Community Survey 2007

Over the past 18 months Wells Area Partnership (WAP) has been consulting people of all ages in Wells about issues that face the community, local needs and ideas for improvement.  The Community Survey  is the final step in that process and summarises the main results of the consultations, asks some important questions and enables you to raise any ideas or issues important to you.

View Survey Results

The results of this survey are really important for the future development of Wells and while it’s not a decision making process, the results will be feedback to relevant agencies such as Wells Town Council, North Norfolk District Council, the Police and the County Council to help influence and guide their policies.  WAP will also prioritise its work and create an action plan for the area based on what you tell us.

Your Comments from the survey.

1,"Unfortunately, Wells has now become largely a retirement area near the sea, the industries which once thrived here are largely gone due to the silting of the harbour, the disappearance of the railway and the rapidly increasing house prices among other factors. If Wells is to become a viable and sustainable community there must be efforts made to keep working people with children within the town and the only way to do this is to make housing available to rent or buy within the means of those people and prevent that housing stock from being sold on to feed the demand for retirement or second homes. If we lose our young people, the schools will face either closure or merging together in a bid to survive, the businesses in the town will become mainly tourism/seasonally orientated. Incentives should be offered by the council to encourage industries to the town that are technology/internet/service/financial and other industries that are not dependant on good road links or raw material supplies."

3,"More activites for young people and year-round employment - more affordable housing."

5,"More facilities for youth members of our town, this would make them feel part of the town."

6,"Encouraging bands of nomadic smokers lurking outside pub doorways to go through to the provided shelters on pubs' own properties."

7,"It is important to retain the allotments, they must not be threatened by building projects.
The parking near leftleys should only be where there are pavements as the road is hard enough to negotiate for disabled people without parked cars. It is important that some space very close to leftlys be disabled parking.
How about employing more street sweepers increasing jobs and the cleaning of Wells together.
I would agree to the car free quay if there is some disabled parking on it.
I don't know what an 'unsustainable location' is - for whom is it unsustainable. I would suggest London is truly unsustainable!
The bus sevices need to be earlier and later and preferably more frequent."

10,"A difficult one!  But important. 'The Quay' does a reasonable job & is certainly brilliantly produced by its talented and experienced designer, but it could be developed further with a  larger and, perhaps, younger editorial team.
One possible problem is that WAP extends beyond Wells - and somel of the other parishes already have their own newsletters. But your question does specify 'life in Wells' so this remark applies."

11,"Some responses have not been clicked as strongly agree because of alternative responses being possible e.g. Homes for Wells - would be better to release any brown field sites first if they are available; Activities for youngsters need to be established by the youngsters and not 'done for them'; Some seasonal parking needs to be extended to at least end October if not beyond e.g. parking opposite Chandlery on East Quay - the current situation makes in nearly impossible to tow a boat onto the slip way from Standard Road and boats come off the boat park at this time of year when the gap is reduced to a minimum; it therefore follows that we need an all year round traffic warden rather than a seasonal one, particularly if we increase visitor numbers successfully; parking should be excluded from the quay but not disabled parking, that is discriminatory; toilets need improved signage as does APHS, Mechanical cleaning may clean more in less time but does it get to the spots that one man and his brush can get to e.g. Shop Lane?"

12,"I am unlikely to use public transport at the moment but might well in the near future to Fakenham and Holt.
I would be likely to get more involved in local projects in the future when I retire. I am already involved in three local projects so would only commit myself to occasional participation.
I would like to see some disabled parking bays marked on the quayside or the quay itself even if other parking was banned in these two places. If the quay was to be pedestrianised I would like to see lots of seating available. I would like to see traffic calming measures throughout the town, by either raised ramps or narrowing of the roads in places to give pedestrians priority. The places I have in mind would be turning from the Coast Road into Polka Road. Narrow road both sides of Primary School.   Some improvement near the Station Road, Northfield Lane entrance.  A great improvement on the road in front of the quay and traffic calming of some sort on Freeman Street, also along Church Street and Burnt Street again particularly at the bottom of Market Lane to give greater safety to the children from Alderman Peel School.  Possibly some measures at the top part of Mill Road between the town sign and Mill Farm possibly Westfield Avenue entrance.
I like the idea of a fisherman's market, but also a local produce market would be good.  People who grow produce on the allotment could sell their produce particularly through the summer time. We also have some fantastic cooks who might like to take on a market stall during the summer and beyond.

