Twyford 2020 - A Plan for Twyford

Transcription

Twyford 2020
A Parish Plan For Twyford
www.twyfordvillage.com
Twyford Village Partnership
Community Action
Main cover photo shows Twyford village centre looking up Church Street. Inset photos:
 Top: Twyford Festival held at Polehampton C of E Junior School, 7 July 2007
 Centre: Party in the Park - Skate '08, 19 July 2008
 Bottom: Knit and Natter, Twyford Library, 15 December 2009
Contents
Twyford 2020
Foreword ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3
Why have a Parish Plan? .................................................................................................................................... 3
Who has produced Twyford 2020? ..................................................................................................................... 3
Why does the Plan relate to Twyford Parish and not Twyford Village? ............................................................. 3
The Planning Context ......................................................................................................................................... 4
How Twyford Developed .................................................................................................................................... 4
Twyford Today .................................................................................................................................................... 6
The Parish Plan Process ................................................................................................................ 8
Consultation Results .................................................................................................................. 11
What do you like about living in Twyford? ....................................................................................................... 11
What don’t you like about living in Twyford? .................................................................................................. 11
Length of stay in Twyford ................................................................................................................................. 13
Areas that need enhancing .............................................................................................................................. 13
Environmental Issues ........................................................................................................................................ 15
Housing and Development ............................................................................................................................... 16
Schools.............................................................................................................................................................. 17
Shopping........................................................................................................................................................... 18
Getting Around in Twyford ............................................................................................................................... 20
Leisure and Social Issues................................................................................................................................... 24
Consultation Results Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 29
Summary of Main Issues ............................................................................................................ 30
A Vision for Twyford .................................................................................................................. 30
Monitoring Twyford 2020........................................................................................................... 30
The Action Plan .......................................................................................................................... 31
Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................... 39
Appendix 1 ................................................................................................................................ 40
How representative was the Household Questionnaire Response? ................................................................. 40
Twyford 2020
Contents
1
Twyford 2020
Foreword
A Parish Plan aims to define the actions required to enhance the
quality of life for local residents over the next 10 years and to
determine how these actions could be implemented.
Lady Elizabeth Godsal.
The Twyford Parish Plan has taken nearly 2 years to complete but
has brought together a band of local volunteers who have shared a
common aim of wanting to influence how Twyford develops in the
next 10 years. They have consulted widely with local residents and
businesses and have developed a much clearer picture of the needs
and aspirations of the local community. From school-children to
senior citizens, from newcomers to those born and bred in Twyford,
a vast array of opinions and ideas has been collected and analysed.
This document summarises the results of their work.
Our grateful thanks must go to all the people who have generously
given their time and expertise to produce this plan. However, the
Plan is only the start of the project. All the actions identified now
need to be delivered and we need the on-going support and
involvement of the community to ensure this happens.
A few of the actions are already complete or are underway; others
are fairly straightforward to implement but others may take several
years of careful negotiations before they come to fruition. The
actions cover such a wide range of topics that there is something of
interest for everyone. Please select one or two of the actions that
you identify with most and contact the Twyford Village Partnership
via www.twyfordvillage.com to find out what progress has been
made and if there is any way you can contribute, in whatever
capacity, to help achieve these actions.
Together we can ensure that Twyford continues to be a unique
village in which to live and work.
Lady Elizabeth Godsal MBE
Patron of Twyford Village Partnership
High Steward of Wokingham
Vice Lord-Lieutenant of The Royal County of Berkshire
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Foreword
Twyford 2020
Introduction
Why have a Parish Plan?
A Parish Plan is a valuable tool. The local community defines the
issues to be tackled in the Plan and develops a shared vision for the
future. A Parish Plan provides:
 A basis for action by people in the Parish
 A point of reference for bidding for grants
 A way to influence decisions in planning and community
strategies.
This Parish Plan – “Twyford 2020” - represents the views of the
people of Twyford, particularly their hopes and aspirations for
Twyford. It provides a factual picture of Twyford in the year 2010
and goes on to list the actions required to ensure that the most
valued aspects of Twyford are maintained and the most
problematical areas are resolved to achieve our vision of Twyford
for the year 2020.
Who has produced Twyford 2020?
This Plan has been produced by the Twyford Village Partnership
(TVP), an umbrella group composed of representatives from local
authorities, parish councils, businesses, residents, schools, church
groups, youth and community groups, and other interested parties.
TVP is able to access grants and funding opportunities that are
unavailable to statutory bodies and is therefore in a better position
to find partners and funding to help implement the actions
identified.
Why does the Plan relate to Twyford Parish and not
Twyford Village?
The settlement of Twyford lies astride both Twyford and Ruscombe
Parishes and ideally, a joint Community Plan could have been
produced on behalf of both Parishes. However, from a planning
perspective, the adopted Core Strategy for Wokingham Borough
Council (WBC) now differentiates between the ‘major development
location’ of Twyford and the ‘modest development location’ of
Ruscombe; it was therefore decided that Twyford Parish should
produce its own plan. About 85% of the housing in Twyford village
falls within Twyford Parish, so this Parish Plan encapsulates a fairly
representative picture of Twyford as a whole.
Twyford 2020
Introduction
3
The Planning Context
The last plan for Twyford was the “Twyford Village Plan” produced by Berkshire County Council in
1974. This was a very different type of plan from the community-led plans of today and was
undertaken at a time of intense pressure for development which had increased the local population
by more than half in the preceding five years. The County Council used this document to allocate
land for the Hurst Park housing estate in the south of the village, completed in the late 1970’s and
for community facilities such as the Health Centre, the Roman Catholic Church and the Youth Centre.
No plans for Twyford can be written in a vacuum; they must take account of borough-wide plans.
Wokingham’s Sustainable Community Strategy for 2002-2010 has four Community Ambitions:




Balancing economic prosperity with a sustainable quality of life
Being a healthy and well educated community
Supporting and caring for people who need help
Being a community where everyone feels safe, welcome and respected.
This Strategy is currently being refreshed to develop a vision for 2020, with sustainability at its core.
Wokingham’s Core Strategy was adopted by the Borough Council on 29 January 2010. This Strategy
sets out a vision for how the Borough will develop up to 2026. Having regard to existing facilities
and services, the Core Strategy states that Twyford is an appropriate location for growth, but agrees
that, without a Green Belt review, there are limited opportunities for expansion. Policies seek to
protect and maintain existing retailing in Twyford, whose role is expected to be mainly serving “the
convenience needs of its catchment together with some limited comparison goods”. The Strategy
accepts that there is some limited scope for retail expansion. A number of potential improvements
to the quality of Twyford’s centre are to be addressed in later planning documents. A Twyford
Eastern relief road is also seen as an essential improvement to the Strategic Transport Network, but
no time-scale is given.
Wokingham’s Corporate Plan sees a change to a "neighbourhood" based service delivery model, in
which Twyford appears to be the “hub” of the northern rural parishes. The aim of this model is to
improve access to facilities in each local area.
How Twyford Developed
Twyford lies on the eastern side of the low-lying Loddon valley, near its confluence with the River
Thames. To the north and east of the village are arable chalk lowlands, although Twyford itself is on
the slightly higher ground of Plateau Gravels and River Terraces deposited in the Pleistocene Ice Age.
Twyford Mill Race. Photo by Geoff Pilgrim
4
Introduction
Twyford derives its name from the “two fords” across
the Loddon and the Millstream on the Old Bath Road to
the west of the village. The original agriculturally-based
village centred round the Mill by the Loddon. The fords
were eventually bridged and the convenient crossing
point of the Loddon attracted trade between the west
of England and London from the earliest times, starting
with packhorses, then later, wagons and stagecoaches.
Twyford became well known during the 18th century
when coaches full of Londoners would pass through the
Twyford 2020
village to take the spa waters at Bath, stopping off at one of the many coaching inns in Twyford.
Several Georgian style buildings in the village centre along the Old Bath and London Roads date from
this time.
Twyford developed further with the arrival of the railway from London in 1839. For almost a year
the trains from London terminated at Twyford as work on the Sonning cutting took place. The
branch line to Henley was opened in 1857. The railways boosted local prosperity and encouraged
many Victorian houses to be built around Station Road and Waltham Road. Station Road became a
new shopping area to supplement the High Street whilst schools and chapels, as well as St Mary’s
Church, were also built in this mid-Victorian Age.
After the motorcar became the dominant form of
transport, the A4 bypass was built in 1928, and
later became known as the Floral Mile because of
the famous nurseries established alongside. This
bypass relieved the village roads of east-west
traffic but the problem of finding a route and funds
for a north-south bypass unfortunately still
remains.
The chart below summarises the last two hundred
years of development in Twyford. After a period of
steady growth during the 1800’s and through to
Different nurseries continue to flourish on the
1951, the population then began to increase rapidly.
Floral Mile today. Photo by Patrick Heather
The 1960’s saw new housing constructed in both
the north of the village around Amberley Drive, Longfield Road and also elsewhere in Springfield
Park, Paddock Heights and Winchcombe Road. The Hurst Park estate was built in the 1970’s and
Waltham Chase in the 1990’s, extending the settlement southwards.
Population of Twyford Parish
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
1801
1811
1821
1831
1841
1851
1861
1871
1881
1891
1901
1911
1921
1931
1941
1951
1961
1971
1981
1991
2001
0
Sources:
Twyford and Ruscombe Village Walks, published by Twyford and Ruscombe History Society.
Twyford Berkshire, Official Guide and Map, published 1970s by Forward Publicity Ltd. with
permission of Twyford Parish Council
Twyford 2020
Introduction
5
Twyford Today
Twyford today is a bustling and popular village, with a population of nearly 8,000 although the Parish
population is only about 6,600 (2007 ONS estimates). The age structure is well balanced, with older
retirees, established households of working age and a constant influx of younger people which adds
vibrancy
to
the
community.
Newcomers are attracted to the village
by its excellent connections, especially
by rail, to London and Reading, and by
its fairly good range of shops, including
a Waitrose, general facilities and highly
rated schools.
Most daily needs can be met within the
village, with pharmacies, an optician,
hairdressers, dry-cleaners, a florist,
newsagent, stationer, dentists - both
private and NHS - as well as other shops
drawing in customers from farther
VFB The Florist, Twyford. Photo by Patrick Heather
afield such as bathroom and kitchen
shops. For primary education, there is a choice between The Colleton School in the south of the
village and Polehampton C of E Infants and Juniors in the centre. The Piggott School on the northern
boundary of the village provides secondary education for Twyford and surrounding villages.
Twyford has now expanded up to its natural limits, being tightly constrained on the south and west
by the extensive floodplains of the Broadwater and the Loddon, on the east and north by Green Belt
and also to the north and north-east by Grade 1 Agricultural Land. This does mean however that
Twyford is relatively compact and sustainable, with almost all the village within reasonable walking
distance of the shopping centre, station, schools and health centre. The strong sense of community
is a feature often remarked upon; the 70 or so voluntary organisations running locally reflects this
and goes some way to compensating
for the lack of purpose-built facilities
such as a community sports centre or a
permanent library and parish office.
Loddon Hall (a community hall shared
with Ruscombe), Twyford Youth &
Community Centre, the Scout HQ and
the halls attached to the 3 churches in
the
village
meet
the
main
Loddon Hall from King George V Field.
accommodation needs for social
Photo by Patrick Heather
activities.
The village’s long history has left a rich legacy of old and interesting buildings. 26 of these are Listed
Buildings and there are two Conservation Areas covering the village centre and the station area.
However, this wealth of history is probably little known to people outside Twyford.
Local residents are also fortunate to have on their doorsteps the attractive open countryside which
surrounds the village. This can be accessed via a network of paths and bridleways but the
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Introduction
Twyford 2020
completion of just one or two missing
links would open up far more varied
circular walks. The lakes resulting from
gravel extraction behind the former
Twyford Mill along with both channels of
the River Loddon within Twyford Parish
are Wildlife Heritage Sites and are
currently managed as a nature reserve by
BBOWT.
The Loddon Lily and Loddon Pondweed
are both nationally important species only
found locally and the Twyford lakes have
The Loddon Lilly © Copyright Lairich Rig
nationally important numbers of wintering
Licensed for reuse: Creative Commons Licence
gadwall and smew. It is also thought that
the Broadwater has potential as a suitable habitat for water voles.
Unemployment in Twyford at 2.1% (Oct.2009) is still only half the national rate (4.1%) although it has
risen relatively faster locally during the current recession.
Twyford is very much a dormitory village and the 1,660 jobs available in the Parish, mostly in
retailing and other services, are not sufficient for all the residents wanting to work, so that there is a
daily net outflow of 1,700 or more
commuters to surrounding towns and
London. However, despite the excellent
rail services from Twyford, which are the
envy of neighbouring towns and villages,
66% of Twyford Parish residents still travel
to work by car (2001 Census), with only
17% using public transport and 17%
walking or working at home. There is still
therefore much scope for reducing the
dependency on car travel for commuting.
Twyford High Street:




