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Chard Community Plan 2023 FINAL
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Contents
Executive Summary (available as a separate document)
Report
Introduction
Demographics
Your Town
Health & Wellbeing
Community Facilities and Services
Businesses
Climate Emergency & Environmental Issues
Cost of Living Crisis
Community Safety
Young People & Children
Retired & Older People
Privacy Statement
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Page 6
Page 7
Page 10
Page 13
Page 23
Page 28
Page 32
Page 34
Page 36
Page 39
Page 42
Action plan (available as a separate document with funding plan)
Appendix 1: June 2023 consultation
Appendix 2: Comments
Image below: Some of the Community Plan Steering Group members left to right Roz Hall, Cllr Dave
Bulmer, Serena Wootton (chair), Beverley Newman, Cllr Banah Crook, Cllr Claire Richter, Tim
Bickham, Howard Bailey
Front cover images left to right: Spring Festival 2023; Arts and Crafts at Chard Community Hub; Chard
Museum; Howard’s Row; Redstart pupils at Chard Museum preparing Episode 8 of ChardCast.
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Introduction
Welcome to the Chard Community Plan 2023. It is with great pleasure that the
steering group publish this plan, which has been put together as a result of a
community survey and a range of engagement events. Areas of specific interest
have been investigated, researched and views sort to enable this plan to come
together. We accept it is not perfect and does not address everything that needs to
be done to improve Chard. However, it does represent a great number of views from
those who chose to get involved, identifies some key areas for improvement and
some proposed actions.
The process by which this report and action plan has been produced is as follows: A
steering group was set up from people who expressed an interest through the Chard
Town Council website and was a mixture of Councillors and members of the
community with particular areas of expertise. A survey was developed in
collaboration with Smart Communities and published for completion in March 2023.
To assist those who didn’t have internet access or needed help in completing the
survey, three in-person engagement events were also held. A total of 539 people
completed the survey. The survey findings were analysed, and the findings placed
into this report.
Steering Group Members are; Serena Wootton (Chair), Cllr Andi Grief-Page (Vice
Chair), Cllr Dave Bulmer, Cllr Banah Crook, Claire Edmonds, Roz Hall, Cllr Jenny
Kenton, Ryan Parr, Cllr Claire Richter, Louise Tompkins and Andy Webb.
The steering group was ably and patiently supported by Beverley Newman and Tim
Bickham of Chard Town Council.
The Town
Chard is an historic market town nestled within the glorious countryside of South
Somerset, close to the Devon and Dorset borders.
Chard is the second largest town in South Somerset. At 121 metres (397ft) above
sea level it is both the southernmost and one of the highest located towns in
Somerset.
People have been living in the Chard area since prehistoric times and villas nearby
at Tatworth and Wadeford show that Romans lived here too, but the first written
mention of the town was in 1065 just prior to the Norman invasion.
Like many towns in England, Chard became closely involved in the wool trade. The
rise of the woollen trade in the north of England badly affected the industry in Chard
but in 1819 the manufacture of lace arrived. Soon there were mills in and around
Chard producing bobbin lace net which was exported worldwide.
The industry continued throughout the rest of the 19 th century and into the middle of
the 20th century when the last mill in the town finally closed, although net is still made
in one of the nearby villages. A thriving engineering industry grew up alongside the
lace mills and several of the firms, such as Numatic, which developed from this are
still operating in Chard today. Certain industrial developments such as Oscar Mayer
have encouraged people from Europe to settle here and have enriched the Chard
cultural experience.
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The Town Council wishes to build on the past achievement of the town, celebrate its
heritage and deliver both services and improvements to help Chard continue to grow,
to meet the needs of residents and those who work here and provide a high-quality
visitor experience and offer.
Alongside the Town Council, Chard has a vibrant and very active voluntary sector
with many groups supporting and providing a range of services for residents and
visitors.
The Town is also very proud of its physical assets, the Reservoir, the Museum, the
Guildhall, and the newly built Leisure Centre to name but a few.
Chard has a strong heritage of entrepreneurs and philanthropists. The ‘Chard Five’
represent those from Chard who rose to national prominence. Margaret Bondfield
was a lacemaker’s daughter who became the first female Cabinet minister when she
served as the Minister of Labour in the Labour Government of 1929. James Gifford
was a talented amateur scientist who produced one of the first X-ray photographs of
the human hand and developed optics for telescopes and periscopes for use in
World War I. James Gillingham became a pioneer and expert in designing and
producing artificial limbs, frequently advising top surgeons. Arthur Hull kept a daily
diary about life in Chard. As a land surveyor he found or was given many artefacts
that became the heart of the Museum’s collections. John Stringfellow, with William
Henson, developed and built a steam powered airplane which flew in one of the
Chard Lace Mills in 1848 and was displayed at the Great Exhibition in 1851.
The Doomsday Book recorded details of the settlement, which was then a large,
though not rich, manor. In the middle of the 13th century the lord of the manor, the
Bishop of Wells, drew up a charter founding a new borough of Chard. The site of the
original village, now known as Old Town, was near St Mary’s Church but the new
borough was created a little distance away on what is now the A30.
