BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL 1995/96 LAURIE WAKEHAM FAMILY BUTCHER 59 HIGH STREET BRIDGE 01227 330220 HIGH QUALITY BUTCHERS WHERE TRADITIONAL CUTS OE LOCALLY- REARED BEEF, LAMB AND PORK ARE MIXED WITH MORE CONVENIANT READY PREPARED DISHES OTHER SPECIALITIES INCLUDE A GOOD VARIETY OF ENGLISH AND CONTINENTAL CHEESES. WILTSHIRE CURED BACON. AND A RANGE OF HOMEMADE SAUSAGES AND PIES, WHICH INCLUDE THE AWARD WINNING KENT HOPPICKERS PIE. ALSO SUPPLIERS TO THE CATERING TRADE AND OTHER SPECIAL OCCASIONS. LAURIE WAKEHAM PURI/EYOR OFQUALI TY FOODS. BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL FOREWORD In September 1995 a Public Meeting was held in the Village Hall to discuss proposals by Bridge Parish Council in partnership with Cantley Estates Limited to develop land between Bridge Recreation Ground and the A2 By—Pass. In view of the strength of feeling expressed at this Meeting it was proposed that a Village Appraisal Sub—Committee be set up under the auspices of the Parish Council to consider general matters affecting the Village, and this subject in particular. An appeal was made by the Chairman of the Parish Council for volunteers and a Sub—Committee was formed. As its first task a considerable amount of work was carried out in the preparation of a Questionnaire which was delivered to every household in the Village. Over 50% were completed and returned, this response was particularly gratifying as it compared favourably with a return of 30.9% from the last Village Appraisal carried out in 1988/ 89. After processing the replies the Committee made a number of recommendations, which are included in this Report, which have been submitted to the Bridge Parish Council, and will also be referred to Canterbury City Council and Kent County Council. I would like to express my personal thanks to all members of the Committee for the dedication and hard work expended in the production of this important project, and in particular Raj Dasan for his invaluable work in co—ordinating the input and statistical analysis of the Questionnaire. It is the view of the Committee that the Parish response showed considerable concern and interest in the future of Bridge and there would appear to be no great feeling for LARGE scale development or indeed any material change in the Village way of life. I would commend this Report to you. M Lmtv Mike Loughlin Chairman tlfippra Consistecliof the 5 t g ‘xix/i1:,B/I- I * I I I isflrs. p. INTRODUCTION Sustainability is the key to the survival of Bridge as a village in the future. At present we compare favourably with our neighbouring villages as we have a good selection of shops, post office, surgery, dentist, regular bus services and a nearby railway station. We also have a thriving school, scouts and girl guides, W1, book clubs, etc... sports organisations and all the activities connected to the church. Despite this positive picture Bridge has seen a steady decline of its services over the last few decades. It is the growth of private car ownership which has created this massive deterioration of village services; the increased personal mobility has allowed people to travel further afield for shopping, work and schooling. This has not only undermined the viability of local services but also of public transport. If this trend is allowed to continue Bridge will not remain a village but become a suburb of Canterbury. All is not gloomy, however, for the Governments Rural White Paper recognises this problem and to some degree so does the Kent Structure Plan and the Canterbury District Plan. Sustainability of transport, development and farming practices are all stressed in these documents. There is a realisation creeping in that fresh air , clean water and open countryside are finite resources and must be safeguarded for the future generations. We will have to change our ways and take responsibility for our actions. i.e. use public transport, cycle and walk more, shop locally asking for local produce, recycle, conserve energy and so on. CONTENTS Foreword ......................................................................................... .. 1 Introduction ..................................................................................... .. 2 1. Geographical location .................................................................... .. 3 2. A short history ................................................................................ .. 5 3. Highways, Traffic and Transport Roads ......................................... .. 6 4. General planning & Countryside policies ...................................... .. 9 5. Survey Results .............................................................................. .. 13 6. Recommendations ........................................................................ .. 