Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Meeting

Tuesday 20 September 2016 at Mountfield

Present: Phyllida Culpin-Chair (Allington), Caroline Meredith (Chamber of Commerce),  Glenn Crawford (Bridport), Andrew Leppard (Bridport), Bob Driscoll (Symondsbury), Katy Graham (Project Manager).

Also In Attendance: Raja Jarrah, Michael Gittins, Anna Lovell (POPP), Tricia Dendle (Bradpole), Gavin Fryer, Sue Fryer, Margaret Toft, Richard Toft,

Phyllida reminded everyone of the Register of Interests.

1. Apologies. Sal Robinson, Stephen Spear (Bradpole), Richard Freer (Allington), Richard Nicholls (BLAP)

2. Minutes of last meeting.

Raja noted that he should have been recorded as ‘in attendance’.

Subject to this amendment, the minutes were AGREED and signed.

3. Matters arising from the minutes.

There has been no response from Bothenhampton Parish Council regarding invitations for a representative on the Steering Group.

Caroline is working with Raja to get permission to consult/engage with young people at John Colfox Academy on the Neighbourhood Plan.

4. Programme plan and budget

Income and expenditure headlines had been supplied, but in order to plan consultation and the remaining stages, the group needs to know what the remaining budget still has to pay for, e.g. printing a number of copies of the final Plan.

ACTION: Budget and planned/known expenditure to be circulated to the Steering Group prior to the next meeting.

The question was raised regarding the contribution from WDDC and whether this should have been £9k per parish? Also whether there should be more engagement from WDDC officers at this stage? Katy updated that officers were being consulted on the HNA and had also been in contact offering support with the Strategic Environmental Assessment.

ACTION: Katy to check whether WDDC intends to contribute further to the Plan process in terms of funding and officer time.

There was some discussion regarding volunteer hours and whether this should be collated to show the value of local input. This was agreed by the group.

ACTION: Katy to collate estimate of Steering Group hours, ALL – to keep a tally of their hours on working groups and at events promoting the Neighbourhood Plan to date and from now on.

5. Finalising Working Group information.

The original timescale to complete working group information was the end of July and this had been extended to August. It is recognised that there is still work ongoing, but there needs to be a bringing together of the results as soon as possible to iron out any clashes between policy areas, identify remaining gaps and ensure the proposals have taken the current community consultation into account.

Whilst some working groups are finalising their work, the process to bring together what is available can begin. It was agreed that a small writing group would meet w/c 17th October for a half day to begin this process. Working groups should aim to submit what information they have been able to gather prior to this to allow time for reading.

ACTION: Katy to email all to gather volunteers for this task and their availability, ideally ensuring there is a representative from each of the working groups if possible.

ACTION: Working Groups to aim to send as much of their findings as possible to Katy by 7th October, identifying any remaining work that is to follow.

There followed an update from the groups:

• Land use – Andrew and Gavin Fryer had gathered sites to consider. Katy to send Andrew the site assessment forms for those that responded to the call for sites as well as the list of sites the Environment group have assessed as green spaces. Grant has been applied for to fund Jo Witherden to help co-ordinate the main site assessment process.
• Housing – Glenn needs to step down from the housing group due to other emerging interests, but so far there hasn’t been anyone from within the group offering to take on the lead role. Katy and Tricia will put out a call via the website and social media to see if there is any interest outside of the group to get involved and help with the last stages of development. The HNA has been shared with WDDC and it will be late October/early November before a response will be returned. There was some discussion regarding the WDDC housing numbers which the group had heard had been inflated to allow for additional working people to move into the area, but seemed to be based on old information.
• Transport – Due to numerous cuts at county level, the group is feeling that there is limited impact they can have at the local level. However the wider group felt that there is opportunity to build on what we do have, such as the bus station and protecting car parking areas.
• Community facilities – these have been mapped and groups asked if any additional facilities are required. Youth appears to be a possible gap and this will form part of the consultation that is to follow.
• Economy – Caroline feels this is almost ready for submission
• Environment – This is mostly complete and has been submitted to Katy. The group are finalising their suggested policy areas.
• Climate Change – This is mostly complete and has been submitted. The group does wish to be ambitious with its housing targets on energy performance (the Merton rule) and once more information has been gathered by the group Katy will approach WDDC on behalf of the group on this specific item to test views. The group is also drafting a climate change narrative for the Plan.