Some Key Facts About the People that Live in Chard
(sourced from the 2021 census)
Please note this data reflects the Chard Parish but not all respondents come from
within that area.
•
The Chard population is 50.4% female and 49.6% Male.
•
11.8% of people living in Chard were born outside the UK.
•
We have fewer under 50s and more over 50s than the English average.
•
There are 55.6% in employment and 2.8% unemployed whilst 46.1% are
economically inactive (e.g. retired), with 22.3% having no qualifications (this
excludes people under 16 years of age)
•
36.8% of over 16-year-olds are in employment work in semi-skilled or
unskilled occupations.
•
19.9% of Chard residents are disabled which is 2.6% above the English
average.
•
9.1% of the population provide 19 - 50+ hours of unpaid care per week.
•
57.7% of households have one or more dimensions of deprivation compared
with the English average of 51.6 (dimensions are Education, Employment,
Health and Housing)
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Key Findings
As well as the findings within each themed area the team also recognised that there
were some issues that threaded through several themes. Communication and
publicity seem to be critical. There is a huge amount of community activity going on
in Chard that a lot of people are unaware of. Effort needs to go into helping people to
understand what is available to them and how to access it. Transport, or lack of it,
also influenced people's views about the arts, sports, entertainment and other
cultural events. Consideration needs to be given to whether specific facilities need to
be established in Chard or whether the need could be met by having designated
community transport to and from venues and events.
Methodology
Chard Town Council worked with Smart Communities to develop a survey, to consult
the residents of the town and find out how they would like to see the town develop
over the next few years.
Smart Communities, who have experience of working with communities throughout
the country on similar surveys, provided a 'long list' of questions for consideration by
the steering group. These questions were considered in respect of existing local
services and facilities in the town and condensed to the final thirty-two which were
the most relevant to Chard.
The survey was advertised on
Facebook and around the town
before going live on online.
Consideration was given to a
postal survey to each household
but the lack of administrative
capacity to analyse the results
meant this was not feasible.
Smart Communities analysed the
responses and the steering
committee have considered their
findings and provided the
commentary in the final report.
The community engagement events held over 2 days (9 and 10 June 2023) were a
real success, actively enhancing the community feel in the High Street and providing
an outlet for an additional 75 people to have their say. These findings have been set
out in Appendix 1 and will be considered by working groups moving actions forward.
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Demographics
An introduction to who has completed the survey, including some basic
background questions about age, household size and how long they have
lived in the area. Please note that Census 2021 data is now available at
https://census.gov.uk/census-2021-results
Q1 How long have you lived in Chard?
Answered: 537
Skipped: 2
300
255
250
200
150
113
96
100
51
50
22
0
12 months or less
1 - 3 years
4 - 10 years
11 - 20 years
More than 20
years
Of the 537 responses to
this question, 368
responders have lived in
Chard for over eleven
years, nearly half of
respondents to this
question have lived in
Chard for more than 20
years and 83 have only
lived in Chard for under
three years.
Image right: Chard Guildhall
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Q2 How old are you?
Answered: 536
Skipped: 3
160
148
140
127
120
107
102
100
80
60
41
40
20
0
11
0
Under 18
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
Of the 536 responders 51 responders were under 34, 209 responders were between
the ages of 35 and 55, leaving the over half of the responders, 275 in the over 55
age brackets. Meaning that most of the responders were representing the older
sections of Chard community.
As there were no responses from people under 18 the demographic profile of those
respondents compares with the census figures for Chard are skewed in favour of
older age groups particularly from 35 upwards. One reason for the lack of under 18s
response maybe because the prize draw was only open to those over 18.
This chart compares the Census 2021 data for Chard Parish with our survey
respondents:
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Your Town
Your views on living in Chard and a snapshot of what aspects of the town you like
and don’t like.
Questions 3 and 4 were included in the survey as a means of taking a snapshot of
views in 2023. We will be able to use this information to compare and assess what
has been achieved or changed by asking the same question in five or ten years’
time. A number of respondents answered Q3 and Q4 and nothing else, but we felt it
was valid to capture this response in light of capturing a baseline of opinion without
skewing the rest of the data.
Q3 What do you like most about living in Chard? (please tick all that apply)
Answered: 545 Skipped: 9
Close to countryside
485
Local history and heritage
212
Local facilities: shops, pubs, open spaces
164
Size of community
160
Close to towns
157
Community life/activities
145
Educational facilities: childcare, schools, college
66
Road network (access, traffic)
64
Broadband connectivity
58
Other (please specify)
56
Sustainable lifestyle
45
Public transport
17
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
The highest number of respondents (485) to this question listed ‘like being close to
the countryside’, as their reason for liking to live in Chard followed by 212
respondents listing local history and heritage. The least popular response to this
question was public transport (echoed in other topics throughout the survey).
“Other” comments valued Chard’s position close to the coast, and the people and
community spirit. Several explained that they were only living in Chard because of
the affordable house prices which allowed them to get on the housing ladder, but
they would soon be moving out of the area.
•
•
•
The friendliness of the town
The kindness of the residents!
The people, they are so friendly and helpful.
