VILLAGERS are keen to ensure the healthy future of their village.

To do that volunteers have been making steady progress on the Broadwindsor Neighbourhood Plan.

Chairman of the group Rowland Hibbard said it was a significant milestone gathering village views through the questionnaire - the results of which are available for all to see on the Broadwindsor Parish Council website.

He said there had been a 60 per cent response rate - better in comparison than many other places - and the responses helped to develop the vision which is now driving the plan.

He said: “Our vision is that during the next 20 years residents will have enough suitable and environmentally friendly homes, which fit into the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which they value so highly and that there will be good schools, safe roadways and support for local employment and local services which ensure that all ages, in every part of our parish, are able to enjoy life to the full.”

He said people valued facilities for leisure and recreation, a good social life and community spirit and neighbourliness, local services and shops, the distinctive character of villages and buildings, landscape and scenery, plus being in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

But he added: “There is dissatisfaction both with parking and safety for cyclists and walkers, and by far the greatest number of written suggestions were about speed and the size of vehicles.

“There was clear support for increasing the number of passing places but no desire for increased street lighting.”

People also wanted to see the protection of existing employment sites, allowing conversion of redundant buildings to employment use and encouraging more people to work from home.

Mr Hibbard said: “There was little support for open market and private rental housing. However there was support for adaptable and shared ownership and housing association homes, especially for younger local people. A Community Land Trust type scheme was supported.

“We are listing all the green spaces in the parish that we would like to see protected from any development.”