6. Publicity/events

There had been very good attendance at the Bradpole Parish Plan event and responses to the questionnaires as a result.

There is one more Bucky Doo date (24th September) and Orchard Day (15th October) currently in the diary and Katy suggested that this may be enough at this stage given the need to now focus on getting the Plan together.

ACTION: Katy to produce new name badges with ‘Neighbourhood Plan’ instead of Vision 2030. Andrew Leppard to source and price tabards for events with the Plan logo.

Katy had drafted a new enewsletter for the Plan process, which can be sent out monthly and will go direct to people’s inbox. People can subscribe to the list at any time and will be encouraged to do so via social media to help boost our contacts list for the next stage of consultation. The group agreed that this can go out.

ACTION: Katy to send out first enewsletter and to share the link to subscribe.

7. Any Other Business.

Vearse Farm – Masterplanning meeting on 21/9. Attendees want to see notes from the meeting and feel it is an officer role.

8. Next meeting.

The next Steering Group meeting will be on Tuesday 4 October, 6pm at Mountfield. 

Subsequent meetings have been booked for 6 pm October 18, November 1, November 15, November 29 and December 13

Bridport Area Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Meeting

Tuesday 6 September 2016 at Mountfield

Present: Richard Freer (in chair), Glenn Crawford, Raja Jarrah, Richard Nicholls, Phyllida Culpin (p/t), Caroline Meredith (meeting notes)

Also In Attendance: Tricia Dendle Steve Spear - Bradpole Parish Council, Amanda Streatfield Symondsbury Parish Council, Anna Lovell, Richard Toft, Margaret Toft, Michael J Gitting, Stephen Baynes

1. Apologies. Sal Robinson, Bob Driscoll (Symondsbury), Andrew Leppard (Bridport), Katy Graham

2. Minutes of last meeting.

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING were approved subject to the following amendments:

Publicity should be added to the minutes as it was discussed in some detail - because of this the minutes were not signed off

On the Housing Group presentation - Glenn pointed out that the housing numbers are given as an example and affordability numbers given as a percentage.

3. Matters arising from the minutes.

The Housing Needs Assessment is on target

Need to distribute NP info to the Parishes more comprehensively. Parish notice boards (e.g. Allington) not conveying information.

4. Summer events.

450 flyers & leaflets had been distributed 50 returned. Melplash had been successful. Previous

Saturday 3/9 distributed 100 fliers Newspaper ad on hold at present - £ 370 for full page in Bridport News

Amanda to give numbers of leaflets needed to be distributed with Parish Magazine to Symondsbury Eype & Bradpole NOTE Bradpole already done?

Poster for Walditch Show had been seen - more info needed

Agreed need to pursue parishes more - formal contact should have been made to Walditch & Bothenhampton for representation - need to check

Agreed that more financial resources aimed at reaching people should be put into the plan at Consultation stage rather than at the moment.

5. Climate Change – presentation on findings and proposals

Excellent presentation from Raja with Richard Toft notes to pursue - Merton Rule/London NP/

Who assesses or oversees affordability? BREAM standards on industrial plots could dissuade developers.

Richard Toft will contact the SG and circulate Merton Rule information. Raja will circulate Power Point slides

Next step is for meetings with other Groups to dovetail proposals.

6. Working Group findings – draft template to be used for consultation

This was adjourned

7. Any issues from Working Groups.

Housing Glenn said Housing Needs Paper has gone out to some people in paper form. He asked for responses PLEASE. The meeting thanked & congratulated Glenn and Jim Tigg for the superb job done on this. Resolution with WDDC on this paper was essential - Glen to go in small group

Transport  Richard F gave some update on the  paper. Altering  the  speed limits on the A35 and Allington. A Survey was done by WDDC in 2010 which Ros Keyes is trying to discover. Also has offered a place on the Highways Discussion Group.

8. Any Other Business.

It was stressed to all Groups that the writing of the plans must be clear & easy to understand for everyone THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT & SOMETIMES OVERLOOKED

Publicity must be pursued more vigorously - Group needs forming/objectives & budget. Also felt it would be helpful for the distribution of finance information to be more available to the SG and that a copy of the current NP finances should be published.

9. Next meeting.

The next Steering Group meeting will be on Tuesday 20 September, 6pm at Mountfield. 

Subsequent meetings have been booked for 6 pm October 4, October 18, November 1, November 15, November 29 and December 13