Dear residents,

At the request of Woodditton Parish Council, in my capacity as Chair of the Dullingham Parish Plan Group, I was invited to attend the first meeting of the Woodditton Parish Plan Group in the Church Hall at Saxon Street on the 9th June.

Woodditton is about to embark along the same path as Dullingham, and that is to produce a Parish Plan. The newly-formed group welcomed the advice and experience that Adrian du Plessis (also from Dullingham Parish Plan Group) and I were able to pass on.

We gave the group copies of the Dullingham Parish Plan questionnaire, as well as the Constitution and examples of letters and Parish Plan Bulletins which had also sent out.

The response to Woodditton Parish Council's request to form a Parish Plan Committee was most encouraging, with seven people agreeing to join the Woodditton Parish Plan Group. The Group, like Dullingham's Group, will be a sub-committee of the Parish Council, and will work independently to achieve its aim, which is to consult the community on its views on the future of Woodditton.

It was recognised that the task of producing a Parish Plan for Woodditton will be challenging. Woodditton Parish has an urban as well as rural community to consult. The first job for the group is to apply for a grant, followed by the production of a meaningful questionnaire to be sent to every household in the Parish. The results of the questionnaire will no doubt demonstrate common areas of interest as well as the differences between the two quite different sectors of the Parish.

Strong local opinions have been expressed recently, particularly over planning and housing matters in the parish of Woodditton. The Parish Plan Questionnaire will give every household the opportunity to make these and other views known, as well as what you think about a variety of local issues, such as speeding, road safety, local transport, the price and type of housing available, community life, sports and social facilities etc etc. The responses to the Questionnaire will be analysed and will make the basis of the Woodditton Parish Plan. This project will be considered by the local authority as proper consultation with the parish - and they must take your views into account on future planning matters.

The group is to meet again on the 21st June and I hope as many parishioners as possible will support the work they are to undertake. When you receive the Woodditton Parish Plan Questionnaire, in the near future, please find the time to complete it, because this is YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SAY in the future of Woodditton.