Contents | 1. Overview | 2. Intro to Marnhull | 3. Actions & Strategy | 4. Residents Views | 5. Data | Summary

Some comments received on returned questionnaires:

“Restriction on further housing developments in the village - infrastructure will not tolerate even more cars”
“We must modernise and move on but still stay a peaceful, green community”
“A diverse, changing community that retains its rural characteristics should be the overall goal”
“In a previous village plan, where we once lived, particular attention was paid to present the character of the village - particularly it's appearance. Marnhull is overwhelmingly built in stone and any development in red brick, for example is out of keeping.”

Marnhull Village Parish Plan Response
Marnhull Statistics & Demographics - 2006

The age ranges of people living in Marnhull showed that in North Dorset we are below average percentage for 0 – 44 year olds (down 14.8%), with 45 – 64 age range being up 4%, and a +10% proportion of over 65 year olds. 25.60% of retired people completed the questionnaire.

More than half the population of Marnhull have lived here for under 15 years, showing that a high amount of new people move to the village. Out of the population that has lived here for over 11 years, 12.3% said they had been born here.

Discovering types of employment from the 384 respondents was difficult as the definitions did not break down clearly with 137 people doing “other” employment, apart from the sections listed :- agriculture, tourism, public sector, manufacturing, retail and construction. The next highest employment area was in the public sector. The majority of those who work do so within 20 miles of Marnhull, 95 staying within the village. Compared to the 2001 census in North Dorset Marnhull has +3% of people self-employed and relatively few unemployed.

Barriers preventing people from employment were few with 52.5% of those answering (67) not able to qualify a reason among the suggested answers. The next highest percentage was 20.9% of people who have a disability of some kind and 13.4% having difficulty finding employment through lack of transport.

Over 75% of homes only house one or two people and the 2001 census showed 66.5% of the population over 16 are married.

It is considered a response of 66% by the Village to the Questionnaire is a genuinely representative sample. The responses to the questionnaires indicate the views of 1,298 residents living in Marnhull. The population in 2006 is estimated at 1,980 (give or take 5 to 10 people) based on a Census 2001 figure of 1,951, living in 935 homes against 920 in the Census.

Clearly Marnhull has an above average percentage of retired people compared to the County, and even more so compared to North Dorset, which also has a higher percentage of young people compared with Dorset and Marnhull. Dorset, by the way has the second highest percentage of people over 65 in Britain (East Sussex is first).

The difference in percentage terms of Marnhull’s over 65s compared to that for the District Council area is a bit of a surprise, and emphasises the strong need to develop an environment attractive to young families in this village. The community is very active not least amongst people with children of school age. So Marnhull has what it takes to ensure it continues as a thriving community.

Housing and Rental Accommodation
87.8% own their own property, however 27 out of 581 people indicated a need for alternative accommodation, and though the number is not high , the issue would be very important to them since it often affects the most disadvantaged. Making the assumption that these are the ones who need realistically priced Affordable Housing (i.e. dwellings that are no more than £70,000), more information should be found out about them and their exact needs.

14.5% (87/581) of respondents gave several reasons why they are unable to move to alternative accommodation in Marnhull, the most important being the high prices prevalent in the property market, a lack of suitable stock and a shortage of rental accommodation at affordable prices. There is a 50/50 split amongst these 87 people over demand for purchase and rental. The comparatively low number encourages the thought that it might be possible to tackle the problem and the Parish Council could assist by addressing the issue with the appropriate Agencies.

Sheltered Accommodation
1.2% (7/581) of people expressed a wish for sheltered accommodation in Marnhull, which is unlikely to be sufficient to encourage the development of such a facility. However when combined with requirements in other nearby communities the effect could be that there is a significant and sustainable demand for sheltered facilities in the area.

The results of the questionnaire were passed to the Housing & Enabling Officer NDDC, and we were advised “ Marnhull had a combined rented and shared –ownership scheme in Butts Close provided by Signpost Housing Association a couple of years ago. The shared ownership properties proved difficult to sell because of the increase in market values and problems with obtaining mortgages. This authority’s policy is to address the housing needs of all North Dorset villages where there is identified housing need and it is currently enabling the development of affordable housing in different parts of the district. As a consequence, further development in Marnhull with the Housing Corporation funding is unlikely in the foreseeable future”

Job Vacancy Board in Village
59% think a local Job Vacancy Board would be very useful. To establish such a notice board in itself is not difficult however somebody has to take on the responsibility for maintaining it in good order and up to date. The Parish Council could address this in the first instance through consultation with Job Centre Plus also determining whether someone is prepared keep it up to date on a voluntary basis.

It is recognised that Internet job advertising is taking over from Classified Advertisements in newspapers hence it could form part of a Marnhull Web Site. However, there will continue to be a need for the traditional methods for some time yet, not least for those who do not own computers.

Education in Marnhull
From the 581 homes of people that replied to the questionnaire, 25 children attend either playgroup or nursery school, 126 children attend full time education and 115 are progressing through further education. Currently our Jungle Hut Pre-School has 100% occupancy with a waiting list. It has recently expanded its role in childcare by extending its hours. Some data from the questionnaire showed that lack of childcare was a bar to employment and the pre-school cannot expand further due to lack of space per child. 273 people requested after-school clubs and holiday play schemes, and these are currently being planned and implemented in the not too distant future.

The two primary schools in the village are liasing with the pre-school to expand after-school care (in line with the extended schools agenda by 2010) and this will also include holiday play schemes. To enable part of this expansion there needs to be the development of a permanent and more suitable building for the pre-school. The current building is in poor condition for staff and children with upkeep costs constantly rising. The younger members of our community deserve a better provision for future educational needs and we need to encourage young families to come and live in Marnhull for the village to stay a vibrant place for all ages.

A new building for the village’s younger children could also incorporate other community activities and possibly include those interested in life skills/adult education. Of the two primary schools in Marnhull 88 children within the parish take places out of 292. This demonstrates that the schools bring outside families to the village. Also in Marnhull we have Ivers College in Hains Lane, which is a privately owned residential facility for young adults with learning disabilities. It has approximately 20 students who form a valued part of our village community and they showed an appreciative interest in the questionnaire

Jungle Hut Pre School Building
A volunteer committee, as a registered charity runs the pre school building located in the grounds of St Gregory’s school. The pre-school provides 118 places, which are spread out during the week, and is the only pre-school facility serving a 3-mile area around Marnhull. The current location comes up for planning review later in 2006, however when the building was established it was as a medium term measure with a limited usefully life. It has been required to be developed to keep pace with changing legislation, social demands and increased numbers. A waiting list is currently in operation. Comments received have indicated that building a new pre school facility (the current building cannot be moved) in the recreation ground or else where in the village is highly desirable. In addition to enabling the school to meet the ongoing changing needs, it should be able to include more children and ease the current parking problems around St Gregory’s School.

Churches in Marnhull
The churches were requested to provide a response to the areas of the questionnaire pertaining to them - the following text was received.
“ We believe that as a part of the Marnhull community the churches have an important contribution to make to the community in which it belongs. The survey reveals that 71.5% of respondents perceive the churches as having an important part in the community, reflecting its history and as a timeless resource for the social and spiritual needs during important events in the lives of families and individuals; (weddings & funerals, baptism and Sunday Worship). Historically the churches have provided a resource and been a catalyst within the community for a wide range of social, cultural, civic and intellectual activities; channelling the aspirations of many into national and international charitable campaigns such as the Make Poverty History campaign.”
“As a significant part of the life of the community we seek
To develop a better understanding of our participation within the wider community, the role we can play and the resources we can offer to the community.
Ongoing practical and financial support for the upkeep of the Church buildings to enable wider community use of the space for social, cultural and intellectual pursuits, (reflected in the survey the church as a venue for functions; performances; a meeting place and an information point)
To develop networks of communication with professional and voluntary groups at all levels of the community to facilitate the dissemination of the most pertinent information for the well being of groups and individuals in the community of Marnhull.
Ongoing invitation and inclusion in community and civic events, (such as Remembrance Day and the Marnhull Fest).”
“In the complex and changing world of faith and secularism we aim to offer:
Opportunities and support for members of the community wishing to explore their own spiritual journey. A theology bringing the light of the grace of God, especially in times of remembrance and celebration. A framework of liturgy for Christian faith in the setting of public worship, small groups, quiet days, and individual exploration, together with a strategy of active participation in the community to facilitate belonging and believing. A culture which will help the community to develop a common concern for the good of all in the wider world and creation, and create an example of high ethical standards within community and civic life”.

