Community Services

Cockerham is an isolated settlement and despite being five miles from Garstang and six miles from Lancaster most inhabitants rely on these two centres for their main services.

Provision

The village is without a general store and post office although a local farmer is developing a retail outlet on the outskirts of the village where basic groceries are available. The village has a public house. There is a garage/filling station selling milk confectionery etc.

Recreation facilities are ideally situated in the centre of the village with a football pitch, tennis court/multi use games area, children’s playground and village hall all adjacent to each other, and a bowling green within 100yds. There is an absence of suitable changing facilities for the football field and tennis/games area.

There is an active bowling club with teams in local leagues. Cockerham Junior football club has 60+ under 11year old members with teams at three age groups.

There is a distinct lack of disabled toilet facilities on the Manor Inn car park.

The Village Hall is well used by the community. It has a large dance hall, stage, separate bar area and meeting/playschool room. Storage areas are limited however.

There are no medical facilities in the village. Villagers use doctors’ surgeries in Galgate, Garstang, and Lancaster and dentists’ surgeries in Garstang and Lancaster. There is an active First Responders group.

There is a playgroup for pre-school children, brownie pack and after school club that operate from the Village Hall, (the after school club is now held in school). In addition, badminton and yoga clubs are run for adults.

There is little provision in the village for senior citizens: a previously active over 60s club is dormant. There is no permanently manned police station in the village.

Consultation

65% have no availability/find access difficult to a corner shop and 55% have no availability/find access difficult to a post office.

65% feel that provision of doctors’/ dentists’ surgery is inadequate.

15% feel that more provision for the disabled is needed at the village hall. Also storage space, improvement to general décor and outside lighting were mentioned as improvements needed. However 30% felt that no improvements were needed.

There is a need for social/recreational activities with 10% of respondents requesting a youth group, clubs for older people, arts and crafts clubs, local history society, parent and toddler group and more sporting activities.

84% of respondents had not been victims of crime in the last 12 months. 71% were not worried about robbery or muggings and 73% felt safe after dark. 68% would like an increased police presence or neighbourhood watch scheme.