Call for fewer homes and more facilities in Startforth

FEWER housing projects and more community facilities have come out as favourites in a dale village marked by major development.

A questionnaire given out in Startforth has revealed most people want improved broadband internet and the former primary school buildings and fields to be used as a community centre and sports facility.

The returned forms revealed there was also strong support for the former school site to become a free school or nursery – but none of the 68 survey responders wanted housing there.

Volunteers from the Startforth neighbourhood plan committee gave out the questionnaires as part of a consultation on the village’s future.

The team hopes to create a blueprint in the next two years so villagers have a say in future planning decisions.

Parish councillor Pat Estall, who is also a planning group member, was pleased with the 16 per cent response rate and noted survey views on the former primary school.

He added: “A lot of people were up for having the school returning to existence – it justifies the parish council in supporting the school and the planning group with presenting a case to the county council looking at re-establishing it.”

When it came to the amount of housing villagers wanted, results showed an even split in those who were strongly against between zero and ten homes being built and those who wanted a small number erected in “infill sites”.

Elsewhere in Startforth, 37 people wanted a subsidised bus service to improve the parish with 60 people seeing “protecting and enhancing the landscape” as important.

Moves to preserve historic features and green spaces in the village were backed by 87 per cent of responders.

Other suggestions included open areas for ball games, a new pub and shop and protection of the line of sight to the castle from High Startforth.

Startforth has no pub, no shop and no longer has a school after Startforth Morritt Memorial Primary School was shut by Durham County Council at the end of last year.

But hopes have been revived in the village with the old school building being converted into a community hub to host lunch clubs, meetings and fitness classes in recent months.

Results of the survey were pinned to the phone box off the A67 near Deerbolt Bank.

Jim Boaden is leader of the neighbour plan committee which serves under the umbrella of the parish council

He admitted he was quite surprised by some of findings.

Mr Boaden added: “We didn’t really know what to expect to be honest so it was illuminating. The views were more diverse than we were expecting.

“We thought quite a lot of people would be against any change but that’s not what people are saying.”

Mr Estall said the parish council had offered strong support to the planning group.