Shopping Habits
The majority of villagers are happy to support the local shops when they can, with convenience and social contact given as the most important reasons. 44% purchase their meat and fish and 23% buy some of their groceries and fresh fruit and vegetables in Marnhull. However, and understandably the greater choice and, sometimes, lower cost were reasons mostly given for shopping in the next town or large centre.

Shops, Pubs and Local Businesses
Between 80% and 90% of villagers wish local shops and pubs to be maintained at present levels or even introduce a degree of expansion where possible. Likewise, small businesses and farming are supported by over 65% of villagers who wish them to continue as they are or, if possible expand, so the village continues to thrive.

Medical Services
The following percentages indicate the level of interest in the provision of increased services from the Marnhull Surgery, which currently opens 5 mornings a week from 8.45am to 12.30pm plus Tuesday afternoons from 12.30pm to 6.00 pm, included are comments received from the Practice Manger for Sturminster Newton and Marnhull. 61.3% respondents wish there to be longer opening hours at the Surgery. The practice has recently increased the number of doctors and nursing services at the Surgery. The practice will continue to negotiate with North Dorset Primary Care Trust to ensure that adequate funding is acquired to support the delivery of quality and easily accessible services that meet the needs of the population in Marnhull. 51.4% would like to see a Dentist included amongst the facilities available. The Practice is pressing for the addition of an NHS Dentist at the new Surgery in Sturminster Newton when it is completed and is quietly optimistic about the outcome. 42.2% would like to have a Community Nurse. Nurses are already available at the Surgery on a regular basis both at Marnhull and Sturminster. 14.2% would like a Baby Clinic, which the Surgery already holds every two weeks, but facilities for Family Planning Clinics (13.1%) are not the responsibility of General Practices, Hospitals are responsible for providing this service, and clinics are held at Blandford and Shaftesbury on a regular basis. A Health Visitor (28%) is available through the Surgery as required and a Physiotherapist (28.8%) is available at Sturminster Newton, but there are no funds or equipment for one at Marnhull for the time being. If transport to Sturminster is a problem villagers could try Nordcat or the Christian Care Service in Marnhull. A Psychiatric Nurse is available weekly on Mondays at Marnhull Surgery .25.1% would like Alternative Treatments facilities, but what form this should take was not clear from the responses. Based on the misunderstandings regarding existing services it is considered that publicity about the available Medical Services is necessary. The Practice Manager is being asked to make greater use of the Marnhull Messenger, the new Website and their own Notices to publicise the services and any changes. A prominent notice on the Surgery door would be invaluable.

Emergency Services
Over half the Community either have no opinion or have not used the Fire, Hospital Transport or Police Emergency Services.

Police
The limited experience by respondents of the emergency services is very encouraging, especially in the case of the Police, and it bears out a report received by the Parish Plan committee from Dorset Police Inspector Alan Jenkins at Sherborne, who is Section Commander for this area. Significantly he says Marnhull has an average of one reported incident a month, which is well below the average for his territory. So while crime and anti-social behaviour is a growing concern for the Community with vandalism, theft and drug taking being identified in particular, it is difficult to place the few problems we have in Marnhull as high priority even in this rural County.

With respect to Community Policing, the Inspector reports that “Marnhull is policed on a 24/7 basis” (i.e. every day and night of the week) by officers from both Sherborne and Sturminster Newton, in addition to responding to specific incidents. Clearly this does not mean that patrols visit Marnhull every day but units are “always within a reasonable distance” should they be needed.

The Inspector also advises that the Police are “committed to responding to any calls to all rural areas within 20 minutes, “ and ” in practical terms 999 calls are usually responded to well within that time.” He sums up by saying, “I would like to reaffirm that Marnhull is one of the safest parts of the country to live, work and visit and it is my intention that it remains that way.”

Reports from Villagers on the busier thoroughfares of Marnhull (not the B 3092) indicate that Police patrol cars are seen with reasonable frequency in the village, but the general feeling is they just drive through. In fact they are meant to call in at the Post Office and make personal contact, though whether this is always done is not clear. It is suggested Inspector Jenkins is approached by the Parish Council with a request that they also call at Marnhull Stores in New Street. Since the proprietor is also responsible for the newspaper rounds this makes him a valuable contact with regards to happenings in the village.

The re-opening of Sturminster Newton Police Station or even the provision of a part time Bobby in Marnhull are both exceedingly unlikely, though there is “no intention” at present to close Sturminster entirely. The non-emergency contact number for the Police is 01202 222222 whence you or your message will be directed to Sherborne and the relevant Patrol Unit, if necessary. Of course, if it is 999 you would be guided through the standard procedure.

Fire Service
60% have no experience of the Fire Service, happily, but the one concern that has been voiced is the speed with which appliances can attend an emergency in Marnhull. The nearest ones are at Sturminster Newton.

Ambulance
45% find the service either Good or Reasonable. Again, speed of arrival for an emergency is the main concern that has been voiced. There is of course the bonus of having the Air Ambulance close by at Henstridge.

Marnhull First Responders
The First Responders group are first aid volunteers in Marnhull who work with Dorset Ambulance Service to provide a rapid call out service from 8.00 pm to 8.00 am within the village boundary. They work in pairs and are trained by the Ambulance Service. They have sufficient medical supplies and equipment to provide basic first aid with life saving techniques. The system starts when an ambulance is summoned to Marnhull during the night, the Response team for that shift simultaneously receives a phone call from the ambulance station with the necessary details. They then drive to the patients’ location and treat the patient until the ambulance arrives. We are advised that finding the precise house is not always easy at night as many house numbers and name plates are not visible from the road. This causes delays when speed may be of the essence. If an ambulance is called the recommendation is to put all front lights on, it would also help if house owners ensured that house names are clearly displayed. The First Responders are always looking for new recruits who will be trained to the required level by Dorset Ambulance service.

Hospital Transport
Those not using Ambulances can either call Nordcat or Marnhull Christian Care (for the Elderly, Disabled and Unemployed) for transport to Hospitals and Surgeries, paying the going rate. Any other form of public transport is dealt with in the Transport section.

Home Watch Scheme
36.3% have expressed an interest in joining the Home Watch Scheme, while 31.1% already belong to it. The main problem seems to be that few know what the scheme is about or how it operates and Tony Eslick, who is Marnhull’s representative on the Association of Dorset Home Watchers, is anxious to stimulate more interest in the scheme in Marnhull.

There appears to be a link between the low crime rate in Marnhull and the resulting and probably understandably low priority we receive in the eyes of the Police and other law agencies. There are two Home Watch Notice Boards in the Village – one at the Post Office and the other at Marnhull Stores - plus a Ring Master telephone service and an Email service to communicate with Home Watch members which provides the means to warn about impending crimes or of those taking place in the Parish and surrounding areas.

A Community Police Van calls at the Burton Street Car Park every month, usually on Thursdays, from 12 noon to 1pm and at Marnhull Stores for an hour immediately afterwards.

There is a new initiative being planned to train Home Watchers and Mr Eslick is attending a course at Exeter in February, after which he will report in the Marnhull Messenger prior to organising a presentation to villagers at the Village Hall to explain what the scheme is all about.

The Parish Council can help in this by including the scheme on their Agendas and reinforcing liaison between Home Watch in Marnhull and outside Agencies like the Police.

Maintenance of Marnhull
The majority of people would like to see Marnhull kept clean and tidy, but without their personal contributions little is likely to happen. Because of the restraints on money the village is going to receive even less help from the Councils for anything they believe can be dealt with by the Parish Councils and/or the individuals in the different communities. Obviously maintenance requiring heavy sweepers, drain cleaners and repairs or resurfacing of roads and pavements will be covered by Dorset Works, ‘Clarence’ in Blandford or the PMU (Parish Maintenance Unit). Dorset County Council also has a Unit dedicated to footpaths maintenance, but the money has to be found by the Parish Council.

The favourite option expressed is to have a“ Spring Clean Day” (25.4%), though this is already a regular feature of the Parish Council twice a year; however it clearly is not known widely enough in the village since volunteers are few in number. Apart from giving this wider publicity the Parish Council is going to need to ask house and land owners to do their best to help on a regular basis, removing weeds and litter as necessary, and tending their verges and kerbs.

Entering the Best Kept Village Competition (23.5%) is thought to be another good option. Perhaps the Parish Council could pursue the terms of entry and application. Hoping for a regular Road Sweeper (20.3%) is probably not realistic though a lorry sweeper from NDDC is seen very occasionally. What is sad is that 32. 9% of respondents had no opinion to express on the tidiness of their village.

There is enough anecdotal evidence to say most people have pride into their community and there is clearly a source of goodwill to tap into. Entering a Best Kept Village competition inevitably means cleaning will go on throughout the year. The recommendation is that such a project should come under a Committee separate from the Parish Council.

