WARE TOWN COUNCIL
A Meeting of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group was held on Tuesday 25 February 2014 at 7.30 pm in Fletcher’s Lea, The Priory, Ware when the following business was transacted.
Present: Cllr Ian Devonshire – Ware Town Council (in the Chair),
Cllr Steve Reed – Ware Town Council
Cllr Mike Ryan – Wareside Parish Council
Cllr – Wareside Parish Council
Cllr – Wareside Parish Council
Jill Rowlinson - Ware Town Council
Chris Wade – Action for Market Towns (Towns Alive)
David Pearse – Save Our Green Sapces
Mike West – The Ware Society
Keith Batchelor – Raynet/ Town Watch
Nick Haldane – Resident
Jan Wing, Ware Town Partnership and CVS
Jan Stock, Wodson Park
Members of the public.
The Chair welcomed members of the public and members of Wareside Parish Council.
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Roy Lester, Cllr Roz Standley – Ware Town Council; Mick Standley – Save Our Green Spaces Mark Emmerson – Hertford Regional College; Mark Montgomery, Herts Police (CPDA); Barry O’Reilly; Alex Curtis, Ware Youth Council; Ken Weeks – Ware Museum
2. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
Minutes of the meeting held on 24 February were agreed as a correct record.
3. ASSISTANCE FROM ACTION FOR MARKET TOWNS (TOWNS ALIVE)
Members of the public were attending because they wanted to find out more about the proposals for Ware in East Herts Draft District Plan. Chris Wade gave a brief introduction to the processes of the District Plan and the Neighbourhood Plan. The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group was seeking the views of all residents and would welcome input, for example from those representing groups such as schools.
Mr Wade gave a brief presentation on the proposals for assistance and recommended way forward from Towns Alive. Three options had previously been put forward which were:
Option 1 – Feed into the District’s emerging development plan document for the North of the Town (DPD)
Option 2 – Undertake a Community Led Town Plan
Option 3 – Undertake a Neighbourhood Plan (incorporating an implementation plan)
The three options were not mutually exclusive. The Steering Group had agreed at the last meeting to proceed with Options 1 and 3. However, the preferred boundary of the Neighbourhood Plan would require a joint submission with Wareside Parish Council. Mr Wade pointed out that a Neighbourhood Plan did not restrict what the group said but that it could only influence certain things. The group wanted the Neighbourhood Plan to influence the Development Plan Document being produced by East Herts Council. To be listened to by planners, the group would need to speak with one strong voice. The Neighbourhood Plan needed to follow a strict process of evidence gathering and public engagement so that it was not open to challenge (eg by developers).
Mr Wade presented two proposals for support from Towns Alive. The first was a “light touch” proposal of partial support and facilitation by Towns Alive at a cost of £17,287.50 plus travel of approx. £800. The second was for full support with Towns Alive leading local delivery at a cost of £42,375 plus travel of approx. £1,200.
The funding available was:
Ware Town Council budget - £5,000
Locality grant (if successful) £7,000
Agreed for Town Team MOT £1,650
Total 13,650
Shortfall £4,437.50
It was agreed to recommend to Ware Town Council that the lighter touch approach proposal be accepted and to request an allocation from the New Homes Bonus to make up the shortfall in budget.
The next stage would be to prepare a timetable of work for the next 12 to 18 months and find volunteers to carry out the various elements of this.
4. EAST HERTS DISTRICT PLAN
The draft Development Strategy had now been approved by East Herts Council. The public consultation would open on 27 February and run until 22 May 2014. The consultation documents would be available for viewing at the Town Council office and the library or online www.eastherts.gov.uk/districtplandraft
A public engagement meeting would be held on Monday 31 March at 7.30pm in Fletcher’s Lea. Members and officers of East Herts Council would be give a presentation and a question and answer session. It was agreed:
· To liaise with East Herts Planning Officers in the run up to the meeting
· Not to concentrate just on housing but to consider jobs, transport, schools etc – make sure all the headings from the group’s workshop session are used as prompts.
· Steering Group members to send in questions for the planners to the Town Clerk. These should be sent to East Herts Council in advance asking them to be prepared to answer or to explain why any questions could not be answered.
· To alert members of the public to the fact that they do have influence over the District Plan process.
5. AREA TO BE COVERED BY THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
It was now known that the areas to the North and East of Ware that the Steering Group wished to include in the plan was one of the preferred options for development. However, these sites still needed to go through the Strategic Land Availability Assessment process. The question of preparing a joint Neighbourhood Plan for Ware and Wareside was discussed. It was agreed:
· That the meeting was in favour of preparing a joint Neighbourhood Plan
· That the Parish and Town Council representatives should put this to their Council meetings for approval
· That a Memorandum of Understanding would be needed between Ware Town Council and Wareside Parish Council.
6. CONSULTATIONS
Deferred pending project plan.
7. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
It was agreed not to set a date at this stage but to keep in touch via email.
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