Great Bowden Community Questionnaire

Question Title

Great Bowden in the 1940s ... but what is it going to be like in 2026 and beyond?

This is your opportunity to help shape its future! Please help our Neighbourhood Plan to reflect what you would like to see by completing this questionnaire

Thanking you in advance

Your village needs you!

As you are probably aware, Great Bowden is in the process of developing a Neighbourhood Plan.

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

Neighbourhood Planning is part of the central government’s initiative to make planning policy less remote for communities such as Great Bowden by involving them in the important decisions that can shape the future of their parish.

A Neighbourhood Plan can cover future housing development with regard to type and location, community facilities, transport, traffic and the protection of important spaces and buildings.

A Neighbourhood Plan Advisory Group has been formed by Great Bowden Parish Council to act on behalf of the Council to develop Great Bowden’s Neighbourhood Plan.

The process has three broad stages:

• The community is consulted about its wishes and preferences

• A Draft Plan is created

• A referendum is held in which voters in the parish decide by simple majority whether to accept the Plan or not.

Completing this survey

We would encourage you to complete this survey so that we can be confident that our Plan is being created on behalf of the whole community and its stakeholders. You should allow about 20 minutes to complete it.

Finally, we are also interested in the views of young people in the parish, even though they will not be able to vote in the referendum. There is a short questionnaire for 11-18 year olds which can be completed online at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GreatFuture. We would be very grateful to receive opinions from this age group, which will also be incorporated into the Draft Plan.

If further paper copies of the survey are needed they too can be obtained from Peter Mitchell.

If you need any help completing the survey, have any questions about the process or would like to help in developing the Plan, please feel free to contact Natalie Holmes, Jim Culkin or Tony Hipgrave, who are all members of the Advisory Group.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Peter Mitchell (01858466234; peter.mitchell2@hotmail.co.uk)

Tony Hipgrave (01858681370;THipgrave@aol.com)

Natalie Holmes (01858432658; nt500@aol.com)

Jim Culkin (01858463079; culkin.gb@ntlworld.com)

Other members of the Advisory Group are: Paul Claxton, Anne French and Richard Henwood

Question Title

Great Bowden Parish Boundary Map

Information

How does Great Bowden compare to Market Harborough? Here are some statistics.

Great Bowden                      Market Harborough

Population 1,017                  Population 22,911

Houses 449                         Houses 10,026

47% detached                     48% detached

34% semi-detached             29% semi-detached

20% terraced                       15% terraced

3% 1 bed                              6% 1 bed

30% 2 bed                            22% 2 bed

41% 3 bed                            37% 3 bed

21% 4 bed                            26% 4 bed

9% 5 bed                              9% 5 bed

78% owner occupied            78% owner occupied

9% rented – affordable         8% rented – affordable

10% private rent                   10% private rent

Did you know that…

Great Bowden has "separation land" to the south between Great Bowden and Market Harborough to stop the settlements merging. We are surrounded by fields of historic ridge and furrow. We have 56 Listed Buildings within Great Bowden and more that could be added, as they predate 1800.

This Questionnaire has been compiled with information, ideas and feedback from the public Open Event, held on May 6th/7th where 127 people attended and expressed their views.

Please complete the questionnaire as soon as possible. Deadline 23 July 2016