Thorp Arch Annual Parish Meeting

THORP ARCH ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

Monday 25th April 2016

Minutes

PRESENT: Cllrs: J. Richardson(Chair),G. Duxbury, M. Smyth,Amy Crooks,

A. Rodger

OTHERS: Cllr Alan Lamb, PC Andrew Katkowski, Peter Locke,

Roland Blackburn, Gaby Morrison, Rob Seldon, Fiona Spence

Rob and Beth Williams, plus 50 members of the public (Thorp Arch Residents).

APOLOGIES: Diane Pellew – Prison Governor, HMP Wealstun

IN ATTENDANCE: T. Wormley (Clerk)

l. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

The minutes of the last Annual Parish Meeting held on Monday 20th April 2015, had beenagreed as correct at the Council meeting held on Monday18th May 2015.

2. MATTERS ARISING

The seat at North Lodge is missing. Parish Council agreed to investigate it.

3. POLICE REPORT – PC PAUL KATOWSKI

Crime figures are down from last year, with 12 crimes less recorded. Most of the crimes occurred on the trading estate.

• Figures for 2014/5 number of crimes recorded: 20, offenders arrested 12
• Figures for 2015/16 number of crimes recorded: 8, offenders arrested 2

Vehicle crime has also had a reduction due to the group responsible being charged and serving custodial sentences.

Speeding remains a problem. Please contact police if you are aware of specific areas where speeding is an issue.

The elderly have been targeted in several villages. False ID is being used. Please check the ID of anyone on your doorstep before allowing them in.

4. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Following last year’s Local Election, Amy Crooks, Andrew Rodger and myself were newly elected to TAPC, with Graham Duxbury and Margaret Smyth re-elected. At the Parish Council Annual Meeting, I was elected as Chairman. Our thanks go to the previous Chairman, Sheila Humphreys for the contribution she has made to the life of the Village during her16 year period of office and for her help in the period of inevitable transition and education of new Councillors.

KEYNOTE EVENTS OF THE YEAR

• TATE – Rockspring Application withdrawn – The Council has worked closely with TAG over the past year and the Village will have been delighted when the application for a 2000 unit housing development was withdrawn. However, a further Application for around 900 homes is promised, so whilst we have had our “El Alamein” victory, VE Day is not yet in sight. The support from residents against Rockspring’s application has been truly amazing and the Council should like to say a big thank you to all concerned. The Council is maintaining its robust objections to any such development on TATE whilst always being prepared to listen and take part in consultations. We expect an exhibition and consultation event on 24th May, but further details are awaited from St Congar, Rockspring’s development adviser. You will be pleased to know that Peter Locke will be addressing the meeting shortly on behalf of TAG.

• Site Allocation Process (SAP) – Leeds City Council (LCC) are currently having to re-evaluate the selection of sites in Outer North East Leeds as a result of the late withdrawal of the Headley Hall site earmarked for around 3000 homes. Consequently, this has placed uncertainty over the sites to be allocated on the SAP for our area. It is expected that there will be further consultation from June 2016 with the local communities in ONE Leeds, but at that stage the likely sites in the Draft SAP will have been identified. The possibility of sites in our Parish being nominated for inclusion in the Draft SAP cannot be discounted. We anticipate that consultations will be completed around September with the SAP then being submitted to LCC Executive for approval before being handed over to The Inspector for final blessing, probably around April 2017. With resident support, the efforts of the Parish Council will be as determined as ever to fight to protect our village, our community and our heritage as this process continues.

• Neighbourhood Plan – TheNeighbourhood Plan (NP)continues to evolve and will in due course be major guidance in the granting of future planning applications. It is important that the NP is in place as soon as is practical and the Steering Group is working hard to that end. I have to report to the Meeting that the Council recently and reluctantly accepted the resignation of Peter Smart as the Chairman of the Steering Group, to be succeeded by Graham Duxbury with Roland Blackburn as his deputy.Roland will be speaking shortly about the work of the Steering Group in the last year and the expectations for the year ahead.

Neighbourhood planning was intended to be a simple way in which villages could design and protect their heritage and be a direct part of the planning system. Instead, it has become a minefield of regulation and bureaucracy leading to frustration for many. It is within this environment that Peter Smart since 2012 has devoted time, effort, expertise, determination and leadership to the Steering Group in developing a Neighbourhood Plan, the successful conclusion to which is now in sight. This leadership has been highly valued by the Parish Council and the whole Village, and in relinquishing his position, he does so with our grateful thanks.

• The Parish Council and Causeway – The immense value of Causeway to this community was evident in the concerns over the changes at its helm when David & Anne Watts stepped down after all their good work with the community magazine. We are all delighted with the new editors’ work in continuing the success of Causeway and the way that Gaby and Paula are seeking to work closely with all of us and with the Parish Council. We also highly value the communications through the Village Diary and the availability of the digital database of residents, responsibility for which has recently passed to Causeway from David Watts.