21 In conclusion ................................................................................. .. 24 This Village Appraisal report was grant aided under the Community Initiatives in Rural Kent through the auspices of the Kent Rural Community Council, 15 Manor Road, Folkestone, Kent CTZO 2AH. Tel: 01303 850816 ©1996 Bridge Village Appraisal Committee. c/o The Secretary, Gordon House, High Street, Bridge, Kent CT4 5JZ Produced byparkers printers & designers. Canterbury 766555 BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL 1 . GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION Bridge village is situated in the Nailbourne Valley in an attractive rural setting on the old Roman Watling Street, formerly the main road between London and Dover. The village is the main settlement in the Parish of Bridge and lies 2.5 miles south east of Canterbury and 12 miles from Dover. It is likely that the parish took its name from "Bregge” a bridge which crossed the Little Stour, a tributary of the Stour itself. The village is linear in form having grown northwards and eastwards along Watling Street and away from the River Nailbourne which floods periodically. The older part of the village is built on fairly level alluvial and head deposits, the height of the land varying between 25m. and 50m. above sea level. In the early 1960's a significant amount of residential building took place to the south of the centre of the village at Bridge Down. This development is situated on north west facing chalkland between 50m. and 75m. above sea level. As a result of the 1986 parish boundary changes Bridge village now lies slightly off- centre in a parish reduced in size. Although land to the north west, north east and south east was gained from Patrixbourne and Bishopsbourne, more to the south west was lost to Lower Hardres, Upper Hardres and Bishopsbourne. Bridge, like other similar villages in the locality is a popular residential area for people working in Canterbury and other nearby towns. To Canterbury \ BRIDGE Rom_an Wathngw Street ‘ £5 ‘>3’ 19605-705 \\"'~"A ( "it; _..;, . ‘. Development at ~--jg Riverside Close ~ ' ‘, ' ..o- -4. CENTRE *5 " - « OF OLD VILLAGE 19605 Development 19605 at Development at Western Avenue BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL 2. A SHORT HISTORY The village of Bridge, straddling the main road from Dover to Canterbury has been an important village since the Roman occupation of England. There was probably a Roman bridge across the river (Cf. Bruges which has a similar site and name). The village is situated on the old coaching route from Dover to London, known as Watling Street. In the parish records there are detailed many marriages between passing travellers and local villagers. Near by on the Barham Downs the armies used to assemble for campaigns abroad such as ”The Field of the Cloth of Gold”, the Seven Years War and also India in the mid 19th Century. The church in characteristic Kentish flint was restored with money given by Mrs. Gregory in 1852. It is a feature of the village as you come down the hill from Canterbury and is even more exposed since the great storm in October, 1987. A characteristic of Bridge are the large manor houses near the village: — Bridge Place was the home of the Braemes family (Sir Arnold Braemes was the first manager of the Dover Harbour Board), — Higharn House, now known as Highland Court was one of the largest country houses in East Kent in the 17th Century, Count Zebrovsky of Chitty, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame lived in the house earlier this century. — Bridge Hill House was the former home of the grandson of the French philosopher Montesquieu, — East Bridge House, to mention but a few. A little further away is Bourne Park where Mozart stayed once to attend the horse races on the Barham Downs! There are three pubs of great antiquity. In The White Horse a famous brawl took place which is recorded in the Church Archives of Christopher Applegate, a contemporary of Marlowe. The Post Office is a great centre of the village and was used by Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, then living at Broome Park, to send his first despatch in 1914. One of the first work houses in Kent was built in 1837 in Union Road and the Record Book gives the names of many inmates who, often forced by poverty, took up residence there. There are not many villages that can boast such varied architecture from Tudor to Victorian. The centre of village is a Designated Conservation Area but constant vigilance is needed to see that a high standard is maintained. t... ...._—.n Bridge which has survived two wars mercifully undamaged, has grown since the war and with this growth has come social change and mobility. The population of Bridge was 1,297 at the 1981 Census. New houses have been built at Bridge Down and Western Avenue in the 1950's and 1960's. Riverside Close was developed in the 197 0's and 1980's and the most recent addition is Mansfield Court. One of the surgeons returning from the Battle of Waterloo, Dr. James wrote that ”he was much impressed by the happiness and jollity of the inhabitants” of Bridge! 