PARISH COUNCIL - Breinton’s Community Led Plan is at a crucial stage. Between February 2-9, questionnaires will be delivered to every household in the parish to establish the ideas and concerns of local people. It is hoped that everyone in the parish (aged six and above) will complete a questionnaire, which will then be collected between February 9-25.

The plan updates and replaces the previous parish plan and is being put together by a group of local volunteers. Following a very successful consultation last summer at the fete, the group has a feel for what is important to local residents. This questionnaire uses that information so it is vital that everyone joins in. The questionnaire is in two parts. One for adults aged 18 and over and a shorter one for young people aged between six and 17 years. Local businesses will be consulted separately. The steering group (under the auspices of the parish council) hopes that over 90 per cent of residents will give their views, as has happened in other parts of Herefordshire. A dedicated group of local volunteers will be delivering and collecting the questionnaires and speak to residents. The completed questionnaires will be analysed independently and it will not be possible to identify anyone’s answers. The results will be used to draft the 2013 Community Led Plan which will be widely publicised. The final version needs to be approved by the parish council which will decide whether to go one step further and get the key findings established as local planning policy.

“It’s a long slog,”says parish council chairman Tony Geeson. “We have to work within the overall planning policies of Herefordshire council but there are opportunities to influence these. Despite the recession, there is so much change being proposed for Hereford that it’s really important that local people have their say. As a small parish we can only do so much on our own but the feedback from residents will help us to influence others.” All questionnaires completed by adults in the parish will be entered into a draw with a £50 first prize. It is hoped this will encourage people to complete their forms.