meetings

Meeting of Cottesmore Neighbourhood Planning Group

Held at 16 Main Street, Cottesmore

On Wednesday 2nd April 2014

1. Members attending :

Frank Chivers, Ron Dane, 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 from:- Tim Dixon, Fred Docker, Chris Donovan, Steve Lonnen, Sharon Baker

2. Matters arising from the last meeting

1.     Notes from last meeting were corrected to show that Elaine Huq had attended, while Alan Ivanoski did not and has left the committee.

2.  Actions

   Members qualification no longer required as the application for funding has now been    submitted.

     Notices re the RCC consultation were placed on all village notice boards.

3. Report from the steering committee

1.     The consultation period at RCC has now finished and is awaiting signing by the Chief Executive Helen Briggs. Accommodation as been made over the bungalow in Cottesmore Parish sited on the edge of Greetham. For the purposes of the neighbourhood plans of both villages it will be considered to be in Greetham. Jack Wood will liaise with the Chair of Greetham over issues which affect both villages e.g. traffic.

2.     Ron Dane has made the application for funding for £6000, which is the maximum available less the £1000 already granted by Cottesmore PCC. This money is paid next week in a lump sum, with quarterly returns made to show how it has been spent. At Christmas it may be that there is some funding left in the government budget which we could then apply for if needed but this is not certain. Within the budget there is a sum for professional services should they be needed.

4. Report from Ron Dane on the planning camp

Approximately 125 people attended from 70 neighbourhood planning groups. As one of the smaller groups it was fortunate to find that we do not have to comply with all EC rules but this still needs to be considered from the beginning and the county council should provide us with advice. There was a strong feeling at the camp that county councils were not good at this so we may need to push.

Site allocation was a major discussion point which may not be a large matter for us but could be very contentious. Robert Tregay added that there could be arguments with developers over whether a neighbourhood plan has gone through the proper process to comply with the Strategic Environmental Directive regulations. We need information from RCC on what we need to do to satisfy the legal regulations .There was some interesting information on projects e.g. Totness has built a wind farm successfully generating £30000 a year income for the parish. Robert Tregay has consulted on wind farms which would work well here as there is sufficient wind, however, radar could be a problem with the military as is the amount if capital required.

Other economic issues that might be useful are local insulation schemes, group buying of oil which is already in operation, more economical village lighting schemes. There are several good websites with information including www.retrofituk.co.uk

5.Report from committees

Environment and Motion Committee

Rutland County Council are assessing eight villages for a reduction of the speed limit to 20 mph. Two of the villages considered for a reduction on their main road are Morcott and Greetham. Cottesmore is being considered for a reduction on the Market Overton to Cottesmore road. Speedwatch,  in a survey 2-3 years ago,  found very few drivers over the speed limit, however, it was felt that a reduction to a 20 mph limit would have a beneficial impact and that if Greetham is reduced then we should attempt this although we may be too late for this assessment.

Action - John Meara will speak to Martin Pocock regarding this.

Tony McClelland reported that RCC are looking at extending the footpath at the bottom of the Market Overton Road.

Communication Committee

Fred Docker has placed a centre spread in the April Link providing information about the Neighbourhood planning committee and seeking more members. He has also had articles published in both the Rutland Times and Mercury.

Lisa Viney has contacted both schools in Cottesmore without success. It was thought it may be that the very good involvement they had with the Cottesmore History Group has taken the time for local initiatives.

Action - Tony McClelland to speak to Val Drew who was the history group contact with the schools.

Decision

Two consultation and information sessions will be held in May. They will be advertised by placing posters on the village notice boards, a dropout card or glossy slip in the May issue of the  Link  and by the display of bunting and balloons outside the venue.

Inside there will be a display of seven information boards. Two explaining neighbourhood plans and the general vision and five raising issues. Committee members will be by each board to discuss issues as necessary. Maps containing details of the parish e.g. Listed buildings, historic archaeological sites, floodplains, nature conservation sites, sites of protected species, to be acquired from RCC to be displayed on walls or tables and eventually into our neighbourhood plan file. A questionnaire will be offered for people to give their views and add any issues that have been missed. The name and address must be completed on questionnaires to show that they are Cottesmore residents. This questionnaire will also be distributed to all residents, the method to be agreed at the next meeting. The dates, dependant on facilities being available are Friday 16th May 4pm to 8pm in the village hall and 9am to 12am in the Social Club.

Action -

Lisa Viney to arrange the venues and design and have printed the dropout slip and arrange distribution in  the May issue of the Link.

Jack Wood to arrange for the posters to be designed and printed and acquire plans from RCC

Robert Tregay draft the two plan and vision boards.

Ron Dane to draft the five issue boards.

Daphne Lees to draft the questionnaire.

All of the above to be ready for checking by the next meeting

Socio-economic committee

Ron Dane has surveyed the village and found that there are 77 bungalows out if approximately 300 houses which is a surprisingly high percentage.

He also found that about 100 people are employed in Cottesmore, of whom 30 also live here.

6. No other business

7. Next meeting will be on Monday April 28th at 7pm at 16 Main Street.

Daphne Lees

Secretary CNPG