3. HIGHWAYS, TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT ROADS The village has evolved on either side of the old Roman Road which until 1976 formed the main route(A2) between London and Dover. However, opening of the by-pass removed about 90% of the through traffic. The High Street through the village is now a C class road. Traffic flows on the by-pass now exceeds 9,150 vehicles per day (1994 survey by the Kent County Council) compared to about 14,000 vehicles per day through Bridge before the by-pass was opened bearing in mind the growth in motor vehicles in the last 10 years. Generally, the roads in and around Bridge are in a good serviceable condition and adequate for the foreseeable future. Some side roads and footways have been resurfaced in recent years such as Union Road, Bridge Down etc. Some roads with the junction of the High Street are below the Highway Standards. There are no new highway schemes, environmental improvement or traffic management planned for Bridge or its environs. TRAFFIC Based on the traffic count carried out in May 1996, approximately 3000 vehicles per day pass through the High Street of which about 10% account for heavy goods vehicles. Some heavy goods vehicles service the cold storage depot at the Highland Court Farm and others are delivery lorries. PARKING The construction of the by-pass allowed on—street parking to return to much of the High Street. This causes narrowing of the carriageway in places. The growth in the number of motor vehicles in Bridge and shoppers from neighbouring villages visiting Bridge has caused an increase in demand for parking places. Therefore, most of the BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL on—street parking is fully used; especially on Saturdays on the High Street. Parking is also a problem by the Post Office and in Conyngham Lane and New Close during school term time in the mornings and afternoons. There are no plans for additional parking facilities as there is no suitable space available in the parish. PEDESTRIAN Compared to many other villages, Bridge is well provided with footways. In the village centre, most roads have footways on both sides. However, there are no footways in parts of Union Road, Brewery Lane Bekesbourne Road and Bourne Park Road. There are no zebra or pelican crossings in the village. However, there is a need for some form of controlled crossing especially near the junction of High Street with Conyngham Lane due to:— ~ (a) Increased vehicular movement at peak time as most parents bring their children by car. (b) Careless parking. (c) Speeding vehicles due to cars parked on one side thus allowing uninterrupted through traffic. The above poses a danger to school children and elderly whose numbers have increased in recent years. TRANSPORT Bridge is relatively well served by a bus service with three routes passing through the village. Route 15 provides hourly service between Canterbury and Dover while route 16 and 17 each provide additional hourly service from Canterbury to Folkestone. Hence there is a choice of three buses at peak time between 0800 — O900am. and 1600- 1700pm. with large number of school children competing with local residents commuting to Canterbury. After O900am the number of buses are reduced to two per hour. There is a need to extend the peak time to 0930 am. Since the deregulation of public transport in 1985, at present all the bus services are run on a commercial basis by Stagecoach Limited. The main complaint about the bus service is its increased cost and the time table. Train services are available at Canterbury East(approximately 3 miles) and Bekesbourne(approximately 1.5 miles) from Bridge. The number of train services to London and the South East have been reduced since privatisation in early 1996 and fewer trains stops at Bekesbourne. CYCLE TRACK Cycling is increasing in popularity as an environmentally friendly sustainable transport. 