing stock? What is being done to improve it?
Shortfall in low cost affordable housing, for 1st time buyers.
People want 2 bedroom properties. Council is trying to
address this and developers have to put 20 houses and put in
40% social houses.
•
•
•
•
Generally in good condition.
Council houses in Elmore are being rebuilt as they are substandard
9
Need more
info
Threat
Strength
•
•
Opportunity
Conclusion
Weakness
you have gathered:
It's a Fact
WORKSHEET S3: HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFTEY
Task: to assess public health and community safety in the town and surrounding countryside
Residents of market towns and their surrounding countryside need access to adequate healthcare and emergency services including ambulances, police and
fire services. Community safety is also an important consideration. Local authorities are required under the Crime and Disorder Act 1999 to produce a
strategy for fighting crime. Audits of community safety issues including crime and the fear of crime may have been undertaken to inform these strategies.
•
Guidance on carrying out a fear of crime survey is given in Data Sources and Survey Methods Directory on the Market Towns Learning Network.
WORKSHEET S3: HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY
1
2: Getting the following information will help you assess the healthcare and emergency services provision for your town
and surrounding countryside
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Sub-section 1: Health and Social Care
•
•
•
Local Health
Authority
Register of
Doctors &
Dentists
LHA target levels
Local Authority
for transport
information
Q1
Doctor and dentist provision:
a. How many doctors and dentists surgeries are there?
b. How do these figures compare with Local Health Authority
target levels and local needs?
c. Where are they located?
d. Will any future planned changes to service provision
increase or decrease access to doctors and dentists?
e. What transport is there (either public, a suitable
community transport scheme, or both) to surgeries from
outlying areas?
(Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,15; T1; T2; T3 also refer to public
transport)
•
Local Health
Q2
a. 2 doctors practices based in the Health Centre in Lee. One has
3 full time equivalent doctors and the other has 3.5 full time
equivalent partners.2 dental practices in Lee. Both provide NHS
care for under 18s and the rest of the care they give is wholly
private.
b. Comparatively over doctored at present, although this will
change with the predicted growth in the population over the next
3 years. There is under provision for NHS dentistry in the area as
a whole.
c. Both doctors’ practices are based in the Health Centre in
Manor Way which is one block back from the High Street. One
dentist is in the High Street and the other is in Milvil Road, just
around the corner from the seafront and the High Street
d. There are plans to increase the provision for both doctors and
dentists to meet the large needs of the growing population. One
of the medical practices is in need of larger premises. In the short
term, space may be found in the Health Centre by moving
services out of the building.
e. There are 2 buses an hour which bring patients in from the
housing estates into Lee High Street. Most of the elderly who
don’t drive tend to use local taxi firm to transport them to the
surgeries, if they are too infirm to walk. 1 bus route has been
stopped, but is being re-evaluated.
The nearest specialist clinics are held in Gosport, either at
2
•
Authority
Local voluntary &
charity groups
Clinics:
a. What specialist clinics and out patient clinics are available
locally (for example, family planning, drugs and drink
advice)?
b. Where are they?
Gosport War Memorial Hospital or at Haslar Hospital. There are
as follows:GWMH- orthopaedics, gynaecology, obstetrics, elderly medicine,
day hospital for elderly medicine, old age psychiatry, both clinics
and day hospital, hearing aid clinic, ophthalmology, general
medicine, general surgery, paediatrics, family planning, sexual
health clinic, psychiatry, CPN clinics, blood tests, x rays and
ultrasound scans, sleep clinics for children, enuresis clinic,
community dentistry, community dietician. Heart failure clinic
which is nurse led. There is a midwife led birth centre and
inpatient wards for elderly medicine and old age psychiatry
HASLAR- orthopaedics, general medicine, cardiology, diabetes,
gastro-enterology, including endoscopic examinations, urology,
ENT, dermatology, ophthalmology. Blood tests. X rays and
ultrasound scans.
IN Osborn clinic in Fareham- child and family therapy, alcohol
and drug abuse services.
b. GWMH is on main road into Gosport from Lee on Solent.
Haslar is near Portsmouth harbour on the tip of Gosport
peninsular. Osborn clinic is in Fareham town centre.
There are also charitable groups that provide counselling for
unplanned pregnancies and another which provides support for
patients with cancer. Both are based on Gosport town centre.
•
Local Health
Authority
Q3
Mobile units:
a. Which local health clinics, doctors and dentists operate
mobile service units?
b. What areas do they cover?
c. Are there any plans to increase the coverage by mobile
units?
There are no mobile service units and no plans to develop these.
3
Starting points for
information
• Local Health
Authority
• Local transport
survey
Answers and notes
Q4
Non-emergency hospital services:
a. How easy is it for residents to get access to nonemergency hospital services as a user or visitor?
b. What services are available?
c. How far away are they?
d. Are they accessible by public transport?
e. Can patients pre-book appointments?
f. What are the waiting times for getting appointments?
g. How long are people on waiting lists?
a. It is fairly easy for people to access non emergency hospital
services based on Gosport peninsular itself, provided they have a
car. It takes about 20 minutes to get to GWMH or Haslar when
traffic is heavy. It takes longer for people to get to the main
hospitals in the area as they are both in Portsmouth. There is a
major problem with traffic congestion in the rush hour periods and
also at other times of the day. Queen Alexandra Hospital is 15
miles away and St Mary’s Hospital is nearer 20 miles. It can take
30 minutes to drive to both of these when the traffic is free flowing
and a lot longer if not. Problems with parking exist at all hospitals,
especially QA as it is small and expensive.
b. Between both Portsmouth hospitals a full range of services are
offered to patients. QA hospital is being developed as the acute
hospital and has an A & E department. All acute admissions go
there. St Mary’s is going to be downgraded into a community
hospital, the remaining major specialities are moving to QA. A
new block to provide minor surgery, and other services is currently
being built there.
c. See ‘a’ above for distances
d. It is possible to get to GWMH on a direct bus fro Lee. To get to
Haslar, patients have to get 2 buses or else one bus and walk
about 1.5 miles to the hospital from the bus station. Fareham can
be reached by direct bus. It is hard to get to either QAH or SMH
by bus. Patients have to catch about 3 buses to get there from
Lee. There is a voluntary organisation which will take patients to
hospital for appointments and there is some patient transport from
the health service. This doesn’t help visitors if they don’t drive
e. Patients are able to pre-book appointments for certain
specialities. Some departments will ask patients to phone them to
arrange their appointment. Under the new Choose and Book
scheme, the patients pre-book their own appointments. This
system has only been running since 2005 in Lee and has its
teething problems which should be resolved in due course.
f. The waiting times vary for different specialities. They range from
(Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,15; T1; T2; T3 also refer to public
transport)
4
14-117 days for an outpatient appointment. Patients with
suspected cancer will be seen within 2 weeks of referral,
maximum 6 weeks.
g. The waiting times for day case operation are in the order of 3
months for most specialities. The waiting time for an inpatient
admission is in the order of 14-99 days according to figures
published September 2005. The waiting times are coming down,
but may go up again if there is a flu epidemic. Max time 6 months
wait.
•
•
•
•
Local Health
Authority
County Council
Social Services
Local voluntary
groups &
charities for
informal support
Q5
Home services:
a. What social and health care services are available in the
home for those needing them (for example, community
nurses, health visitors, home help, etc)?
b. What informal support is available for those not using
statutory services?
(Worksheets EC7 Q8; T2 Q4,5; T3 also refer to disability issues)
a. The following services are available to people needing them in
their own homes:
• Community nurses
• Health visitors
• Community enabling service- physiotherapist,
occupational therapist, pharmacist, doctor, social worker
and nurses working under a single team to help support
people who become unwell and need short-term support
• Occupational therapist
• Social services
• Carers
• Dustbusters- service to help with housework
• Meals on wheels
• Gardening service
b. Medical equipment loans from the British Red Cross.
Macmillan nursing team from the local hospice. Podiatry. People
make use of friends, neighbours and family
5
Starting points for
information
• Local Health
Authority (ask for
local & national
statistics)
Answers and notes
Q6
Health:
a. How do local mortality rates for heart disease, stroke,
cancer, suicide and accidents compare with regional and
national averages?
b. If they are high, what health service provision is being
targeted in these areas?
a. Local mortality rates compare favourable with national and
regional averages for ischaemic heart disease, asthma, and
chronic respiratory disease. There is a low risk of suicide in Lee.