• The Parish Council and the Village Society (VS) – Under the new leadership of Gaby, residents in the Village are being encouraged to get behind various new projects which demonstrate the innate character and vibrancy of this special community.Gaby will talk to you presently about the work of the VS but I should like to make a special mention of the War Memorial Booklet of which all members of the Parish Council and the Village Society are enthusiastic supporters.

Rob and Bethan Williams, the authors, will be presenting to you something of their project at the end of this Meeting and will be hoping that residents, in a way reminiscent of the support given for the “Thorp Arch” book published for the Millennium, will feel equally supportive of this legacy project.

• Highways and Infrastructure – The Parish Council has been focussing much of its time on the need to see improvements in our highways, footpaths, even dog bin provision. I am pleased to see that positive progress is being made on all of these matters under the guidance and hard work of Councillor Andrew Rodger.

Traffic congestion on and near the bridge has been very much in focus, as has speeding on Church Causeway. We are hopeful that meetings with both the Police and with Highways will produce some positive results. Amy Crooks has recently undergone training with the speed gun and she may well soon be in evidence at the side of our roads, so be careful! The work on Church Causeway/Walton Road paths, kerbing and carriageways will go on for some time but already we can all see the improvements.

We are indebted to the services of Colin Sanderson who ensures our greens are maintained and to all who contribute to the bulb planting and the litter cleaning, both of which help to show off the village at its best.

Looking to the future, the Council is keen to pursue access for all village residents to superfast broadband. Responsibility for installation is with BT Openreach and we will be endeavouring to get Thorp Arch in their 2016 schedule of installation.

• Planning Applications: Much time and expertise is required in dealing with planning matters(even without TATE) and the Council is fortunate to have in its midst Graham Duxbury who has been invaluable in assessing and advising Councillors on the merits of the various applications that come forward. The residents of Thorp Arch are not against suitable and appropriate development within the Parish boundaries and it is to that important task that Councillors continually address. Once the Neighbourhood Plan is in place, it will provide some overview and protection, but it will not remove the need for the detailed expertise such as Graham provides.

Planning applications from the Housing Community Association are anticipated in connection with the Prison Social Club site and the Council is awaiting further consultation in this regard.

The Community Investment Levy (CIL) is now operational and the Council will benefit in the event there is development in the Parish from such CIL payments by any developer to LCC. Such benefit will be increased once the Neighbourhood Plan is in place.

• Relationships with other Parish Councils – The Council has sought to work well with our neighbouring Parishes in Walton and Boston Spa and I am pleased to say that on the whole there has been positive progress, helped I believe by the realisation that the development proposals put forward by Rockspring for TATE are not sustainable. The Parish council wishes to work closely with our neighbours and there will undoubtedly be opportunities in the future to do so.

• Finances – The Clerk will report on these matters but suffice to say we are running a tightly controlled ship. The reason for the rise (£1200) in the precept for 2016/17 is the necessary financial support that the Council is giving to the funding of the Neighbourhood Plan. We have budgeted an extra £5000 towards the costs of engaging Consultants required to complete the Plan.

Your Parish Council has had a productive year and all the Councillors have enjoyed working together on your behalf. I should like to thank all of them Margaret,Amy, Graham and Andrew and Tina (Clerk) for working so well together and with patience and humour.

Thank you for the interest and the support from all residents and in particular to those of you who are here tonight.

The Chairman took a question from a resident about the Community Right to Bid. This will be placed on the next Parish meeting agenda.

5. SUMMARY OF FINANCES – CLERK

The clerk provided a summary of financesand circulated an unaudited summary of accounts for the year 2015/16.

Total income for the year was £21,148 versus a budget of £13,122 and expenditure was £21,135 versus a budget of £13,730.

The council has spent £12 less than its income in the last year. The figures include an £8000 grant for the Neighbourhood Plan, and an expenditure of £10,393. The difference between these two figures, £2405, was donated by the Parish Council.

The closing bank balance at the end of the year was £11,749.44.

The precept for this year is £13,200 an increase of £1200 from last year.

6. TAG UPDATE – PETER LOCKE

It was three years ago at this same meeting that I, and many others here, first learnt of the 2000 house and the so-called ‘relief road’ scheme from Rockspring. At that point Rockspring were almost ready to submit their planning application. There was considerable support for the scheme (from LCC, ward councillors, the local ‘consultative forum’ etc), and no apparent opposition.Fortunately we learnt about it just in time, and since then the TAG Team and you, our Supporters, have been fighting it, with victory when it was withdrawn in early 2016.

I am fortunate as the ‘face’ of TAG and have received many thanks, but working alongside, and very hard, are the rest of the Team:

Shirley Davies – research and environment

Nicola Midgely – administration

John Richardson – communication and PR

Graham Duxbury – general planning and employment

Bernard Crooks – bullet points

John Pendleton – PR, design and printing

Steve Alldridge – treasurer

Many thanks to the whole team.

As Rockspring indicated, they are now returning with a 900 house scheme. They have retained a new consultancy, St Congar, who specialise in obtaining planning permissions. In turn St Congar have brought in Pegasus, planning consultantsand architects DLA Associates.

