St Eval Neighbourhood Development Plan –
Consultation Statement
1 - Introduction
This Consultation Statement has been prepared to fulfil the legal obligations of the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012 (set out in Section 3) relating to the St Eval Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP).
Extensive community engagement and consultation work has been undertaken and this is summarised in Section 4.
2 - Background
The rural, coastal Parish of St Eval is situated in North Cornwall, adjacent to Mawgan in Pydar, St Ervan and St Merryn in the Community Network Area of Wadebridge and Padstow.
The Parish has a population of 804[1]. The largest settlement in the Parish is Trevisker St Eval, located between the larger settlements of Newquay and Padstow. Padstow is approximately 4 miles northeast of the site and Newquay approximately 8 miles to the south west.
The original motivation for a Neighbourhood Plan came about because of the MoD’s intention to sell some of their land at Trevisker St Eval. The Parish Council and St Eval Area Community Action Forum (SEACAF CIC) saw this as an opportunity to be proactive in shaping future development, as well as a way to help safeguard and enhance the area.
With the relocation of the post office/shop and community centre on to the area being marketed for sale, the parish were keen to ensure that these facilities were protected for existing and future residents of the parish.
With the MoD Development Brief defining a potential for development of up to 100 houses, the need for facilities was seen as ever more key to the future of the parish.
Initially, the parish considered undertaking a Neighbourhood Development Order (NDO) to influence the development on the MoD site but, following consultation with the community in December 2012, decided to widen this out to an NDP in order to set policies across the whole of the parish and encourage all parish residents to have an active say in the future. The Parish Boundary/Neighbourhood Plan Area is shown in Figure 1.
The NDP has not only been driven by the need to protect and enhance parish facilities. The withdrawal of the majority of MoD personnel from the area has changed the make-up of the parish and there is an awareness that the area would benefit from some growth and a range of residents, which will aid the sustainability of the parish and in fact, bring positive change.
It is intended, through the NDP, to shape development through the policies themselves and by engaging with potential developers to look at how the area can be developed to the mutual benefit of the developer and the community. Good quality development that works positively with the environment and conditions, and adds social value will make St Eval a better and more sustainable place to live and should be embraced.
3 – Consultation on the proposed St Eval Neighbourhood Development Plan - Legislative Requirements
Section 15(2) of Part 5 of the 2012 Neighbourhood Planning Regulations sets out what a consultation statement should contain:
(a) contains details of the persons and bodies who were consulted about the proposed neighbourhood development plan;
(b) explains how they were consulted;
(c) summarises the main issues and concerns raised by the persons consulted; and
(d) describes how these issues and concerns have been considered and, where relevant, addressed in the proposed neighbourhood development plan.
Consultation and community engagement has been fundamental to the development of the Neighbourhood Plan and has gone far beyond the requirements of the regulations. The work that has been carried out over 4 years is outlined below. The requirements of the regulations are covered in Section 4.12.
4 - The Development of the St Eval Neighbourhood Development Plan – Community Consultation
4.1 - The consultation process
Figure 2 shows the evolving process of developing a plan for St Eval over 4 years, including extensive community engagement and consultation at every step along the way.
A summary of the issues that were identified throughout the community engagement and consultation is included in Section 4.2. More detail on each stage of consultation is included in Sections 4.3 – 4.12.
4.2 - Summary of Consultation Results by Theme
Below is a summary of the key issues that were identified throughout the various stages of consultation and engagement, which formed the basis for the policies in the St Eval NDP.
Housing
· Support for a maximum of 100 houses
· Support for affordable housing for local people
· Development mainly accepted as being on the area shown in the original NDO as per Development Brief (although the exact location and grouping of houses may be negotiable)
· Some interest in small scattered housing developments in the parish
· Support for environmentally sustainable build
· Some interest in self build
· Support for use of local materials and design that is sympathetic to needs whilst factoring in well-being of community: tenure, type, appropriate spacing, garden and parking facilities
Environment and Open Spaces
· Protection and enhancement of natural environment
· Protection and increase of trees (as natural wind-break and to enjoy for aesthetic and environmental reasons)
· Pathways and cycle trails to link up facilities and to provide walks/leisure routes – ensuring that the natural environment is accessible for local use, and potentially link into a tourism initiative.
· Protection of playing field
· Outdoor leisure space - linked to sports
US Navy/American Buildings
· Of significant importance to residents as part of their heritage
· Should, where possible, be made practical use of
· Community usages highlighted for various buildings e.g. sports hall could once again be used as a sports gym, sports facility; church could provide a media/cultural venue etc
· Also support for buildings to be considered for employment space use
Energy
· Support for renewable energy initiatives (such as solar PV) subject to defining appropriate options and having this endorsed by the community
· Energy efficiency to be considered in relation to any housing development
Employment/Business
· Local employment likely to become more important with future growth of population
· Support for small tourism initiatives
· Support for small-scale employment space and business development
· Business growth supported but sympathetic to the area i.e. no large scale development. Primarily local shops, small workshops, non-industrial businesses and office space supported
Infrastructure
· Mobile phone reception and broadband services need to improve in order to enable business and economic growth
· Ensure that transport and road network (inc. traffic safety) considered as part of the wider housing and business development.
· More facilities or improved facilities (shopping, health, leisure and social) to be considered as part of the sustainability of the parish.
4.3 - Initial Development Brief Consultation – March 2010
In March 2010, having been made aware of the fact that the MoD intended to close the NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air Force Institute) building, which was the only community use building for Trevisker St Eval, a survey was conducted to discover whether the residents and other local people felt that it was necessary to maintain certain community activities and services.