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Q4 What do you like least about living in Chard? (please tick all that apply)
Answered: 517
Skipped: 37
Public transport
270
Local facilities: shops, pubs, open spaces
212
Road network (access, traffic)
172
Other (please specify)
148
Broadband connectivity
86
Educational facilities: childcare, schools, college
83
Community life/activities
78
Size of community
47
Sustainable lifestyle
45
Close to towns
9
Local history and heritage
6
Close to countryside
1
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Of the 517 responses, 270 responders ticked public transport as what they liked
least about living in Chard. Public transport is consistent across Q3 and Q4 as the
least popular aspect of living in Chard and is a topic we will see come up again and
again throughout the survey findings (in environment, health & wellbeing).
There were more “other” comments to this question, with specific concerns over
crime and safety, lack of doctors and dentists, development of new housing without
adequate infrastructure and facilities. All these concerns are found again across
other survey topics. Other examples:
•
•
•
•
Crime rate, lack of early years provision, lack of joined up thinking around services in the town e.g.: food banks, anti-social behaviour prevalence.
Flooding. House expansion.
Lack of sports pitches. Chard should have a 3g/4g facility.
Love the local history but we need to highlight it more and make it generate
income for the town
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Health and Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing is one of the priority topics for consultation in this Community
Review process. You’ll find that many of the other topics covered in this
questionnaire will affect our health in some way too (Traffic & transport; Climate
Emergency; Cost of Living Crisis; Covid recovery).
Q5 How do you rate your general health and wellbeing?
Answered: 506 Skipped: 33
250
221
195 191
200
195
150
100
67
50
33
10
46
40
8
0
Very poor
Poor
Fair
Physical Health
Very good
Excellent
Mental Health
The health of our community is generally very good. Of the 506 responses most, 453
responders feel they have fair/very good/excellent mental health, and 462
responders feel they have fair/very good/excellent physical health. Only 43
responders reported they had poor/very poor physical health and 48 responders
stated poor/very poor mental health.
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Q6 What could be offered in your community to help improve your health and
wellbeing needs, including reducing isolation? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 495
Skipped: 44
Improved community and public transport
225
Clubs and activities
208
Community exercise (park run/walk, outdoor gym)
178
Social prescribing (where the GP prescribes non-medical
activities such as singing, gardening or gym membership)
155
Community gardening
109
More benches
103
Other (please tell us)
95
Befriending
75
Peer support groups
71
None of the above
51
0
50
100
150
200
Of the 495 responses to this question,
225 feel that improved community and
public transport would improve their
health and wellbeing needs. This
reflects the findings to Q4 where public
transport is the least favoured aspect of
living in Chard. Clubs and activities are
also rated as important (208
responses).
Given the number of existing clubs and
sport provision and activity there is in
Chard, this suggests that improved
communications – another repeating
theme - about what is available could
reach more participants and therefore
have a greater impact.
Image left: local bus at Boden Street bus stop,
taken May 2023
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250
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Other comments were themed around:
•
•
•
•
Need for better access to health provision, including mental health workers
Better disabled access to parking and facilities including the swimming pool
More open spaces
Better public transport
Q7 Would you, someone in your household or someone you care for, use or
attend any of the following health and well-being inclusive activities or
therapies?
Answered: 481
Skipped: 58
None of the above
185
Art
146
Music
130
Drama
81
Life skills
80
Bereavement support or counselling
64
Daily living skills
53
Other (please tell us)
49
Sensory play
48
Parent carer social opportunities
33
Parent carer training opportunties
32
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
These responses fall into 3 main areas: The Arts (art, music, drama), Personal
support (life skills, bereavement support, daily living skills) & Parenting Support
(sensory play, parent carer social opportunities, parent carer training opportunities).
Of the 481 responses, 185 wouldn’t use any of the listed support activities. 357
ticked arts-based therapy activities which suggests these would be more popular
among respondents than Personal Support, with 197 responses. This might be
because life skills are offered elsewhere in the town, or because there are less
creative/arts-based opportunities currently. There were lots of individual comments
for this question including requests for more opportunities for board games, yoga,
adult education, parking and public toilets. There was also a concern for elderly
people living on their own.
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Community facilities and services
We have several community facilities in the town, by which we mean
buildings, equipment for recreation and places to assemble for meetings,
events and social gatherings. These questions have helped us understand whether
the facilities are suitable for the community, where improvements are needed or if
new facilities are needed.
Q8 Which of the following do you already use - or would you like to use - the
Community Hub for? Some of these activities are not possible in the current
site but may be available in future sites. (tick any that apply)
Answered: 394
Skipped: 145
Live music
199
17
Adult education classes
199
4
Live theatre
171
11
Health and wellbeing sessions/therapies
21
Multi-use room (pool, darts, skittles, table
tennis, meetings)
15
Local arts and crafts exhibitions
163
155
141
8
Inclusive activities/groups
134
51
Outlets for products made on site
127
12
Fitness
117
56
Young peoples’ activities
3
Sensory garden
1
A place for teenagers to meet
3
Drop in centre, social centre
10
Drop in office space with Wifi
4
A place for the elderly to meet
4
Warm bank (a safe, welcoming space where
people can meet and reduce heating costs…
112
104
98
94
90
89
77
10
Village Agent meeting place
3
Business workspace
5
Facilities for parents with toddlers to meet
6
73
64
59
36
36
Other (please tell us)
0
I would like to use
50
100
150
200
250
I currently use
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We asked what the community currently use the Hub for, and what they would like
to use it for. The green column shows that the numbers of participants currently
using the facilities are small, and in some cases these facilities are not currently
being provided. Of the 394 responses to this question, the Arts once again emerged
as a strong theme of what people would like to use the venue for, with live music
(199) and live theatre (171) in the top three of desired activities, alongside adult
education classes (199) and inclusive activities (134).
