Minutes of Meeting

Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee

Thursday4th July 2017. 7pm - 9pm.

The Hall – The Grange, Southam

Attendees:Linda Doyle,Jeff Smith, Suzie Stone, Mike Brooks, Helen Caves, Graham Foster, Sharon Lythe, Gary Smith, Jon Swain, Marion Childs,

Apologies: David Thompson,Pamela Palmer, Pauline Galliers, John Edwards, Joan & Gary Cripps, Laurence Caves

  1. Introduction

The Chairman welcomed the assembled and the meeting got underway with the excitement of the Photo Competition judging at 19:00.

  1. Photographic Competition

SL presented the entries. GS and HCdeclared a conflict of interest given that family members were entered into the competition and so were excluded from voting. Two groups of entries were judgedby popular vote i) 14-17 year-olds and ii) 18+ years old.

The younger category was won by exhibit no3001 – an atmospheric shot of St James churchyard entitled “Community with History” – winner Georgia Smith aged 14.

The older category was won by exhibit no4022 – capturing the town’s spirit in a shot of the 2016 Christmas Light Switch-On entitled “Christmas Lights” – winner Tony Lorimer

Each winner receives a half share of the £70 prize fund – being £35 each plus one of the two gifts (tripod or framed print).

  1. Steering Committee Business

The minutes of last meeting were discussed and approved.

The action on extra bank signatories was still outstanding. Jon and Gary shall now be applying for Internet Banking access at a meeting at the Leamington branch on the coming Friday. Action: Time to be confirmed by MB.

There was no further update from the Communications sub-committee

The action to book the Tithe Lodge meeting room was outstanding. GS undertook to pick up this action and to cancel down the existing Grange Hall booking when he goes to book the next series of regular meeting slots.

The action to talk to neighbouring parishes and the district council to get Consultancy recommendations and some idea of cost that could be included in the next STC grant request or via an external grant was still outstanding.

GS presented a possible structure for the Southam Plan in the form of a Neighbourhood Plan draft, compiled from reference to four completed plans from other towns, andsuggested that this constituted the makings of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for our plan so that a project plan can be formed (an outstanding action from last meeting).

For those not familiar: A WBS is a project management term for"A hierarchical decomposition of the totalscopeof work to be carried out by theproject teamto accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables."

There then followed a debate on process advancement, whichincluded a discussion on the letter from Debbie Carroto our chairman regarding a possible grant line available to us until January 2018. It was considered by some on the committee that the letter took an unduly critical tone to a volunteer group unawarethat the grant existed orthat it was “vitally important that this money is claimed”.

It was agreed that MB continue with obtaining three quotations from suitable consultants so that the approach to the plan could be more thoroughly considered, and that JS pursue the grant application

  1. Workgroup Updates

4.1 Housing

HC reported that the response rate for the Housing Needs Survey appeared encouraging and was approximated (at this early stage) at c.25%.It was agreed that this would be an excellent outcome.

4.2 Infrastructure

No update.

4.3 Environment

No update.

4.4 Community

No update

  1. AOB

5.1Volunteer numbers, the lack ofthem and the fleeting nature of attendance was discussed. GS aired a concern that he had observed negative language and unnecessary obfuscation from the steering group and offered that we should attempt to be more inclusive and positiveparticularly aboutgetting the job done. It was generally agreed that we would work harder to ensure that volunteersare listened to and that ideas are encouraged, adopted/adapted and developed to improve the continuity and diversity of the group’s thinking.

5.2Jeff presented to the group his latest action poster against HS2. A striking piece of art based upon a well-known soft drink can.

There being no other business, the meeting was closed at 9.00 PM.

Next Meetings (all confirmed 7pm-9pm Grange Hall, unless otherwise stated)

Wednesday 26th July 2017 – (by popular demand to avoid August holiday clashes)

Tuesday 5th September 2017

Wednesday 4th October

AGM Saturday 16th September 2017. 09:30 to 12:30(Tithe Lodge)

(Grange Hall booking has been cancelled)

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