6 percent of the traffic surveyed were cyclists. The main cycle route to Canterbury, which has recently been signposted, runs through the North Downs way, through the orchard, but there are no signs from Bridge to that effect. There will be a further route from Canterbury to Folkestone which will run through Bridge via Brewery Lane and Mill Lane, this will be signposted by the end of the year. BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL 1 4. GENERAL PLANNING & COUNTRYSIDE POLICIES Bridge is a village with a population of less than 3000 which gives it some protection from large scale development. But due to its proximity to Canterbury, the A2 and the Channel Tunnel, Bridge could be seen as a developers dream. Our present government is demanding that 4.4 million houses be built in England by 2016, 1 16,000 are to be built in Kentl A terrifying prospect as this figure will take up land larger than Greater London. Hardly a sustainable future. Kent County Council has opposed these high housing figures and there is growing concern within the County that unless something is done to halt this trend of development, Kent will become a wasteland of suburbanised concrete, traffic and pollution. Traffic is set to treble on our rural roads in the next 30 years! The majority of villagers would be horrified to see this happen to Bridge and surrounding areas. One large plan is The Park and Ride which is planned to go on an orchard next to the Gate Inn. This would encroach on part of the Green Belt between Bridge and Canterbury and increase traffic on all surrounding rural roads. azsr vs‘ .«.’§$- . V The important green wedge between Canterbury and Bridge (Little Barton Farm) is constantly under threat from development, though a planning application for 46 houses has just been turned down, a healthly precedent. There are a number of Conservation Areas in Bridge. (See Maps). These conservation areas help to ensure that the character of these individual areas are preserved The present Local and National Countryside Policies aim to preserve good farmland, attractive countryside and important wildlife habitats. Generally, high grade farmland surrounds Bridge, especially north of the Nailhourne and east of Bridge Down. Part of the parish, north of Whitehill Road and Bifrons, is within an Area of Special Significance for Agriculture, which implies special protection for farmland. Most of the parish is within the North Downs Special Landscape Area and also some is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Both these designations protect this land within the Parish more strongly from developments. 1- - W ¢{59,‘”4Ic.,. 114:3‘ Boundary of conservation area Z Adjoining conservation areas rebut '_ ‘ \ ,1 ./\,A K ( A \ A .4a¢.=...¢_',' ;.¢£¢..V,,A%;:€\, , r , 5- ’ *. n “ I‘ C K —. ‘§=r.«4;..’.-.‘;L "a I ~ '~ \ Due to availability of conservation maps we can only show sections. Full copies can be viewed at Canterbury City Council offices. BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL oume/ Bridge) Conservation Area Cmservulon Am: I an snug: nalrway snuon ‘ ’ I ..-1'-’ .‘ -—./ - AK‘ I ‘’~ \ X‘ H 5 y. L « \ / .~L%':.“-‘.5“' " Boundary of conservation area / Adjoining conservation areas ._ : , J’; 0» ~., \:‘.- ,oe>r.soc>o,;‘»‘7,,‘,_3._.‘ .?°°°nt‘ma.a~—~ "~i~\‘ ' ..\ hgo 6) Q P 3‘ /‘|\‘v‘ ‘1 4 v». /1 Cr -it.-his ".-'-,- -— \ " TnInnz‘n7.'..*~ I V I ' 49.. .?¢‘.~z.~ "'17:/;,;';” ' 4? V, '51"? .”’/7”’ , 9 ' ’ , / ‘__- '.\ 1‘ ' "" '. i‘ ‘st’ ‘ 3v ' - » ;‘;‘~,.‘.i‘A" N" ‘ . ‘gr (/4 I ’ , V . ,~ I ' V‘ I. I \‘ ' s ,//A. ‘.2. . I ~ c - . ~ v \§.‘;‘/ ‘ ’ ~.,\°‘... ' ' - \\ ) I \ . x, ~ » ' I A -._‘ 1: r. ,_ I ‘,| / I ’ A ‘ v ‘ ‘ ‘or "/ , ‘Q ‘I G «' \ ' . . S5- The Bridge Conservation Area *I$¢.;%.fi/’/xx‘ ¢;\\ \‘ / ittx. A c?) {v > /‘A .1 vz... ‘@yn_og%¢a¢"fvom mo Ordnance Survey Map in-‘oI'0r rhvpovmi ‘on at tho conlrollov of MM. / Slnllonuy Ollicn. Crown Coowfighl vuorvad. Liconn No. LA‘072o79 jg The Renville Farm and Bridge Railway Station Conservation Area Boundary of conservation area / Adjoining conservation areas BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL 5. SURVEY RESULTS Part 1 - HOUSEHOLD I 1. Population distribution by age and sex: Age 0 -4 5 — 10 Male 17 29 31 17 81 Female 21 24 22 20 76 I 2. Sex (Number of people who answered question 444) Male 280 (63%) Female 164 (37%) 93 1 O8 40 37 58 79 11-16 17-21 22-39 40-59 60-64 65-7475+ 43 62 I 3. What age group you belong to? (Number of people who answered question 396) 11-16 1% 17 ~21 1% 22 -39 18% 40-59 26% 60-64 10% 65- 74 24% 75+ 19% Part 2 — HOUSING I 4. What kind of housing do you think the Village/parish needs? (Number of people who answered question 450) 1) No housing is needed ................... .. 36% 2) Housing for young people ............ .. 34% 3) Large family housing ...................... .. 6% 4) Housing for the elderly ................. .. 15% 5) Housing for local people .............. .. 37% 6) Housing for low income family .... .. 17% 7) No opinion .................................... .. 12% 40 35- 30- 25- 20- Percentage 15- No housing needed For Young people Large Families For Elderly For local people For low No income opinion family Survey Results . 