Could we please do some research into setting up a Credit Union, lending and saving for the people.

Toilets - a contentious issue. I would like to see toilets through the town made available to the public.  The pubs could make their toilets available, the health centre, the Maltings, Town Council Offices.  If this was encouraged I think NNDC could employ a toilet cleaner and provide toilet paper, soap etc.  Premises could be given a council tax discount for making available their toilets.  Surely this would have the added benefit of encouraging customers into some places.

I do also believe the toilets in the town should be improved.  Any toilets the town possesses need to be made accessible and hygienic.  Having visited both Cornwall and Eire this year they both put us to shame with regard to toilets."

14,"more diverse business should be encouraged to wells to give more choice of employment for local people.
If traffic calming measures are introduced on the quay, the pavements should be widened, especially outside the harbour cafe/Deli to avoid the many accidents that happen every summer also to enable pushchairs/wheelchairs can pass safely without having to go into the road."

15,"betterpublic transport, improved training and leisure for young people affordable housing"

19,"More activities for young people. There should be a graffiti wall maybe near beach road playing field (which could be whitewased every couple of months or if anything offensive appeared) to give young people, such as myself, the opportunity to express themselves artistically. Parking regulations need to be enforced. The coast path should be made accesible to horse riders as well as cyclists. Second homes tax. Ban on any more houses being bought for second homes. More help for young people in terms of year round employment and career opportunities. Starter flats for young people. "

23,"no parking at all in Jicklings Yard
adjacent to Malthouse Place flats-as one day someone will be through the flat windows-the sign saying no parking in front of the gas metres is being thoroughly ignored-as soon as the 30th Sept. arrived the sign was erected by WWDC - the gas people complained, they said it's dangerous "

24,"Stop building holiday cottages. More local housing for local people. Create more jobs(eg. road sweeping, path clearing) Better shops(less Estate Agents). Something for kids eg. Roller skate park, ice rink-not a cinema because there's one at Fakenham which is easy enough to get to. "

26,"Raise the council tax on second homes-the extra being put into a fund for low cost housing.
More police presence in the summer months.
Keep local Council housing for local people-not outsiders."

27,"Make more use of the Butlins(weather permitting ofcourse).
Stouthe street all the way vehicle free permanently.
A reliable good bakery.
A centrally positioned notice board of all events in Wells-not a poster here and there.
A second pharmacy(that should go down well!)but some people have to walk a long way at the moment."

30,"No more building of new houses ie. for holiday accommodation, as there are too many of these already and Wells is becoming just another 'Small Chelsea'-please just concentrate on homes for our local youngsters, so they don't have to move away from Wells and families."

31,"-housing should be strictly allocated to families with local connections, not those who want a seaside residence.
-All town councillors should be unrelated and represent all members of the community.
-A lot of revenue is created with car parking by the NNDC, it should be re- invested into the disgusting toilets and the youth of Wells.
-Resident care taker of Wells, more than (just a cleaner in status )
-Other sauces of power ie. tidal
-Have more events to encourage tourists spending "

32,"Less holiday homes and those who have them should pay full council tax plus a non residents levy.
Pavement fouling is a disgrace and should be incorporated in the traffic wardens duties."

33,"Remove parking around quay.
Improve short term parking.
Where fire damage building-remove all or part
Re-use site/or part for fishermans facilities-possible fish market/farmers market.
Instead of new building where proposed and leave as public open space."

36,"Traffic calming in Polka Road which seems to be regarded as a race track.
More generally that the plan for the hospital and the local health are realised and that policing parking and traffic control are treated as serious problems and priorities."

37,"Whilst there are a number of good sentiments in this, I do not believe that establishing a cycle park along the coast and heavy and ugly wind turbines are the way forward! For an unspoilt part of the country I think establishing jobs for local people is top, but will you get them to work???I doubt it.
If we are an 'unsustainable location', it is important to decide whether we are here for tourists/visitors or as a working town(which we are not)."

41,"More police present in town"

46,"Place a limit on the amount of second homes in Wells"

49,"Stop Parking on both sides of Polka Road in Summer
And Clubbs(no parking outside Scarborough House)
Lefleys parking will only work if we've got a traffic warden."

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