Queues of traffic
Narrow pavements
Historic buildings
Conservation area
Twyford 2020
Introduction
7
The Parish Plan Process
1.
Decision to undertake a Parish Plan
The decision was made to undertake a Parish Plan at a meeting on 3 April 2008 when the group
previously known as the Twyford Village Centre Management Initiative became the Twyford Village
Partnership. This Parish Plan would create a vision for Twyford for the next 10 years and secure
funding for actions resulting from the consultation work. A steering group for the Plan was formed,
comprising TVP committee members and general members with planning expertise.
2.
Launch of the Plan
The Twyford Parish Plan was launched at the Scout Donkey Derby on 1 June 2008. Residents used
post-it notes to comment on their likes and dislikes of living in Twyford. This highlighted common
areas of concern which were investigated in more depth in later public consultations.
The Parish Plan Process for Twyford
3.
Information gathering
This was the first part of the parish plan process and produced a ‘snapshot’ of the area. In other
words it recorded the starting point. Not only did this enable us to obtain a thorough understanding
of how Twyford functioned prior to starting the plan, but it will also provide a useful reference point
when looking back in ten years time to measure any changes.
4.
Healthchecks
Due to its size and range of facilities, Twyford is eligible for a project grant from the £7million SEEDA
(South East England Development Agency) programme for small rural towns, which runs until 31
March 2012. The aim of any project matched-funded under this scheme must be to improve the
community’s vitality and future prosperity. To be eligible for a grant, the local community
partnership must have undertaken a detailed Healthcheck. The Healthcheck is a community-based,
fact finding exercise aimed at small rural towns and villages of between 3,000 and 20,000 people.
8
Twyford 2020
Through research and public consultations, the Healthcheck collects information on the state of the
Parish so that the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the community can be
identified. This rigorous process helps communities identify a vision for the future and the actions
necessary to achieve this. The Healthcheck process is divided into 4 subject areas:




Environment
Social & Community
Economy & Education
Transport & Accessibility.
Due to the very significant amount of work involved, the Parish Plan Steering Group recruited the
services of a resident, a recently retired Planning Research Officer, who became the Parish Plan Coordinator. The completed Healthcheck is available to view online at www.twyfordvillage.com
5.
Public Consultation
The centrepiece of the Plan’s consultation was a Household Questionnaire included in the Spring
2009 edition of the Parish Council’s Twyford News. This was delivered to each of the 2,761
households in the Parish by the 1st Twyford Scout Group
during the week beginning 27 April 2009. Residents were
able to complete the questionnaire online or return the
completed forms to boxes in Twyford Library and Waitrose.
Collection continued until the end of June. In total, 393
completed questionnaires were returned, 163 online and 230
paper copies. This represented a 14.2% response rate. 93%
of the responses were from people living in Twyford parish,
1% working in Twyford and 6% living elsewhere but using
Twyford services. An analysis of the age and geographical
spread of the respondents showed that the overall results
can be considered representative (see Appendix 1).
Alongside the household questionnaires, a Young Persons’
Questionnaire was also completed with the help and
assistance of staff and pupils at The Piggott School, Twyford.
This generated another 164 responses, of which 127 were
online.
A series of focus group meetings were also held during the summer of 2009 with different sections
of the community to ensure we had good representation from across Twyford:






Environmental Focus Group
Women’s Focus Group
Parents’/Carers’ and Toddlers’ Focus Group
Rail Commuters’ Focus Group
Senior Citizens’ Focus Group
Business Focus Group
The Focus Groups were an opportunity to discuss certain topics in more depth. Minutes of these
meetings can also be found online at www.twyfordvillage.com
Twyford 2020
9
6.
Feedback
This was considered to be an important part of the consultation process because it was a means of
maintaining the community interest in the
Parish Plan process; therefore the Scout
Donkey Derby was again chosen as the
venue, a year after the launch, on 7 June
2009. The event attracts families and
younger people plus residents from the
immediately surrounding villages who use
the facilities and services in Twyford.
Preliminary results from the summer’s
consultations were summarised in
colourful charts and maps, and visitors to
the stand expressed interest in joining
action groups for the next stage of the
Questionnaire feedback session, June 2009
plan process.
Photo by David Goddard
7.
Action Groups
Action Groups were established in September 2009 to enable work to start on all the potential
Actions arising from the Healthchecks, Questionnaires and Focus Groups. Early contacts with
potential partners were made to test whether suggested actions were feasible for inclusion in the
final Plan. Some more straightforward actions, typically those involving website enhancements,
were implemented immediately.
8.
Draft Parish Plan
This was sent out for a 6-week consultation in December 2009 to partners involved in the Action
Points, other statutory bodies and neighbouring parishes.
9.
Publication
Twyford’s Parish Plan - Twyford 2020 – was finalised at the end of March 2010, with an official
launch and celebration at TVP’s AGM in April 2010.
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Twyford 2020
Consultation Results
The following analysis of the Parish Plan consultations centres on the household questionnaire, but
draws upon the outcomes of the focus groups and the teenagers’ opinions where appropriate.
Reference is also made to the research carried out for the Healthcheck process, as this rigorous
evidence-gathering uncovered many important issues affecting Twyford.
What do you like about living in Twyford?
What do you like about living in Twyford?
No. of separate responses = 970
Other
Variety of housing
Low crime rate
Quiet, pleasant, clean, well-kept
Good schools
Proximity to countryside and R Thames
Accessibility to other major centres
Road links
Rail links
Waitrose
Facilities and amenities
Village feel
Sense of community
34
4
18
40
41
99
78
59
148
29
111
144
165
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
In a nutshell, residents feel that Twyford gives them “the best of all worlds”. Locals still think of it as
a village rather than a town because of its compact nature, historic centre and friendly people, and
there is a wide range of facilities and amenities within walking distance of most residents. The
excellent transport links, especially by rail, to Reading, London and Heathrow allow commuters to
live in a village surrounded by pleasant Berkshire countryside.
What don’t you like about living in Twyford?
Residents have far fewer ‘dislikes’ than ‘likes’, but the main complaint about Twyford is:

Poor variety of shops. It is accepted that the opening of Waitrose in March 2000 has obviously
caused some small independent food shops such as butchers to close as well as Somerfields.
Nevertheless, the main observation is that local residents really want more ‘convenience’ shops
(see below for the 20 most wanted shops) rather than the numerous ‘comparison’ stores such
as the bathroom and kitchen shops with catchment areas far beyond the village, the restaurants
(including 4 Indian ones) and 5 estate agents. The lack of a permanent library in the village
centre is also noted many times.
The other complaints centre on:
 Traffic in the village, including the volume, speed, noise and pollution of through traffic, but
exacerbated by the queues building up at the village cross-roads. Unfortunately, there are few
Twyford 2020
11
bridging points of the River Loddon or Thames in this part of Berkshire and thus traffic
inevitably has to pass through Twyford;
What don't you like about living in Twyford?
Poor bus services
Litter
Anti-social behaviour and graffiti
Back garden development
High house prices
Attitude of WBC
Appearance of village centre
Lack of leisure and cultural facilities
No decent library
Poor variety of shops
Parking
Traffic
Aircraft noise
Other
Nothing
12
13
50
24
10
17
19
18
42
106
15
89
59
58
22
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
 Aircraft noise associated with Heathrow, White Waltham and helicopters flying north-south to
and from Odiham. Heathrow is the most frequently mentioned problem, as when easterly
winds are blowing, planes are landing directly overhead from 5.30-6am to 11pm. Residents fear
that a third runway and expanding terminal facilities will only increase the disturbance,
especially if more night flights are ever allowed. The actions of a Parish Plan are limited on such
an issue but it is possible, for example, to publicise the free Heathrow Airport 24 hr Noiseline
and to suggest more lobbying of the local MP and Borough Councillors.
 Anti-social behaviour and graffiti, vandalism and lack of visible policing. Adult residents say
that the worst spots are Jubilee Corner and London Road in general, but also the Longfield Road
shopping parade and around the station. From a
teenagers’ point of view, however, the prime trouble spot
is undoubtedly King George’s Field (the ‘rec’) and the
skateboard park. This would not be obvious to adults as
there are fewer of them around in the Park in the
evenings. Only 32% of teenagers admit to feeling safe
when out in the evenings whilst for 53% “it depends”,
presumably whether they are out with friends and
whereabouts in the village they happen to be. The
teenagers’ solutions to the anti-social behaviour are
better street and alleyway lighting, more police and youth
worker presence on the streets in the evenings and more
clubs offering alternative activities. Adults, on the other
hand, suggest better public access to the Twyford Police
Station, which is only manned by civilian volunteers on 2
half-days a week.
Youth Shelter; permitted graffiti
wall. Photo by Patrick Heather
12
Twyford 2020
Length of stay in Twyford
How long have you lived in Twyford?
No. of responses = 337
Years
51+
46-50
41-45
36-40
31-35
26-30
21-25
16-20
11-15
6-10
0-5
5
16
18
21
36
33
26
18
42
66
56
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
People stay in Twyford for longer than might be expected. It seems that often families move in with
young children, attracted by the availability of family housing and good schools, but even if jobs
change, the excellent accessibility to so many centres of employment in the Thames Valley enables
them to stay living in Twyford for several decades. The average length of stay for the questionnaire
respondents is 28 years. This is yet more proof that residents generally find more to like than dislike
about living here. The sizeable group of residents, living in Twyford for 30 to 35 years probably
moved to the village when the Hurst Park estate was built between 1976 and 1979. The more recent
influx of residents followed the construction of Waltham Chase in the 1990’s.
If you, or anyone in your household, is thinking of leaving the area, why?
Only 19% of the 75 households responding have anyone thinking of leaving Twyford and some of the
reasons given are inevitable such as going off to university. The main ‘push’ factors are the need to
find cheaper housing and disappointment with how Twyford has changed in recent years, from the
point of view of over-development in certain areas, anti-social behaviour, aircraft noise and the lack
of shops and facilities.
Areas that need enhancing
60% of the suggestions for enhancement refer to the part of the village centre lying on the northeast corner of the cross-roads. Residents feel strongly that the 1960’s block of shops and their
frontages onto London Rd/Wargrave Rd are out of keeping with the historic nature of central
Twyford and that the rear car park facing the Bowling
Green is an eyesore. This car park is particularly
Objective 4.1
detrimental to the village as it is seen by all customers
Provide a permanent library complex
using the Wargrave Rd entrance into Waitrose. The
in village centre, comprising a library,
covered alleyway alongside Amin’s is also described as
parish office, IT suite, exhibition
gloomy, dismal, scary and unkempt. Incorporating a
space, small museum, public facilities
permanent library and parish office in this area would
and WBC outreach services.
increase daily activity in the centre.
Twyford 2020
13
Several residents suggest that the long-term aim should be to redevelop, at least in part, this whole
section of the shopping area, breaking it up into a more interesting layout, with more shops centred
around a central piazza allowing for cafés and restaurants to have outside seating or in arcades
which would increase shopper circulation. There could be some 10 minute shoppers’ parking and
space for deliveries.
Are there any parts of the village that need enhancing?
Skate park
King George's Field play area
Parks (KGF, Stanlake & Twyford Mill)
Pavements and roads in general
Litter
Loddon Hall
Station forecourt and car parks
Xmas lights needed
Library
Furniture showrooms, Wargrave Rd
Wellington Square
Hanging baskets and trees
Bell Corner
Shop frontages,general appearance
London Rd 1960's shops
Alley alongside Amin's
Car Park behind London Rd shops
None
Other
4
5
8
5
7
3
11
4
28
14
6
14
13
18
34
40
26
37
33
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
It is felt that more floral displays and Christmas lights would enhance the village centre, especially on
Bell Corner and along London Road, and also some pavement trees. The derelict nature of the
former furniture showrooms in Wargrave Road is also
criticized. Wellington Square is thought to have underused potential for more seating, planting and litter bins.
Another part of the village needing attention is the
railway station forecourt and associated car parks,
particularly as this is the first view of Twyford for
visitors by rail.
The enhancement of the village open spaces is dealt
with in more detail elsewhere in the survey but there is
scope for local environmental groups to have more of a
role in the local area. BBOWT is encouraging the local community to manage the Loddon Nature
Reserve, near the site of the old mill. A tree survey of additional trees worthy of a Tree Preservation
Order would also be useful.
Bell Corner; in need of enhancement.
Photo by Sue Goddard
14
Twyford 2020
Under-pinning most of these enhancement suggestions is the need in most residents’ eyes to
protect the unique historic environment that we have inherited in Twyford and the wish to pass it
onto successive generations. This issue was discussed in detail with the Focus Groups, where many
positive ideas for future actions were aired, including producing a ‘Village Design Statement’,
protecting further important historic buildings as ‘Buildings of Traditional Local Character’, more
historic notice boards around the village, maps to accompany the Local History Society’s ‘Village
Walks’ and possibly a small museum to enable display of the Society’s archives and artefacts.
Environmental Issues
Which of the following environmental issues concern you in Twyford?
Traffic speeding
191
Aircraft noise
145
Litter / fly tipping
127
Air pollution from traffic
88
Recycling provision
52
Flooding
32
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
These results reinforce some of the ‘dislikes’ residents have about living in Twyford, with traffic and
aircraft noise being the main problems. Litter is the main issue mentioned by teenagers. More
traffic issues were raised when asked about any “other environmental issues”, as was the issue of
dog mess, particularly since Wokingham Borough Council removed all their dog waste bins.
Recycling
Virtually all residents (97% of respondents) think
there are sufficient static recycling points in Twyford
for materials currently recyclable, although 90
respondents suggested extra recycling facilities.
Therefore, if Wokingham Borough Council wish to
improve recycling rates still further, there are
several suggestions as to how this could be
achieved:
Recycling facilities outside Waitrose car park.
 additional static recycling sites at Broad Hinton,
Stanlake Meadow and Loddon Hall Car Park could be investigated;
 residents should be able to recycle more plastics kerbside
other than just plastic bottles;
 several residents asked for recycling facilities for items such
as foil, shoes, tetrapaks and plastic bags; however, as
provision already exists in the village, this indicates a need to
provide a full schedule of local recycling facilities for all
residents.
Twyford 2020
Action 1.2.2
Provide information on local
recycling opportunities via TVP
website and poster in Twyford
library. Completed Sept 2009.
15
Sustainable Living
90% of households are already re-using shopping bags and participating in kerbside recycling, and
84% use other local recycling facilities. Between 50% and 60% also garden sustainably by
composting at home and using a water butt
and eat home-grown or local produce. Only a
third of households say they cycle to work,
school or the shops and this probably includes
school-children cycling to Piggott.
The
complete lack of dedicated cycleways in
Twyford (other than along the A4) is brought
up elsewhere in the survey. Only 2% or 8
households say they already have domestic
solar heating although 44% think some form of
local promotion is required. Focus Groups
suggested that a local sustainability champion
Waiting list exists for London Road Allotments.
offering impartial advice would be very useful.
What are your views on the following?
Composting at home
Using a water butt
Already use
Home-grown/local produce
Cycling to work/ school/ shops
Local
promotion
required
Re-using shopping bags
Kerbside recycling
Not interested
Local recycling facilities
Domestic solar heating
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Housing and Development
Residents are, perhaps surprisingly, fairly evenly divided on whether there should be further
development in Twyford, with only 54% actually saying ‘No’ and 46% either saying ‘Yes’ or on a
‘Limited scale’, the latter group probably appreciating that this is the only realistic option if Twyford
is going to continue to adapt sensitively to changing circumstances. Those answering ‘Yes’ or
‘Limited scale’ were then asked on what sort of sites they thought further development should take
place in Twyford. 73% (109 responses) thought this should be via redevelopment of under-used
sites, rather than infilling in back gardens or in new areas. Potential development sites available at
the time of the questionnaire were those of the former factory off the High Street and the All-Weld
site in The Grove.
16
Twyford 2020
When asked about whether the mix of housing in Twyford was about right, residents were rather
reticent to offer opinions about types or sectors of housing of which they have little experience.
Is there a shortage or an over-supply of a particular type of property?
No. of responses = average of 340 per type of housing
Sheltered Accommodation
Too many
Affordable (Social) Housing
About right
Shared Ownership
Not enough
Don't know
Flats
Large Houses
Small Houses
Bungalows
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
However, the general consensus is that there are already rather too many large houses and
insufficient smaller houses and flats and affordable housing. Focus Group consultations have shown
that young adults having grown up in the village often have to move to cheaper areas like Woodley
or Bracknell to buy their first homes. The Senior Citizens’ Focus Group also confirmed that there is a
shortage not so much of sheltered housing as moderately priced care homes (which the
questionnaire did not cover) actually in Twyford, as people would prefer not to have to leave their
friends and families behind to move into a home elsewhere.
Schools
When asked whether they had been able to get their children into their Twyford school of choice
over the last two years, only 11 residents said "No" and 66 said "Yes". For another 283 residents,
the question was "not applicable".
As regards general views on local schools,
opinions were expressed not only by
current parents but also parents of past
pupils, former pupils themselves and
residents in general. The comments are
generally highly complimentary and
confirm that the good record of local
schools is, as mentioned in earlier
questions, one of the attractions of
Twyford as a place in which to live.
Polehampton C of E Infant School.
Twyford 2020
17
What are your views on local schools?
Confusing catchment area policies
4
Well behaved children
5
Strong community links
6
Over-subscribed
22
Good
73
Excellent
81
Other
19
0
20
40
60
80
100
The consequence of this high demand for local schools is that they become over-subscribed, and this
draws attention to the details of catchment area policies. Other issues were raised in Focus Groups
such as the difficulties parents face if their children want to attend a single-sex or a nondenominational secondary school.
Shopping
Waitrose is by far the most frequently visited shop, with 90% of locals visiting it at least 1 or 2 times
a week and with 41% of people shopping there 3 times a week or more. Between 25% and 30% of
residents use other Twyford shops, including the pharmacies and the Post Office once or twice a
week. For goods that cannot be purchased in Twyford, residents are most likely to travel to Reading
or use the internet, with 60% of residents shopping in Reading and 52% using the internet at least
once or twice monthly.
How often do you and other members of your household use the
following shops?
No. of responses = average of 359 per type of shop
Twyford Post Office
Waitrose Twyford
Pharmacies in Twyford
3 times/week or more
Restaurants in Twyford
1 to 2 times/week
Other shops in Twyford
1 to 2 times/month
Twyford Library
Infrequently
Shops in Woodley
Never
Shops in Reading
Shops in Maidenhead
Shops in Wokingham
Internet shopping
Shops elsewhere
0%
18
20%
40%
60%
Twyford 2020
80%
100%
What additional shops would you like in Twyford?
The most wanted shop is a DIY/Ironmongers/hardware/electrical shop. Until about 10 years ago,
there were two DIY stores and an electrical shop in the village and these are obviously really missed.
The next type of shop requested is the independent food store, such as a butcher’s, greengrocer’s,
bakery/patisserie as well as a fishmonger’s. Several of
these alternative food shops have closed down
gradually since the opening of Waitrose and whether
they could ever now compete with Waitrose is open to
question. However, many residents emphasise that
they are particularly looking to these small food shops
to sell locally or organically grown products; others
suggest that an alternative would be a regular market
in the centre of Twyford, either a weekly one or a
farmer’s market. One is held at Sheeplands at Hare
Hatch nurseries, but residents would prefer to be able
Waitrose, Twyford.
to walk into the village centre.
Photo by David Goddard.
Some of the other notable shops requested but not currently available include reasonably priced
adults’ clothes, another restaurant other than Indian, children’s clothes and shoes (although the
Rocking Horse has since opened), haberdasher’s, a charity shop, toys, gifts, etc. Residents
commented on the difficulties faced since Nationwide closed their Twyford branch at the end of May
2009, as they now have to travel to Wokingham or Woodley to pay in cheques.
The Top 20 most requested new shops/services for Twyford
Organic foods/ Deli
Bike shop
Books
Building Society /Bank
Small cheaper supermarket
Shoes
Market (weekly or farmer's)
Fishmonger
Cafe
Gift Shop
Toys
Children's clothes and shoes
Charity shop
Haberdashery/ Wools
Restaurant other than Indian
Women & Men's Clothes
Bakery/patisserie
Greengrocers
Butchers
Ironmongers/DIY/Electrical
6
9
9
10
10
10
11
12
13
14
16
18
19
19
21
23
38
43
54
115
0
20
40
Twyford 2020
60
80
100
120
19
Getting Around in Twyford
How do you rate provision in Twyford for:
No. of responses = average of 336 per mode of transport
Car - driving
Car - parking
Excellent
Good
Buses
Satisfactory
Trains
Poor
Cycling
No experience
Walking
Pushchairs/ Wheelchairs
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
The 80% of ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ ratings for train services in Twyford reinforces the high ranking of