Marnhull Parish Council
67.5% think the Parish Council is being Good or Reasonable when it comes to being effective on village issues, with over 50% agreeing that it is Good or Reasonable in (a) communicating information on its activities, (b) its effectiveness, and (c) planning for the future. It should be noted that the Parish council meets the first Monday of every month at the Village Hall. Included in the agenda is time made available for public discussion when members of the public may raise any issue relevant to the Parish Council. Currently the average number of members of the public attending is two.

Marnhull’s Future
It is very apparent that 65.7% wish Marnhull to retain the village environment that currently exists and this means the avoidance of small to medium size building developments. However 44.1% also recognise that there is a need to exist as a working community and therefore small business should be given every encouragement to operate within the village. This view is further supported by the many written comments received with the questionnaire.

Paying for The Proposals
The majority felt that Fundraising (76.5%) and Sponsorship (62.3%) would be the best method for raising money to implement the suggestions identified in the questionnaire, closely followed by Private Contributions (32.6%) and moderate Council Tax increases (31.1%).
On this last point the present Marnhull Parish Council Precept of £18,500 costs Band D Council Tax Payers £19.81 per year on their Council Tax. This translates as 38 pence per week per household for £18,500 or 0.0206 pence per £1,000 per week per household.
So if we wished to raise £1,000 extra this would cost an average household £0.0206 x 52 weeks = £1.0712 in a year. If this were to be multiplied by the 935 households the yield is £1,001.57. Extending that calculation, £10,000 would cost £10.71 each per year (10 x £1.0712).
That seems a pretty good result especially when it is recognised that any Capital Project this would be funding is physically here in our village for us to see and for many to use on a regular basis.
It is proposed that this is just one of the methods used for fundraising for Capital Projects.

1. People were (a) born here or nearby, (b) came with their family, (c) married someone who lives here or (d) have relatives nearby – Total about 43%.
2. They either (a) work in the area, (b) set up home here or (c) retired here – about 50%.
3. Very importantly they all love country and village life

Development of Marnhull
65.9% want Marnhull to stay as it is while 44.1% wish it to develop as a Working Community. Both criteria are reconcilable providing Marnhull pursues a policy of stimulating interest in the village and caters for all ages, not least the under 18s. The indications are that the first requires the delightfully peaceful, rural environment to continue, while the second wish to stimulate a positive policy that will encourage an inflow of younger families so that a proper balance in numbers and influences is maintained between the age groups. There is a good selection of schools both in Marnhull and the surrounding area, with a Post Office with General Stores and a Newsagents with a General Stores, a Butchers, Upholstery and Curtain shop, two Hairdressers, a Chemist, a Surgery and three Churches with several Clubs and Societies active in a friendly Community.

Observation: Even as this Plan is being written there are changes to National Planning Policy taking place and they will almost certainly influence future policies at Regional, County and District levels. The Regional Spatial Strategy replaces the Regional Structure Plan and will lead to a Local Development framework for the counties and districts including, of course, North Dorset. Final guidelines are expected at District level imminently and it is recommended the Parish Council obtain copies as soon as possible after that. This will allow a Planning Policy for Marnhull to be established amongst ourselves before any approach to the NDDC and any other relevant Agency. It is likely that the new strategy will mean a review of the Development Area of the village, so the sooner Marnhull has its say the more likely it will be that the community will be able to influence development here over the next 10 to 15 years.

Green Field Sites
82.1% are against development on green field sites. Both from comments made and the results of the questionnaire it is apparent that residents of Marnhull desires the village to remain as rural as it is now so far as that is realistically possible, but any Development Policy for the community must establish a Positive Strategy that aims to maintain the environment much as it is now, but without stifling very modest growth. It appears that there is an understanding that change will and must take place or the village will die, but clearly most believe that all future development should be confined to the present Development Zone (with minimal adjustments) or Brown Field sites such as disused farms. If possible any Policy should allow for the inclusion of a limited number of affordable housing units at less than £75,000 per unit this, however should not be automatically accompanied by other forms of development.

Commuting
The concept of commuting is taking on a new meaning. The traditional idea of going to work every day, whether by train, bus or car, is disappearing as the technological revolution in communications takes over peoples’ lives. These sophisticated communication facilities are allowing considerable change in working practices so that it is easier to divide one’s time between working from home and travelling to the workplace, which leads to changes in lifestyle with knock on effects in different communities. Indeed there is a strong case for setting up a Working Party to see how this will impinge on the life of Marnhull both beneficially and negatively. At the same time, since the subjects are related, the same Group could/should study the ongoing Development Policy and develop the Strategy over future expansion of the village as referred to above. It is suggested the policy should aim to restrict population expansion growth over the next 5 years so as not to overload the existing infrastructure. It is proposed that the Parish Council consider establishing a working party, co-opting any relevant expertise available in the village to assist in producing a working document.

Some comments received on returned questionnaires:

“ Cardboard drop off bank in village - Shaftesbury too far and not environmentally friendly - using the car”
“The provision of a waste bin by the seat and bus stop at the top of Church Hill which is regularly surrounded with empty drinks cans and other litter”

Marnhull itself cannot be expected to have its own Environmental Strategy that comes from the National, Regional and District umbrella strategies. From the feedback received there is a desire to take all reasonable measures to improve the circumstances within which we all live. Conservation, Good Environmental Management in our own homes and gardens and Recycling as much material as possible all contribute.
It has been suggested that MARNHULL should be an environment where: -

1. Everyone contributes to the quality of life in the village
2. Where no social exclusion exists on economic or practical grounds
3. New generations of Marnhull families might hope to continue living locally
4. The population is maintained within 5 per cent (100) of its existing level
5. The Community ensures the preservation/conservation and improvement of our Flora and Fauna
6. Everyone can live in a peaceful, clean and harmonious environment
7. Support is given to the Community’s own facilities – Schools, Shops, Public Houses etc.
8. Crime is kept to an absolute minimum
9. The Villagers are involved in the decision making processes
10. Everyone accepts responsibility for their own part in the community.

Muck and Debris
Without question the removal of Debris/Litter/Mud (49.9%), Dog Excrement (47.3%) with better maintenance of Verges (37.7%), Pavements (26%) and Footpaths (19.9%) are major issues bugging respondents. By debris it is assumed respondents mean principally hedge cuttings on the roadsides along with the excessive mud actually on the roads. These need priority attention. It is worth noting that many of these problems are being aggravated by modern, intensive farming practices that employ much larger equipment within an environment that has changed little. There are a limited number of contractors available to carry out this work hence the choice for local farmers is limited. The issue is not helped when legislation exists that allows a 17 year old to drive 25 ton tractors. So, it is important to establish a dialogue with the farmers on what should be a convivial and constructive basis so it might be established what more both they, the farmers, and we the community, can do to help with these issues involving both them and their contractors. Poor communication has led to misunderstandings that provoke the situation, with farmers forming the opinion that villagers do not appreciate the presence of farming and, therefore, should not be living in the country. Meanwhile many villagers think farmers do not care about the community around which they operate and none of this is helping the situation for any of us. As always a balance has to be struck regarding muck on the road, excessive mud for prolonged periods is unacceptable, however it is impossible to run an agricultural business and have the roads cleaned continuously. It is therefore recommended that any issues of excess are reported to the Parish Council, however it would be helpful if care is taken in accurately identifying the responsible party.

Litter
31.3% want to see litter removed. Increasingly these sorts of tasks are being left to the responsibility of the Village, so a Collecting Litter Scheme will need to be worked out, say twice a year or even quarterly . Presently a Litter Collection is organised by the Parish Council but it needs to be put on a more regular basis with someone accepting responsibility for organising the collections on a routine basis. The Parish Council will be required to provide a small budget for suitable clothing (fluorescent jackets) and spikes and bags, unless the NDDC will provide them free of charge. But education should also be part of the solution. Using the village’s communications tools (Messenger Magazine and Website plus periodic notices) a campaign asking all villagers, old and young to consider others and the environment in which they live and to take their litter to a proper refuse point even if that is at home. North Dorset has said additional litterbins are unlikely to be available for cost reasons that affect both the supply of bins and collection.