There is an average risk of death from pneumonia, stroke,
malignant melanoma and cancer of the prostate. The population is
biased towards the elderly and middle-aged, especially in West
Lee ward which is why there is the higher mortality rate from
pneumonia, cancers and stroke. There are 2 nursing homes in
Lee which home very frail elderly people. There are also 2
residential homes for the elderly where the inhabitants are frail
too. There is an above average incidence of asbestos related
diseases due to the widespread use of asbestos in the navy and
shipping industries. The rate of melanoma is high due to sunnier
climate and many retired sailors having worked abroad in the
tropics before the advent of sunscreens.
b. The PCT is targeting smoking cessation clinics, care for
patients with diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, promoting
healthy eating and exercise regimes to enable the local population
to remain fir. IN the past it has promoted the care of asthma which
has reduced mortality from this, together with more effective
drugs. Doctors are being encouraged to target the population at
risk of diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, cancer and chronic
respiratory diseases in an attempt to improve the mortality and
morbidity from these conditions.
•
•
District Council
Environmental
Health Dept
Environment
Agency (ask for
statistics on
background
pollution levels)
Q7
Pollution levels:
a. Do background levels of noise, air quality and water
quality meet or exceed national standards?
b. Are there any blackspots where national levels are
exceeded?
a. Yes generally
b. Very occasionally the local refinery emits fumes
(Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3; EC7 Q10,17,18 also refer to
6
Sub-section 2: Emergency services
•
•
•
Local Health and
Police authorities
Internet
Local council
surveys
Q8
Response time targets:
a. What are the ambulance, police and fire services
response time targets?
b. How well are these targets being met?
c. What are the problem areas if targets are not met?
d. What plans are there to improve these?
See Performance printout on
Annual Policing Plan 2004/5 for
statistics and available data
7
Sub-section 3: Community Safety
Starting points for
information
• Local Police
Authority (ask for
local, regional &
national crime
statistics &
policy)
Answers and notes
Q9
Crime:
a. What are the crime rates for the locality?
b. How do incidences of crime compare with regional and
national rates?
c. Are incidences higher for specific types of crime (for
example, shop theft, burglaries, personal assault, criminal
damage, car theft, and theft from vehicles)?
d. Does geographical location play a part in this?
e. How will future policing strategies address these
problems?
•
Q 10
Fear of crime:
a. Is the fear of crime significantly worse than actual crime
rates?
b. If yes, what factors are contributing to these fears?
•
Local Police
Authority for local
crime statistics
Fear of crime
survey for
comparison with
actual statistics
8
Starting points for
information
• Local survey
Answers and notes
Q 11
Which areas show visible evidence of vandalism, unlit streets,
litter or graffiti?
Some occasional vandalism
(Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3; EC7 Q10,17,18 also refer to
•
•
Local Police
Authority
District Council
•
Local Police
Authority
Q 12
Crime prevention measures:
a. Where crime prevention measures are in place?
b. Which other areas would benefit from the introduction of
crime prevention measures?
Measures may include CCTV, street lighting, more police officers,
community policing and Neighbourhood Watch.
Q 13
What is the level of local police presence (for example, police
stations/mobile stations/local or community police
officers/community support)?
Local beat officer holds a consultation every 2 weeks
9
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in public health and community safety. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things or where there
Do all areas provide a safe and healthy environment to live
in?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Need more
info
Strength
•
Threat
More space needed for local doctors practice
Opportunity
Is there adequate access to a range of healthcare and social
care services? Where could access to, or the quality of
provision, be improved?
Conclusion
Weakness
you have gathered:
It's a Fact
•
•
Yes
Is a good standard provided by the emergency services?
•
Yes, but road congestion is an issue especially at peak travel
times
Is there a good strategy to fight crime and is the community
protected? What opportunities are there to improve
provision?
Crime prevention measures are being reviewed at the local
beat surgery held at Lee Community Centre. Greater visible
police presence is considered essential as a result of
population increase. Crime figures are good in Lee on Solent
but are perceived as worse by population
•
•
10
WORKSHEET S4: LOCALGOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
Task: to find out about the level of community involvement in local decision-making and activity in both the town and surrounding countryside
It is important to assess the level of involvement of the local community when researching the well-being of a market town and when planning for the future.
Effective local government is important to the well being of a town, and the numbers of people voting in national and local elections is one measure of
community involvement.
In a healthy democracy every seat should have more than one candidate. An effective Parish/Town Council is crucial to the success of the Healthcheck and
Action Plan. However, there is often much less democratic involvement at this tier of local government, and many Parish Councils attract only just enough
candidates to fill the seats; some even have vacant seats after an election. In such cases the election is 'uncontested', and no poll is required. Organising a
poll is expensive, so it is arguably better value for money to avoid a poll, especially in small parishes. If, however, your Parish/Town Council was uncontested
or has vacancies, there is clearly scope for improving residents' involvement in local affairs and there may be things that could be done to increase
participation in local democracy.
When considering election data you should bear in mind that:
• In general elections the number of voters in market towns may be higher than the national average
• In district or borough elections you should make sure that any turnout figures you request are for a poll which was not combined with other elections.
This is because combined polls may show a slightly greater turnout.
There are also many other ways in which the community can have a voice in local planning and decision-making. Support and encouragement for community
involvement should ensure that there is a representative sample of local people covering all interests and abilities.
WORKSHEET S4: LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
1
2: Getting the following information will help to assess the extent of community involvement in local decision-making.
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Sub-section 1: Local Government Structure & Access
•
County Council
Q1
Councils:
a. What councils are there in the area?
Identify County, District or Borough, Town and Parish Councils
b. What services do they cover (for example, planning,
payments, environmental health, social services, youth,
school)?
•
•
•
•
Town, Parish,
District/Borough
and County
Councils
Individual
councillors
District Council
LSP
Q2
Council access:
a. How can local residents access these Councils?
b. Where are the Councils' offices?
c. Where are Council information points located (for
example, the library or town hall)?
d. Where and when do councillors hold local surgeries?
Q3
Is there a Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) for the County and/or
District (or for the unitary authority area)? If so:
a. Who are the co-coordinators of the LSP(s)?
b. What agencies are involved?
c. Which of these agencies have a presence locally?
d. What thematic or local sub-groups do the LSP(s) have,
and who chairs and administers them?
Gosport Borough Council
Fareham Borough Council
Hampshire County Council
b. All full range of services are provided
a. Offices in Gosport easily accessible in person or
by telephone or website
b. Gosport
c. Library and Lee High Street
d. Formal surgery at Conservative Club on 3rd
Monday of month at 7-8pm. Informal surgery at
British Legion Friday 5-6pm. Informal surgery at
Lee Community Centre 1-1 at 6-7pm
(a) Johanna Hamilton is e coordinator for Gosport LSP. Joanne
White and Rob Ormerod at HCC coordinate the county LSP
(b) There are 13 main agencies on the Board of the LSP - HCC,
GBC, Fareham & Gosport PCT, Police, MOD, St Vincent's
College, Gosport Voluntary Action, Groundwork Solent,
Churches Together, Gosport
Community Association, Portsmouth Housing Association,
SEEDA, GOSE. There are also many others involved in the
2
e. What local issues are being addressed by the LSP(s)?
(Worksheets EN2 Q11; EN3 Q1; EC2 Q5; EC3 Q19 also refer to
community involvement)
subgroups, members list available.
All have a presence in Gosport not sure about Lee specifically
(d) There are seven subgroups Community Safety - chaired by David Miles (Director, Gosport
Voluntary Action) Fareham & Gosport Sports & Physical Activity
Alliance (FGSPAA) (Looking for Chair, currently done on rotating
basis amongst members)
Gosport Community Learning Forum (GCLF)- chaired by Lynn
Lee (Principal, St Vincents College)
Gosport Regeneration Action Forum (GRAF) - chaired by David
Miles (Director, Gosport Voluntary Action)
Healthy Alliance - chaired by Jo King (Hants Ambulance Trust)
Transport - not meeting at the moment, group needs to be revived
Children & Young People - in process of being set up If you need
any info about any of the subgroups please let me know and I'll
sort
this out for you.
e. Local issues being addressed by the LSP are in the current
community strategy (on weblink below). This is being refreshed so
is real opportunity for any issues particular to Lee to be included in
the new
strategy.
3
Starting points for
information
• Community
Strategy
Q4
Community Strategy:
a. What does the Community Strategy specifically say about
the town or local parishes?
b. Where is your area mentioned by name?
c. Where are your local issues mentioned?
d. How well have your needs and aspirations been taken
into account?
e. What commitments in the Community Strategy of both the
District and County Councils, or unitary authority, may
have an impact on your town and surrounding
countryside?
f. When they are planned to take effect?