these services in reasons for liking Twyford as a place to live. Walking scored 58% for these
categories, reflecting the good network of paths in surrounding countryside as well as the
pavements and paths within the village, whilst car-driving scored 51%. Only about half of
respondents felt they had enough experience to comment on bus services and using
pushchairs/wheelchairs. The poor ratings for cycling are supported by the number of negative
comments elsewhere regarding lack of dedicated cycle paths.
Do footpaths and cycleways need improving and if so, where?
Do Footpaths and Cycleways need improving and if so, where?
Cycleway and FP needed from S Twyford to Ruscombe
Improve pedestrian crossings to Station
Widen Waltham Rd pavement along Stanlake Meadow
Enforce non-parking on pavements
Pavement along Stanlake Lane
Better maintenance of FPs and verges
Widen pavements in village centre
Encourage cycling across King George V Field
More cycleways needed throughout village
Cycleway from Hare Hatch to Twyford Xroads
Cycleway Hurst to Twyford Xroads
Cycleway Charvil to Twyford Xroads
Cycleway Wargrave Rd/Waltham Rd
Other
No
8
5
6
7
11
13
24
4
14
28
25
38
58
63
33
0
20
10
Twyford 2020
20
30
40
50
60
70
About 60% of the answers received on this issue referred to cycling and provided detailed comments
on the current total lack of dedicated cycleways in Twyford parish (other than along the A4). All
residents and not just parents are particularly concerned
about the absence of safe cycle routes for pupils at Piggott
School. 69% of teenagers think that more cycleways are
Objective 13.1
needed. Thus a network of routes from south to north and
Develop a network of cycleways
west to east running through the centre of the village are
throughout Twyford Parish.
suggested. It is acknowledged that the lack of routes to
date is probably because there have been no obvious
routes, but with the increased road traffic, the need has now become so urgent that some more
creative ideas are required, such as using the redundant track along the Henley railway line or
converting the pavement on one side of Wargrave Road to dual pedestrian/cycle use, even if this
might mean widening the pavement in some sections.
Narrow pavements in village centre.
Photo by Geoff Pilgrim.
As regards footpaths, most comments are about pavements
within the village. The main complaints are about the
dangerously narrow pavements in the village centre along
Church Street and High Street. One suggestion is that the
traffic lights should be set farther back from the cross-roads
on those two streets, so that the pavements can be built
out (as in Wargrave). There is also local anger about the
amount of illegal parking on pavements; more bollards by
the London Road shops might help, but there is also a real
problem in Brook Street which needs investigation. Safer
pedestrian crossings are also needed around the railway
station. Pedestrians need a refuge at the Waltham Road
end of Hurst Road, rather than farther down where it is
currently and another one opposite the path down to
Springfield Park.
Residents are generally very appreciative of the array of rural
footpaths immediately surrounding the village. Nevertheless,
discussions with the Environmental Focus Group showed that
there is still work to be done in the countryside, working to fill
in a few missing links (e.g. linking the Twyford Mill Nature
Reserve paths with those of Charvil Meadows and completing a
circular boundary walk), as well as generally publicising existing
local walks more widely. The questionnaire brought up the
need for a pavement rather than just a white line, which easily
gets overgrown, along Stanlake Lane as this is an important
route for local walkers. This is linked to another suggestion
that a better link is needed from the south of Twyford through
to Ruscombe without having to go into the village centre and
out again.
Pavement needed along Stanlake Lane.
Twyford 2020
21
How can public transport be improved?
How could public transport be improved locally?
Faster off-peak trains/less over-crowding
30
Effect of Crossrail?
6
More parking at Twyford Station
3
Bus service to Bracknell
5
Better bus service to Woodley
6
More 'hail and ride' to Station
6
Smaller, less polluting buses
7
Sunday and evening buses
12
Daily bus to Maidenhead
13
More direct buses to Reading
14
More direct buses to Wokingham
19
More bus timetable information
20
More buses/routes, more frequent
47
OK or Adequate
21
Other
25
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Less than a fifth of the comments received were about rail services, reflecting how fortunate most
residents feel they are to have a mainline station within walking distance. The main request is for
two of the four off-peak services per hour up to London to be semi-fast as it currently takes almost
an hour at these times. Also with more flexible hours being worked, commuters would like the peak
time fast return services from London to be continued longer into the evening – and for peak time
trains to be longer and more frequent (even than the current improved timetable), to reduce overcrowding. There is general concern that CrossRail will have a negative effect on Twyford services.
The overall conclusion on current bus services is that they need to be
more frequent and run on more routes before passengers can begin to
consider using them more regularly, but obviously this is rather a ‘chicken
and egg’ situation. One major complaint is lack of bus timetable
information. Firstly this needs to be available at all bus-stops, and
secondly there are requests for either the WBC, Parish Council or TVP
website to have links to the timetables of the major bus companies
running services through Twyford. The third alternative is the very useful
and comprehensive rail and bus timetable booklet produced 6-monthly by
WBC, available in Twyford Library or from Shute End. However, because
of the lack of a parish office or a central library open daily, very few
residents are even aware of its existence.
Teenagers say that the main obstacle to them using the buses more often
are the expensive fares.
22
Twyford 2020
One of the short-comings of the rail services in East Berkshire is that they are mainly radial in an
east-west direction from London. Twyford is particularly fortunate in at least also having the branch
line northwards to Henley. However, bus services continue to provide a crucial role in cross-country
routes to the south-west, south and south-east of
Twyford. Residents are finding they need more
buses to Woodley to access Nationwide since the
Twyford branch closed in 2009.
Buses to
Wokingham are important as the Shute End
Council Offices are the only place for residents to
deal with Council business and the town still has a
Nationwide and other building societies. There is
no bus to Bracknell at present but this would save
Twyford students at College there having to take
the train into Reading and then out again via
South–West Trains to Bracknell – a very expensive
Twyford-Henley Branch Line.
daily journey.
Photo by Patrick Heather.
The main short-coming of existing bus routes is the lack of direct buses to all destinations. They
currently follow circuitous routes so as to serve more passengers. However, more Twyford
passengers would be encouraged to take the Wokingham bus
for example if it did not wander around Hurst and Winnersh;
Objective 15.4
similarly the bus to Reading still has advantages over the train
Increase bus usage to reduce
for people travelling to the Thames Valley Business Park or the
car usage.
Royal Berkshire Hospital but many currently run via Woodley
and/or Sonning and hence take a long time.
Suggestions for improvements to Twyford’s road system
Are there any parts of our road system that could be improved?
Sequencing of village traffic lights
North/South bypass needed
Remove on-street parking Hurst Rd behind Station
Longfield Rd/Hilltop Rd junction
Hurst Rd/Waltham Rd junction
Enforce non-parking on pavements
Access-only restrictions on lorries through village
20mph speed limit in village centre
Better road/pavement/verge maintenance by WBC
Roundabout on A4 at Wyevale
Enforcement of 30mph speed limits
Colleton School parking
Other
58
22
2
3
5
7
10
13
22
29
44
7
42
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
The major problem of too much traffic travelling too fast through the village comes to the fore again
in this question. It is the long tail backs at peak times especially on the Waltham Road and High
Twyford 2020
23
Street, with the associated frustration and air pollution that are the main concern. It is recognised
that because Twyford is at one of the few bridging points of the River Loddon, much of the traffic
has no choice at present but to come through the village centre. Consequently the only long-term
solution is a north-south bypass to complement the A4 east-west bypass opened in 1928. Traffic
levels are very much lighter during school holidays and hence we have another urgent reason for
dedicated cycleways for Piggott School pupils. The operation and sequencing of the cross-road
traffic lights needs further investigation by the Borough Council.
There are a number of possible measures that could be introduced to enforce the existing speed
limits, including speed cameras, SIDs, traffic calming and village gateway features, associated with
some rationalisation of the 30mph speed limits so that where feasible they commence at the parish
or settlement boundary. 20mph speed limits in the village centre, and outside Polehampton School
are also worthy of investigation, as is the banning of HGVs through the village except for access.
Many suggestions for road improvements relate to
known accident black spots, most notably the need
for a roundabout at the A4/London Rd (B3032)
junction at Hare Hatch by Wyevale Nurseries.
However, the latter is in Wargrave Parish.
Other bad junctions are Hurst Rd/Waltham Rd;
Longfield Rd/Hilltop Rd opposite the parade of
shops; London Rd/Ruscombe Lane/Springfield Park;
and the Carlile’s roundabout on the A4.
Accident black spot: junction of Hilltop Rd with Longfield Road. Photo by Kathy Peck.
Leisure and Social Issues
Which of the following in Twyford affect or concern you?
Drugs
Car crime
Theft
Drunkenness
Criminal damage
Burglary
Illegal parking
Graffiti
Speeding
None of the above
47
58
61
70
104
108
115
147
185
30
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
The high counts for speeding and illegal parking reinforce responses to other questions on traffic and
accessibility. The ranking of the other issues are in line with published crime figures, with anti-social
behaviour (inc. graffiti, criminal damage, drunkenness and drugs) being by far the most common
crime whilst house burglary is the only crime where the local rate exceeds the Thames Valley
24
Twyford 2020
average. Focus Groups raised concerns about street lights being turned off at midnight in the future
and also suggested more Neighbourhood Watch schemes.
Leisure facilities
How do you rate the following leisure facilities in Twyford?
No. of responses per facility given in brackets
Library (288)
Youth Centre (124)
Excellent
Loddon Hall (296)
Good
Open spaces (335)
Satisfactory
Children's play equipment (214)
Poor
Swimming (190)
Cycling (238)
Walking (317)
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Note: All ‘no experience’ responses have been excluded from this graph.
Residents, as shown elsewhere, are mostly satisfied with walking facilities, open space provision and
Loddon Hall, whilst library facilities, swimming provision and cycling all collected the highest
numbers of ‘poor’ responses. Interestingly, teenagers when asked the same question, were less
satisfied with open space provision and equipment, Loddon Hall and walking facilities. This
illustrates how consideration needs to be given to the needs of all sectors of the community when
planning amenity provision.
Teenager's Questionnaire Results
How do you rate the following leisure facilities in Twyford?
No. of responses per facility given in brackets
Library (83)
Youth Centre (86)
Loddon Hall (94)
Open Spaces (109)
Tennis Courts (90)
Skate Park (104)
New Ball Court (95)
Play Equipment (109)
Swimming (91)
Cycling (112)
Walking (112)
Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Poor
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Note: All ‘no experience’ responses have been excluded from this graph.
Twyford 2020
25
What other leisure, sport, community or cultural facilities are needed in Twyford?
40% of all the responses to this question relate to the need for a permanent library complex in the
village centre comprising a library, parish office, IT suite, exhibition space, drop-in centre and public
toilets. Focus groups also suggested the need for a small museum and tourist information to be
included. If it was located in the village centre, then it would increase footfall for all the local shops.
Outreach facilities for WBC services could also possibly be provided.
What other leisure, sport, community or cultural facilities would
you like to see in Twyford?
No of separate responses = 284
Permanent library in village centre
94
Indoor swimming pool
47
Community gym/sports centre
46
Improve Loddon Hall/arts provision
20
Civic facilities in village centre
16
Making more use of existing open spaces
16
Increased hours for existing library
5
More tennis courts
4
Better cricket pitch
3
Improve youth provision
3
Other
30
0
20
40
60
80
100
The main sport requirements are for a community gym and indoor swimming pool; residents asked
for community-based facilities rather than privately-run
facilities. To be viable, it was suggested that dual-use
Action 4.2.2
facilities with The Piggott School should be investigated.
Investigate potential for dual use
school & community sports and
Although the Polehampton Swimming Association
leisure facilities at The Piggott School.
provides an outdoor pool available for the community
use during the summer, residents currently have to
travel to Wokingham, Bulmershe, Lower Earley,
Maidenhead or Reading for the nearest indoor pools.
Loddon Hall, the United Reform Church Hall, Twyford Youth &
Community Centre and the Piggott School are all used regularly
for aerobics classes, keep fit and badminton clubs, but these
groups have to fit in amongst many other activities and there are
no permanent equipment facilities locally such as fitness
machines, gymnastics, climbing walls etc.
Youth & Community sports hall is
well used. Photo by Kathy Peck.
26
The need to improve Loddon Hall actually encompasses the idea
of trying to bring some (occasional) cinema provision to the
village, as is done in more rural villages as well as improving
theatre facilities for the Twyford & Ruscombe Theatre Group and
Twyford 2020
others. Several residents mentioned the ideal solution to be a proper arts facility such as Norden
Farm in Maidenhead, South Hill Park in Bracknell or the Oakwood Centre in Woodley.
There is a general feeling that the existing open spaces in Twyford have potential to provide for a
wider range of recreation and leisure facilities than at present. This was also discussed in the Focus
Groups, in particular with the Environmental
Organisations. They recommended that the Parish
Council should have a 10 year strategy for all their open
spaces. Specific ideas were more trees, benches, garden
areas, football nets and posts, refreshments and public
toilets in King George’s Field, boundary trees along
Waltham Road and elsewhere in Stanlake Meadow
together with a few picnic benches, an adventure
playground and an improved cricket pitch, and to
encourage more use of the Loddon Lakes, including
Stanlake Meadow Recreation Ground.
around the Twyford Mill reserve (currently managed by
BBOWT) by linking through to Charvil Meadows.
Community Services
How do you rate the following services in the Twyford area?
No. of responses (excluding 'no experience') = average of 165
Ambulance
Fire Service
Police
Excellent
Children's Services
Youth Services
Good
Services for the elderly
Satisfactory
Services for the disabled
Poor
NHS GP services
NHS Dentists
Private Dentists
Parish Council
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
For many of these community services, residents felt they were unable to give an opinion as they
had not used the service. From the scorings
received, the poorest ranking is for NHS
Action 6.1.1
dentists, but at the time of the questionnaire, a
Encourage Twyford Surgery to produce their
new NHS dental practice was opening in the
village centre which has now altered the
own website with more online services.
Completed 2009:
situation. The local GP surgery received one of
www.twyfordsurgeryberkshire.co.uk
the highest ratings, although Focus Groups did
suggest that it would be helpful if the Surgery
Twyford 2020
27
could have its own website. About 40% of residents
thought the local police only offer a poor service, and
from comments made elsewhere in the survey and
from Focus Groups, the main complaints are lack of
police presence on the streets, and the inability to
make contact at Twyford Police Station except on a
couple of half days a week.
Twyford Police Station. Photo Geoff Pilgrim.
Almost 80% of residents are happy with the amount of
information on facilities and services in Twyford that is
available.
Is information about facilities and services in Twyford readily available?
21%
Yes
No
79%
Of those not satisfied, there were 36 requests for information, the main ones being:





bus and train timetables
how to find out about village events, sport facilities, how to book the tennis courts etc
maps of footpaths and cycleways
evening classes
planning applications
There were 47 responses on ideas for disseminating this information and the most popular were:







28
a Twyford website, to include a directory of organisations, events listing, links to bus and rail
companies
more notice boards at the station, surgery and churches
Mobile Information Centre (MICE) to visit Twyford more frequently, including Saturday
mornings
information unit in or near Waitrose – until permanent parish office is built
Leaflet drops
Local newspapers
Monthly e-mailed newsletter
Twyford 2020
The need for a Parish Council Office
Would you visit a Parish Council Office if we had one?
12%
34%
Yes
Maybe
No
55%
89% of residents say that they either would definitely or maybe visit a Parish Council Office if a
permanent one was provided.
Consultation Results Conclusion
The analysis of the questionnaire results has
shown that most residents see Twyford as a
nice place to live. The strong sense of
community is particularly evident in the
responses.
The positive nature of the questionnaire and
focus group responses along with the feedback
received has ensured that this Parish Plan has
emerged as a constructive tool for local
improvement, building on current strengths to
improve areas of weakness.
Twyford Station - good rail links.
The production of this Parish Plan has
confirmed that Twyford has many attributes
that are greatly valued by its residents.
'Twyford 2020' therefore has to ensure that
these much-loved features are retained whilst
at the same time attempting to deal with some
of the problems identified.
Strong sense of community.
Twyford 2020
29
Summary of Main Issues
The previous section of the Plan has detailed all the issues raised during the consultation process. In
summary, the main issues are:







Traffic through the village, in terms of volume, speed, noise and air pollution, pedestrian
safety and traffic jams;
Lack of a permanent library, with an associated parish office, exhibition area, small museum,
IT Suite and public toilets;
Lack of variety of shopping provision;
Enhancement of the village centre;
Aircraft noise, when easterly winds are blowing;
Current open spaces have under-utilised potential;
Lack of community facilities, especially for indoor sports.
The Actions to deal with these issues are listed in the final section of this Plan and they are the most
important aspect of Twyford 2020. Some are relatively easy to implement and may even be
complete by the time of publication; some will take several years of careful discussions, negotiations
and fund-raising to produce results, whilst others are even more aspirational and may take the full
10 years of the Plan to come to fruition.
A Vision for Twyford
The desire of Twyford residents to have more and better facilities and services available locally in the
village is the practical expression of wanting Twyford to be even more sustainable as a settlement
than it is now. In fact, the over-riding objective of Twyford 2020 is to make Twyford “a beacon of
sustainability”. More services provided locally will be of most benefit to teenagers and senior
citizens who find it expensive and difficult to travel farther afield. In a world running short of oil,
Twyford could be a settlement where every able-bodied person can walk or use public transport, if
necessary, to carry out daily requirements for shopping, education, work and leisure. Further
growth geographically however would reduce this sustainability.
Monitoring Twyford 2020
Publishing a Parish Plan is but one small step in the overall process. Implementation of the Actions
outlined in the next section is what really counts. Twyford 2020 will be monitored by:
30

TVP providing annual monitoring updates of the Action Points to the Parish Council AGM
and the Twyford Village Partnership AGM;

Regularly updating the monitoring schedule on the TVP website at www.twyfordvillage.com