Approximately 120 surveys were distributed throughout Trevisker St Eval and the Parish; 72 were returned (60%).
4.4 – Further Development Brief Consultation – August 2011
SEACAF CIC was formed from an existing community group in order to provide an appropriate structure to produce a business plan and to acquire a new community building, due to the closure of the NAAFI building.
“The objects of the Company are to carry on activities which benefit the community and in particular (without limitation) to provide community facilities and activities for the residents of Trevisker St Eval and the surrounding area”
In order to acquire a replacement building, the MoD required SEACAF CIC to produce evidence for a Development Brief. A further, more wide-spread survey was undertaken.
Consultation took place in St Eval on the 13th August 2011 at the local village fete in order to better understand the type, scale and position of development that people living within the area would like to see happen.
Additionally, approximately 120 surveys were distributed and 82 were returned (68%). This survey concentrated on development, community facilities and infrastructure brief. This informed the production of the Development Brief for the former MoD land, which was then adopted by Cornwall Council in December 2011.
Following this work, SEACAF CIC, supported by Cornwall Council’s Localism Team, successfully negotiated a 5 year lease on one of the American Buildings, with a peppercorn rent. The Trevisker Community Centre opened in January 2012 and includes meeting rooms, hairdressers, social club, Post Office and shop.
4.5 –Formation of the Neighbourhood Planning Steering Group – March/April 2012
Initially it was felt an NDO was the most appropriate plan to take forward, to influence the development on the MoD site. In March 2012, a public meeting was held at Trevisker School to discuss following up the Development Brief by embarking on an NDO. The purpose of the meeting was to:
· Raise awareness of the process, what this would entail and what it could achieve;
· Explain what impact this might have; and
· Attract volunteers and interest.
The first official meeting of the Steering Group was held in April 2012. At this meeting the group discussed how they would function i.e. their terms of reference; engagement strategy; and the types of themes that might need to be covered.
The Steering Group has continued to meet regularly (with minutes taken) throughout the process.
The Steering Group is made up of a core of members, but they have also co-opted members informally to undertake tasks e.g. seeking youth input.
4.6 –Neighbourhood Planning – Preliminary Community Engagement and Consultation – May/June 2012
The Steering Group held events held in May and June 2012 to inform the initial Neighbourhood Planning work – these included:
· Consultation with school children at Trevisker Primary School in May 2012;
· Consultation at the Church Rooms, St Eval in May 2012;
· Consultation at the Jubilee barbeque and beach party (Porthcothan) in June 2012.
Additionally, there have been on-going displays at the Trevisker Community Centre to both inform and to gather views; information on the SEACAF CIC website and general publicity throughout the entire process.
4.7 – Parish Survey and Housing Needs Survey – November/December 2012
In November 2012, the Steering Group worked with officers from Cornwall Council and Cornwall Rural Community Council to devise an in-depth Parish Survey which, although primarily focused on the NDO, went much wider in order to identify more holistic community issues and aspirations.
The survey was distributed in hard copy but residents were also given the option to complete the survey online. There was also an evening session held at the Community Centre where residents could get independent assistance with the survey.
The survey was distributed to residents in both St Eval and St Ervan parishes. In total, there were 482 household questionnaires distributed – 346 of these in St Eval, of which 86 forms were completed (a response rate of 25%). The remaining 136 questionnaires were distributed in St Ervan with 10 forms returned (a response rate of 7%). As the MoD land falls predominantly in St Eval parish, interest from St Ervan parish residents was low and therefore the lower response rate was not unsurprising.
The results were analysed, showing similar results to those of the Development Brief. Residents were keen to influence future development.
A housing needs survey was also undertaken during this period to establish the need for possible future housing and identify the extent and nature of the housing needs, and establish the attitude towards residential development. 482 surveys were distributed to each household on the electoral role with 63 surveys returned (13%).
4.8 – Consultation Days – December 2012
Two Christmas Consultation events were held at Trevisker School and at Trevisker St Eval Community Centre, which were both well-attended. Displays and information on themes/issues that might go into the NDO made available for community members to view, discuss and comment on. This was linked to the content of the Parish Survey.
4.9 - Change to NDP – February 2013
Following analysis of the Parish Survey results and consultation at the Christmas events, it was agreed that an NDP would be more appropriate for St Eval, rather than an NDO.
To publicise this change, posters were displayed in various places within the parish, it was publicised on the SEACAF CIC website and displayed in the Trevisker community building. The results of the various consultations were also displayed, explaining the plan was now an NDP, what that was and that the evidence was still relevant.
4.10 – Business Survey – September 2013
A business questionnaire was delivered to 40 local businesses in the area to identify needs and future development. 18 responses were received (45%).
4.11 - Consultation on Draft NDP Policies – December 2013 and January 2014
A community consultation event to get feedback on the draft policies was held at Trevisker St Eval Community Centre on Saturday 14th December 2013 between 2.00 and 8.00pm. The event was timed to coincide with the community children’s Christmas Party and Christmas Draw taking place at the centre.
There were photographs and maps on display, explanations about each of the 7 policies, the policies themselves and opportunities for people to say if they agreed or didn’t agree and to make comments.
A record was kept of who attended (gender, age and where they lived). It was staffed by members of the Steering Group, along with a planning officer from Cornwall Council and a Community Planning Manager from Cornwall Rural Community Council to answer questions. The event was visited by 60 people and the comments were all positive and supportive of the NDP.
On Saturday 18th January 2014, the event was replicated at St Eval Parish Hall between Porthcothan and Treburrick. The event was attended by 12 people and feedback was generally positive although the respondents’ issues and concerns were different from those who had attended the event at Trevisker St Eval, and based more on the wider parish.