5. Do you think more new housing will spoil the village/parish? Yes 60% No 31% No Opinion 9% I 6. Do you feel that apart from the normal planning applications, any further planned development is required in the village/ parish? (Number of household who answered question 366) Yes 25% No 75% I 7. Would you wish to see the development to take place on the land between the recreation ground and the A2 By—pass? (Number of household who answered question 365) Yes 13% No 87% fl 8. Do you feel that development of any type will create problem within the village/ parish? (Number of household who answered question 371) Yes 76% No 24% I 9. If YES what do you feel will be the major problem? (Number of people who answered question 28) 100 1) Increased traffic: ............... .. 94% 9° 2) Pressure on parking ........ .. 72% 8° 3) Pressure on school places. 55% ’° 4) Loss of amenities ............. .. 25% 5) Others ................................ .. 5% M, )1) Pressure Loss of Oflias on school arnenilies places Part 3 — EDUCATION No opinion fl 10. How important is the school to the community? N01 very important (Number ofpeopie who answered question 379) important 1) Very important ........... .. 83% 2) important .................... .. I 1% 3) Not very important ....... .. 1% 4) No opinion .................... .. 6% Very Important ‘ 1 1. Does the village/parish need a nursery school? (Number of people who answered question 483) 1) Yes .............................. .. 62% 2) No .................................. .. 8% 3) No opinion .................. .. 29% BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL Part 4 - LOCAL COUNTRYSIDE AND ENVIRONMENT . 12. How often do you use the public footpaths and bridleways of the parish? (Number of people who answered question 385) 1) Daily ............................................ .. 28% 2) Weekly ........................................ ..36% 3) Monthly ........................................ ..21% 4) About twice a year ........................ .. 7% 5) About once a year ......................... .. 3% 6) Never .............................................. .. 6% ' 13. Do you think there should be special nature reserves in the village/parish for wild flowers and animals? (Number of people who answered question 377) 1) Yes ............................................... _.62% 2) No ................................................ ..19% 3) No opinion .................................. ..19% Part 5 - EMERGENCY, ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER SERVICES . 14. Do you regard the police coverage of this village/parish to be: (Number of people who answered question 375) 1) Good .............................................. ..5% 2) Reasonable ................................. ..35% 3) Poor .............................................. ..49% 4) No opinion ................................... .. 1 1% H 15. What is your opinion of the following services in the village/parish? Good Reasonable Poor No opinion 1) Road maintenance 24% 58% 17% 1% 2) Road cleaning 37% 50% 11% 1% 3) Verge maintenance 19% 56% 22% 3% 4) Refuse collection 79% 19% 2% 0% 5) Street lighting 27% 45% 27% 1% 6) The provision of litter bins 25% 47% 24% 5% 7) Telephone kiosks reliability 19%) 22% 7% 52% Part 6 - RETAIL SERVICES AND OTHER FACILITIES ' 16. Do you shop in the village/parish? (Number ofpeople who answered question 477) 1) Daily ........................................... .. 49% 2) Weekly ....................................... .. 41% 3) Monthly ........................................ .. 3% 4) Less frequently ............................ .. 6% 5) Never ............................................ .. 0% I 17. What are your views on the quality of shopping in the village/ parish? (Number of people who answered question 465) 1) Good .................................................. .. 68% 2) Reasonable ....................................... .. 29% 3) Poor ...................................................... .. 2% 4) No opinion ........................................... .. 1% . 18. How many times a month do you use the counter service at the local Post Office? (Number of people who answered question 465) 1) More than 10 ..................................... .. 18% 2) Between 5 and 10 .............................. .. 40% 3) Less than 5 ......................................... .. 37% 4) Never .................................................... .. 5% fl 19. Are there any other services you would like to see in the village/parish? (Number of people who answered question .289) Yes (154) 53% NO (135) 47% If YES what services are desired Banl ................... .. 16% 2} Reasonable .................................. .. 55% 3) Poor ............................................... .. 24% 4) No opinion .................................... .. 4% Part 10 - RELIGION I 34. Is the village/ parish church important to you? 1) For Sunday worship .............................. .. 42% 2) For baptisms, weddings and funerals 53% 3) As an historic building ......................... .. 51% 4) Every village/parish should have one .. 