Answers and notes
a. The Community Strategy sets out the scene for Gosport in
‘This is Gosport’ on pages 7 and 8. Specifically it
mentions the challenges of the decline of MoD influence,
release of land, residents seeking work outside the
borough and related transport problems, isolated pockets
of social deprivation and low education achievement,
older housing and many people on state benefits.
b. Lee on Solent is mentioned on page 7 and page 45 of the
main community strategy document for its beaches and
high quality bathing water
c. Local issues are mentioned throughout the strategy –
these are Health & Wellbeing, Community Safety,
Transport, Economy & Employment, Education &
Training, Environment, Housing and Leisure, Recreation,
Culture & Tourism.
d. The eight main issues of the strategy are based on the
needs and aspirations developed by local people via a
number of community consultations – see page 10 of the
strategy.
e. Commitments of the Gosport district community strategy
are outlined in the community strategy action plan 20032004. The list of commitments are:
• Ensure that all health services are easily accessible to
everyone
• Keep vulnerable people safe and independent
• Promote good health
• Improve the accessibility and visibility of the Police
within the community
• Develop more effective actions to reduce drug abuse,
supply and addiction
• Continue to focus on activities to reduce youth crime
4
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improve public transport
Promote a transport system that allows everyone to
access the services they need
Make better use of existing transport network
Make Gosport attractive to new employers, investors
and visitors
Support, develop or regenerate local communities
and neighborhoods
Encourage the development of local skills and
opportunities
Ensure that those who want to learn are provided with
opportunity and support
Ensure that children and young people can reach
their personal potential Change negative attitudes to
education by promoting family learning
Keep Gosport clean
Improve open spaces and natural habitats of the
borough
Limit development outside existing built up areas
Make efficient use of existing housing stock and
buildings to maxmise reasources
Involve tenants in maintaining the quality of their
homes
Balance housing growth with employment and
regeneration
Provide quality facilities at a price the community
afford
Protect and enhance the borough’s open spaces
Ensure that opportunities for involvement in activities
are available for all
5
Please see an update of progress on
http://www.gosport.gov.uk/sections/community/community
-strategy
The Hampshire Community Strategy is different from the
district community strategy as it addresses issues that
need a strategic and cross-cutting approach and will aim
to give additional support to local priorities. The
commitments are divided into four categories:
• Strong and safe communities where –
There are few inequalities and less deprivation
People feel safe
Young people play an active part in society and
are valued
All communities are included and are actively
involved in local decision making
Everybody has access to quality local
environments
• Health & Wellbeing by –
Providing equal access to services for everybody
Caring for our ageing population
Reducing accidents, coronary heart disease,
acohol and drug abuse
Giving people a good start in life
Promoting healthy lifestyles and a good work/life
balance
Providing opportunities for culture and leisure for
everybody
• Economic Prosperity and Lifelong Learning by
Securing the long-term competitive position of the
Hampshire economy
Providing sufficient employment, land and
premises to meet business needs in a sustainable
way
6
•
•
•
District and
County Councils
LSP
Q5
Future action plans:
a. How do the LSP or local authorities intend to ‘bridge the
Providing adequate skills and training for
recruitment and retention of staff to meet
Hampshire’s economic needs
Addressing the learning needs of the people of
Hampshire
Supporting the different needs of local employers,
in different urban, suburban, rural or geographic
contexts
Supporting and recognizing the contribution that
unpaid workers and volunteers make in the
community
Environment, Infrastructure & Transport by –
Promoting sustainable development and
encouraging people and businesses to take
responsibility got recycling, minimizing waste and
maximizing sustainable use of Hampshire’s
natural resources
Addressing mobility and accessibility issues
Providing affordable and appropriate housing and
the insfrastrucure needed to support population
growth
Addressing the needs of both the urban and rural
communities
Gosport’s Community Strategy actions are designed to
take effect between 2004-2006. A new sustainable
community strategy is being drafted with new government
guidelines for 2007 onwards and should be available by
the end of 2006. Hampshire’s Community Strategy runs
for 2004 – 2007.
a. The LSP/Local authority would intend to bridge the gap by
ensuring that your action plan is taken into account when drafting
the new Sustainable Community Strategy this year and that both
7
gap’ between the Community Strategy and your future
action plan?
b. What protocols, guides, discussion forums or templates
are there for drawing together research and actions?
c. How would the local authority or LSP like you to liaise with
them during preparation of your action plan and
afterwards?
compliment the other.
b. You can see the community strategy and action plan on
http://www.gosport.gov.uk/sections/community/communitystrategy
c. Please liase via Jo Hamilton, LSP Coordinator –
[email protected], 01329 229473. It would be
useful if you could provide Jo as soon as possible with a
timeframe of when your action plan will be ready so that she can
ensure any issues earmarked in the action plan are reflected in
the new community strategy.
8
Sub-section 2: Community Involvement
Starting points for
information
• District/Borough
Council's
Electoral
Services Unit
•
County, District,
Town & Parish
Councils
Q6
These questions will help assess how thriving democracy is:
a. What was the turnout in the last General Election?
b. How does this compare with the 2001 national average of
59%?1
c. What was the turnout at the last District/Borough election?
d. How does this compare with the 2003 national average for
Shire Districts of 35%?2
e. How many seats were contested at the last Parish/Town
Council election?
f. Has the local Town or Parish council been awarded
Quality Parish status?
This recognises councils that have a full electoral mandate and a
high standard of management by qualified staff.
Q7
Local community representation:
a. What representation does the local community have on
partnership and council committees or sub-committees?
b. How many representatives are there?
c. How active are they?
d. Which committees or sub-committees do they sit on?
e. Which groups of the community do they represent?
Answers and notes
See attached sheets for 2004 elections
a. Regulatory Board (Planning). Alver Valley Steering Group
b. 4 borough & 1 county Councillor
c.. Active
d. Lee East & Lee West
9
Starting points for
information
• Local Community
groups
•
•
•
County Council
District Council
Local Housing
Association
•
District
Council
Q8
Community influence:
What mechanisms do community groups have to influence
developing policies or strategies?
Look, for example, at what influence they have in preparing
Village Design Statements, Supplementary Planning Guidance, or
delivering local services.
Q9
Are there any active neighbourhood forums, residents’ or tenants’
associations?
Q 10
Involvement in community development:
a. What opportunities have local people had to experience
being actively involved in community development?
b. What community consultation programmes have been run
in the last year?
government services. Worksheets EN2 Q11; EN3 Q1; EC2 Q5;
EC3 Q19 also refer to community involvement))
Answers and notes
Lee Residents Association helped draft original BE1 Seafront
Policy Local Plan
Ongoing development within Lee
Local groups & steering groups
Partnership LRSA & Lee Business High Street Regeneration
Council Tenant Association
Lee Residents Association
Online community Forum www.leeonsolent.co.uk operated out of
Cherque Farm
Community Association
Neighbourhood Watch
John Gay Sea thrift
PCT and consultation
Church Councils
a & b. Sustainable Suburbs/Civic Trust
South east Plan
Local Plan
Recycling programme
Daedalus regeneration/SEEDA
Jey skis/water safety Harbourmaster/GBC
PTA, school governors
10
Starting points for
information
• Rural Community
Council
Answers and notes
Q 11
What support is there to help develop community involvement or
co-ordinate building capacity in the community?
Sarah Snowden, Market Town facilitator
Anne Harrison, market Town Co-ordinator
Is there, for example, a dedicated local authority or rural
community council officer?
11
tickboxes in this table to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the level of community involvement in local decision-making. Also flag up where there are
Opportunities to improve things or where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the
Healthcheck Report.
How easily can local people gain access to local government
officials or members?
How well is the community represented in, or consulted by,
local government?
How well are local issues fully considered in local strategies
and community planning?
How active and influential is the community in local decisionmaking?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Very easily, writing, website, email, telephone, all levels of
communication
Well represented
Well looked after by Lee residents Association, Lee Business
Association. Counciloors will attend any local meeting they
are invited to
Active and influential
12
Need
more info
Threat
Opportuni
ty
Weaknes
s
Conclusion
Strength
you have gathered.
It's a Fact
How well is the community encouraged and supported to
become involved in decision-making/development issues?
•
•
•
Very much so
13
WORKSHEET S5: SPORT, LEISURE AND OPEN SPACE
Task: to find out basic information about the use and quality of sport and leisure facilities in both the town and the surrounding countryside
Access to sport, leisure and open space facilities contributes to a healthy community. In order to assess what is already available and what residents would
like to see you can:
•
•
•
Undertake a survey of people who use existing facilities
Carry out an open space character assessment
Ask local people what they think about the range and quality of existing provision through an attitude survey
Sport and leisure clubs will be an important source of information. Local schools, youth groups or the Groundwork Trust, for example, might be interested in
helping with surveys of what people like/dislike about an area of open space. Guidance on undertaking an open space character assessment is given in the
Data Sources and Survey Methods Directory.