Dog Excrement
The failure of dog owners to collect the Excrement (47.3%) of their dogs is a major concern already. It is illegal and punishable by a £50 fine collectable by the District Council, but legislation is being planned to raise it to £75 and collectable by Parish Councils, but everyone wishes to avoid such action. The solution is in the hands of dog owners who simply need to leave home with one or more plastic bags (plus a small shovel if required) so the deposit may be collected and put into one of the dedicated bins provided at the Recreation ground or their own waste bin when they return home. It was discovered at the Open Day that Councils are considering withdrawing the dedicated bins because of recycling difficulties. It is possible that the problem is being overstated on an overall village basis, because the problem seems to be confined for the most part to four specific locations; the Cemetery, the Recreation Ground, the area near St. Gregory’s School and that part of Pilwell and Nash Lane near the Recreation Ground. Additional places should be advised to the Parish Council either by attending one of the meetings or through the Clerk or a Councilor. A possible action would be posters etc in the above selected areas which emphasis that children and sporting events should not be contaminated by ignorant and unsocial actions. Shaming the offenders may be the most positive action of all.

Flooding and Storm Drainage
Flooding in Marnhull appears to be limited and most notable in parts of Sackmore Lane, Pleck, Chipple Lane and Moorside. At present the circumstances at Pilwell/Church Hill junction have abated according to residents there, but that is entirely dependent upon the drains being kept clear. Of course any low-lying land around the River Stour and Moorside means flooding is a threat, which can only be further exacerbated by the phenomena of climate change. One course of action would be for an Emergency Plan to be made available, which anticipates any potential disaster. It is recommended the Parish Council investigate further through the District/County Councils and Wessex Water.

Verges
Many considered that this feature in the village needs proper attention. Again, as with litter, Council Services are minimal in this respect and their maintenance and cleanliness are increasingly becoming the responsibility of house and landowners. Some observers believe much of the damage caused is the result of agricultural activity, but everyone will have observed the impact of increasingly large delivery vehicles being forced to squeeze past other vehicles, or sometimes as a result of some pretty cavalier driving on roads not designed for this weight or size of vehicle. Many believe there is a strong case for letting the inner verges grow allowing a habitat in which wild plants, birds and animals can thrive. First however, discussions should be held with the North Dorset District Council to ascertain their policy for verges and establish responsibility for the future. As everyone knows the District Council is being forced to cut back even further on the services it provides in order to stay within its budget, so it will surprise no one that services are being cut, which means it will be necessary for the Community to do the best it can to keep verges presentable. A valuable suggestion is that Marnhull should discuss this matter with the Dorset Wildlife Trust and take advantage of their knowledge and any Conservation agencies in the area.

Pavements
The maintenance of Pavements is another matter for the Parish Council to discuss with both County and District Councils but first the offending spots need to be identified. Villagers should advise the particular offending places to Parish Council through either the Clerk or by attending the monthly Council meeting so action can be taken. The Councils’ Agencies for maintenance and repairs are Clarence in Blandford Forum and the PMU part of Dorset Works in Dorchester. The Parish Council assembles reports on relevant problems and damage and passes lists periodically to the agency concerned. Major works are capital projects and depend on available funding. Making paths accessible to those with disabilities is clearly important but in a village where few footpaths exist anyway, a difficult one to deal with. Dropped kerbs will help where they can be introduced, but too often there is no pavement in the first place. Again, those who are aware of specific problems should contact the Parish Council through a phone call or in writing to the Clerk, or in person at the Parish Council Meetings. St Mary’s School council has raised the issue of a cycle / walking path, they question whether one could be built inside the hedges along Nash Lane / Great Down Lane/Old Mill Lane, to encourage people to walk/cycle to school hence easing the traffic congestion.

Street Lights
30.8% would like more Environmentally Sensitive Street Lights however many are drawn to this area because of the comparative absence of light pollution. Perhaps a survey of existing lights should be made to find those that are thought offensive. It would be helpful to reduce those that are intrusive, sometimes dangerous as far as road users are concerned. In the course of such a review it may be apparent that there are one or two spots where additional lighting might be necessary, but only if it is in keeping with the village environment and compliant with the majority wish for as little change as possible, let alone the question of added light pollution. Possibly sites like the Village Hall and Recreation Ground might be considered.

Directional Signs
It is surprising that few people (10.8%) are concerned over direction signs in the village. Some are already on order by the Parish Council though from recent discussions with Dorset County Council it appears they take anything up to a year to produce.

Pelican Crossings and Roundabouts
These have little support and are considered totally inappropriate to Marnhull’s village environment, while the introduction of additional Road Signs is something the County Council will resist because they get lost in the hedges and damaged by hedge cutting. It is proposed that the Parish Council suggests more signs painted on the roads.

Roadside Care and Street Cleaning
58.4% are concerned over roadside care which probably also includes verges another important issue. It is recommended that the Parish Council should take up these matters with the District Council and establish their policy and strategy for the future. District must be urged to give this item priority in their review of what they do in the future.

T.V. and Radio Reception
As advised by the electrical shop in Sturminster Newton it is known that parts of Marnhull have poor Digital reception. Meanwhile 76.2% for TV and 75.8% for Radio express themselves satisfied with the current situation. TV’s Channel 5 is not good enough on terrestrial, meaning many inhabitants are limited to just 4 channels. There exists a campaign in West Dorset to improve reception, three reasons are given for the problem a) some houses are or were not tuned into the correct transmitter, b) problems with the TV’s and Radios and c) some areas are or were not covered by a signal. It is recommended that contact be established with West Dorset Broadcasting Action Group to determine if any of our problems are of a similar nature. The demise of analogue is not far away, so somebody in Marnhull, not necessarily on the Parish Council, with an understanding of the technological issues should be asked to study this question both as it exists and in relation to the fast approaching switch to Digital and approach the transmitting authorities about how they are addressing the situation and how soon.

Mains Water
In a place like Marnhull everybody should be on Mains Water and responses show 92.4% are either happy or very happy with their supply. 3.8% experience occasional loss of pressure, but the number is small enough that it would be best for those people to take it up with Wessex Water. Of course the Parish Council is always available to assist if required. Any supply problems should be considered unacceptable because everyone is entitled to clean, fresh water no matter where they live.

Mains Drainage
85.4% of households have advised that they are on Mains Drainage it would appear that no significant problems exist other than at, Moorside at the Todber end, which continues to have difficulties. The issue ought to be discussed with Wessex Water to determine a long term solution.. The residents should be encouraged to take this one upon themselves with the Parish Council providing any necessary support. It is recommended the Parish Council monitor the situation.

Gas
The response to the service of Gas depends on availability. It is interesting to note that over half the village has Gas available. It is recommended that, if driven by demand, Transco should be approached both to obtain a map of the existing mains for information, and to ascertain if and when access might be extended.

Electricity
The supply is estimated to be reliable for 87.4% of the village, but that indicates over 12% believe their supply is unsatisfactory. Whether this is in outlying areas or possibly based on an inadequate supply to meet the usage of certain households is not known . If any householder is truly unhappy with supply the matter should be taken up with their suppliers. If the problem exists in one particular area then it would help to act collectively. Either way if there is an unsatisfactory response the Parish Council should try and assist as requested.

Refuse Collection and Recycling

Refuse Collection
This receives 95.3% approval. It is doubtful anywhere else will better that figure. At the Open Day people said they would like cheaper garden refuse bags but the NDDC say they are unlikely to be robust enough both for the weight or the protection of the collectors.

Kerbside Recycling
This is working very well for 83.5% of respondents. However 79.4% are asking for cardboard to be included, because at present it has to be taken to a central recycling points like Shaftesbury or Sherborne. Some remark upon the contradiction that the Council’s sub-contractors at the refuse depots can collect cardboard but the NDDC cannot.
Conversely kerbside collection takes plastic containers, but no such facility exists at either recycling plant. Apparently weight/bulk ratio is part of the problem, while not all recycling comes within the scope of the District Council, since the County Council is also involved. Additionally there are complications over insufficient processing capacity for recycling while, at the same time, selecting the right quality of recycled materials for processing is proving problematic. This is all rather bizarre; especially when it appears that cardboard is in great demand at other points in the country. Clearly this is still a national problem.
North Dorset District Council is amongst the leading councils in Britain for its recycling efforts. They have invested heavily and say they will invest more, which hopefully will help eliminate the anomalies. Meantime it is suggested the Parish Council asks the NDDC when outer lying areas of Marnhull might also benefit from kerbside collection, and press both District and County to broaden the scope of what is collected.
Observation: The opinion has been advanced that conservation of our environment would be greatly improved if packaging was acknowledged as being a prime contributor to the problem. Perhaps this is an opportunity for Marnhull and the NDDC to be in the forefront of a campaign urging Government to tackle these problems from the top (ie where the potential refuse originates) rather than the bottom when it has to be recycled, giving incentives to those who generate the packaging to reduce the amount and quality of what they use. The amount of cardboard, plastic and paper that is being generated in pursuit of business has reached obscene proportions, whether on retailers’ shelves, through junk mail or elsewhere.
The world wants to arrest climate change yet does not tackle a key area that would mean saving trees and reducing the relentless production of paper and cardboard demanded for generating into waste. Making use of recycled materials, even if the finished articles are not pristine can only be a positive move. Such an initiative would be a major step forward.
Recycling is supported by 61% overall so there are still plenty in the village to be converted.

