Four years since the first house was completed, a survey has found the South Hams’ newest town continues to appeal to younger families.

Families make up the majority of the town: 65% of Sherford residents who took part stated they are a family, nearly half (43%) have children of primary school age.

Residents say the community, location and homes make Sherford a great place to live.

In Summer 2021, South Hams District Council carried out a survey in partnership with the Sherford Consortium, and Devon County and Plymouth City Councils. This was the second of the two-yearly Sherford Community surveys capturing a snapshot of who lives in Sherford and what life is like there. 33% of the 526 households in the town occupied at the time of the survey responded. The answers will be used to help develop future services to better meet local needs.

The average household size in Sherford is 3.3 people. The community continues to be predominantly made up of people local to the area. 77% of residents moved to Sherford from within 10 miles, continuing the trend from the 2019 survey.

When asked why they moved to Sherford, the most popular reasons were the location and to be nearer family and friends, which each accounted for 16% of responses. These were closely followed by 14% of people answering that they moved to have the chance to have a brand new home.

89.5% of people who completed the survey said they enjoyed living in Sherford. The main reasons given for why they enjoy it were the community (40%), the location (19%) and the homes and architecture (19%).

Some of the comments about what people like include: 

“I love the area, how quiet it is and the houses are beautiful. It is exciting to be part of a growing community.”

"It’s a good community, and well planned with lots of open spaces."

As well as the overwhelmingly positive response to the question of whether people enjoy living in Sherford, the survey also gave the opportunity for residents to say where they would like to see improvements. For example, 34% of residents are waiting for the arrival of amenities/shops and 16% highlighted parking and traffic as an area for improvement.

Comments include:

"We really love Sherford - is a great place to live but it would be great if the amenities started to happen."

“We need shops, cafes, bars etc to allow people to shop local and not have to travel to access these things." 

South Hams District Council’s Ward Member for Brixton and Wembury, Cllr Dan Brown, said: “Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to fill in the survey to give us this up-to-date insight into who lives here and what matters most to you. With plenty of open space and a strong community spirit, it is little wonder families continue to want to call Sherford home.

“Whilst the vast majority of people are happy, we know there are still things to do that will make Sherford even better. Since the first survey was undertaken in 2019, Sherford now has its first coffee shop and community hub – both places where people can get together. There’s also more to do for younger people as the skate park, play areas, and tennis courts have now opened. We are continuing to listen to what people say about the other areas where people would like to see improvements.  We look forward to the developer submitting their design and application for the first local centre later this year. When the local centre is completed, it will provide facilities such as local shop, something residents have said they really need.

“Our survey is not the only way residents can have their say. We also hold regular councillor surgeries to give people the chance to ask questions and share their views. I welcome residents to the next councillor surgery on January 28 2022. For further details and how to join please visit the community trust website www.sherfordtrust.org.uk.” 

Devon County Council Leader John Hart said: "It’s great to see so many local families moving to Sherford and saying how much they enjoy living there. You can sense that it’s more than just a new town that’s developing – it really is a new community, and the community spirit was certainly there for all to see at the start of the Devon Stage of the Tour of Britain last summer. These surveys provide useful feedback from residents to help shape improvements in Sherford, which is vitally important as more facilities open."

Peter Sadler, Managing Director of Vistry Partnerships South West, part of the Sherford Consortium, said: “Sherford is a growing and thriving new town with a huge amount going for it, even at this early stage. The resident survey shows how much the people of Sherford love their homes, its stunning and convenient location, access to abundant green space, and close-knit community.

“We are thrilled with the continued positive sentiment since the last survey in 2019, despite a challenging couple of years in between. With so much more planned for Sherford, we look forward to delivering more amenities, more open space, and more reasons to move to this vibrant new town.” 

More results from the survey can be seen in the Quick Stats leaflet, available at www.sherfordtrust.org.uk For those who would like a paper copy, these are available in the town’s community hub.  The full survey report and forward actions to outline how resident’s feedback will be used, and issues raised will be addressed, is currently being developed. This should be ready in the spring, and once released, will also be available to view at www.sherfordtrust.org.uk