Dear Morgan,
Thank you on behalf of Chidham Parish Council for your informative and insightful feelings covered in your E-Mail, over the lack of a 'Space to Play' within our Parish.
It will probably give you some comfort to know that we as Parish Councillors are acutely aware of 'this' need and have been working to try to achieve a strategy and action plan to correct this.
Perhaps I can give you some background firstly, which will provide where we are as your elected community representatives, on this matter.
Flatt Road is not part of Chidham Parish Council but sits within Southbourne Parish, however that has not stopped us from investigating a way forward. Historically Chidham Parish Council is aware that a scheme was put forward to provide a playing area to the West of Flatt Road within the Parish of Southbourne. This emanated from a kind offer from one of the local landowners to make an area of land available for this purpose. However, it now seems that there may have been difficulties and it is possible that this scheme may not be progressed.
This illustrates one of many difficulties that arise when looking at provision for a play area; namely support from local residents affected by its possible creation; and the availability of suitable land, (area and position within the Parish).
Turning now to what Chidham Parish has been actively looking at over the last year or so. As you know we initiated a formal assessment of parishioners views as part of the Chidham Parish Plan process, and this has been formulated into the designated Chidham Parish Plan. A copy of which was published in 2005 and delivered to all households within the parish.
A key action point within this Chidham Parish Plan, is the provision of a New Village Centre and the provision of a recreation ground suitable for play. In March 2006, a Village Centre Working Group was formed who will report back to the Chidham Parish Council. The aim of this group is to provide a strategy by which the New Village Centre for Chidham and Hambrook and a recreation ground either separate or alongside a New Village Centre can be delivered.
The challenges faced by this Village Centre Working Group, should not be underestimated. The group needs to identify a suitable site within the Parish to allow the building of a new Village Centre. To have the additional recreation ground as part of this development requires a minimum of roughly 4 acres of land. The group needs the support of local landowners to make this a possibility, this challenge runs in parallel to the cost of purchasing this land from the landowners at a affordable price.
The Village Centre Working Group has a great deal of commitment to the delivery of this strategy of a new Village Centre and recreation ground, but it would equally be wrong to raise false hopes to the community given the challenges that are faced. It is the intention of the Working Group to communicate regularly to the Parish what progress has been made on identifying potential sites, what the difficulties are, how financing will be arranged and many other of the necessary and important issues affecting the strategy of providing a New Village Centre and recreation ground.
Finally, the Parish Council is very aware of the issues you raised in your E-Mail and takes such correspondence seriously. It is working in conjunction with the Village Centre Working group to develop a workable strategy for the provision of a New Village Centre and recreational ground.
As you may be aware all the people working both on the Parish Council and on the New Village Centre Working Group are giving their time voluntarily. It is important that we have feedback from the community and we are grateful for you posting your E-Mail to the Chidham Parish Website. Your comments help spur us on and more importantly demonstrate that the need is there.
Yours sincerely
Sandra James
for and on behalf of Chidham Parish Council.