Recycling at Drop Off Banks.
Three quarters of respondents are either happy or fairly happy with the service provided, but mention has been made about how the depots at Sherborne and Shaftesbury are becoming inadequate as the volume of recycling grows. Perhaps the NDDC is seeking new and larger sites that can be ergonomically more user friendly, if not the Council should be and as soon as possible. The bottle banks around the communities are useful but only in an obviously limited sense. In Wiltshire there are local banks where paper and cardboard are collected together!

Methods of Recycling Used
Between 53.6% and 77.1% recycle at kerbside and about a further 20% use the Recycling Centres at Shaftesbury and Sherborne to dispose of Cardboard, Tin Foil and Garden Waste. Marnhull residents are very supportive of recycling and would do even better if additional facilities were available both kerbside and at collection points.
Between 58.4% and 78.5% would use whatever recycling facilities are provided, which emphasises the solid support for recycling in this village.

Public Toilet
45.5% believe the village needs one while 38.9% said not; numbers approximately repeated in the Youth response. The previous outside toilet, which was a foul and abused facility, disappeared when the Pavilion was renovated. Its existence had not really been an issue until then. This situation might be resolved at a later date but there has to be some way of protecting a public toilet from vandalism. It is suggested research is conducted into whether there is a system where an outside toilet might be hired on a contractual basis for ongoing use (maybe if it were to be provided for the 6 to 8 months spring/summer/autumn period of the year this would suffice.
As an observation, vandalism of public property is a growing problem in Marnhull and could become serious. So it must be investigated. It is sad that people do not have respect for the few facilities that are provided, the Skate Park for example. If the vandals are the young then the vandalism is all the more senseless and will certainly discourage those responsible for providing any new facilities.

Protecting and Enhancing Marnhull’s Environment
There is strong support (29.4%) for encouraging Wildlife. Indeed this is a point worth noting for other parts of the Plan, because it gives weight to the desire to preserve Marnhull as a village very much as it is now. This section includes other related suggestions.

Renewable Energy
The support (42%) for Renewable Energy was based on a very general question which did not list the various forms of renewable energy., but from the comments made there would be a very negative reaction to any form of wind farms.

Community Composting
40.8% support the idea of Community Composting. This could be a Village project that might be part of an overall Community Wildlife resource.

More Local Employment
31.2% are interested in increased local employment, yet too many opportunities in Marnhull will conflict with the greater wish to keep the village as it is. It is has to be hoped that the expansion of neighbouring towns will increase opportunities though competition for places will also be greater.

Creating a Pond
23.9% are interested in what might be interpreted as a central focus for the community. Respondents are keen to have such a facility but may not have given the likely site or implications enough thought. The nearest thing we have to a ‘Village Hub’ is the Village Hall and Recreation Ground. Clearly the concept needs to be taken seriously, but a review of the possible locations inevitably raises questions about land ownership, proximity to existing residences, maintenance and liability insurance. Availability, cost (initial and ongoing), health and safety risks and noise are all issues. The Committee believes it is worth studying this idea further and that this might be discussed at an Open Forum organised at the Village Hall under the Chairmanship of a strong and responsible village personality.

Travellers
3.2% agree that such a site should be made available within the Marnhull area. Problems highlighted were based on issue surrounding the supply of running water, waste facilities, refuse collection and electricity which are all mandatory under the Act.

Footpaths, Obstructions, Signposts and Difficulties
During the past 20 years the number of footpaths in the Parish has risen to 107 so where more are needed is difficult to identify, yet 10.7% voted for an increase. The creation of new footpaths is a lengthy and contorted business requiring the agreement and co-operation of the relevant landowners and Dorset County Council before they can be initiated. Since Marnhull is fortunate in having as many footpaths as it does, perhaps the first task should be to improve the sign posting and maintenance, while promoting more awareness of their existence. 69.4% wish to see more and better footpaths maintenance. Some items objected to are the natural obstructions that have to be expected in the countryside, namely ‘Farm Animals, High Stiles, Mud/Water, Nettles, Brambles and even Other Users. Some of these have to be expected and it’s why many walkers take walking sticks with them so as to beat down the obstructions. The landowner might be allowing brambles and other natural obstructions to grow across paths so as to discourage usage. If that is thought to be the case the offending places need to be reported to the Parish Council for action.
Locked gates, though most cross country walkers might climb these, Barbed Wire and Crops across Footpaths are all illegal. All will have to be discussed with the landowners and Dorset County Council to see how these problems can be resolved. Any missing Signposts need to be advised to the Parish Council for their attention.
The Parish Council has a dedicated volunteer Footpath Representative who reports periodically about the state of the footpaths, styles etc, and liaises with Dorset County Council ( DCC) on these matters. The Parish Council pays for all materials relating to footpath maintenance while the DCC pay the labour, which consists of two teams of two men for the whole county, and once spring arrives they are fully occupied in the environs of the coast where most of the county’s tourism occurs. So Marnhull has to seek their services at a time of year when it often difficult to gain vehicular access to the offending places because it is too wet. In some instances the PC footpath representative does the work himself, but there is a good case for a team of volunteer assistants to be organised to help him, or additional use being made of the Community Service Unit who already help with maintenance of the Recreation Ground for a nominal cost.
The growing of crops across footpaths is an offence under the Country Code, unless previously agreed, but if a better spirit of co-operation can be organised between the non farming community and farmers it should be possible to find an amicable solution that does not resort to an inflexible approach on such matters. Its the diagonal paths that cause most of the problems with crops for obvious cultivation reasons and maybe a local code might be organised to allow temporary diversions of said footpaths during the period between planting and harvesting providing the farmer is prepared to put agreed diversion signs in place.
The Parish Council has recently made a provisional allocation of funds for a few Footpath Maps to be produced in 2006/7. Planning for them to be available early in the budget year is under way.

Noise, Lights and Air Pollution
The two most prominent complaints concern Excessively Bad Smells (73%) and Low Flying Aircraft Noise (43%). Traffic Noise (20.1%) also features.
Excessively bad smells are a very prominent talking point particular the chicken farm. We are advised however that the chicken manure is cleared on a daily basis and that over 90% is transported away from Marnhull. Concern has been expressed when it is spread on the fields waiting to be ploughed in, we are advised that this will not occur this year. NDCC officials have advised us that all legislative requirements and code of practice are being met at the Farm.
There has also been considerable concern regarding the infestation of flies in the area. The North Dorset Environment Officer has advised the committee that we have been subject to two different types of flies; one form is normal for Dorset and comes with the territory but there is another form called a “ cluster “ fly, which is very localised and very intensive. The Environmental Officer has yet to determine where these flies come from and would welcome any reports of such sightings.

Low Flying Aircraft Noise
This and other M.O.D. activities are a problem in this area because of the number of military establishments in Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset, let alone coastal installations. Representations could be made to Whitehall, but what we can achieve is not clear. However, those living on the Henstridge side of the village are experiencing a significant growth in noise from the airfield, not least from motor racing which is occurring on a regular basis.
The Parish Council has a dedicated representative concerned with activities relating to the airfield and he attends regular meetings of the Somerset County Council Henstridge Master Plan Working Group, quite a mouthful but it reflects the many issues that have to be covered. Frequency of meetings depends on issues to be discussed at the time, but can be as often as monthly or considerably less. It has been proposed that Marnhull and neighbouring Parishes be given a more formal part in any decision processes concerning Henstridge airfield and industrial park but that is only realistic if the South East Somerset District Council in Wincanton were to agree. Meanwhile it can be said that North Dorset District Council are being very supportive of the situation concerning the Parishes on the County’s borders, not least in relation to the Wessex Grain development for Bioethanol and the potential traffic movement problems that would ensue.

Traffic Noise, General Noise and Light Pollution
At between 10% and 20% these matters are a concern but it is difficult to see how much can be done by what appear to be normal intrusions on our lives, unless there is a specific issue like motor racing at Henstridge Airfield. It is an unhappy fact that life is no longer as peaceful as it used to be and there may be expectations of tranquility that are no longer achievable even in an environment like Marnhull, except on rare occasions. However specific examples of unacceptable noises or light pollution should be brought to the attention of the Parish Council who will try to find a solution.

