Earlier this year the Instow Community Appraisal Questionnaire was delivered to 461 households within the Parish. 142 households completed the survey, representing a 31% return. The completed surveys were filled in by a total of 274 people. The overall return was considered disappointing and reflects a certain apathy towards village matters.

The questions and issues raised within the appraisal questionnaire did, however, generate a wide and varied range of responses. This report provides a summary of the results together with recommendations. The comments made in the boxes have been taken directly from completed questionnaires.

Many of the issues and/or problems identified in the appraisal will require an amount of work to bring them to a successful conclusion. Some projects will require careful analysis and planning before they can proceed and some are more long-term than others. Some may prove to be totally unachievable. It is important to strike a balance between providing better facilities within the Parish and retaining the important characteristics that make Instow unique.

It is hoped that this document will form an agenda for the people in Instow Parish for the foreseeable future. The Parish Council will undertake a regular review of the many recommendations of this report, while continuing to recognise new and changing circumstances as they emerge.

The main text of this document gives brief, predominantly statistical analysis of the appraisal results. The full list of results is available from the Parish Council should anyone wish to see them.

D.A. Northridge - Chairman

August 1998

Households in Instow average just less than 2 occupants. Of those who completed the questionnaire 44% were male and 56% female. The following table shows the breakdown of males and females in these households by age groups.

It can be seen that over 45% of respondents are over national retirement age. It is worth noting that individual questionnaires were not issued to the residents of residential homes within the Parish.

The 142 households own 178 cars, 2 motorcycles and 27 boats. The majority are parked "off road" with only 11 identified as parking on the public highway. Only 18 households have no cars and 19 have 3 or more vehicles.

The vast majority (88.7%) of properties are owner occupied. Of the remainder 6.3% are privately rented with the remainder rented from the District Council or by virtue of employment.

Only 14 people within 9 households are identified as requiring alternative housing within the next 10 years. Of these 14 persons only 4 are in need now. 3 would require starter homes to buy or rent, 4 would require sheltered housing and 3 residential care.

9 people were identified as being on the District Councils Housing Needs Register or waiting list.