Interesting to note that 'fitness’ has a high level of 'currently use' (56) but an even
higher level of 'would like to use' (117). Only 6 respondents said they used the
facilities for parents to meet and 59 participants who said they would like to use it for
this service.
Some of the comments left in 'Other' were around creative uses for The Community
Hub, a few comments about extending hours and the need for jobs. One person was
not sure who the Village Agent was, so again the theme of communication coming
through, and people do not know what is currently available to them.
Q9 There are discussions taking place for the Community Hub to deliver better
early years provision for children aged 0 - 5. If you care for pre-school
children, please tell us what provision you would find useful (please tick all
that apply)
Answered: 131
80
Skipped: 408
74
70
58
60
56
55
51
50
40
40
30
16
20
10
0
First Aid for
children
courses
Play days
Drop in
SEN (special Cooking days Parenting Other (please
sessions for educational
courses
specify)
parents and
needs)
toddlers
awareness
courses
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Image above: art activities provided for families and young children in Chard Guildhall for Jubilee
Celebrations 2022.
131 responded to what pre-school provision would be most useful. First Aid for
children courses had the most (74) responses, followed by play days (58) and drop
in sessions (56). Parenting courses were the least popular response (40).
The ‘other’ comments suggested that there needs to be more groups for Primary
aged children or that there are already childcare groups in town.
Image below: planting with Snowdon House residents
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Q10 How should this early year’s provision be paid for? (please tick all that
apply)
Answered: 225
Skipped: 314
120
109
107
100
75
80
60
48
40
30
20
0
By users only
(donation, pay
what you can
afford)
Grant funding
By users only (paid Through Council
for sessions,
Tax
please indicate in
"other" box how
much you would
be happy to pay
per session)
Other (please
specify)
Of the 225 responses to this question, most responses supported donations (109),
grant funding (107) or earnt income (75) for the early years provision rather than
through Council Tax (48). The ‘other’ comments were a mix of examples of why the
Government should pay and others stating quite the opposite. One comment pointed
out, ‘You may exclude those who really need extra support if you charge’.
Image: Upper Henson Park Opening
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Q11 We would like to develop the existing Saturday street market because a
regular street market offers local produce, supports small businesses and
retailers benefit from the increased number of people visiting the town centre
when the market is busy. Tell us what you would like to see in Chard's street
market (tick any that apply)
Answered: 431
Skipped: 108
Local fruit and veg
397
Plants and flowers
294
Cakes and bread
285
Meat, pies and pasties
272
Street food stands (takeaway)
243
International food stalls
217
Clothing
206
Crafts and jewellery
198
Preserves
197
Books, stationery and cards
190
Pets/animal products
152
"Shabby chic" antiques and bric a brac
147
Beauty products
77
Other (please specify)
45
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
With 431 responses, the survey results show interest and support for expansion of
the market offer. Food was the most popular (total 1197 responses across 4 options),
and this comes through in other topics as well – growing food, food distribution, food
pantry, local farm foods etc.
There was a high number of respondents commenting on the 'Other' box with ideas
on how to make the market better, making sure it would not be selling something that
is already on offer within the town, suggesting road closures and free parking,
promoting local community group stalls. Additionally, respondents were commenting
with suggestions on which other markets to go and look at (Axminster, Honiton,
further afield to Horsham and London’s Portobello Road). Many comments were
made on selling tools and local produce made locally and unique to Chard.
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Image above: Monthly community litter pick
Q12 Which leisure activities and recreation facilities do you currently use in
Chard? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 425
Skipped: 114
Q13 Which leisure activities and recreation facilities in Chard need
improvement? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 394
Skipped: 145
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Of the 425 responses (what facilities do you currently use in Chard), almost half
(197) of the respondents of this questionnaire said they currently use footpaths and
207 respondents have listed footpaths as in need of improvements. Chard has
recently opened a new Leisure Centre with indoor swimming pool, so it is positive to
see these are listed next as the most used facility in Chard (145) and pleasing to see
they do not score highly on needing improvements (27).
Of the 394 responses (what facilities need improvement), 207 of respondents stated
the market needs to be improved, closely followed by the public toilets (204). The
Youth Club was used by only 14 respondents to this question (perhaps not surprising
given that no one under 18 completed the questionnaire) but featured highly as a
facility needing improvement (70).