Some comments received on returned questionnaires:

“Farm contractors drive through our village with little or no regard to other road users”
“Bus routes must be re-examined to avoid the need for large 52 seat and double decker buses to use narrow lanes such as Sackmore Lane”
“There is an urgent need for a full assessment of road safety hazards including a 20mph speed limit from St Gregory’s school”

Demographics of Vehicle Ownership and Use
The 1298 respondents who live in 581 households in Marnhull (representing 62% households of Marnhull) between them own 805 cars. Taking the number of households registered in the 2001 census into account this figure could be extrapolated to 1,227 cars in the whole Parish. There are also 5.5% of villagers who own vans (109) and 3.5% own motorbikes (69), added to which are 3 lorries and 3 especially adapted vehicles which makes a total of 1,411 vehicles with internal combustion engines or 71% of the population and an average of 1.51 vehicles per household. Motorists have indicated that they believe that there is a significant need to improve the road surfaces.
64.3% use a car as their main means of transport to work or study. The majority (65%) experience no transport difficulties.
7.6% use buses – 2/3 public buses, 1/3 private (mainly school) buses, with 35% experiencing difficulties with public transport, 6% often and 29% occasionally.
13% of villagers own bicycles that are used at least once a week, although only 1% (20) use them as their main means of transport to work or study. 80% of cyclists would like to see improved road surfaces in the village and 19% would like more bicycle stands, though the survey did not record where these should be placed.

Public Transport
Despite moderately high car usage, for many residents there are a number of issues concerning public transport. This is most evident amongst the young, where 30% stated they were unable to attend after school activities due to lack of transport home. If one also adds on the 13% of people who expressed that lack of transport was a major barrier to them being able to seek work or study, there is 43% of residents who find transport to be an issue.

Public Buses
Only 4.8% of villagers use public buses as their main means of transport to work or study, but this comes as no surprise since the services are totally inadequate, thus putting the ‘cart before the horse’ when assessing potential use for improved services. With only 62% of villagers owning cars it is certain more use would be made of buses if better services were available.

Improvements to bus services through Marnhull are needed and this is backed up by 50% who state they would like to see improvements to bus services, routes (36%) and timetables (31.2%) especially, with 17.8% wanting improved reliability; the other half, presumably the car owners, had no opinion. Cost, bus stop locations, access for the disabled were less prominent issues.

From the response to the Questionnaire and subsequent conversations, not least at the Open Day, it is clear the situation over Bus Services is far more contentious than at first might appear. There are 7 so called Bus Services to Marnhull, plus 1 (Number 36) that comes no nearer than Todber and 1 (Number 51) that runs only during Term Time.

Of the other 5 services (Numbers 7, 15, 109, 117, 190) each of these runs on only one day a week with just one bus a day in each direction allowing between 2½ to 4 hours at the destination.
Number 7/7A - on Mondays only (except Bank Holidays) from Sherborne (Yeovil in School Holidays) to Poole (Bournemouth during School Summer Holidays) allowing 3 hours at Poole. (South West Coaches [SWC])
Number 117 – on Mondays only (Bank Holidays excepted) from Wincanton to Sturminster Newton via Gillingham and Marnhull allowing 2 hours and 5 minutes at Sturminster Newton. [SWC]
Number 15 on Tuesdays only - from Wincanton to Salisbury via Stalbridge, Sturminster Newton, Marnhull and Shaftesbury allowing 2½ hours only in Salisbury – Not even enough for a bit of shopping and a bite of lunch. [SWC]
Number 109 – on Wednesdays only from Wincanton to Dorchester via Marnhull and Sturminster allowing less than 3 hours in Dorchester. [SWC]
Number 190 – on Fridays only from Poole to Yeovil via Blandford, Sturminster, Marnhull, Stalbridge, Sherborne allowing 3 to 3½ hours in Yeovil. [DAMORY]
Number 309/310 – Monday to Saturdays except Bank Holidays – passing through Marnhull to Gillingham & Shaftesbury 4 times a day and 3 times a day to Sturminster.
There is also a morning bus to Yeovil returning late afternoon. We acknowledge that they may also be others, however the above clearly highlights the confusing situation.
As is clearly demonstrated by the confusing service list there is no clear or cohesive rural bus service serving Marnhull, the mess above explains why a number of comments have been made regarding inadequate timetables of services and few people using them. This problem is not unique to Marnhull it must be common with all other rural communities in Dorset and should be addressed by NDDC and Dorset County Council. There clearly exists the need for an integrated bus service policy within North Dorset and beyond. While still a village, Marnhull has a population of nearly 2,000 with an obvious demand for public transport. Thus we need the Bus Services through Marnhull to be addressed urgently in consultation with the Dorset County Council with their new Travel Plan, the North Dorset District Council which subsidies Nordcat and, of course, the bus companies.

As a strategy Marnhull should aim for a much more frequent service in both directions at least 6 days a week between Gillingham Station and Sturminster Newton going through Marnhull from early morning until 8 or 9 in the evening. Of course where those buses go beyond either end of the route is for the bus companies to decide, whether Blandford, Dorchester and Yeovil beyond Sturminster, or Wincanton, Yeovil, Shaftesbury and Salisbury beyond Gillingham.

Roads
As is evident from several sections of this report, there are strong feelings amongst villagers about the roads, pavements and verges, as well as the perceived danger spots (84.9%). Villagers believe there is an urgent need for additional road safety measures to make Marnhull a safer place.
It was clear from discussions at the Village Plan Open Day on November 10th 2005 that these issues are under constant review by the Parish Council. The Traffic Manager from Dorset County Council, who deals with these issues when raised by the PC, was also there and indicated the levels of priority Marnhull’s representations receive when he is faced with similar demands across the county. He has a good rapport with Marnhull PC representatives, being the first to say that a constructive working relationship is more beneficial to Marnhull than being confrontational.

Road Safety at St Gregory’s School
At present Marnhull’s most significantly persuasive argument for any changes to roads configuration and speed limits is the School Travel Plan for St. Gregory’s Primary School in New Street. The existence of this Plan has been key in securing action by the Traffic Department, and has already led to the gap in the Crown Car Park Hedge on Church Hill being installed. There is also the possibility of a Traffic Deflector being introduced at the end of New Street by the Churchyard wall to slow down traffic. In addition a request for a lower Speed Limit on the B 3092 at St Gregory’s Church corner is being considered, but this will take much longer, if it is ever agreed. At the moment our request is about number 90 on the list and normally the County Council manage to deal with around 25 to 30 such requests a year because of finance and practical limitations. Of course there is always the possibility that other, more urgent requests might be pushed in ahead of that for Marnhull in the intervening time.

Improvements of Surfaces
There is overwhelming support (80%) for an improvement of the road surfaces in Marnhull. Quite reasonably and logically such improvements would automatically lead to better road safety because the condition of many of them is appalling. The Parish Council provides periodic reports to the various agencies at District and County level for these problems to be addressed by Clarence or the Parish Maintenance Unit. The Parish Council welcomes reports from anybody wishing to indicate places of most concern to them, either through the Parish Clerk or at one of the Council’s monthly meetings. The information presented supports the Parish Council in providing evidence to the relevant agencies, not least Dorset County Council.

Road Safety
Road safety in Marnhull is perceived to be an important issue with 91% believing there are danger spots throughout the Village. Much of this belief is based on those spots identified as Danger Spots/Traffic Hazards as noted in that paragraph above. One problem not mentioned above is pedestrian/vehicle conflict (22%), but this probably falls within the Dorset County Council’s support for self-induced traffic calming schemes!
More traffic restrictions (18%) and wider pavements (17%) are urged, though it is difficult to see how the latter can be accommodated in most parts of Marnhull without significantly changing the character of the place.
50.2% want to see restrictions on access for Heavy Vehicles while a further 12.5% want restrictions on buses (mainly Sackmore Lane it seems), but changes in either are unlikely as things stand, especially for buses where any restriction on access will go against Marnhull getting better public transport services (12.4%).
However, depending on the outcome of the bio ethanol plant development at Wessex Grain, restrictions governing heavy vehicles could change since the projections for the increase in traffic movements of 40 ton trucks and tankers are between an extraordinary 200 and 300 a day. Dorset County and District Councils have indicated they will want to implement measures to ensure access for those vehicles is confined to specific routes and closely controlled.

