Following a good debate at the Parish Assembly on 14 April, the Parish Council agreed at its meeting on 17 May that, as was the case with the 2003 Plan, its preparation should be overseen by a steering committee. Robin Knibb has kindly agreed to lead this, but he will need a handful of dedicated villagers to help with a wide variety of tasks.

The Parish Council has decided that, if the new Plan is to have official credence, it should be based on responses to a questionnaire. The one that was delivered to all households as a prelude to producing the 2003 Plan remains a useful model but it will need to be re-visited and up-dated so as to elicit details of Hambledon’s current demography, developments affecting the village that have occurred over the past 13 years and ideas that have so far emerged as to topics which the new Plan might cover.

The original questionnaire was hand-delivered to and collected from individual households in the village but this time it should be possible to offer everyone the option of receiving and returning a paper copy or completing it on-line via the village web site. Jon Petersen has very kindly agreed to produce the new questionnaire and to input and analyse data provided by the responses.

What does our community want for its future? Long-established residents, new arrivals, different household types and different age groups will all have their particular wish lists. It is really important that all of these are reflected in the make-up of the steering committee. So, even if you haven’t so far thought of getting involved in village activities, do stop for a moment and consider whether you could contribute to an exercise whose aim is to ensure that Hambledon remains the kind of village that persuaded you to move here in the first place.

You can contact Robin direct by e-mail, robin@hickoryconstruction.co.uk, or telephone 01428 683800/07836 228671; but if you would first like a bit more background to help you make up your mind please contact Parish Clerk Jane Woolley (j.woolley881@btinternet.com; 01428 684213).