Some examples of comments are:
•
•
•
•
Baby changing facilities in public areas
I would like to cycle more, as I did in Ilminster when I lived there, but feel
unsafe on many of the routes around Chard (I'm 65) so would prefer routes
with no traffic
More equipment for people with disabilities
We need a sports centre for indoor sports. Open all year not just in between
exams and holidays
Image above: Upper Henson Park Opening
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Q14 Which facilities would you like to use if they were available in Chard? (tick
any that apply)
Answered: 349
Skipped: 190
Theatre/cinema
234
Outdoor gym equipment
120
Community fuel scheme (oil purchasing, solar
panels etc)
91
Pavilion/band stand
75
Other (please tell us)
48
Warm bank (a safe and welcoming place where
people can meet to reduce heating costs at home)
46
Tennis courts
36
Free parent/toddler groups
35
Hotdesking/home working hub
35
Children’s centre
33
0
50
100
150
200
250
Of the 349 responses, the most popular option, ticked by over half, 234 respondents,
says they would use a theatre or cinema if it was in Chard. Later in the survey, we
see that cinema is the most popular facility outside of Chard for young people (see
Q28). Outdoor gym equipment is the next most popular option, with 120 responses,
followed closely by a community fuel scheme, with 91 responses.
Other comments included:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Community sports hall, including badminton, squash and tennis courts
MacDonalds and bowling alley
NHS Dentist’ (raised in Health & Wellbeing)
Improve market please (as previously)
Better public toilet facilities, including changing places toilet (mentioned
previously)
Art Gallery and Art Centre for the Community
An area with trees, an outdoor cafe in town centre, a revival of decent quality
shops, a local produce co-operative
After school 'teaclub' childcare
Could Chard have something similar to the community Waffle House in
Axminster?
Active Travel routes
Weekly 5k park run
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Q15 What community events would you like to see take place in Chard? (tick
any that apply)
Answered: 411
Skipped: 128
Beer/cider/local produce market/festival
300
Live music events
283
Cultural heritage events
202
Outdoor arts events
146
Community sports day
90
Barn dance
79
Other (please tell us)
29
None of the above
24
0
100
200
300
400
Out of 411 responses, 300 indicated support for beer/cider and local produce
festivals for suggested community events. The next three most popular answers are
again talking around art projects (live music: 283; cultural heritage events: 202;
outdoor arts events: 146).
Many of the comments also echoed the top four answers as well as a 'Fun Run', pet
shows and other outdoor creative events. The strength in arts responses evidences
the strong feeling within the respondents to engage in more arts events.
Image above: Chard Together, March 2023
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Businesses
Business has changed over the last couple of years and how and where it takes
place has been particularly affected by Covid. These results will encourage a thriving
business community that is supported and maintained in the town.
Q16 Do you run a business, social enterprise or charity in Chard?
Answered: 62
Skipped: 477
40
38
35
30
25
In commercial premises
20
From home
15
12
10
7
7
8
4
5
0
Business
Social enterprise
Charity
Of the 62 responses to this question, 38 respondents are running businesses from
home, 12 in commercial premises. Then lower numbers are linked to social
enterprises and charities: together 15 responses from people running those from
home and 11 from commercial premises.
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Q17 If yes, what size is your business?
Answered: 57
Skipped: 482
35
31
30
25
20
15
13
10
5
5
4
2
2
50-249
employees
250+
employees
0
Sole trader
2-5 employees 6-9 employees
10-49
employees
Of the 57 responses 31, over half, are listed as sole traders and on the other end of
the scale, only 2 are listed as large business with over 250 employees. There has
been a loss of large industry in the town over recent years with now only one or two
big businesses left. Most business/social enterprise/charity in the town is SME
(Small, medium sized enterprise - less than 250 employees) scale.
Image below: Howard’s Row, Chard
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Source page 25
Q18 What works well and what can be improved for business, employment,
training and education in Chard? (please tick all that apply)
Answered: 201
Skipped: 338
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Source page 26
Of the 201 responses to this question, 137 listing Public Transport as their biggest
area for improvement and 135 listing parking as an area to improve. Following these
are local amenities (88), apprenticeships (81) and access to training (80).
Of the 201 responses to this question, only 38 believe the broadband is working well,
21 believe the location is good and 20 feel they have a good work life balance. The
question of broadband quality is echoed in the next question with the highest
response to improve working from home.
Image above: Bus partnership community awareness stall
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Source page 27
Q19 If anyone in your household works from home what would help improve
this experience? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 193 Skipped: 346
Better broadband
117
Better public transport
69
Community hot desking facility
38
Meeting rooms for hire
38
Networking events to meet other home
workers
29
Improved postal service
28
Access to training opportunities
27
I do not need anything more
25
Other (please specify)
9
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Out of the 193 responses, 117 (well over half) felt broadband could be better,
followed closely by public transport (69). The number of respondents was low and
further research will be needed in this area. A common theme is emerging from other
parts of the survey, broadband and public transport appear to be the main concerns.
Other comments included:
•
•
•
Bring back Cresta evening school provision
Parking for out-of-town shoppers has been reduced by building leisure centre
on carpark. Chard is now more difficult to access
Fix East Street / Fore Street / Furnham Road junction or bypass it to allow
traffic to get from north to south Chard and avoid this bottleneck.