Traffic Hazards
Danger spots and/or Traffic Hazards are another prominent matter emerging from the survey. 84.9% believe there are Danger Spots on Marnhull’s roads, which relate to Traffic Speeds (49.3%), Lorry Traffic (37.9%), Lack of parking (33.5%) and Congestion (27.8%).
It might be helpful to note the DCC comments referring to the understandable concern over several spots on the B 3092, the Pilwell/Church Hill junction (improved in 2004), Burton Street by the shops, Sackmore Lane, New Street near the school and Chippel Lane in that there is no record of any serious accidents at any of these spots. They also consider a degree of congestion is a good traffic calming measure.
According to the Police (see above) and the Traffic Department of the County Council there are no accident black or danger spots in Marnhull as there have been no reported injuries or deaths in recent years. It is well known, of course, that somebody has to be nearly killed before the authorities begin take any notice of our concerns, but one supposes they need to have a way of setting priorities, so while we find this unacceptable, any alternative is likely to be also. However Marnhull residents perceive there to be a number of dangerous spots, which are places where accidents (possibly serious ones) are waiting to happen.

Speed Limits
Observation: Two years ago the Parish Council approached the DCC with a list of requests to improve road safety in the Parish including the introduction of 20 mph speed limits in parts of Burton Street and New Street and at the Church corner of the B 3092. The PC hold the view that the existence of a lower limit works as a clear warning to drivers that there is an unusually tricky hazard at the relevant place. However, Traffic at DCC rejected the speed limit suggestion both because of their wish to reduce the number of speed limits in the County and because they hold that 20 mph is not the deterrent some people believe it to be.
The DCC Traffic Department says it is aiming to reduce, not increase the number of speed limits in the county; they want to have limits that are clearly necessary and that make sense to road users. They believe “there is no point in having a speed limit if the road user cannot identify the reason why it exists.” For example 40 mph limits on country roads through what is essentially open countryside are unlikely to be taken seriously by road users.
However, recent announcements by Central Government indicate that the local authority might be required to change its policy on not employing 20 mph speed limits. Amongst the proposed recommendation is one that requires 20 mph limits to be included as a way of reducing the law enforcement agencies’ dependence on speed cameras. Meanwhile half the village believes excessive speed is a hazard in Marnhull.

Danger Spots
68% place the Church corner on the B3092 where New Street and Church Hill join as the most serious followed by 55% who find the junction where Pilwell meets Church Hill to be dangerous because of bad visibility up Church Hill in particular. 52% believe Burton Street by the shops to be a danger, though much of this is probably due to inconsiderate parking by other drivers.
New Street outside of St Gregory’s School is identified as a danger spot by 49% of respondents; the reasons definitely include inconsiderate parking of vehicles by parents during “drop off” and “pick up” times, but also the speeds of other vehicles during the same times, making an additional hazard particularly for those parents who are making use of the Crown car park as encouraged by the School Travel Plan. Parking on both sides of the road is also considered very inconsiderate. The solution is therefore in the hands of those visiting the school at that time.
Sackmore Lane is seen by 43% of respondents as being dangerous due to the narrowness of the road, while 21% of residents feel the junction of Chippell Lane and New Street to be dangerous because of bad visibility. To make any significant changes to either of these would change the character of the village altogether, so it is difficult to see what can or should be done.
16% express a belief that the approach to St Mary’s School is dangerous. Bearing in mind the location with few if any Marnhull residents passing the school, and the fact that the majority of children at St Mary’s come from outside Marnhull, 16% is a significant number. The head of the school is working on what appears to be a sound solution but is meeting local resistance. Maybe as a first step the Parish Council should look at the ideas are see if they can find a way of making them acceptable to everyone.
Recommendations on how to solve these issues include additional speed limits (30%); The introduction of mirrors (28%) at the relevant spots like Pilwell/Church Hill (not popular with the DCC because of accidental damage or vandalism); Traffic Calming measures (27%), which DCC believe we already have by a much cheaper method; More road warning signs (21%) and Children at Play signs (19%); A one way system in Sackmore Lane (13%) and restrictions on buses in the Village (13%), which conflicts with the desire for improved bus services.
General Observation: The concern over vehicles, traffic hazards and road safety is where the status of Marnhull as a village conflicts with today’s car culture, and we have to decide to which we wish to give priority. It might be said that our reliance on the car has unduly influenced our reasoning over these issues, and that is almost certainly the case. Maybe just as we urge children to walk to school, so we should be thinking of walking more ourselves when we go about our various errands and business in the village.

Some comments received on returned questionnaires:

“Parish Council should ban dogs from the recreation field, or enforce the requirement for dogs to be on the lead”
“We would be interested in an amateur dramatic society being set up”
“Village hall - better outside lighting and car park”
“Children’s play area needs more benches”

Out of School Activities
125 respondents answered the question, which attempts to determine what, if any, are the problems regarding attendance of after school activities. 68% of respondents indicated they have no problems while the remaining 32% pointed out the main difficulties lie with Transport 9.6%, Distance 6.4% and Cost 6.4%. Based on this level of feedback there does not appear to be one particular major problem to be addressed, however it might be a good thing to try and identify those people who find difficulties because they could be some of the more disadvantaged members of our Community.

Communication of Information
The effectiveness of the Marnhull Messenger in providing information to the village was supported by 85% , followed by the local paper 60% and Notice boards around the village being read by 49%. A significant number (55%) indicated they find information from notices attached to telegraphs poles (illegally). though disappointingly notices are often not removed after the relevant events. The feedback from 75% respondents indicated that they feel that the Marnhull Messenger should include more information on local events, with 63.6% wanting more information from the Parish Council. The inclusion of more information regarding local clubs/societies and sport should be encouraged by 44% and 33.8% respectively. These points have been passed to the editorial staff of the Marnhull Messenger and will be passed to the Parish Council for consideration as to how they can improve postings on notice boards.

Tourism
It is evident from 74% that local Footpath Maps would be of considerable use to both villagers and visitors to the area. Indeed the Parish Council is responding to a request from Sturminster Newton Information Office for such maps and it is hoped to produce some early in the Budget Year of 2006/7 to be sold at a modest charge. The viability of making these maps available through shops, garages and public houses will be investigated.
50% responded to the tourism question feeling strongly that there is a need for a Tourist Information Point that would be to the overall benefit of the community and visitors alike. It is considered that this and the Footpath Map should be part of an ongoing Parish Council local information strategy. Within the strategy should be the objective to broaden the availability of information to all members of the Marnhull Community and visitors including the information point, which should be prominently positioned.
Perhaps, and providing any annual charge is affordable, the Parish Council should investigate the possibility of a degree of co-operation with the Information Office in Sturminster Newton. They have no dedicated budget so anything like maps or local information points would fall upon the Marnhull precept.
The sailing events for the 2012 Olympics will take place at Weymouth Bay in Dorset and 33.8% agreed there would be requirement for accommodation for visitors to the events. This likely demand would need to be supported by an information pack about the village and 37.5% considered that a web site should be developed. Indeed it would be possible to dedicate a full page to the Olympics and Marnhull on the new Messenger website.
A significant percentage of 62.3% consider there would be a need for daily bus services direct to and from the events.

Social Facilities
From the 810 respondents it is evident that social facilities in the village are biased towards the 26 to 60 years old age group (Sports Clubs excluded) with an even stronger bias towards the 60 years plus group. From those who had an opinion in each age group: 91% considered the 60 plus have reasonable or good social facilities in the village while 81% believe a similar case existed for those in the 26 to 60 group. Conversely 74% believe that facilities for the 17 to 25 group are poor, it was an even split between reasonable or poor facilities for children up to the age 16.
Providing suitable social or leisure facilities for those in the youngest group, together with those aged between 7 and 16 is a constant dilemma for those charged with the responsibility of trying to improve them. Of course any initiative is discouraged by the growing problem of vandalism, because not only is it disheartening to the volunteers who work to improve facilities for the younger people, but once established these facilities have to be maintained to the standards required by the Health and Safety Executive, which sends inspectors round every year to ensure the Parish Council is fulfilling its responsibilities.
It would be extremely helpful if there were a concerted effort by the law-abiding majority of younger people in Marnhull to discourage the unsociable behaviour of the wanton few. Meanwhile the Parish Council is urged to see what more can be done to provide additional facilities.

Usage of Village Hall and Sporting Facilities
66.6% (865) of villagers responded to the question on frequency of use of the various facilities. The most popular is the Village Hall with 22% using it on a monthly basis, while 41% use it for special events and further 15% of respondents have used it in the past 12 months.
The changes to the Village Hall most of the 579 respondents would like to see include the addition of indoor sporting facilities (33.5%); improvements to the kitchen (23%); redecoration of the hall both inside and out (22%) and a number of respondents wanted improvements to the sound and stage. Initial planning is in progress for kitchen improvements and plans are in hand for decorating the hall. These points have been passed to the Village Hall committee.
Of the sports facilities available respondents indicated they used the facilities at least once a month: 6% (53) use the tennis court; 3.3% (29) use the skate park; 4.6% (38) use the cricket pitch; 3.3% (29) use the football pitch and 1% (8) use the basket ball court. Of all (865) respondents an average of more than 58% (500) have not used any of the sporting facilities.