1
2: Getting the following information will help you to assess the quality and use of sport and leisure facilities in your area.
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Sub-section 1: Sport & Leisure Facilities
•
•
•
Local sports
groups
User surveys
User attitude
surveys
Q1
Sports and leisure facilities:
a. Where are local sports and leisure facilities located?
b. Are they in good condition?
c. How well used are these facilities?
d. How affordable are these facilities for local residents?
(Worksheets EN3 Q6,7; EC7 Q13, T3 Q17 also refer to recreation
& leisure)
•
•
Local sports
groups
Library
Q2
Shared facilities:
a. Which local school/college facilities are open for public
use?
b. Which are available inside or outside school hours/term
time?
GBC lists all groups on it’s website
a. Public recreation ground- football, cricket, 2 hard tennis
courts. An excellent local tennis, squash and fitness club
(not cheap), bowls club, sailing club and angling club. Lee
Community Centre bar, Conservative Club bar, Working
Mens’ Club bar & British Legion. Just outside Lee on
Daedalus is the Portsmouth Naval Gliding Club, the second
most active in the UK
b. Satisfactory
c. Most are used well in accordance to sporting years
d. As usage is high, it is assumed they are affordable
Local primary school hall in term time
A : Both replies have been provided by Nigel Draycott, Arts
Development
Officer who is based at St Vincent College :- 'It's disappointing not
to see the arts mentioned in terms of community development.
Carnival
is proving very popular in re-energising other communities around
Gosport yet there isn't one mention of the role that the arts can
play
in regeneration'.
B : In terms of schools and after-hour clubs, etc, then Maria
Calway-Kennedy, Senior Youth Worker in Gosport, is assisting on
the
Extended Schools Programme and knows which officers at HCC
are similarly involved.
Recreational fields are used in school holidays for play
schemes
2
Starting points for
information
• Local sports ad
leisure facilities
• Clubs and
groups
•
Q4
Where can residents pursue outdoor sporting activities (for
example, walking, horse riding, hire bikes, and rock climbing) or
use outdoor activity centres?
•
•
•
•
•
Survey local
knowledge
Local Tourist
Board
Yellow pages
County Council
(ask for
information on
Rights of Way)
Local sports
groups
Local survey
Answers and notes
Q3
Use of facilities:
a. What proportion of the eligible population belongs to a
sport or leisure club?
b. How do membership numbers of sports groups compare
with the area's total population in appropriate age groups?
(Worksheet EN3 Q6 also refers to open space)
Q5
Unmet needs:
a. In which locations are demands for specific sports or
leisure facilities not met?
b. Why are these needs not met?
c. How many people have to travel outside the town to take
part in certain sports
d. Which sports are they?
Use of Facilities
Unable to get information to answer this
See support document provided by GBC Recreation department
on open spaces
Walking on coastal path. Alver Valley. Horse stables. Bike hire on
sea front.
Local Sailing Club hold open dinghy meets
Golf club & local football leagues, outdoor bowls
Many feel the Lee on Solent needs a fitness gym, nearest public
facilities are Gosport or Fareham
a. Swimming, no local pool
c. Numbers are not known- have to travel to Gosport for skating
3
Sub-section 2: Open Spaces
Starting points for
information
• Local user
surveys
• Local plan
proposal maps
• Parish, District &
County Councils
• Tourist
Information
Answers and notes
Q6
Open space:
a. Where are there areas of open space?
b. What facilities do they contain? For example, do they
have safe play areas and toilets?
c. What activities do they allow? For example, do they allow
specific sports only, leisure only, or a mixture?
d. How well are these open areas/facilities used?
e. Which areas or facilities are the most popular?
f. What do people find most attractive about these areas?
g. Which areas of open space need, and get, continued
maintenance or protection?
h. Which areas of open space suffer from poor maintenance,
litter, graffiti or vandalism?
a. Cliff tops, Browndown, Alver Valley, recreation ground, part of
the golf course & coastal areas. Beach and promenade.
The beach and Solent are used for fishing, but the angling club is
not very active.
The sailing club is well used and the Solent is one of the world’s
prime yachting areas.
See also EN1 & EN2
Include village greens, recreation grounds, parks, country parks,
historic parks, common land and local nature reserves
•
District Council
(ask about
formally
designated open
space)
•
Local plan
proposal
maps
(Worksheets EN1; EN2 also refer to environmental features)
Q7
How well does the provision of open space meet the National
Playing Fields Association Standard of 2.4 hectares per 1000
population?
Q8
Which, if any, residential areas are over 400 metres away from an
area of open space?
Access to cliff tops, Browndown, Alver Valley & recreation ground
17-18 hectares of open space to a population of 7,000.
Well provisioned, exceeds the national average as recreation can
also take place on part of golf course, coastal access and offshore
areas.
None
(Worksheets EN1; EN2;EN3; EC6 Q1; EC7 Q18 also refer to the
built environment)
4
Starting points for
information
• Town or Parish
Council
• National
Association of
Allotments and
Leisure
Gardeners
Answers and notes
Q9
Allotments and settlements:
a. Where is space allocated for allotments in the town, and
in the surrounding countryside?
b. What is the take up/length of waiting list for them?
c. How many are under-used?
d. Is there a local allotment forum or similar body?
a. Adjacent to Daedalus: 102 plots of 5 and 10 rods
b. 41 on waiting list
c. None allocated
d. Warden
•
•
•
Q 10
District Council
What are the known threats of loss of open space, parks and
(ask for Local
Plan development allotments, or closure of facilities, due to either development
proposals or reduction in budgets?
proposals)
Current planning
(Worksheets EN1 Q7,14; EN3 Q4; EC6 Q1,8,9; T1 Q3 also refer
applications
to development. Worksheets EC2 Q18; T2 Q11,12; T3 Q16 also
Private sector
sports and leisure refer to local government services)
providers
A question mark over SEEDA development of recreational
facilities on Daedalus.
The progress fof opening up facilities on Alver Valley may be
delayed because of lack of funds
5
tickboxes in this table to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the provision of or access to sports, leisure or open space facilities. Also flag up where there
are Opportunities to improve things or where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the
Healthcheck Report.
How well maintained are these areas and facilities? Where is
additional management or maintenance needed?
•
•
•
•
•
Need
more info
•
Threat
Opportuni
ty
In general yes, but local population perceive there is a need
for a local swimming pool and leisure facilities. People have
also expressed a desire for a marina
Weaknes
s
Are there sufficient sports, leisure and open space facilities to
meet the needs of residents? Where are there any gaps or
shortfalls?
Conclusion
Strength
you have gathered.
It's a Fact
Reasonably maintained, some improvements are essential
Holbrook is tatty and needs to be replaced
Are the facilities accessible and affordable for residents?
Yes
Are any of these facilities or spaces under threat? What plans
are there to ensure that provision is sufficient to meet future
demand?
One open space, previously rugby pitches, could be
developed under a land swap
•
•
•
6
WORKSHEET S6: CULTURE AND HERITAGE
Task: to find out about the breadth of cultural facilities and activities taking place in the town and surrounding countryside
A rich culture and heritage or distinctive historical and cultural links can add to the attractiveness of a town both for residents and visitors. This task will help
you discover how rich and diverse is the cultural life in your town and assist you in determining if more venues, facilities, events, involvement or promotion
would be beneficial. Existing local arts and amenity groups will be an important source of information. Where there are gaps in your information you could:
•
•
Carry out an audit of existing cultural and heritage facilities, and the numbers and types of active community groups
Involve members of the community to undertake an attitude survey to see if current provision and facilities are of good quality and meet the needs of
local people
Your town may already have a town trail or other guide to cultural and heritage locations and events. If you haven't, you might want to consider producing a
map to record your findings. Some of the information you need on community groups could come from Worksheets S4 and S5. Some of the answers to this
worksheet could help you with the Tourism worksheets.
1
2: Getting the following information will help you to identify the range of cultural and heritage facilities, activities and
venues that are available to the community and visitors to the area. It will also help you identify any associations that
give the area distinction.
Starting points for
information
• Local knowledge
• Tourist
Information
• Yellow Pages
• Local website
Answers and notes
Q1
What range of cultural facilities is available?
For example, does the town have a theatre, cinema, art gallery,
museum and library?
(Worksheets EN3 Q6,7; EC7 Q13; T3 Q17 also refer to recreation
& leisure)
•
•
Local knowledge
Tourist
Information
Q2
Local events:
a. What local events have the potential to draw the whole
community together?
b. What types of events are these (for example, fairs,
festivals, and carnivals)?
c. How regular are they?
d. How well attended are they?
e. What opportunities are there to develop such events?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lee Library- local, and town libraries in Fareham &
Gosport
Lee Art Society
Amateur Dramatic Lee Players
Lee Singers
Various Dance Groups
Hovercraft Museum
a. Community spirit- anything that threatens day to day living.
b. Farmers and French Markets twice yearly. Church concerts.