Reviewing the Parish Plan in 2015.
Summary of Main Issues
Twyford 2020
The Action Plan
Ref
Objective/Action
1
ENVIRONMENT –POLLUTION & SUSTAINABILITY
1.1
Reduce the disturbance from aircraft noise
1.1.1
1.1.2
1.1.3
1.1.4
1.2
1.2.1
1.2.2
Encourage WBC to use aircraft noise-monitoring devices in
Twyford
Revise WBC & TVP websites to include a page on aircraft
noise and publicise Heathrow Airport’s own Noise-line
0800 344 844 (free of charge)
Encourage WBC to join neighbouring LA’s in campaign
against Heathrow expansion
Appraise MP and Borough Councillors of extent of aircraft
noise problem in Twyford
Investigate the possibility of providing new static recycling
facilities at:
 Broad Hinton
 Stanlake Meadow
 Loddon Hall Car Park
Provide information (via TVP website and library poster) on
recycling opportunities for items not covered by kerbside
recycling or static recycling points e.g. batteries, long-life
light bulbs.
Reduce the local impact of litter
1.3.1
Arrange for Twyford to participate in Litter Picking Days
1.4
Promote practices that improve sustainability
1.4.2
Target
Date
Partners
High
March
2011
TVP, WBC
High
Dec 2010
WBC, TVP
March
2011
June
2010
TVP, TPC,
WBC
Medium
March
2011
WBC, TPC,
TRCA
Complete
Sept
2009
TVP
High
March
2010
TPC, TVP
Medium
March
2012
TVP
Complete
Nov 2009
TVP
High
March
2012
TPC
High
High
TVP
Promote and encourage recycling in Twyford
1.3
1.4.1
Priority
Investigate feasibility of hydro-electric-power generation at
Mill Race on the River Loddon
Promote range of domestic renewable energy sources,
water-saving devices etc available via register of local
residents willing to pass on experiences
2
HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT
2.1
Maintain special character of the village
2.1.1
Undertake a Village Design Statement
2.2
Protect non-listed buildings in Twyford that have important local historic interest
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.2.3
2.2.4
Draw up complete list of candidates for “Buildings of
Traditional Local Character” (BTLC)
Investigate, with owner’s permission, whether any are now
worthy of listing
Liaise with WBC to get the BTLC’s recognised under WBC
Saved Policy WHE9
Liaise with WBC to ensure that similar policy included in
replacement DPD of Local Development Framework
Twyford 2020
High
Medium
March
2010
March
2011
High
Dec 2010
High
Dec 2010
TRLHS
EH, WBC
WBC, TVP,
TRLHS
WBC, TVP,
TRLHS
The Action Plan
31
2.3
Promote Twyford’s history
2.3.1
Complete a comprehensive history of the Twyford area
2.3.2
2.3.3
2.3.4
2.3.5
Campaign for small museum/exhibition area for display of
TRLHS’s archives to be included in a permanent library
complex (see 4.1)
Provide additional historical notice-boards in village centre
(e.g. Bell Corner, Twyford Mill and Station).
Investigate feasibility of installing a sign at gateway to
Twyford on Old Bath Road from Charvil over the river
Loddon explaining derivation of name
Produce plates, mugs, tea-towels, table-mats, coasters, for
sale showing historical buildings
High
Dec 2011
TRLHS
High
Dec 2011
WBC, TVP,
TPC, TRLHS
High
March
2011
WBC, TVP,
TPC, TRLHS
Medium
March
2012
WBC, TPC,
TRLHS
High
Dec 2010
TRLHS
2.3.6
Produce an audio-visual version of “Village Walks”
Low
2.3.7
Produce a map to accompany “Village Walks” enabling
circular walks, extending into the surrounding countryside
High
2.3.8
Provide historical information and photos on a website
High
2.4
Visually enhance Twyford village centre
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.4.3
Enhance Bell Corner with planting, more seats, bins and
cycle racks, historical notice-board, village map,
replacement paving
Realise full potential of Wellington Square with more
seating, bins, cycle racks, planting etc
Investigate potential of seating etc in area adjacent to
Brackenwood Windows
March
2012
June
2010
March
2011
High
Sept
2011
High
Dec 2010
Medium
March
2011
TRLHS
LVR, TVP,
WBC
TRLHS, TVP,
TPC
WBC, TPC,
businesses,
land-owners
Businesses,
WBC, TPC
WBC, TPC
Businesses,
TVP, WBC,
TPC, RT
WBC, NAG,
TPC
WBC, TPC,
FGW
2.4.4
Enhance village centre with more floral displays, tree
planting and Christmas lights/decorations
High
March
2011
2.4.5
Enhance alleyways
restaurants
High
March
2011
2.4.6
Enhance forecourt of Twyford Railway Station
High
Dec 2015
2.5
Increase awareness of Twyford’s two Conservation Areas
2.5.1
Inform residents in Conservation Areas of EH’s “Looking
after your house” and have a welcome pack available for
new residents explaining the history of the area and good
practice when planning alterations to their homes
High
April
2011
TVP, TPC,
Estate
Agents
3
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
3.1
Manage Parish-owned Open Spaces in the most effective manner
3.1.1
Prepare 10-year management strategies for Parish-owned
Open Spaces and implement conclusions.
Suggestions for King George’s Field include
 retain space for Firework Display
 more tree planting, wildlife areas, floral displays
 more seating
 easier access for cyclists
 more tennis courts and more skate ramps
 football nets/posts
Dec 2010
TPC
32
The Action Plan
alongside
Amin’s
and
Gaylord
Twyford 2020
High
3.1.2
 investigate options for public toilet provision
 access to refreshments during school holidays e.g.
ice cream van or community cafe
Suggestions for Stanlake Meadow include
 adventure playground for older children
 picnic benches
 adult outdoor gym
 replacement native trees along Waltham Rd
Establish a scheme to enable trees and seating in open
spaces to be provided by public donation
3.2
Provide outdoor adult exercise facilities
3.2.1
Explore possibility of an exercise circuit and adult outdoor
gym in Waltham Chase/Hurst Park open space network
3.3
Help the community to protect local natural habitats
3.3.1
Encourage local community involvement to assist BBOWT
to manage local nature reserves
3.4
Improve local footpath network
3.4.1
3.4.2
3.4.3
Explore the possibility of a circular walk around Twyford
 FP from New Rd Twyford to London Rd (in Ruscombe
Parish)
 New riverside walk along Loddon, W of Bridge House
 Footpaths required along Broadwater, W of Hurst Rd
Improve links between footpath networks in Twyford and
Charvil, by re-instating Bailey Bridge and old gravel works
path at White Bridge
Produce map of all local footpaths, both within the village
and in surrounding countryside
High
March
2011
TPC
High
Dec 2011
WBC, TPC,
TVP
High
Ongoing
BBOWT, TVP
High
Dec 2011
LVR, TPC,
WBC
High
Dec 2011
LVR, TPC,
CPC, WBC
High
June
2010
LVR, TVP,
WBC
Medium
March
2012
TVP, WBC
High
March
2010
WDVTA
Medium
March
2012
WBC, TPC
Sept
2009
TPC
3.5
Protect valuable trees
3.5.1
Undertake a survey of additional trees in parish worthy of
TPO status
3.6
Protect veteran trees
3.6.1
Complete a survey of Veteran trees in Twyford parish
3.7
Encourage more tree planting
3.7.1
Investigate potential for more street and verge trees
3.8
Raise awareness of Biodiversity issues locally
3.8.1
Encourage Parish Council to nominate a Biodiversity
Champion to attend Biodiversity meetings at Dinton
Pastures
4
LEISURE, SPORT, CULTURAL & COMMUNITY FACILITES
4.1
Provide a permanent library complex in village centre, comprising a library, parish office,
IT suite, exhibition space, small museum, public facilities and WBC outreach services
4.1.1
Ensure 4.1 is included within WBC Library Strategy
High
March
2010
4.1.2
Find a suitable site in village centre
High
Dec 2011
Twyford 2020
Complete
WBC, TPC,
TVP
WBC, TPC,
TVP
The Action Plan
33
4.1.3
Explore funding from WBC and other sources
4.2
Improve indoor sports facilities
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.3
Investigate sites and funding for a community gym/sports
centre and indoor swimming pool
Investigate potential for dual use (by pupils and public) of
extended or new facilities at The Piggott; most urgent are
an indoor gym and sports centre, indoor swimming pool,
and an all-weather pitch.
Investigate feasibility of covering outdoor pools at
Polehampton and Colleton schools
High
Dec 2011
WBC, TPC,
TVP
Medium
March
2015
TVP, WBC
Medium
March
2015
WBC, The
Piggott
School
Medium
March
2013
Schools,
WBC, TPC
4.3
Provide a village arts centre
4.3.1
Investigate the feasibility of upgrading Loddon Hall, with
input from both existing and potential users. Could it
become a suitable venue for films/live music/drama?
Medium
March
2013
TVP, TRCA
4.3.2
Investigate any other sites within the village
Medium
March
2013
TVP
4.4
Provide residents with more information about facilities, organisations, events etc
4.4.1
4.4.2
Improve TVP website to include a list of local groups and
organisations, details of forthcoming events, history of the
village and links to other partners
Encourage Mobile Information Unit to visit Twyford more
regularly
Partially
complete
March
2010
TVP
High
Sept
2010
TVP,
CResCent
Medium
June
2010
WBC, TVP,
TPC
Medium
June
2010
WBC, TVP,
TPC
Complete
Dec 2009
Surgery
Medium
Ongoing
TVP
High
Ongoing
Police, Youth
Workers,
TPC, NAG
5
HOUSING
5.1
Work to solve the particular housing needs of Twyford Parish
5.1.1
5.1.2
Inform WBC housing and planning departments that the
main need in Twyford is for more affordable housing and
properties suitable for first-time buyers including flats and
small houses
Inform WBC housing, planning and social services that
senior citizens in Twyford would like more affordable care
and nursing home options in the village itself, so that they
can remain near family and friends
6
HEALTH
6.1
Improve information available about Twyford Surgery
6.1.1
Encourage Twyford Surgery to produce their own website
with more online services
6.2
Enable less-mobile residents to travel to medical appointments
6.2.1
Assist the Twyford & Ruscombe Volunteer Car Service to
enlist help of more volunteer drivers
7
AMBULANCE/FIRE/POLICE
7.1
Reduce crime levels
7.1.1
Work with all partners to reduce anti-social behaviour in
village ‘hot-spots’
34
The Action Plan
Twyford 2020
7.1.2
Determine status of any existing Neighbourhood Watch
schemes
Medium
June
2010
NAG
7.1.3
Encourage more Neighbourhood Watch Schemes
Medium
Ongoing
NAG
High
Dec 2010
NAG, Police
High
March
2011
NAG, Police
7.1.4
7.1.5
Investigate whether Twyford Police Station can extend its
opening hours, working with police if necessary to publicise
need for more volunteers to staff front desk
Examine possibility of direct line phone number for Twyford
Police Station
7.1.6
Investigate ways of improving police presence
Medium
Dec 2011
NAG, Police
7.1.7
Monitor trends in crime where street lights switched off
after midnight
Medium
March
2012
TVP, Police,
WBC, TPC,
NAG
8
SHOPPING
8.1
Encourage a wider variety of shops, especially selling convenience goods
8.1.1
8.1.2
8.1.3
Investigate whether an ironmongers/DIY/hardware/
electrical shop could be attracted to Twyford to provide a
wider retail offer
Investigate whether independent food shops and/or a
weekly or farmer’s market selling local or organic produce
could be attracted to Twyford
Investigate whether other shops such as those selling
clothes and shoes, haberdashery/wool, charity goods, toys,
plus a building society or non-Indian restaurant can be
attracted to Twyford
High
Dec 2011
TVP, WBC,
traders
High
Dec 2011
TVP, WBC,
traders
Medium
Dec 2011
TVP, WBC,
traders
8.2
Provide an improved environment for shoppers
8.2.1
Encourage improvements to shop facades
8.2.2
Encourage networking of traders, thus enabling occasional
special events, window competitions etc
High
8.2.3
Investigate and construct wider pavements where possible
High
8.3
Achieve a wider enhancement of shops and car park on N side of London Road
8.3.1
8.3.2
Investigate ideas for increasing shopper circulation by
breaking up existing shopping parade with arcades and a
piazza and enhancing alleyway alongside 25 London Rd
Investigate and implement enhancement of car park behind
London Road shops, and provision of safe route for
pedestrians from Wargrave Rd to Waitrose
Medium
March
2012
March
2011
March
2012
WBC
Medium
TVP, TPC,
WBC,
traders
High
March
2012
WBC
Medium
Ongoing
TVP, TPC,
WBC,
