Village Action Plan

Cold Norton Parish Council’s ACTION PLAN

resulting from Cold Norton’s Village Appraisal 2000 plus

Cold Norton’s Golden Jubilee Photograph Day 2002

1.       Housing and Planning –

Discourage large-scale development; encourage variety in size, building materials and style; encourage the establishment of some low-cost units for young/single people.

2.       Police and Crime –

Promote and encourage the re-kindling of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme (seek active support from the Essex Police for this); continue to push for more visible and effective policing in the Dengie Hundred in general and Cold Norton in particular; develop a more positive defence against vandalism and encourage the school to help ‘spread the message’

3.       Highways and Road Safety –

Continue to push for a ‘Quiet Lane’ network and traffic calming in conjunction with this; continue to lobby Highways to increase the width of the main footpath between the centre of the village and Country Produce.

4.       Local Environment and Facilities –

Monitor the flooding problems; Lobby the District Council on the recycling issue.

5.       Countryside –

Draw up a policy on the preservation of our rural landscape; Continue to insist that the footpaths and bridleways are kept open and clear of obstructions; Continue to plant suitable trees and wildflowers to enhance the existing landscape; Resist ‘urbanisation’; Remove unnecessary ‘street furniture’

6.       Transport –

Support and promote the alternate means of transport – buses through the village and trains from Fambridge Station – for the benefit of those residents who have currently no access to a motor vehicle, and for those residents who, in the future, may lose their access to a motor vehicle.

7.       Facilities –

Support and encourage the Village Hall Management Committee to maintain and improve the facilities at the hall; Support & encourage any group that wishes to use the Playing Field facilities; Setting up a Playing Field Management Committee to be investigated. Investigate the possibility of building a ‘pavilion’ on the field; Investigate other possible venues for evening classes and clubs e.g. The Church & the School.

8.       Shops and Services –

Continue to support the local shop – keeping the highways issues in mind; publicise and promote the Mobile Library Service – ‘use it or lose it’

9.       Church –

The Parish Council will support and encourage all attempts to keep the fabric of the church in good order – for future generations, and will encourage the use of the church as a meeting place for clubs and evening classes.

10.   Allotments –

Monitor the situation.

11.   Publicity –

Develop and maintain a good website for Cold Norton. Seek the provision of broadband connections for Cold Norton.