Tennis & Golf competitions. Lee on Solent Fayre.
Bowls/angling/sailing competitions. Summer Fayre at St Faith’s in
late August. Christmas Market. Scouts Fun Day. Civil ServiceWomen’s’ Institute. Red Cross. St John’s Ambulance. LRSA 90.
Lee Horticultural Society, Lee Art Society put on shows every 2
months.
c. Various, some specified above.
d. Well attended.
e. Many opportunities available.
2
Starting points for
information
• Local knowledge
• Town and Parish
Councils
•
•
Local arts groups
Library (see local
directory)
Answers and notes
Q3
Community venues:
a. What community venues are there in the area?
b. Where are the community centres, village halls and other
venues?
c. How does the number and location of available venues in
the town and surrounding villages compare to the
population and number of local community groups?
d. What is the quality of these community venues and their
facilities?
(Worksheets EN3 Q6,7; EC7 Q13; T3 Q17 also refer to recreation
& leisure)
Q4
Arts-based community groups:
a. How many people are involved in arts-based community
groups?
b. What is this figure as a proportion of the local population?
c. What facilities are there to meet the needs of the local arts
groups?
a. Lee Community Centre (Twyford Drive). Methodist Hall. Library
just down from Lee High Street. St Faith’s Church, Victoria Square
(has 2 halls). Junior School. Sailing Club & Court Barn
Conservative Club .
b. See above, all in Lee.
c. Loss of Belle Vue meeting room had an impact- all halls are
booked up for the year well in advance, indicating there is a need
for more community space.
d. Lee Community Centre are applying for lottery funding for
improvement and expansion as there is a need for this, and they
may have a developer contribution., this will add to facilities
available
Successful Art Group.
Pot Shop on Lee High Street provides participation.
Lee Players
Art Shops/Craft Shops
Lee Singers
Writing Group
3
Starting points for
information
• Local knowledge
• Local history
groups
• Tourist
Information
• Library
• Internet
Answers and notes
Q5
Associations and links
a. What strong associations or links does the area have?
b. What locations are involved?
c. How well are these associations promoted?
Look at cultural associations (for example, famous people and
events, literary links, famous products, and local foods), and
historical associations (for example, battles, historic ruins, houses
and parkland).
(Worksheets EN1; EN2 also refer to environmental features and
local distinctiveness)
a. Lee Residents Association, Community Association Group.
Fleet Air Arm- Hovercraft MCA./D Day landings and link to
Daedalus.
Alver Valley & 17th century village
Territorial Army
Breton Farm
Navy training
Phil’s Sausages
Daedalus & MOD links
Firearms at Browndown
Naval Ordinances
b. Lee and hinterland
c. There is room for improvement on promotion
•
•
•
Local religious
organisations
Library
Tourist
Information
Q6
Religious establishments:
a. What religious establishments are active in the
community?
b. Which denominations are served?
c. How well attended are the religious establishments?
d. How do religious establishment groups work with other
groups and the local authorities on social issues?
a & b. Church of England. Roman Catholic. Methodist. Free
Church (Community Church)
c. reasonably
d. St Faiths & Methodist Churches are an integral part of the Lee
community
4
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Q7
Local reportage:
a. What mechanisms does the local community have to
report and comment on local events and issues?
b. Where are they based?
c. Who contributes to them?
d. How effective are they in reaching their intended
audiences?
Is there, for example, a local paper, radio station, TV station, webbased forum, or town website?
a. Local News Neighbourhood reporter.
Lee on Solent Residents Association (LSRA) monthly news
Lee Advertiser- free monthly
Coastline- twice yearly from GBC
Radio Haslar in War Memorial Hospital reports on local news
Solent Coastguard Solent Radio
Lee Horticultural Society Newsletter
Parish magazine- In Touch
Various individual magazines
Serving You- HCC magazine
b. Mostly in Lee, Coastline & The News also cover Gosport
borough and surrounding areas
c. Unknown
d. ‘Serving You’ magazine from HCC has postcode black holes,
including parts of Lee on Solent.
5
tickboxes in this table to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the breadth of culture and heritage facilities and activities. Also flag up where there are
Opportunities to improve things or where there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the
Healthcheck Report.
Are there are sufficient cultural and heritage venues and
facilities to meet the community's needs?
How well do current events and activities reflect the area's
culture, heritage and strong historical or cultural associations?
Have any distinctive or famous links been ignored?
Are members of the community actively engaged in the area's
culture and heritage?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Probably yes, may need to increase these as population is
expanding
•
•
Very well.
Fleet Air Arm history has been lost since closure of Daedalus
Yes, many groups are active and strive to ensure that they
promote what they do
Are the local culture and heritage sufficiently promoted?
Yes- in Lee Advertiser, newsletters, website.
6
Need
more info
Threat
Opportuni
ty
Weaknes
s
Conclusion
Strength
you have gathered.
It's a Fact
WORKSHEET S7: THE COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE
Task: To evaluate whether the information, advice and other civil legal services available to people in your town and its hinterland are appropriate to their
needs.
The sort of issues that might cause people to need legal help include those to do with housing, welfare benefits, debt, and employment. These are common
needs of people all over the country. In some towns there may also be issues about immigration, mental health, health and community care, consumer rights,
and education. You may have identified particular problems with some of these areas elsewhere in your Healthcheck (for example, the number of children
being excluded from school) and should now be thinking more about what help these people might need to address their problems.
Community Legal Service Direct
Community Legal Service Direct is a key part of the Legal Services Commission’s strategy to improve access to justice and to combat social exclusion. It
helps people deal with their legal problems by providing:
•
free information, help and advice on a range of common legal issues
•
assistance and guidance in finding other sources of help
In addition, those people eligible for legal aid can get free telephone advice from a qualified legal adviser about welfare benefits, debt and education.
Many people prefer to use telephone advice, even when face-to-face help is available. Community Legal Service Direct (CLSD) is available via a national
helpline (0845 345 4 345) and a website (www.clsdirect.org.uk). Telephone advice is particularly welcomed by people who have difficulty accessing
traditional legal services, such as those living in remote areas or with reduced mobility. The Internet also is an accessible channel for the delivery of legal
information and help, and the CLSD website is one of the most popular UK-based legal information websites, with around 50,000 visitors a month. When
face-to-face help is more appropriate, CLSD will provide a valuable entry point to this type of service.
For more information about the Community Legal Service you can contact the Regional Planning and Partnership Team in the Legal Services Commission
regional office.
The local Community Legal Service Partnership (CLSP) and their Strategic Plan should be able to help answer some of these questions. The Legal Services
Commission’s regional office can tell you how to get hold of your local CLSP’s Strategic Plan. (Contact details are shown below.)
1
2: Getting the following information will help you assess how effectively community legal services are provided in the
area.
Starting points for
information
Sub-section 1: Strategic Framework for Community Legal Services
Q1
• Local CLSP
What are the particular demographics and the needs of different
Strategic Plan
communities of your town and its hinterland that the CLSP
Strategic Plan takes into consideration?
Answers and notes
•
•
•
Look at groups such as: young people, older people, ethnic
minorities, disabled, etc.
•
Local CLSP
Strategic Plan
Q2
How does the CLSP Strategic Plan take into consideration travel
access issues for people?
•
Q3
What are the priorities in the CLSP Strategic Plan for improving
access to legal services?
Local CLSP
Strategic
Plan
•
•
•
•
•
Provision of solicitor housing contracts.
Employment in Hampshire.
Working with local authority community care services
& legal help at community level
• Working with other agencies to encourage early
resolution of housing problems
• Health
• Crime
• Homelessness
• Financial exclusion
Local CAB office in Fareham & Gosport
Age Concern Gosport
Gosport Borough Council
Gosport Community Action
Local solicitors n Fareham & Gosport
Co-operation with other agencies to avoid litigation.
2
Sub-section 2: Ease of Obtaining Legal Help
Starting points for
information
Q4
How many solicitors are there in your town, and how many of
them have contracts with the Legal Services Commission?
Answers and notes
1 solicitor- yes.
(Worksheets EC4 Q2,3; EC5; T2 Q12; T3 q!6 also refer to retail
and service sector)
Q5
Civil legal services:
a. Which ‘Not for Profit’ organisations provide civil legal
services in your town and how many have contracts with
the Legal Services Commission?
b. Are the opening times of these services adequate for the
needs of your communities?
a. CAB in Gosport & Fareham. Age Concern in Gosport.
b. Yes.