Swimming Pool
37.3% (208) of respondents support the need to provide, in some form or other, either access or availability of a local swimming pool. It has been suggested that St Gregory’s School be approached to determine if there exists the possibility to have access to their pool under controlled conditions.

Children’s Playground
10.3% out of 369 respondents use the Children’s Playground weekly and 22% (81 respondents) on a monthly basis. The most important improvements to the play area equipment suggested are a roundabout (34%); see saw (34%), rockers (30%), zip slide (29%), climbing frame (27.5%) and slide (25%). It seems pretty clear that usage is not higher because of the ageing equipment and the damage caused by youths who use the area as a refuge, as they have nowhere else to go. An action exists for the Parish Council to completely review the age and current status of the existing equipment and establish a programme of refurbishment or total replacement with new purchases.
The need for a leisure facility for the 11 to 18 year old group is already established.

Church Premises: Non Worship Activities
Of the churches in Marnhull currently 5.8% (50) of respondent’s use them on a monthly basis for non-worship activities, 25% use them for special events and, sadly, 39% have never used them.

Mobile Library
4.5% (39) of respondents use the mobile library on a monthly basis while 68.5% have never used it. We believe there is no action to be taken.

Changes and Improvements in Marnhull
65% (851) of respondents wish to see a number of environmental changes or improvements carried out in Marnhull. With regard to improving the overall environment, a majority (55.4%) are in favour of more trees being planted; 61.2% wish to see an increasing number of dog waste bins; 49.3% more benches; 36.2% restrictions on bonfires; and 49% would like to see the development of a nature reserve. A number of additional comments were made regarding the extent of dog fouling, it would appear that there are specific areas that are of concern namely; near the schools, at and near the recreation ground and the cemetery.39% would like a bus shelter built, but this will have to be considered in conjunction with usage of available bus services. See also Transport section. It is recommended that the Parish Council clearly advertises when items relating to the location of trees, benches etc are on the Agenda so that members of the public have the opportunity to turn up and give their views.

Postal and Telephone Services
Only 22.9% support the introduction of more post boxes while less than 14% want to see more telephone boxes introduced. However great importance was placed on the fact that Marnhull has a local Post Office, not least because of the above average age of the population.

Indoor Cinema
30.2% of the 851 respondents to this question support the introduction of an indoor cinema, but there are 27.8% against the idea, quite why it is not clear, though additional noise has been mentioned. However with this level of support it is considered that the introduction of an indoor cinema along the lines of Moviola could be successful. This has the signs of being a significant fundraising opportunity, which could provide funds to support some of the projects in the pipeline as a result of this survey, but volunteers will be required to take on the responsibility of running it. The Parish Council have already indicated their willingness to support the project by offering to underwrite any losses during the first 3 months. In consultation with the PC, this could probably be extended to any reasonable start up costs also. Moviola provide an interesting list of up to date films as well as a few classics, provide the projector and screen and have a minimum but modest charge.

Some comments received on returned questionnaires:

“School leavers too young to drive but no services to local towns”
“The formation of a young peoples forum/council, with an elected representative to liaise with the Parish Council. Important for feedback of information, opinion, projects and initiatives from the youth groups and all young people of the village”

Youth Response to Special Questionnaire for 7 to 17 year olds
99 children and young adults answered the questions –
11 from those aged between 7 and 9
49 from those aged between 10 and 14
39 from those aged between 15 and 17.

Main Points to Consider for the 7 to 17 year olds

Transport
It is absolutely clear that the lack of any reasonable and regular public transport service through Marnhull is probably the greatest stumbling block to reducing the boredom factor amongst our 7 to 17 year olds getting around more. The young people’s contribution to this part of the survey is very useful for supporting a recommended policy to seek better and regular Bus Services. (Please see the Transport section). Of particular note is the 35% who wish to see better transport, and the 14% who say the lack of it prevents them from getting involved in after school activities, with a further 10% saying the lack of buses prevents them getting involved in activities in the village and surrounding area.

Recreation and Free Time
62% have friends outside the village, 38% have friends within the village and the most likely means of meeting is by car with walking and cycling coming close second. The most popular pastimes are watching TV/ Videos, playing computer/video games, sports and chilling out with friends. When asked for reasons for not taking part in activities within the village and surrounding areas 10% stated lack of transport, 13% said things were too expensive and 12% said they had too much school work/lack of time. 60% listed somewhere to gather as a priority for them in the village. Better transport provision to meet with friends outside the village was also highlighted as a need. The Parish Council say this is high on the agenda to find a solution, but expense will be a major factor. 69% of respondents socialise with friends outside the village, which reflects the fact that the two high schools are in Gillingham and Sturminster Newton. The lack of suitable bus services is a major issue.
45% said they do not take part in what activities and pastimes are available because they find nothing of interest. This suggests not everyone is aware of what opportunities exist and it is suggested that an effort should be made to publicise them more. Obviously the Sports Clubs (is there more they can do to stimulate participation of 7 to 17 year olds?), Skate Park and Crusaders are there, but maybe more non-sporting activities like the Arts, Cooking, Music, Reading or Presentations aimed at the younger people to give them the benefit of hearing and learning about some of the more exciting and interesting experiences of retired people in the Village through talks accompanied by Visual Aids about their Hobbies, Businesses, Professions, Military Experiences etc.
In conversation some younger people expressed the view that if their friends went to certain events, they would go also. Of course anything organised would have to be affordable for the younger people.

Youth Club
The Youth club had to shut down because of lack of support – the volunteers required by legislation to be in attendance were outnumbering those who attended, but when that was not the case, a lack of suitable facilities, especially during the winter, made it difficult to find enough things for the members to do within the limitations of the Village Hall. Transport yet again was stated as a reason. As before – see Transport Section).

A Few Ideas
No doubt some will make the comment that if the Youth are not interested in attending the Youth Club, then what is all the fuss about facilities for them? But this survey overall suggests things are not as simple as that; clearly too much might be expected of Marnhull in the way of providing facilities, after all this is a village of less than 2,000 people, but the responses prove that one way or another a solution needs to be found. If we could achieve better and more regular bus services, that would surely help a lot, but it is necessary to provide more than that.
Without question the leading priority is somewhere for the young to gather. Interpretations of that vary from an area at the recreation ground to a teen café. The loss of seating around the pavilion means there has been nowhere really suitable for younger people to gather spontaneously. There is a suggestion that the British Legion might be prepared to hold one or two nights when the youngsters are welcome to gather, play pool and have soft drinks. This could be workable for older children, say 13 years plus; the hall has somewhere to chat, is manned all the time and could generate a culture of respect through being in presence of adults. Marnhull British Legion actively encourages young people to come to the club and become members, as they understand that this is the way to maintain a sustainable membership. The policy is that to be a member and come to the club unaccompanied you have to be over 18 years old anyone under 18 can have a youth membership but must be accompanied to the club by someone over 18 years old. There is the facility to purchase soft drinks at the bar and a pool table, darts chairs and tables to sit at and events during the year. Marnhull British Legion has no opposition to children of all ages from toddlers to teenagers and tries to encourage families to come along together. The policy of no unaccompanied under 18 years old is a national branch policy.
We believe that there is a need for a robust shelter at the Recreation Ground, unless it is agreed to reintroduce a covered terrace with seats in front of the Pavilion both for the benefit of the cricketers and youngsters. It will be important to consider potential conflict between different age groups because 13 year olds will not want to sit with 16 year olds, and vice versa.
86 of the 99 respondents are still at school, 12 at college and 1 in full time work and they travel as per the following chart. This gives little or no indication as to the lack of better and regular Bus Services because practically all children travelling by bus to school go by dedicated school buses.

Unfortunately the response to the question asking for ‘for things you would like to see, use or share in Marnhull’ was either misunderstood or not fully responded to, the expectation was that there should be much higher numbers against the proposals even allowing for those who did not respond. As to a café, this requires private enterprise, but the demand for a swimming pool is realistic enough if either an arrangement with St Gregory’s School can be developed, or the Marnhull numbers are used to support such a facility in Sturminster Newton. Villagers no doubt have read that the pool at Shaftesbury is to be covered so year round use will be available. Note has been made about the need for a Public Toilet from the main questionnaire response, but there are serious problems (vandalism, maintenance, cost etc.) with this one that will need to be addressed before one can be made available.

Contents | 1. Overview | 2. Intro to Marnhull | 3. Actions & Strategy | 4. Residents Views | 5. Data | Summary