THE culture of Kennet will become an issue for new planning applications after the district council published its cultural strategy last week.

It has been drawn up by Kennet leisure and arts officers Lorraine Preece and Jo Beal.

Ms Preece said: "We knew that Kennet had a rich and ancient culture but we weren't prepared for its diversity. There is just so much going on at a local level and the survey we carried out has revealed a great deal.

"The message from the consultation meeting we had in Pewsey said loud and clear that people want to have their say in the creation of the strategy and that is what we have done."

Kennet's leaflet outlining the strategy is called Much More Than Moonraking, meaning that, although it is a sparsely-populated area that still relies on agriculture for employment and income, the new influx of people into rural towns and villages is creating a much wider range of activities as well as renewed interest in the older ones.

Tourism as a source of income is also high on the list of priorities in the strategy document.

The presence of the Avebury stone circle, West Kennet Long Barrow and the Kennet and Avon Canal in the district has yet to be fully exploited, it states.

Although the strategy covers everything from morris dancing to skateboarding, the main thrust is on art.

The pamphlet says: "This strategy will enable the development of public art as part of the planning process."

Copies of the strategy document will be available from libraries from the beginning of April.