Is Hanslope a Sustainable Community?

Hanslope is where I live - still! And the place in which I grew up. It is, in fact the largest village in North Buckinghamshire with a population exceeding 3988 (2001 census profile) Although set in rural countryside, surrounded by fields and farmland, it is in fact only 10 miles away from Milton Keynes, a growing city with vast employment opportnities, and  a modernistic lifestyle. In addition to this, it is within close proximity to the M1; so a great commuter belt to London - another reason why people settle here. It is also  more commonly known to be home to Her Majesties Government Communications Centre, ( Hanslope Park) that deals with the whole of the UK's National Security, nicely secluded into nearby woodland, unless otherwise known, you wouldn't be aware of its existence, and in fact its importance. Nevertheless it employs hundreds and thousands of people from all over the world, contributing hugely to the local economy of the area.

So is Hanslope a sustainable Community?

well firstly what exactly is a sustainable community? and what are the indicators?

Sustainable communities are...

♦ Economically prosperous;

♦ Have decent homes at a price people can afford;

♦ Safeguard the countryside;

♦ Enjoy a well-designed, accessible and pleasant living and

working environment;

♦ Are effectively and fairly governed with a strong sense of community.

Sustainable Communities Plan (2003)

Community is Key in a village and Hanslope definitely excels here. With a number of local amenities, including 2 village shops, a Butchers, a wine specialist, FOUR pubs, a florist, an equestrian centre and a village hall. A community atmosphere is most certainly present. There are also a vast number of clubs and organisations as shown on the village website. Having these societies and clubs enables different people from the village and community to integrate with one and other including the youth and the elderly, thus creating a strong  community in which people are fully active and involved. Having locals shops and amenities also means that community ties are strengthened, people become loyal to the local businesses and support them against larger chain supermarkets,  building on the local economy, yet also helping the environment by walking to the local shops instead of getting in the car and driving to a larger supermarket, which in today's society is almost definitely the "norm." Of course i'm not suggesting that everyone in Hanslope buys their meat from the local butcher, but a great majority of people do because they believe it is perhaps more "sustainable" and also they have loyalties with the local farmers etc.

Homes in Hanslope vary steadily .Generally houses are larger on bigger plots of land, as there is less competition for land. However different housing types are apparent from larger old stone buildings  to your average 3-4 bedroom houses, and then smaller dwellings. If you look at the Office for National Statistics page on the  Accommodation Types in the Hanslope Park Ward, you can see that the largest number of people live in an unshared dwelling, with the majority of people having 5 or more rooms per dwelling.

There has also been a new development called Cuckoo Hill Rise, in which a number of new houses were built in 2009 to help cope with the growing expansion within the village, and consequently the high demands for cheaper housing. Here social housing has been integrated amongst 3,4, and 5 bedroom plots as a bid to become more sustainable and to integrate the community and the levels of affluence within the village. Has this been successful? Yes and no, of course with this there are always concerns, but no major incidents or cases of anti-social behaviour have been reported. The Hanslope Parish Plan has produced a policy "Taking account of the strong concerns expressed by residents" to ensure that all future housing is appropriate for the needs of the village and outlines certain aspects that need to be taken into consideration, in order to make the village more sustainable.

Housing is however not exactly environmentally friendly. Most houses are old, or dated in their heating systems and don't deliver environmentally sensitive approaches to energy consumption. Solar panels are rare, in fact most likely extinct (however i don't want to rule this one out as i cant speak for everyone!) As a result no houses are of  BREEAM/Eco Homes excellence standard. As a result unsustainable! There are no agendas set in place to achieve this, only those that apply to new builds, and this as we know can be found anywhere - its policy, and common place procedure nowadays.

The countryside has been safeguarded and most of the land around Hanslope is owned by Local farmers or the FEOFFEE estate. It has been pretty much unspoilt  as there are no other developments other than Hanslope Park, which again is well hidden amongst woodland. No bypasses have been built or A roads, and as a result it remains pleasantly unspoilt. Decide for yourself...

Sunset from Hanslope.

"Spotted the setting sun from my home, by the time I'd driven out to a likely vantage point the sun had hidden behind a big cloud. Not sure if I'm disappointed or not."

Ian. L's photo stream

Overall it is safe to say that as a community, Hanslope is pretty sustainable. It is well governed by the parish council who meet once a month, and hold open meetings every 6 months, to discuss issues within the community, and  who have produced an informative and sound parish plan in which to outline such issues and ways in which they can be overcome. 

Additionally It has good transport links to Milton Keynes and Northampton by bus, and furthermore to Wolverton in which train links to London can be utilised effectively, reducing fuel emissions and encouraging people to be more environmentally sensitive and generally more green.  

Hanslope Park contributes largely to the areas economy bringing in residents and commuters, but also by utilising local businesses, amenities and services, making local shops such as the newsagents flourish.

Community activities and clubs (of which there are plenty) help bring different social groups together, aiding social integration, but also just help make Hanslope a safe and friendly living environment. The central green and duck pond make it a perfect village atmosphere that we would associate with the traditional village life, and although, perhaps slightly behind in modern technologies regarding eco-homes,  its really  not too shabby at all!