49% 5) Other ....................................................... .. 7% Part 1 1 — LOCAL GOVERNMENT ' 35. The parish council is empowered to raise money on the Council Tax. Are you satisfied with the way this money is spent? (Number of people who answered question 378) 1) Totally satisfied .............................. .. 5% 2) Quite satisfied .............................. .. 39% 3) Dissatisfied .................................. .. 10% 4) Don": know how it is spent ......... .. 38% 5) No opinion ..................................... .. 7% I 36. How well does the parish council publicize its decision and activities? (Number of people who answered question 374) 1) Good ............................................ .. 14% 2) Reasonable ................................. .. 43% 3) Poor .............................................. ..34% 4) No opinion ..................................... ..9% I 37. Do you think sufficient publicity is given to planning applications which affect the village/ parish? (Number of people who answered question 378) Yes 38% No 49% No Opinion 12% Part 12 - GENERAL E 38. What is most important to you about this village/parish? (Number of people who answered question 378) I) The community ................................. .. 48% 2) The environment ................. .......... .. 56% 3) Not sure .............................................. .. 3% 4) other ................................................... .. 4% § 39. How did you come to live in this village/parish? (Number of people who answered question 378) 1) Born in parish .................................... .. 6% 2) Work in area .................................... .. 45% 3) Relatives nearby .............................. .. 19% 4) Love of viilage life ........................... .. 41% 5) Love of country life .......................... .. 47% 6) Availability of housing ..................... .. 20% 7) Retired to parish .............................. .. 15% 8) Marriage ............................................ .. 7% 9) Came with family ............................. .. 11% 10) Other .................................................. .. 2% Q 40. Do you believe that the village should mark the Millennium? If so how? (Number of people who answered 152) Street party .......................................... .. 66% Fireworks ............................................... .. 7% Community activity ................................ .. 9% Plaque .................................................... .. 2% Tree planting .......................................... .. 3% New village hall ................................... .. 10% Millennium garden ................................ .. 2% Close all shops .................................... .. 0.6% Special village sign ................................ .. 1% BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL 6. RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS OF BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL SUB—COMMITTEE RESULTING FROM THE COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES The following recommendations were submitted to a Meeting of the Bridge Parish Council on Thursday 1 1th July 1996. HOUSING Q4 — Canterbury City Council should be made aware that we need to maintain as far as possible that preference for Council Housing be given to local and low income families. Q's 5, 6, and 9 — 75% of those who replied did not feel any further development was required. That therefore is the recommendation of the Committee. Q7 ~ The response to this question indicates a large majority against any development on this land and the committee's recommendation is that the Parish Council takes due note. Q8 — In light of the rejection of further major developments, the specific problems from such developments do not arise, but nevertheless the answer to the question shows that considerable concern is felt and is highlighted in response to this Question. The Committee recommends that problems relating to Traffic, Parking and School places should be kept on the agenda for the future. EDUCATION Q1 1 — The recommendation of the Committe is that a Nursery School is to be actively encouraged. LOCAL COUNTRYSIDE AND ENVIRONMENT Q12 — Due to the positive response to the use of Public Footpaths we suggest that the Parish Council encourage an Annual Walk round the various footpaths. Q13 — We recommend that the Parish Council look at providing a Nature Reserve. SECURITY, ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER SERVICES Q14 — We recommend that the Parish Council continue to press the Police Authorities to improve their physical presence in the Village. Q15 — Villagers generally seem happy with the services provided. Q's 16,17 and 18 — The Committee felt it was encouraging to note the large support enjoyed by the Village Shops. Q19 — The Committee offer no