12. Conclusions: Aims and Actions
12.1 Introduction to the Action Plan
This section sets out the actions that the Groups identified to address their concerns. If implemented they would go a long way towards achieving the Vision and Objectives as set out. However they are “bottom up”, not top down, and do not claim to be a comprehensive programme.
Nevertheless, a great deal of work has been undertaken by the consultants and Parish Council in carrying out the initial consultations and subsequently by the Action Groups in producing their reports and action lists. In many cases their work is on-going and further recommendations may come forward as a result of surveys undertaken by the Village Centre and Shops, Public Services and Transport Groups.
This Plan is therefore in some ways an interim report on “work in progress”, especially in relation to major projects that require land, finance, time and commitment of many people. However there are also many other firm recommendations that can bring more immediate results, many of which do not require large amounts of money. They do however need ratification, support and leadership from the bodies concerned.
The tables that follow attempt to identify who needs to be involved in delivering these actions (with the lead body in bold) and when they should be completed (breaking larger items down into “milestones”). At this stage the dates are tentative and must be signed up to by the parties concerned; dates for the medium and long term actions are especially difficult to fix.
The tables are not written in tablets of stone and may need to be changed and added to as events unfurl. Without such a list however it is unlikely that many would be achieved. It will be the Parish Council’s job to monitor them on a regular, probably annual, basis and to take whatever action is necessary to secure progress. In order to help all concerned understand what is expected of them, separate lists are being prepared of the actions required from the key stakeholders in the Parish Plan and these will be sent to them.
12.2 The Next Steps
There is a need to bring the results of this work together in a coordinated plan for the village, especially for the village centre. The “Planning for Real” exercise will be a good means of helping achieve this, pulling together the concerns about parking and bus shelters, the extension of the library and the desire for a central square or village green.
Further work is also a need to address the overlap between the issues of children’s play, sport and recreation facilities and providing activities for young people. The Cove Road recreation ground, the Institute, the field adjoining the cricket ground and possibly land near the primary school have all been identified to assist in such provision and the Parish Council, in consultation with residents and Lancaster City Council, will need to give a lead on the coordination and development of these proposals.
In the meantime, the commitment needs to be gained of all those involved in delivering Aims and Actions. Once the Countryside Agency, as the sponsoring body, is happy with the Plan, Lancaster City Council, as the local planning authority, and most importantly the residents and businesses of Silverdale need to be consulted, followed by the other key stakeholders who are being asked to take action. As a start to such consultation, a summary of this document has been prepared for distribution to all households in the village. In looking ahead of our time, this plan is therefore only the beginning of a process of improvement to make Silverdale an even better place in which to live, work and enjoy ourselves.