Examples of organisations that might be providing civil legal
services are the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and Shelter.
Q6
Does the local council(s) have offices where people can access
services in the town?
Yes- in Gosport itself. None in Lee-on-Solent.
3
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
Q7
Where are the Community Legal Service Information Points?
Library in Gosport. Window, solicitors & CAB in Gosport.
These may be in the library or other easy access building. They
should clearly display the Community Legal Service Quality Mark.
(Worksheets EC4 Q2,3; EC5; T2 Q12; T3 Q16 also refer to retail
and service sector)
Q8
Which outlets in the town carry a full range of the Community
Legal Service Information Leaflets on aspects of civil law?
Q9
How are the following national services advertised locally?
• Community Legal Service Direct National Helpline (0845
345 4345)?
• Community Legal Service Direct website
(www.clsdirect.org.uk)?
Q10
Where can people go to get access to the Community Legal
Service Direct National Helpline and Community Legal Service
Direct website?
Solicitors in Lee-on-Solent.
No adverts seen locally- perhaps in the CAB offices.
Library in Lee-on-Solent which provides internet access.
Is there, for example, a library (or other building that is easily
accessible to the community) that provides public access to such
facilities as a public telephone point, internet point, or kiosk?
4
tickboxes in this table to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the provision of community legal services. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to
Are there particular issues or priorities regarding access to
civil legal services by residents of your town and its
hinterland that you think the CLSP has missed?
How easy is it for people to get access to community legal
services and help?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
None identified
Very
Need
more info
Threat
Opportuni
ty
Yes
Weaknes
s
Does the local CLSP Strategic Plan accurately reflect the
need for civil legal service in your town and its hinterland?
Conclusion
Strength
you have gathered.
It's a Fact
5
WORKSHEET T1: TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE LOCAL AREA
Task: to assess patterns of travel to and from the local area by car and by public transport
Local transport authorities have a pivotal role to play in improving accessibility through:
• strategies, policies and programmes;
• schemes and initiatives specially designed to improve accessibility;
• influencing the authority's wider policy areas
• influencing the decisions of external bodies on location and delivery of services
It will be useful to investigate the following when looking at transport issues relating to your town.
Rural Transport Partnerships (RTPOs): a large majority of RTPOs still in operation are funded mainly by Local Authorities.
Accessibility Planning (Department for Transport DfT):
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n=8588&l=2
Accessibility planning promotes social inclusion by helping people from disadvantaged groups or areas access jobs and essential services. It encourages
local authorities and other agencies to systematically assess whether people can get to places of work, healthcare facilities, education, food shops and other
important destinations. It also provides the framework for transport authorities and other agencies to work together to develop and deliver solutions to
accessibility problems that address the needs and priorities of local areas. Solutions might include changes to the location, design and delivery of nontransport services, measures against crime and the fear of crime in and around transport, changes to pupil, patient, social services and public transport and
improvements to walking and cycling networks. Engagement with this process can help towns to connect with points of funding and expertise, as well as
influence Local Authority priorities in their areas.
Local Transport Plans (LTPs):
The LTP system is built round 5-year integrated transport strategies, devised at local level in partnership with the community. Local transport authorities in
England, (outside London), are due to submit Local Transport Plans for 2006/7 to 2010/11 to the Department of Transport in July 2005. More information on
LTPs is provided in the introduction to Worksheet T2: Ease of access to services. The purposes of LTPs are to:
• promote good transport planning
• provide a basis for tracking performance locally
• inform the allocation of LTP capital funding
If there is not enough information available to answer the questions it may be necessary to carry out surveys to collect all the relevant information:
• Travel times by train and bus and frequencies can be obtained from timetables or directly from the service operators
• Travel times by car can be surveyed by undertaking the journey
• Distances can be derived from mapping or as part of the journey time survey
• Location of train and bus station and stops can be obtained by local survey
1
2: Getting the following information will help provide insights into how to might be possible to influence the way people
travel to and from the area.
Starting points for
information
Sub-section 1: Travel by Car
Q1
• The Local
What is the distance and travel time from the town to:
Transport Plan
a. The network of dual carriageway roads
• Local maps
b. The least and most accessible villages
Answers and notes
a. The 3.5 mile journey to Fareham and the M27 can take from
10 minutes to 1 hour by car. Half hour by cycle.
b. Varies, but is not very good
(Worksheets EC1 Q2; EC4 Q14,17; EC7 Q7 also refer to travel)
•
•
•
Travel time
surveys
Local transport
partnership
District Council
and County
Council (Local
Transport Plan
and the Regional
Transport
Strategy)
Q2
What is the distance and average travel time by car to the nearest
neighbouring large town, from:
a. The town itself
b. The most accessible village within the surrounding
countryside
c. The least accessible village within the surrounding
countryside
Q3
Improvements:
a. What improvements are planned for the local/regional
highway network in your Area?
b. What are the proposed timescales?
a. 3.5 miles to Gosport takes 10-15 minutes
b. 10 minutes to Stubbington & Alverstoke
c. N/A
a. Allegedly, there is a plan to link Broom Way with Titchfield and
the A27 to a new J9A on M27
b. 10 years?
(Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,16 S7 Q2 also refer to transport
access. Worksheets EN1 Q7,14, EC6 Q 1,8,9; S2; S5 Q10 also
refer to development)
2
Sub-section 2: Travel by public transport
Starting points for
information
Q4
• Local Transport
Public transport:
Plan
a. Which of these are in the town centre?
• Undertaking a
• The main bus station
Survey
• The main concentration of bus termini
• Local maps
• The railway station
• Coach and train
b. If not in the centre of town, how long does it take to get to
timetables
the town centre from these places?
• Local Transport
c. How far apart are the train station and the bus termini?
Plan
d. With which train services do the buses connect, and what
are the waiting times?
Find out if there are any planned improvements which would help
this interchange.
•
•
•
Local maps
Local knowledge
Local survey
(Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,15; S3 Q1,4 also refer to public
transport)
Q5
a. How far is it and how long does it take to get from the train
station to the town centre by:
• foot
• bicycle
• taxi
• bus
b. Is the walking/cycling route attractive and safe?
(Worksheets EN1 Q10; EN3 Q7; EC7 Q13,14 also refer to
pedestrian access. Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,16; S7 Q2 refer
to transport access)
Answers and notes
Bus stop (4 routes) in High Street
No rail link
72 bus Gosport-Southampton
Nearest station Fareham or Portsmouth harbour (frequent ferry
crossings)
2 per hour to London-fast. 1-stopping
34 bus 2 hour peak 1 hour off peak
e.g. Lee 0632-0655 (ferry) 0735-0845 London
36- Asda- Fareham
87A Lee-Gosport
a.
♦
♦
♦
♦
1 hour Fareham & Portsmouth
20 minutes (not very safe) 40 minutes
15 minutes to 30 minutes
25 minutes Fareham
To Fareham Station- Nyes
b. Gosport-Portsmouth, yes
Lee-Fareham- dangerous
3
Starting points for
information
• Rail operators
(National Rail
has a website)
•
National coach
operators
Answers and notes
Q6
Rail services:
aa. Fair from Fareham. Good to Portsmouth harbour
a. What is the frequency of rail services?
b. Are times convenient for people using the trains to get to
b. Yes, but require careful planning
work?
c. Are there closed railway lines?
c. Yes
d. Are there plans to re-open any closed railway lines?
d. . Yes- a plan exists for an LRT to link Fareham, Gosport and
Look at the frequency of services to neighbouring market towns PPortsmouth (via tunnel)
with a rail station and to the closest large town or city. Are there
neighbouring towns or cities without a rail connection?
(Worksheets EC1 Q2; EC4 Q14,17; EC7 Q7 also refer to travel)
Q7
Coach services:
a. What is the number of national coach services per day?
b. What are their destinations and departure points?
a. Only from Portsmouth harbour to all major centres & link at
Fareham
b. Variety, but all involve changes and travel to hospital is lengthy
•
Rail, coach
and bus
operators
Q8
What is the frequency of service and travel time from the town and
from villages in the surrounding countryside to the nearest large
town or city by:
• bus
• coach
• train
Frequent bus services to Gosport and Portsmouth, Fareham &
Southampton.
Only direct service is from Lee to Gosport
Look at whether there are connecting local bus services from the
villages. If there are waiting times between changing services
include these within the overall journey times
Note where it is not possible to make this journey by public
transport at all.
4
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the transport infrastructure and how people use it. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things or
How easy is it to change between train and coach and/or bus
services?
Are waiting times for bus/train connecting services
acceptable?
Need
more info
No
Threat
Are there definable user-groups or usage patterns for carusers and for the different public transport services?