Image below: Fore Street with sculpture by Neville Gabie
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Source page 28
Climate emergency/Environmental issues
The challenges of the Climate and Nature Emergency are serious
concerns for the future. To address this, it is going to require positive
changes to all our lifestyles. The information gathered from our residents,
businesses and other key groups in the parish will highlight what we can all do as a
community to help achieve the goal of being carbon-neutral by 2030.
Q20 How important is the climate and nature emergency to you?
Answered: 414
Skipped: 125
160
147
140
120
120
111
100
80
60
40
22
20
14
0
Not at all
important
Not very
important
Moderately
important
Very important
Extremely
important
It is clear that climate change and environmental issues are important to the
respondents with 378 of 414 rating them moderately to extremely important. Over
half, 258 responses feel that climate change and environmental issues are either
very or extremely important, with only 14 listed as not at all important to them.
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Source page 29
Q21 Some of the future climate change actions are likely to involve the town
changing. Do you agree or disagree with the following changes?
Answered: 419
Skipped: 120
Agree
Disagree
Plant more trees
384
9
Local solar projects (solar farms or community renewable
schemes)
350
40
A solar street scheme (community and local council
partnership delivering quality low cost solar pv installations
to whole communities)
349
32
Support for local businesses to recycle waste
331
24
Local wind farm projects
330
58
More cycle paths and pedestrian walkways
324
41
More recycling and reusing services/facilities
316
40
Adopting a Green Charter (good environmental practice) by
the Town Council
49
Develop heat networks, sharing heat amongst several
buildings to reduce total energy usage
45
A community owned and run smallholding
312
267
240
72
More electric vehicle charging points
234
85
Declaring a climate and nature emergency by the Town
Council
134
197
43
43
Other (please tell us)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Of the 419 responses to this question of agreeing to changes as part of the Climate
Emergency, the largest number at 384 responses agreed the importance of planting
more trees, with only 9 disagreeing. Along with support for solar schemes at 350
responses and 40 disagreeing, the responses were very strongly in agreement with
future climate change actions. At the lower end, 234 (still a high number) agreeing
with more electric car chargers and 134 disagreeing, which was the largest number
of responses that disagreed.
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450
Source page 30
Other comments were themed around growing/food/agriculture, renewable energy,
travel and transport included:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Access to more local produce, community garden project, wildflower verges,
no boxing day hunt through chard, rewilding/meadow in parts of local parks,
rickshaw scheme
Help to buy solar panels/wind turbines for local homes.
Land should be used for crops, don’t believe there is a climate emergency but
good environmental practices are important.
Recommended / supported local Solar provider so we don't get scammed and
obtain good advice.
No more housing development on green field sites. No Chard Bypass or
Road Building
More pedestrian paths into the surrounding countryside or for bikes which are
dangerous to children and dogs.
Image above: community tree planting, 2021
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Source page 31
Q22 What services or facilities would you use or would like to see in Chard if
they were available? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 374
Skipped: 165
300
278
276
232
250
200
147
150
100
42
50
20
0
On street
recycling (facilities
allowing you to
recycle plastic
bottles, cans and
coffee cups on the
street)
Wildflower
planting
Freecycle network
(a nonprofit
movement of
people who are
giving and getting
stuff for free in
their own towns)
Community
composting
scheme
Community oil
scheme
Other (please tell
us)
Of the 374 responses, 278 ticked more on improved street
recycling. There are recycling initiatives in the town but
there is support for these to be extended. 276 responses
supported wildflower planting and 232 the freecycle
network.
Image left: Chard Town Council recycling
bins outside The Guildhall, May 2023
From the positive response rate, it would definitely be worth exploring further
community schemes.
‘Other’ comments yielded the following suggestions:
•
Library of things
•
Swap currency jobs
•
Adult education
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Source page 32
Cost of living crisis
The prices of food, fuel and other goods and services are spiralling. We
wanted to find out how the Cost of Living Crisis is impacting our community
and what services and resources we could put in place to help.
Q23 How is the cost-of-living crisis affecting your household? (tick any that
apply)
Answered: 411
Skipped: 128
411 respondents to the survey answered this question. Of these, 231 were
'extremely' or 'very affected' by food costs, 224 responders were 'extremely' or 'very
affected' by energy costs and 176 responders were extremely or very affected by
fuel costs. 91 responders were 'extremely' or 'very affected' by Mortgage/rent.
The majority of the comments for this question all mention the increase in household
costs with specific reference to the individual situation; e.g. 'Coeliac in our
household. Medically have to have gluten free food and the cost is astronomical.'
In addition the ‘Other’ comments show the spectrum of affect:
•
•
These are only minimal due to our household income. I'm aware of the
devastating impact on others.
I think I will die
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Source page 33
Q24 How can the town council help? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 322
Skipped: 217
Of the 322 responses to this question around cost of living, 204 responses want
Chard Town Council to work with other agencies to help signpost to money saving
information. 141 responses support having warm banks or warm spaces in Chard.
There were several warm spaces across Chard during the winter months, so once
again it feels like communication for these facilities across town need some work, so
people are more aware what is already happening in Chard.
