Held at The Sun Inn, Cottesmore, on
Tuesday 26th November 2013
1. Members attending :
Frank Chivers, Tim Dixon, John Docker, Chris Donovan, Ron Dane, Alan Ivanoski, Daphne Lees, Tony McClelland, Dawn Spence, Peter Spence, Robert Tregay, Lisa Viney, Chris Whitton, Jack Wood (Chairman).
Also attending: John Meara (Chairman of Cottesmore Parish Council)
Apologies were received for:
Elaine Huq, Alan Ivanoski, Dawn Spence, Peter Spence.
Two members have withdrawn:
John Field, Marcus Purnell
2. Summary of Information session, Ron Simpson, Uppingham Neighbourhood Plan
Uppingham decided that their neighbourhood plan should be in the form of a book, it should be attractively printed with only as much technical detail as was absolutely necessary and that summaries would be placed in coloured boxes to provide a quick and clear read. A plan does not have to be published but can simply be put on line and in the library. There have been 20 drafts and 2 versions published. It took 12 months to get the first draft and it is now about 2 years since they started.
The Community involvement included organisations in the town; Uppingham First, the Business Forum, Uppingham School, residents organisations ( see page 40 of their plan). General open days were held and around 70 people attended. Children in school were consulted and provided some of the best evidence e.g. little children felt unsafe using play equipment that had been sited in an area used by big teenagers.
Amongst issues identified a major one was housing provision because RCC wanted 170 homes built in the area. Developers were invited to an open day where they were keen to find out what the town required and how they could fulfil it. The plan proposes that the development should be in 3 clusters and identifies the sites, not on one large site as RCC had envisioned. The density of housing is also being challenged in that they would like a less dense build and open space for recreation to be included in one of the areas. An area has also been earmarked should a need for more homes be identified if RCC's expected windfall numbers do not materialise.
Uppingham’s plan also includes more employment development land than RCC wanted, so in both of these areas they are testing the county's strategic plan.
Uppingham's relationship with RCC was a little fraught initially due to this being new legislation and neither side knowing what was permissible. The civil servants have been extremely helpful and RCC planners now take the view that their role is to keep the group on the right lines and they and Uppingham are working collaboratively. A civil servant from the Department of Community and Local Government will be assigned to us when we have applied for funding.
Sustainability is a key issue and RCC's offer to do the sustainabilty study was taken up though the group did pay for this to be reviewed. Sustainabilty should consider the social, economic and environmental considerations of all decisions.
The second draft of the plan has been submitted to RCC along with the sustainability study and a data book. It is now being considered by RCC and Uppingham hope to have it back and amended, if necessary, by Christmas. RCC cannot change the plan it can only state that it does not meet basic requirements. The plan will be considered next by an external examiner, who has the right to hold a public hearing if they wish, and who can make changes.
The data book should provide an “audit trail” showing the justification for decisions e.g why one housing site was chosen and, as importantly, why one was not. Uppingham used interim votes for particularly controversial decisions.
The feeling in Uppingham is that it is now possible to decide to have development even if a county does not have it in their plan because the civil servants will be in favour as the government holds the belief that councils are preventing development, which is, I guess, why the Localism Act arose in the first place.
3. Decisions
1. The boundary for our neighbourhood plan was agreed to be that of Cottesmore Parish Council including the part that falls within Kendrew Barracks and to take account of the whole of the barracks. John Meara agreed to write to RCC with our proposal for their agreement, which may take up to 6 weeks.
2. John Meara will write to Lieutenant Colonel Steve Lonnen MBE, commanding officer of Kendrew Barracks to invite their participation in the plan.
3. When RCC has agreed the boundary of the plan, Ron Dane will complete the application for funding from The Neighbourhood Planning Progamme who provide grants of up to £7000.
4. The next meeting will include a Brainstorming session led by Robert Tregay.
An overarching vision for the village should inform the way we approach producing the
plan. Overall the groups we decided upon are feasible but may be refined or expanded
by a vision that incorporates sustainability which may introduce factors such as energy,
biodiversity, employment and economy into the plan.
5. Fred Docker will put an item in the January Link to say we have started discussions.
If possible, it will include a logo that we can use on headed paper etc. Fred Docker is
giving some though to the design of this.
4. Report form the Steering Committee
Sharon Baker, our liaison officer at RCCPlanning, will attend some of our meetings when we are fully running.
Cottesmore Parish Council has agreed to apply for £1000 of funding from RCC and
provide us with an immediate float of £500. The balance will be available in April. Tony McClelland to follow this up.
5. Any other business
Jack Wood to approach Gainsborough Court to see if meetings could be held there in the community room.
Next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Monday 16th December at 7 pm, upstairs at the village hall.
Daphne Lees
Secretary CNPG
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