The Herefordshire Economic Development Strategy 2011- 2016 aims to increase the economic wealth of Herefordshire by setting out proposals and to support business growth. The document outlines the path and direction to foster economic vitality within Herefordshire. Key objectives include:
- Sustaining business survival and growth
- Increasing wage levels, range and quality of jobs
- Having a skilled population to meet future work needs
- Developing the county’s built infrastructure so enterprise can flourish.
Our Parish is one where the majority of the working population are not carrying out their jobs of work in the parish, but are travelling out of the parish to do it. The main employer within our parish is farming in all the various guises that it comes in – arable, livestock (particularly sheep) and of course orchards. In addition, there are a few leisure businesses, a pub, holiday lets and a Bed and Breakfast. And if you look in the Chimes you will see businesses being run from peoples’ homes, in particular in the gardening, landscaping and building and maintenance trades. Add to this a few working in the service industry – dog grooming, picture framing for example, and you have a picture of the economic activity in our parish.
Realistically a small parish like ours CAN look at ways in which we can support Herefordshire’s objectives within our NDP, but our scope is by the very nature of our rural parish limited. And of course is also limited by the appetite of residents for change. For example would we welcome a large polytunnel type fruit farm into our parish for the economic and employment opportunities it might afford, or a small industrial unit like the one in the picture, or would we prefer to look at smaller enterprises using existing buildings with less impact. Or would we assume because of our size and rural location that economic development is not something we should concern ourselves with at all.
Whenever we look at any kind of development (housing or economic) we must also consider the impact on our roads, infrastructure, facilities and natural environment. So plenty of food for thought.
When our Questionnaire gets delivered in January, it will ask you to consider and respond to questions such as these and then we as the NDP Committee will be better placed to develop our NDP according to your wishes. If you have any feedback on this please go to the Open Day Page to submit them. Or email us directly at Astoninghamndp@gmail.com. Use the button below to get back to the Open Day page.
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