‘Other’ comments were themed around food, benefits, Council Tax:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Better support of front gardens being habitats for wildlife growing foodstuff especially new builds
Community kitchen, nearly out of date food etc
Making public transport reliable and good value.
School meals for all, not just people on benefits
more mental health facilities
Council tax MUST be reduced it’s ridiculous
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Source page 34
Community Safety
Which aspects of Community Safety are important in your community?
With a more detailed understanding of the issues, we can suggest what
solutions are available to address them.
Q25 Are you concerned about any of the following aspects of community
safety? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 403
Skipped: 136
Lack of police presence
271
Anti-social behaviour
261
Distance from emergency health care provision
218
Access for emergency services
188
Flooding
165
Traffic Speed
146
Cold calling
107
Burglary
97
Fraud
69
Community Speedwatch
58
Neighbourhood Watch
49
Other (please tell us)
44
Distance from fire station
18
I'm not concerned about community safety
11
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Of the 539 responders to the survey, 403 completed this question with the top three
responses being 'Lack of police presence' (271), 'Antisocial behaviour' (261) and
'Distance from emergency health care provision' (218), ‘Flooding’ (165) after two
large flooding events over the past few years.
Themes in the “other” comments included access to GP, dental services and MIU
provision at the hospital; drug use and county lines; “rat run” traffic, speeding and
parking; fly tipping.
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Source page 35
Q26 If you consider community safety is an issue in Chard, how could this be
improved? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 363 Skipped: 176
Activities for young people
238
CCTV
193
Neighbourhood Watch
125
Doorbell cameras
122
No cold calling zones
115
First Aid training
111
Fraud awareness
107
Traffic calming schemes
106
Speed cameras
96
Fire safety checks
75
Other (please tell us)
48
0
50
100
150
200
250
Of the 363 responses to this question, 238 people felt activities for young people
would improve community safety. CCTV (193), Neighbourhood Watch (125)and
Doorbell cameras (122) were the next highest. At the lower end, 96 responses were
made wanted more ‘speed cameras’ which chimes with some of the “other” comments
received around traffic calming.
Note, there were no under 18’s completing the questionnaire and they have been
listed as one of the main reasons for concerns around community safety.
Other comments were themed around increasing police presence, traffic calming
schemes, access to health and emergency services, parking:
•
•
•
•
fire service to check older people’s homes
no more cameras, reduced cameras
More zebra crossings along Furnham Road.
Greater thought given to off-street parking when planning new developments;
review parking on main routes around Chard eg Forton Road, Crimchard, Millfield......
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Source page 36
Young People and Children
We want to offer children and young people in the town or who visit the
town the best possible services so we can provide families with an enriching
experience. Having your opinions on current services and facilities now enables us
to plan future services for children and young people.
Q27 Which of these facilities do children and young people use in Chard?
Answered: 239
Skipped: 300
Q28 Which of these facilities do children and young people use
outside Chard?
Answered: 215 Skipped: 324
168
Playground
69
Cinema/theatre
149
128
Skate/Bike Park
54
121
Sports Centres & Clubs
76
Shopping
106
106
Reservoir & other walks
37
94
Library
29
77
Youth Club
19
70
Uniformed Organisations
23
65
Cycle path/Route 33
38
57
Woodland adventure area
48
18
Community hub
5
17
19
Other (please tell us)
Arts centre
31
13
Homework club
7
13
13
None of the above
8
9
Indoor meeting place
0
In Chard
50
Outside Chard
100
150
200
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Source page 37
We know that none of the responders to these questions were under 18.
The Playgrounds were the most used facility inside Chard (168) with the most used
facility outside of Chard being the cinema (149). There were no responses to support
shopping in Chard.
Two comments related to anti-social behaviour:
• Sainsbury car park for drug deals
• The bus shelters and benches to be antisocial
Others included:
•
•
•
Would like a better skate park, better facilities for youth club, where is the
woodland adventure area?
Youth club is about to close down due to funding.
If the bike park is kept with the skate park. Not on the other side of chard.
Why?
Image below: Jocelyn Park
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Source page 38
Q29 Is there anything that prevents children/young people from engaging in
activities more generally? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 256
Skipped: 283
Anti-social behaviour
146
Lack of information
114
Cost (of sessions, equipment, travel)
113
Fear of crime
104
Difficulty travelling around Chard safely on…
93
Nothing for specific age groups (e.g. teen only)
92
Parents work patterns
88
Safety concerns (inc. street lighting, traffic)
81
Nothing appeals
62
Other (please tell us)
16
Cat calling
16
Don't know
13
None of the above
8
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
‘Anti-social behaviour’ was perceived by survey respondents as the most common cause
for preventing children from engaging in activities more generally, with 146 responses
(anti-social behaviour also occurs as the dominant response in Question 25 ‘concerns
related to community safety’). Lack of information is the second highest response (114),
again this lack of knowledge of what is available recurs throughout the survey.
Comments under ‘Other’ show three prevailing themes of antisocial behaviour (county
lines, bullying, fly tipping), lack of public transport and lack of facilities:
•
•
•
I think the current facilities are used but not by independant peer groups, rather adult pre organized activity. There is a lack of youth-oriented space or activity.