•
Opportuni
ty
Predominant travel means
Weaknes
s
To what extent is the car the predominant form of transport to
and from the area?
Conclusion
Strength
you have gathered.
It's a Fact
•
•
•
Impossible or very difficult
•
•
•
•
No
5
•
Do public transport services meet local needs?
•
•
No only in a limited way
What plans are there to improve the highway network or
public transport services?
Long term plans for Stubbington bypass to M27, but not sure
if will go ahead
•
Are there key routes for travel to and from the area?
Yes- via bottleneck at Fareham. Direct route to Gosport and
to Fareham via bottlenecks.
•
•
•
•
Travel difficulties mentioned recently in Hampshire Life
publication
6
WORKSHEET T2: EASE OF ACCESS TO SERVICES
Task: to identify how easy it is for people to get around the area
These questions help assess how easy it is to access services, mainly by public transport. The location of key services will have been identified through
other worksheets, in particular retail and town centre services, training and education, health and public safety and culture and heritage. Note that:
• Travel times by car can be surveyed by undertaking the journey
• Distances can be derived from mapping or as part of the journey times survey.
Local Transport Plans (LTPs):
The LTP system is built round 5-year integrated transport strategies, devised at local level in partnership with the community. Local transport authorities in
England, (outside London), are due to submit their next Local Transport Plans for 2006/7 to 2010/11 to the Department of Transport in July 2005. The
purposes of LTPs are to:
promote good transport planning
provide a basis for tracking performance locally
inform the allocation of LTP capital funding
Guidance on preparing LTPs has been issued to Local Authorities. This includes a new requirement for accessibility strategies, including local targets for
accessibility improvements. These strategies should be underpinned by accessibility assessments. Authorities should submit an accessibility strategy in their
2005 LTP submission, but will be allowed to refine these strategies until the end of November 2005.
The quality of accessibility strategies in LTPs will be one of the factors taken into account in allocating LTP integrated transport block funding.
The healthcheck process could help to inform the LTP, as accessibility strategies are designed to be set in the context of the wider vision and objectives for
an area, as for example set out in a community strategy or Market Town action plan.
If there is not enough information available to answer the questions there are survey techniques that can be used: guidance on undertaking local transport
surveys is given in Data Sources and Survey Methods.
1
2: Getting the following information will help to show how easy or difficult it is to use public transport to get to key
services in the area.
Starting points for
information
Sub-section 1: Timetabling and accessibility of public transport
Q1
• Rural Transport
Information points:
Partnership
Where are the public transport information points?
• Bus and train
What is the quality of the information offered?
operators
• County Council
Ask, for example, if there are there multi-mode timetables at bus
transport
stops and rail stations, and if special services (such as Dial-Adepartment
Ride) are widely advertised or actively promoted?
•
•
Bus and train
timetables
District council
•
Local bus
operators
transport)
Q2
Are bus and train times from outlying villages to the town
convenient for getting to and from work and school?
Answers and notes
Timetables in bus stops on high Street/Sea Front
Computer terminal in High Street nearby
No bus service 1-1 Lee and 9pm from college at St Vincent.
No direct bus service Lee-Holbrook
Haslar hospital
Compile a table showing bus and train times during the day. Note
when first and last services of the day are.
Direct bus Lee-Gosport War Memorial Hospital & Bay House
(Worksheets EC1 Q2; EC4 Q14,17; EC7 Q7 also refer to travel.
Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,15; S3 Q1,4 also refer to public
transport)
Q3
What times are the last Friday and Saturday night bus services
from the town to villages in the surrounding countryside?
9.40pm in week from Fareham to Lee
10pm from Gosport to Lee
2
Starting points for
information
• County Council
• Bus operators
• Rural Transport
Partnerships
Answers and notes
Q4
What special public and private transport services* are there for
people who are less able?
Most buses are easy access, all buses SHOULD have disabled
access
(Worksheets EC7 Q8; S3 Q7,9; S3 Q5 also refer to disability
issues)
*For example, bus, taxi, or alternative community or voluntary
transport.
•
•
District council
(ask for Access
Officers)
Specific surveys
Q5
Where are the less able (for example, people who use a
wheelchair or walking aid) disadvantaged in using public
transport?
Taxis well used on Pier Street
Many volunteer hospital cars.
Only very few buses have wheelchair access
Charity and voluntary services seem to provide most of the
wheelchair access services
Compare public transport routes that have accessible buses/trains
with the total number of routes.
•
•
•
Route maps from
the bus
operators
Measuring the
distance directly
from a map
Quick ‘on the
ground’ surveys
issues)
Q6
What are the walking distances from the main bus set down/pick
up places to the focal point of the town centre?
Yards only
pedestrian access)
3
Starting points for
information
•
Q7
How does travelling from the villages to the town by car compare
to using public transport for going to the:
• hospital
• secondary school
• job centre
• supermarket
• library
• leisure/sports centre
• cinema
Pick three rural settlements that have poor, adequate and good
public transport links.
•
•
•
Local survey of
the location of
facilities
Bus and train
timetables
Route maps
Surveys of travel
times
Answers and notes
For each of these describe the journeys in terms of:
• journey time (including waiting times for public transport)
• directness of service or number of changes
• number of different types of transport used
• timetabling difficulties (for example. when the journey can
not be made by public transport)
• car parking at the destination
(Worksheets EC1 Q2; EC4 Q14,17; EC7 Q7 also refer to travel.
Worksheets EN1 Q9; EC7 Q7,15; S3 Q1,4 also refer to public
transport)
QA & St Mary’s hospitals not easy by bus/ferry (via Fareham 1
hour 45 minutes)
Secondary School, job centre, supermarket & library all easy
access by either transport form
Leisure/sport/cinema more difficult
It seems the elderly do have problems
Let’s face it, public transport cannot beat your own car. It’s part of
going to work and a job helps run a car, which once interested in,
one uses.
As car population has increased, parking is more of a problem, as
is road space
Traffic congestion at peak times increases public transportation as
planned connections are missed. Parking at hospitals is very
restrictive and expensive
4
Starting points for
information
Answers and notes
•
Q8
What are the planned changes to rural public transport services
that will improve services where the demand exists?
Do not know yet how bus companies will use Cherque Way
•
Local Transport
Plan
Bus and train
operators
Compare any planned changes such as new routes/discontinued
routes or increased/decreased frequencies.
Sub-section 2: Alternatives to private cars and public transport
Q9
• County Council
What car clubs or travel share schemes are there?
• Bus operators
• Rural Transport
Partnerships
•
•
•
Tourist
information
Town web site
Library
Q 10
Are there safe, off-road cycle routes between the town and
villages?
Voluntary hospital car service
Not sufficient.
More improvements needed to Fareham especially Newgate Lane
Internet (search for
all the public service
providers, eg, local
health trust,
education authority,
district council)
Q 11
Which public services are available on-line and where can they be
accessed?
Starting points for
information
• Library
• Local council
1 in High Street (Gosport Borough Council C)
4 in Lee library
(Worksheets EC2 Q18; S2 Q5; S4; S5 Q10; S7 Q6 also refer to
local government services)
Answers and notes
Q 12. What mobile services are available in the villages?
Not applicable
Look, for example, at local fruit and vegetable delivery box
schemes, mobile shop(s), libraries, and meals on wheels services.
5
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in the ways people can travel around the area. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things or where
there might be Threats in the future. The conclusions give the basis for a summary that can go forward to the Healthcheck Report.
•
•
•
•
•
School- yes
Work-no
•
Yes- late night and at weekends
Is public transport accessible to the less able?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Generally yes, but limited to lower deck. All taxis are for
disabled people
Is information on public transport easy to obtain?
Yes- displayed at timetables on bust stops & on the web
Do public transport services, including special services such
as Dial-A-Ride, need to be more widely advertised or more
actively promoted?
Is there a need to relocate bus stops to bring them closer to
the town centre?
Need
more info
•
Threat
Strength
Opportuni
ty
Where are the gaps in the rural transport services where
demand exists?
Conclusion
Weaknes
s
Are bus and train times from outlying villages to the town
convenient for people going to/from work and school?
you have gathered.
It's a Fact
No
No
6
How easy is it to get to health, education, cultural and retail
services from outlying villages by public transport rather than
by car?
•
•
•
•
•
Health- to main cottage hospital only the other community &
DGHS, are very difficult to access.
No direct transport to 6th form college
•
In which parts of the area is access to services a problem?
•
All of it. Very limited direct bus routes other than town centres
•
How easy it is to access electronic information about public
services rather than having to physically travel to get it?
Yes
Are mobile services able to replace the need for people to
travel?