They are also using some of the technical staff from WYG, the previous lead consultancy on the 2000 house scheme.

Initial indications from the ‘stakeholder meeting’ are that they hope to carry on where WYG left off, with a completely inadequate proposal. They are relying on previous WYG work and staff. Although they showed us some very pretty architect's drawings, with lots of retained trees and grasslands, these ran completely contrary to all the guidance on decontamination of such sites, which demand a confidence scrape to remove all topsoil, and any small explosive devices and tiny detonators/primers the size of a button but enough to blow off your handoff.

As far as TAG can ascertain at this time, the main access to the housing would be off Walton Road. We believe Walton would oppose any such highways grounds. Boston Spa are also likely to be very concerned about the effects of the increased traffic on the junction at Bridge Road with their high street. Thorp Arch would see much greater congestion on the bridge. None of us want these traffic issues.

So this time around, we feel that their application will be no better presented, still not sustainable, and will have very little or no support from the local communities and our ward councillors.

Provided we all stick together, TAG believes we can successfully oppose any new application. Your TAG Team are prepared to continue the work, but we need to know we have a mandate from you, our Supporters. We are also likely to ask you to join in and write objections, as you have before.

We need a democratic mandate from you if you do, which is the reason for asking you all to attend. Can I ask for a show of hands for those wishing us to continue with our campaign against any housing on TATE. Unanimous show of hands.

The next step is that St Congar have promised a public exhibition of their plans. We strongly encourage you all to attend, and demonstrate to St Congar the extent of the community’s opposition to housing on TATE.

Guidance for that exhibition will be provided as usual nearer the date.

7. NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN – ROLAND BLACKBURN

• Present Members of the Steering Group – The SG has had 8 members for most of the year since the last Parish Meeting. Recently the Chairman, Peter Smart, resigned from the group due to time pressure from other commitments. The Steering Group would like to sincerely thank Peter for leading the group since its inception to the present position which is near the final goal. Since our last meeting on 14th April, the present Steering Group consists of Graham Duxbury (Chairman), Roland Blackburn (Vice Chairman), Margaret Smyth (Secretary), Alison Osborn, Jane Clayton, Sheila Humphreys and Richard West. The Steering Group would also like to place on record out thanks to John Pendleton for his work designing and producing the draft Neighbourhood Plan documents.
• Progress – In May 2015 we met Ian McKay the Neighbourhood Planning Manager for Leeds City Council, for a progress review. Ian was positive about the draft plan that had been produced so far and the consultation that had taken place. We were however advised that to reach the final version of the plan, we would probably need guidance from consultants who had the necessary Neighbourhood Planning experience. We applied for and were awarded in 2015 a Government grant of £8000 to partially meet the consulting costs and have since obtained a further £1000 Government grant. The Steering Group interviewed three Planning consultancy firms who had been invited to bid for the project, after which is was agreed that a joint bid from Alyson Linnegar Planning Consultancy and David Gluck of Ruralis who is based in Tadcaster be accepted. Ruralis have been involved in several local NPs and Alyson Lynnegar is part of the Neighbourhood Planning Independent Examiners Referral Services. Their fee proposal which take us to virtually the end of the NP process was £9500 + expenses, but with current expenditure and taking in to account the Parish Councils full £5000 donation we have a current balance remaining of about £3500.00. The Steering Group is in the process of obtaining costs for printing, communication and distribution of the final draft plan which hopefully will be covered by this sum. Since the appointment of Ruralis the Steering Group has been guided on the format and content required for a Neighbourhood Plan to be presented in an acceptable format to the Local Authority. The Steering Group has now generated the majority of the documents needed for the final draft plan. The documents are currently being edited and collated into one document which will need maps, diagrams and photographs to compliment the text.
• The project timetable – is that the final 6 week long consultation will take place with residents and stakeholders in July / August 2016. Comments from this consultation will be addressed during late August and September. The final plan will be written in late September. It will then hopefully be submitted to Leeds City Council end October 2016 and be independently examined in January 2017. Again time has to be allowed to address any comments but we anticipate that the referendum on the final plan will be held in April 2017.If more than 50% of those voting in the referendum approve the plan, it then becomes law and will be fully used for making decisions on subjects referred to in the Neighbourhood Plan. Even now, while the plan is being developed, the views contained in the draft are taken into consideration for planning decisions.
• Keeping the community updated on progress – The Steering a Group has its own section on the Parish Council website. This contains the minutes of meetings and news of the main proposals and is continuously being kept up to date. We also aim to publish updates in Causeway and give regular bulletins to the Parish Council, which then appear in their minutes.
• Next Stage – The next major milestone will be the public consultation of what will be the final draft Neighbourhood Plan. This is planned to take place end July / early August 2016 over 6 weeks and everyone will have access to the plan and will receive a flyer that summarises the Vision, Objectives and Policies that are contained in the plan. Everyone will have an opportunity to submit their views on the draft plan and these views will be considered and responded to. Please look out for this event and we encourage and welcome everyone's input

8. CAUSEWAY – GABY MORRISON