recommendation. Although 83 of those who did reply felt there was some need for a form of Cash and Banking facility. GOOD FOOD 0 GOOD BEER 0 GOOD WINE 0 GOOD COMPANY Really tasty home—made food - all prepared to order Hand—pulled Bass, Director’s and Guest Ales Selection of Wines from around the world Friendly, informal, Village pub atmosphere Table reservations advised for lunch and supper Andrew Hill 01227 830281 Penny Cavill Many special offers each month It NATIONAL LOTTERY A LONDIS MEMBER 8: INSTANTS RETAILER INTRODUCING THE INSTORE BAKERY *Fresh Bread* *Sandwich Rolls* *SaVouries & Cakes* WINES - SPIRITS - BEERS Special Offers Available Delivery Service by Arrangement FREE VIDEO MEMBERSHIP (Latest Releases - only £2.00 per night hire) OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK INCLUDING ALL BANK HOLIDAYS 2 Western Avenue, Bridge Tel: 01227 830323 BRIDGE VILLAGE APPRAISAL SPORTS, SOCIAL AND ENTERTAINMENT Q20 — Of the 357 who replied the majority felt that facilities were either good or reasonable. Q21 — The majority of those who replied felt that the Village Hall was adequate for the needs of the Village — no recommendation is made. HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT Q25 — In view of the high percentage of replies to this question the Committee recommend that the implementation of TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES PLUS THE PRESENCE OF A TRAFFIC WARDEN should be undertaken as a matter of some urgency. A suggested layout for Traffic Management Low level Planters with ornamental ¢ trees on footway level E Pedestrian crossing 1 parking Baya E f U a Hmrruv lg §'§ gg Bus stop 3 efla’_,§ll7’ Q's 26 and 27 — For those who use the Service, although small in number, it is imperative that the Parish Council continue to ensure the continuation, if not extension of this Service. Q29 — Of the people who answered this Question there seems to be a need for facilities for cyclists, for example cycle stands to be situated in the Village and continued pressure to Canterbury City Council for a cycle route to Canterbury. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION Q's 33 and 37 — The Committee recommend that the Parish Council consider ways to provide greater publicity for its discussions and decisions in respect of Planning matters and that they explore ways to raise public awareness. GENERAL Q40 ~ Of those who answered this question the majority (73%) would like a Village Party Celebration. IN CONCLUSION Most people who replied to the Village Appraisal are happy with the way the village is at the present. Many people are employed or employ others in the village. Our village school is well attended. We have a wide range of social clubs and groups, a reasonable bus service and a wide variety of homes available, for rent and sale. It is hoped that Bridge will be much the same in 30 years time. It must be remembered that Bridge had trebled in size in the last 30 years and it would be a terrible thing if we allowed our village to die and become merely a linked suburb to Canterbury. The Canterbury District Plan, the Kent Structure Plan and the Rural White Paper can all be seen at Canterbury Library. All planning applications affecting this area can be seen at Canterbury District Council and all plans affecting the Parish can be seen by contacting the Parish Clerk. THE CANADIAN CLOTHESLINE As seen in North American films and television, this clothesline enables you to wheel out your washing while standing still! The most practical solution for 1 st floors, Balconies and Gardens For set, £35 including p&p & VAT. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Contact RCR UK Ltd Willesborough Industrial Estate., Kennington Road Willesborough, KENT TN24 OTD MRS. L. COAT ES DISPENSING CHEMIST 16 HIGH STREET, BRIDGE Provides: Dispensing of Prescriptions & Delivery of Dispensed Medicines, Patient Medication Records, Sale of Medicines, Surgical Dressings and Appliances, Pregnancy Testing. Hours of opening: Mon—Fri 9.00am — 1.00pm 2.00pm — 5.30pm Sat 9.00am - 12.30pm Tel: 01227 831008 Cost of car repairs too high?... ...then call your local friendly garage, we offer 0 Value for money 0 Free collection and delivery 0 All makes servicinng 8: repairs 0 Pre MOT inspections - Welding 8: body repairs 0 Specialist restoration Established over 70 years ROGERS GARAGE 36 High Street Bridge, Canterbury 01227 830348 / . The White orse 55 HIGH STREET, BRIDGE CANTERBURY CT4 5LA TELEPHONE: 01227 830249 Meals served Luncfitimes and Dinner Large Range of Cas£A[es, Wines &: Matt Whisky Party Booking a Speciality Outside Catering BRIDGE NEWS 80 High Street, Bridge Tel: (01227) 830679 >l< >¥< >l< NEWSAGENT TOBACCONIST CONFECTIONERY TOYS GREETING CARDS ETC. NEWSPAPER DELIVERY SERVICE >l<>l<>l< Open 7 days a week Mon-Sat 5.30am - 5.30pm Sunday 6.00am - 1.00pm