No
•
•
7
WORKSHEET T3: EASE OF MOVEMENT AROUND THE TOWN
Task: to assess how easy it is for people to move around the town
There may be a need to carry out several surveys to collect all the relevant information, including:
• Traffic and parking counts
• Travel to work and school data
• Assuming barriers to mobility
• A cycle review
Guidance on undertaking these surveys is given in Data Sources and Survey Methods. It may prove useful to map some of the information collected.
2: Getting the following information will help assess how easy it is for people to use different means of transport and
indicate where there may be shortcomings in the transport network and infrastructure
Starting points for
Information you need
information
Sub-section 1: Traffic management
• County Council's Q 1
How many road traffic accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists
transport or
have there been at 'blackspots' in the town?
highways
department
Compare accident rates involving pedestrians and cyclists with
regional and national averages.
Answers and notes
The total number of RTCS in Hampshire between 01/04/2005 and
31/03/2006 is 928. Unfortunately this is all the information I can
give you as we cant break the information down to just
pedestrians involved and/ or cyclists.
(Daniel Walsh, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service)
•
•
•
•
Traffic
Management
Strategy
Local Transport
Plan survey
Local knowledge
Traffic count data
collected by
County and
District Councils
access)
Q2
What traffic management measures are in place?
Improvements to traffic calming in High Street/Pier Street are
planned and underway
Compare these measures to the information collected about traffic
blackspots.
Q3
Where are the seriously congested junctions or parts of the local
road network, and at what times are they at their worst?
Peel Common Roundabout at peak times especially in school
term times
9
Starting points for
information
• Local knowledge
• Traffic counts or
surveys
Answers and notes
Q4
Where are the places where there is conflict between pedestrians
and cars, buses or heavy vehicles?
High Street/Pier Street
Marine Parade (central)
Look, for example, at shopping streets.
•
Local surveys
Q5
Which of the main shopping streets in the town centre are
pedestrianised or with pedestrian priority measures?
None so far.
pedestrian access)
•
Bus operators
Q6
Do traffic management measures prevent buses accessing the
focal points of the town centre such as the main shopping areas?
No.
Look, for example, at one-way systems, traffic calming, and
pedestrianisation.
access)
10
Starting points for
information
• Canvas the
opinions of local
bus operators
• Survey users
Answers and notes
Q7
Do traffic conditions and/or traffic management measures in the
town mean that buses experience delays or unreliability?
Very occasionally
transport)
•
•
Canvas the
opinions of local
bus operators
Survey users
Q8
What makes public transport a less attractive option?
Consider, for example, the walking distance from bus stops to the
main shopping areas, the length of journey due to indirect routes
and/or congestion, and quality of the vehicles.
Your own car is always easier that public transport- no waiting at
stops or walking in bad weather.
Once one invests in a car, it’s there to be used and enjoyed.
Good used cars are so cheap.
transport)
11
Sub-section 2: Car parking
Starting points for
information
Q9
• Car park
Parking:
operators
a. How many short and long-term car park spaces (including
park and ride), coach parks, off street parking and
• Survey
disabled parking spaces are available?
b. Where are they?
c. How well used are they, and does this vary according to
the time/day /season?
d. What restrictions/charges are in place?
Answers and notes
260 short term car spaces near High Street shops (31 disabled)
5 coach spaces (3 in High Street)
Compare the number of free spaces at different times/days
/seasons (e.g. 11.00am on a weekday, market day and Saturday,
and in summer and winter).
•
Car park survey
access)
Q 10
Are the majority of short-term parking places within 400 metres of
the main shopping area?
The easiest method is to set out the 400m area on a map on
which you have marked the car parks.
Sub-section 3: Ease of access
Q 11
• Test in person
Using signposts only, both as a pedestrian and as a car user, how
• Survey visitors
easy is to find the way from key locations such as the short-stay
• Visitor Surveys
conducted by the car park, train station and bus station to the:
• main shopping street
local Tourist
• library
Board
• tourist information centre
Yes.
♦
♦
♦
Easy
More difficult
Computer terminal in High Street- office located in Gosport
12
Starting points for
information
• Local survey
• Local maps
Answers and notes
Q 12
Are the majority of disabled parking places within 250 metres of
the main focal points of the town centre such as the main
shopping area?
Yes, but only 16 in total
Consider if the routes between parking spaces and focal points
easy to access; for example, do they have steep or high curbs?
It is probably easiest to identify and plot the area with a 250m
radius on a map.
•
•
Disability or
Access Officer of
the district
council
Internet search
•
Local survey
issues)
Q 13
Where is the shop mobility scheme, when is it open and how
many motorised wheelchairs does it have?
Q 14
Do the majority of pedestrian crossings have tactile markings and
audible warnings such as pelican crossings?
No
Only 2 pedestrian crossings
pedestrian access)
13
•
Local survey
Q 15
Are the pavements in good condition and are there dropped kerbs
at crossing points?
Yes, and more to come
14
Starting points for
information
• District or county
council disability
or access officer
• Local survey
Answers and notes
Q 16
Which public buildings and shops have disabled access?
Most, except the Sailing Club
issues. Worksheets EC4 Q2,3; EC5; S7 also refer to retail and
service sector)
Sub-section 4: Cycling and walking
Q 17
• County Council
Where are the main foot and cycle paths within the town?
• Local Transport
Plan
Identify the paths available for use by both pedestrians and
cyclists, including family groups and the less able-bodied.
Existing cycle ways- Portsmouth Road to Browndown
Also Twyford Drive to Elmore Avenue
To come- alongside Cherque Way and along the sea front (Solent
way is much behind)
(Worksheets EN3 Q6,7; EC7 Q13; S5; S6 also refer to leisure and
recreation. Worksheets EN1 Q10; EN3 Q7; EC7 Q13,14 also refer
to pedestrian access)
Footways from rec. to Twyford Drive
Some minor “Twittens”
15
•
•
•
•
Tourist
Information
County council
Library
Local survey
Q 18
Are there dedicated/segregated cycle routes linking residential
areas to the town centre and to local schools?
Yes- Cherque Way is to connect with Portsmouth Road and
thence to Browndown and Bayside School (via Kingfisher Park)
but how is central Lee to be linked with Cherque Way for cyclists?
Choose two or three residential areas within 2 miles and describe
the route to the town centre and to schools in terms of the:
• length of journey on dedicated/segregated cycle route
• length of journey on quiet residential roads
• length of journey on major roads
• number of main roads crossed and presence of any
dedicated crossing points
•
where the route is well-lit
(Worksheets EC1 Q6,7; EC3; EC4; S1 Q3 also refer to children
and young people)
16
Starting points for
information
• Local survey
Answers and notes
Q19
Is it easy for people to walk to/from school?
Yes.
Choose two or three residential areas within a mile of both a
primary and secondary school and describe the route in terms of:
• route length and how long it takes
• number of main roads crossed and presence of any
dedicated crossing points and/or assistance available
• where the route is unlit
About 2 miles- 15 mins- to Bays House. 3 or 4 main roads to
cross.
Special crossing points?
(Worksheets EC1 Q6,7; EC3; EC4; S1 Q3 also refer to children
and young people. Worksheets EC1 Q6,7; EC3; EC4; S1 Q3 also
refer to children and young people).
•
Local survey
Q 20
What secure cycle parking is there at convenient locations
throughout the town?
Some cycle hoops in High Street, library & surgery
Look, for example, at the railway station, in the main shopping
areas, at the bus station, and at schools.
17
3: This part is called a SWOT analysis, where you identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Once you have the information, use the table
to show the Strengths and Weaknesses in transport and travel arrangements in the town. Also flag up where there are Opportunities to improve things or
What plans are there to resolve traffic 'hot spots'?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Monitored by police & TROs introduced
Are there accident ‘black spots’ where there is a need to
introduce safety measures to protect pedestrians and
cyclists?
No
Are there any opportunities to increase bus access and
circulation in the town centre?
Yes—new service to Cherque farm estate
Are there opportunities to extend pedestrian prioritisation in
the shopping areas?
None identified, some are in hand
Is it easy for people, including those with disabilities, to find
their way around town?
Very
•
•
18
Need
more info
Threat
Opportuni
ty
Weaknes
s
Conclusion
Strength
you have gathered.
It's a Fact
How could the network of footpaths and cycle routes be
improved for all sectors of the community?
Do the cycle paths and footpaths connect places that people
wish to go to?
In what ways could dedicated/segregated cycle routes and
footpaths linking residential areas to the town centre and to
local schools be improved?
•
•
Some improvement
•
•
No cycle paths in village.
Footpaths & backways are good
•
•
Cycle path down to Broom Way, Marine Parade and up to
Newgate Lane
19

Vision4Lee - Hampshire County Council

Transcription

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