BUSINESS ECONOMY
9.1
Provide more employment opportunities locally for school leavers
9.1.1
Encourage local employers to recruit school leavers
9.2
Encourage small scale tourism in Twyford
9.2.1
Expand on 2.3 and 3.4 to attract visitors to Twyford
High
Dec 2012
9.2.2
Explore public convenience provision so that there are
facilities available for visitors every day, all day
High
Dec 2012
Twyford 2020
TVP, traders
March
2015
9
TVP, traders
TVP, TRLHS,
LVR, TPC
TVP, TPC,
WBC
The Action Plan
35
10
EDUCATION
10.1
Assist local schools with their community involvement
10.1.1
Ensure existing dual-use of the 3 primary schools and
Wargrave Piggott for evening classes, clubs and meetings
continues
10.2
Resolve problems of over-subscribed primary schools
10.2.1
WBC, local
schools
High
Ongoing
Investigate whether catchment areas need to be revised
High
March
2011
10.2.2
Explore possibility of enlarging existing schools
High
March
2013
10.3
Encourage local schools to be more ‘green’
10.3.1
Ensure that the ‘green’ travel plans of the 3 primary schools
and Wargrave Piggott are regularly updated
Medium
Ongoing
10.3.2
Explore ‘walking buses’ for the primary schools
High
March
2011
10.3.3
Investigate whether parking problems for the primary
schools can be reduced
High
Sept
2010
11
ROADS & TRAFFIC
11.1
Reduce peak-time congestion at Twyford cross-roads
11.1.1
Improve the traffic light sequencing to give most priority in
morning rush-hour to traffic from the S along Waltham Rd
and from the W along the Old Bath Rd
High
June
2011
WBC
11.1.2
Construct a north-south Twyford bypass
Medium
March
2020
WBC, TPC
11.2
Reduce traffic speeding on all road in the Parish
11.2.1
Provide gateway features at 5 entries to village on Hurst Rd,
Waltham Rd, London Rd, Wargrave Rd and Old Bath Rd.
Rationalise signs where possible so that gateways coincide
with parish or settlement boundary and 30 mph signs
High
Sept
2011
WBC, TPC,
NAG
11.2.2
Investigate 20mph limit in village centre
11.2.3
Introduce other speed reduction measures e.g. 30 mph
signs painted on roads, electronic speed warning signs
Sept
2011
Sept
2011
WBC, TPC,
NAG
WBC, TPC,
NAG
11.3
Reduce number of traffic accidents at known black spots in Twyford Parish
11.3.1
11.3.2
11.3.3
11.3.4
11.3.5
36
Implement improvements at Hurst Rd/Waltham Rd junction
e.g. roundabout, change priority, improve sight-lines
Implement improvements at London Rd/Springfield
Park/Ruscombe Rd junction
Investigate feasibility of Pelican crossing on A4 by BP
Garage
Implement improvements at road junction by Longfield Rd
shops
Investigate feasibility of yellow lines on East side of
Waltham Road alongside Stanlake Meadow
The Action Plan
Twyford 2020
Medium
High
High
High
High
High
High
March
2011
March
2012
March
2012
March
2012
March
2012
Primary
schools,
WBC
Schools,
WBC
Schools,
WBC
Primary
schools,
WBC
Thames
Valley
Police, WBC,
schools
WBC, TPC
WBC, TPC
WBC, The
Piggott
WBC, TPC
WBC, TPC
11.4
11.4.1
11.4.2
11.4.3
Investigate other road matters
Investigate feasibility of removing speed bumps and tables
from Wessex Gardens and Colleton Drive and possibly
Winchcombe Rd as they cause problems for residents and
20 mph speed limit is probably sufficient
Investigate methods of discouraging use of Amberley Drive
as a ‘rat-run’
Provide new sign from village centre for Loddon Hall and
Twyford Surgery
12
FOOTPATHS & PEDESTRIANS
12.1
Make the village more pedestrian and cyclist friendly
12.1.1
Widen pavements, where possible, in Church St and High St
12.1.2
12.1.3
12.1.4
12.1.5
12.1.6
12.1.7
12.1.8
12.1.9
12.1.10
Investigate widening of pavement on East side of Waltham
Rd by Stanlake Meadow; not wide enough for pedestrians
to pass or for double buggies and deep ditch alongside.
Install dropped kerbs in Loddon Hall Rd opposite Twyford
Surgery
Investigate safe crossing for Polehampton pupils across
Loddon Hall car park, together with layout changes to
improve traffic flow
Investigate possibility of improved pedestrian crossings (i)
by railway station on Hurst Rd (ii) at Hurst Rd/Waltham Rd
junction (iii) on Waltham Rd opposite FP to Springfield Park
Investigate whether more bollards on village centre
pavements would stop pavement parking without causing
hindrance to pedestrians
Encourage police to take enforcement action against
pavement parking especially in London Road, Brook Street
and outside photographers in Waltham Road
Investigate making Station Road one-way
Provide a proper pavement along Stanlake Lane to connect
with pavement over Ruscombe Bridge
Investigate a footpath link between Hurst Park and
Waltham Chase (e.g. from Mallard Close to Gooch Close) to
enable more all-weather health walks, foster community
spirit and provide safe cycle routes for school children
Medium
Low
Low
March
2013
March
2015
March
2012
WBC, TPC
March
2012
WBC, TPC
Low
March
2016
WBC, TPC
High
March
2011
WBC, TPC
High
March
2011
WBC, TPC,
TRCA, PJS
High
March
2013
WBC, TPC
Medium
March
2013
WBC, TPC
High
March
2011
Police
Medium
High
Medium
March
2011
March
2013
March
2015
CYCLEWAYS
13.1
Develop a network of cycleways throughout Twyford Parish
13.1.1
Explore possibility of creating a safe cycle route for school
children cycling from estates in South of village to The
Piggott School.
High
March
2013
13.1.2
Explore possible cycleway from Hurst into village centre
High
March
2013
13.1.3
Explore possible cycleway from Charvil into village centre
High
March
2014
Twyford 2020
WBC, TPC
High
13
WBC, TPC
WBC, TPC
WBC, TPC,
RPC
WBC, TPC
WBC, TPC,
SUSTRANS,
The Piggott
WBC, TPC,
SNHPC,
SUSTRANS,
WBC, CPC,
TPC,
SUSTRANS,
Schools
The Action Plan
37
13.1.4
14
PARKING
14.1
Reduce problems caused by rail commuters parking in residential roads
14.1.1
Investigate whether increased parking capacity at Twyford
railway station or reduced parking charges would resolve
the current problems and implement changes accordingly
High
March
2015
WBC, Police,
TPC, parking
operator
14.1.2
Provide more cycle-racks at Twyford railway station
High
March
2011
FGW
15
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
15.1
Improve off-peak rail services London bound
15.1.1
15.1.2
Investigate whether 2 of the 4 trains per hour off-peak and
weekends could be semi-fast
Investigate whether fast trains from London could continue
later after the evening peak
High
Medium
Medium
15.2
Reduce over-crowding on trains at peak times
15.2.1
Encourage trains to be longer and more frequent at peak
times
15.3
Ensure that Crossrail does not reduce Twyford’s rail services
15.3.1
Investigate likely implications of Crossrail for Twyford rail
services
15.4
Increase bus usage to reduce car usage
15.4.1
Encourage bus services on more popular routes (e.g. to
Woodley) to be more than hourly
15.4.2
15.4.3
15.4.4
15.4.5
38
Encourage bus services to be provided in off-peak times,
such as Sundays, Bank Holidays and later than 8pm from
Reading
Investigate if Rural Bus Grant for Reading to Wokingham
service in Twyford is likely to continue
Encourage increased usage by:
 Ensuring bus timetable information widely available,
on bus-stops, on TVP/TPC websites, in library and
mobile information unit and station
 Providing more bus shelters especially in exposed
spots
Investigate whether a bus service from Twyford to
Bracknell is viable, for use by students at Bracknell &
Wokingham College
The Action Plan
Twyford 2020
March
2013
WBC, RPC,
TPC,
SUSTRANS,
Schools
Explore possible cycleway from Hare Hatch into village
centre along London Road
March
2012
March
2012
FGW
FGW
March
2011
FGW
High
March
2011
FGW
Medium
March
2011
Medium
March
2011
High
March
2011
WBC
High
March
2011
TVP, TPC,
WBC, Arriva,
Thames
Travel
Low
March
2012
Arriva,
Thames
Travel
High
Arriva,
Thames
Travel
Arriva,
Thames
Travel
Abbreviations
BBOWT
Berks, Bucks and Oxons Wildlife Trust
CCB
Community Council for Berkshire
CPC
Charvil Parish Council
CResCent
Earley CResCent Community Resource
Centre
EH
English Heritage
FGW
First Great Western
FORWOOD Friends of Ruscombe Wood
LVR
Loddon Valley Ramblers
NAG
Twyford & Ruscombe Neighbourhood
Action Group
PJS
Polehampton Junior School
RPC
Ruscombe Parish Council
RT
Twyford Round Table
SNHPC
St Nicholas Hurst Parish Council
TPC
Twyford Parish Council
TRCA
Twyford & Ruscombe Community
Association
T&RHA
Twyford & Ruscombe Horticultural
Association
TRLHS
Twyford & Ruscombe Local History Society
TVP
WBC
Wokingham Borough Council
WDVTA
Wokingham District Veteran Tree
Association
Twyford 2020
The Action Plan
39
Appendix 1
How representative was the Household Questionnaire Response?
The questionnaire asked for the respondent’s postcode and also for the ages of all people in their
household.
Postcodes – 355 of the 393 completed Questionnaires supplied postcode information although 13
only gave an RG10 code, so their response could not be mapped. A map was produced highlighting
any postcodes from which no responses were received (available to view online at
www.twyfordvillage.com). Generally these ‘no shows’ were scattered throughout the parish,
although Bridge House nursing home (where the residents did not receive questionnaires) along
with the sheltered housing complexes of Haydon Court and Treacher’s Court accounted for 4 of the
‘blanks’. Their lack of response is compensated for as the opinions of many of these elderly
residents were picked up in the Senior Citizen Focus Group carried out at the Lady Elizabeth Centre.
Table 1: Age Structure of Respondents Compared with 2001 Census
Age
Questionnaire
responses
2001 Census
Twyford Ward
0–4 yrs
11%
6%
5–9 yrs
9%
5%
10–14 yrs
4%
5%
15-19 yrs
2%
4%
20-29 yrs
5%
12%
30-44 yrs
24%
25%
45-64 yrs
28%
25%
65-74 yrs
12%
9%
75-84 yrs
4%
6%
Over 85 yrs
1%
2%
The 2001 Census data is now 8 years out of date, so the age categories are no longer directly
comparable. There has been quite a baby boom in the village in recent years which could explain
the large number of under-5’s in the responses. Similarly the higher number of people in their 20’s
in 2001 could now be in their 30’s and the rapid rise in house prices locally since 2001 means that
fewer people in their 20’s are able to afford to find their own property in the village. Less response
was expected from the more elderly over 75 as they may have had problems completing and
returning the forms.
40
Appendix 1
Twyford 2020
Members of Steering Group and Action Groups
Josephine Blythe
Chair of TVP from February 2008 to January 2009
Stephen Conway
Wokingham Borough Councillor for Twyford
Audrey Curtis
Bridget Ditcham
Parish Council representative from April 2009
Emma Donald
Website Manager, Newsletter Editor
Sue Goddard
Parish Plan Co-ordinator, Environmental Action Group Lead
Patrick Heather
TVP Chair from January 2009, Transport & Accessibility Action Group Lead
David Hymers
Parish Council representative to April 2009
John Illenden
Stephen Loyd
Lorna Minton
Paul Minton
Kathy Peck
TVP Secretary from February 2008 to April 2010
Geoff Pilgrim
Gavin Robinson
Gordon Storey
Economy & Education Action Group Lead
Diane Thirtle
Denise Wilkins
Gerry Wise
Christian Wrigley
TVP Vice-Chair, Social & Community Action Group Lead
Acknowledgements







All the local residents who contributed their thoughts, opinions and ideas during the
consultation process;
Tim Palmer from the Community Council for Berkshire for his continuing advice on how to
produce a Parish Plan;
Sue Goddard for co-ordinating the Plan process, completing the Healthchecks, analysing the
questionnaires and consultation data, and drafting the Plan;
Kathy and Martin Peck for their support and assistance, including the graphic design of the
questionnaires and Plan, and for their IT expertise;
Christian Wrigley and Emma Donald for communication and press releases;
Helen Maguire of Wokingham Borough Council for providing the maps;
Duncan Edwards of Waitrose Twyford for his support, especially in regard to the printing of this
Plan, and for hosting our Committee meetings.
‘Twyford 2020’ published by Twyford Village Partnership March 2010

Twyford 2020 - A Plan for Twyford

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