Hilton Parish Plan

HISTORY AND CHARACTER

11. No attempt to identify a village's future needs is likely to be wholly successful if it fails to take account of that community's physical characteristics and recent history.  So we summarise those now as a backdrop to our findings.

Historical context

12. Since the war Hilton Village has changed irreversibly from a farming community, locally domiciled and employed, to a residential community that travels extensively for work, for shopping and services, school, sport and leisure.   This change is shown in maps from 1954 and 2004 (Click on year to open map in a new window).

Harvesting in 2004 to the West of Hilton

13. The consequence has been that whereas up to the mid-1950's the principal activities of the village community were farming and activities connected with farming (e.g. blacksmith), and support of the agricultural community (baker, butcher, milk round, carpenter/undertaker, market gardener, corner shop, together with the school), in 2004 all of these have disappeared. The Post office remains together with the one Public House from five, and there is one 1970s established working farm in the village from the four (pre-war five) long established farms within the village. The farm buildings from College Farm, Cross Farm and Grange Farm have been redeveloped as houses, Manor Farm and Park Farm buildings remain. The largest area of agricultural land in the Parish is farmed from three farms outside the village although some farm staff live in the village.

The Post Office

14. At the 1961 National census there was a population of 318 in the village, living in 98 households.  At the 2001 Census the population had increased (by 209%) to 982, whilst the number of persons per household had dropped (by 22%) from 3.24 to 2.54 (Click here to open a chart in a new window). The greatest change took place in the 1960s and 70s, but with some further development in 2001.  Since the Huntingdonshire Local Plan of 1995, Hilton has been classed as a 'Group Village' with only very limited building allowed. However, scattered infilling and redevelopment continues, together with development of plots of land with historic building permission.

15. The sites of two work places in the village at the Whippet Garage (coaches and busses), and the Potton Road Service Station have both now been replaced by housing. The only work places (apart from home-based), remaining in the village are the Prince of Wales, the Post Office, Monach Farm & Riding Stables and the Sunshine Nursery located in the Sunday School building at the Methodist Chapel.  No sites have been specifically identified for future work places.

The Prince of Wales