The Parish Plan
Introduction
A Parish Plan contains the hopes and aspirations of a community and the action to be taken to pursue them. It provides direction for elected Parish Councillors and becomes vital supporting evidence in seeking financial and other support from the District Council and other bodies.
Burley Community Council has prepared the Burley–in–Wharfedale and Burley Woodhead aspects of the Parish Plan for Ilkley Parish Council. This is an essential document for the village providing unique opportunity for all residents to have their opinions and wishes included in a plan that will become the working document for the future of Burley.
A comparatively short exercise only was required to collect the outstanding information as the following documents were already available:
- Village Design Statement
- Youth Provision Feasibility Study
- Affordable Housing/Housing Needs Survey
- Village Handbook (10th edition 2005)
- Designated Conservation Area
Residents' wishes on these additional topics were sought through a two-stage consultation process.
Stage 1 was a questionnaire, circulated in October, inviting all residents to make general comments on the village to ensure no issues relevant to the future of Burley were omitted from the detailed stage 2 survey.
The stage 2 survey was launched at a Jamboree held on 15 January 2005 in the Queen's Hall to which all residents were invited and at which the activities of several village organisations were displayed. Visitors were also asked to indicate their priorities by placing 5 stickers per person against listed actions suggested by the Parish Plan sub–group.
In order to ensure a basic coverage of responses to the detailed stage 2 survey a number of residents were randomly selected within defined areas of the village and asked to complete the survey. However the participation of all residents was encouraged by various means, including the local press, on the village website, via the library and at the Community Council Open Forum on 20 January 2005.
The action plan has been prepared using a multitude of sources, of which the 2005 survey is only one. Others include the documents listed above, matters raised at the Neighbourhood Forum meetings over recent years, the views of those attending the Jamboree, and the Business Survey commissioned by the Chamber of Trade in March 2005.
The Parish Plan was finalised in June 2005 and a folded A4 colour summary was distributed to all households. Full copies were available for councillors, local authorities and their relevant constituent departments, and for purchase by citizens.