Affordable transport (either public or private) to other towns to visit cinema, flip
out etc
Facilities not the same level as neighbouring towns
To reiterate a previous point, all three of these questions are based on children and
young people and no young people filled this in, so more work is needed to expand this
and find out more information about these results and young people’s opinions on these
subjects.
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Source page 39
Retired and Older People
Many people post-retirement are often very active in their community and
provide a valuable resource for action. However, we must acknowledge the
challenges Somerset’s ageing population will present to health, social care and
housing providers.
Q30 What could the community or other professionals provide to give you
more support in your physical and mental wellbeing? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 249 Skipped: 290
More support from health professionals/other…
132
Opportunities to meet other people in a similar…
123
More events for people of a similar age
109
Community centre/social club
105
Drop in café
100
Adult learning
97
More community dementia awareness
92
Opportunities to share/teach traditional local…
86
Telephone helpline for advice and support
84
Other health focussed awareness group
63
Carers support groups
58
More volunteering opportunities
58
Neighbourhood local volunteer visitors
51
Other (please tell us)
16
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Of the 249 responses to this question, 132 identified ‘more support from health
professionals/Village Agent’. The Chard Village Agent has a weekly clinic in The
Guildhall, so again this could be awareness to the support that is currently available.
The next 4 most popular responses were all focused on social outcomes:
‘opportunities to meet other people in a similar situation’ (123); ‘more events for
people of a similar age’ (109); ‘Community centre’ (105); ‘Drop in cafe’ (100). Again,
there are many different groups already meeting in Chard and this may well be a
communication issue, with lack of awareness of the groups on offer.
In the ‘Other’ box, comments reflected the need for accessible health and dental
care. Safety was also an issue:
• Make the Streets safer from Drug dealers
• Access to toilet and a café at the reservoir
• Transport, more volunteering opportunities
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Source page 40
Q31 Would you like to take part in more social and sporting activities within
the town? (tick any that apply)
Answered: 244 Skipped: 295
Walking group
76
Craft/making club
66
Fitness
62
Coffee morning
62
Gardening club
52
No, I take part in plenty already
52
Yoga/Pilates
49
Lunch club
45
Swimming
44
Dance
42
Book Club
40
Cycling
28
Other (please tell us)
18
Badminton
16
Tennis
14
Short mat bowls
14
Cricket
11
Inner Wheel
8
Rotary
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Of the 244 responses to Q31, the walking group is most popular with 76 responses.
Some of these activities are already available in Chard, so the theme of
communication and information sharing within the community to enable people to
access the clubs that already exist continues.
Other comments included reference to team sports and music/drama activities as
well as:
•
•
•
Mens Shed
Active travel route: Why not turn the drift into a cycle path. It’s a beautiful walk
and would easily extend the cycle path. Link it to the town centre too and
bring cyclists to chard to spend money.
Outdoor gym and tai chi
40 | P a g e
Source page 41
Q32 What would help you to take part in more sport or physical activities? (tick
any that apply)
Answered: 253 Skipped: 286
Better knowledge of activities/events
125
Cheaper cost
109
More activities for specific age groups
80
Improved facilities
64
Better transport
63
More convenient time
59
Someone to go with
55
More activities for disabled
42
More activities for reduced ability
41
Better range of sports activities (tell us below)
37
Nothing, I already take part in plenty
31
Adapted facilities to cater for disabilities
27
Other (please tell us)
14
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
The response for “better knowledge of activities/events” had the highest responses
(125). The need for improved communication and publicity is a theme throughout the
survey: people do not know what is happening in Chard. It is an indication of the
need to better support people to access the range of activities that Chard has on
offer.
Other comments included:
• Support from GP surgeries promoting active
lifestyle
• lack of fitness activities for older people
• leisure centre has stopped all of the fitness
classes that I was attending and the pool is
cold
• Park
Image above: Arts & craft group at
Chard Community Hub, March 2023
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Source page 42
Privacy Statement
Analysis was conducted by Smart Communities Ltd part of Community Council for
Somerset (CCS) Group. Data was captured for legitimate and contractual purposes.
Information was collected and analysed in accordance with Smart Communities Ltd
role as a Data Controller and Data Processor.
Chard Town Council Community Plan Group offered support clinics to anyone who
wished to complete the survey but needed help with access to a computer or didn't
have the capacity to complete the survey independently. All group members signed a
non-disclosure agreement to protect your personal data.
Digital copies are retained for 12 months and deleted after this period. Any personal
data that is captured is anonymised with the report and held securely for the
purposes of analysis.
No data will be published which can identify an individual without their consent. If you
entered your details to take part in the prize draw and you won, your data is shared
with Chard Town Council Community Plan Group.
If you would like to find out more about how we use your data or want to see a copy
of information about you that we hold, please contact info@somersetrcc.org.uk or call
01823 331222. Protecting your Personal Data is important and we fully comply and
adhere to the Principles of Data Protection set out in our Data Protection / Privacy
Policy visit: ccslovesomerset.org/smart-communities-ltd-policies/.
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