Minutes of Steering Group Meeting, Kidmore End Parish NDP Steering Group
19th February 2019 at 7.30pm, Gallowstree Common Pavilion
1. Declaration of interest
No declaration of interest declared.
2. Minutes of last meeting and matters arising
The final version of the minutes of the last meeting was approved.
3. Call for sites, Facilitation Report and Topic Paper update
Members of the Call for Sites sub-group and chair met SODC on 18 February to discuss the way forward on finalisation and publication of Aecom’s Sites Options and Assessment and Facilitation Reports and guidance on involving the community, in particular in relation to the agreed allocation of one small housing site and where this should be. Minutes of that meeting will be made available to the Steering Group.
SODC advise that the Aecom Site Options and Assessment and Facilitation advisory Reports are accompanied by a Topic Paper (TP). This will explain the changes in Local Plan policy since these reports were written and set the context of the reports. The Topic Paper will also set out the way forward and explain why a site, if allocated, has been identified for allocation for a small housing site. SODC will provide an outline of the TP for us (expected w/c 25 February) so we can then populate it .
On completion of TP, all 3 reports will go on the Kidmore End Parish Council website. This would tie in with the Community Engagement Event and enable comments from the local community. Landowners who submitted sites in response to the Call for Sites process will also be informed of the reports being on the website and be invited to comment, should they wish to do so.
The Call for Sites process is not open to further site options. Sites put forward remain on the list unless a new owner writes to KENDP saying that the site is not available any longer. Site options also cannot be extended into adjacent land.
Action:
The Call for Sites sub-group will progress the Draft Topic Paper with SODC and report to the next meeting.
4. Update on planning public event
In the light of the work needed on the Topic Paper it was agreed to postpone the public event. This would enable more time to arrange the event and incorporate the work on the policies by the Policy sub-group.
The event will take place in two venues: Kidmore End School and Gallowstree Pavilion for 2 hours per venue. There was some discussion about having a presentation with an opportunity to put questions to the Steering Group (based on a successful model by Keep Emmer Green). Face to face discussions with members of the community also have great merit. Other options include a more formal meeting after the event or a talk at the beginning of each session. To be discussed further.
We can use Sonning Common’s blue exhibition boards for the event. The Parish council website will be used, and support from website lead, local design company will be contacted to do design work and printing as prices are lower than other companies.
The event team will be organising the publicity, and production of posters and exhibition boards. The meeting supported a logical sequence of exhibits telling the story, starting at the last event, drawing on our last set of posters and Sonning Common’s approach to their posters. Event team to create time line of stages to date and tasks ahead. Event to explain why there have been delays and the important tasks or changes that have led to delays. Attendees to sign in and be encouraged to make written comments.
Action:
Final content and volunteers for the event to be discussed at next meeting.
5. Content of material for Event
The following ideas were shared:
• How will the community be affected by recent changes (eg local plan, Reading golf course)
• How has the activity by Steering Group responded to the results of the Household Survey
• Issues around the Reading border
• Publish and add to the vision and objectives and policies (prepared by Policy sub-group) as far as possible
• Anticipate what questions will arise
• Direct attendees and others in the community to where they can read more about topics in the exhibits
• Focus on the good news for the community coming through policy as well as housing issues
• Members of the Steering Group to arrange a briefing session just before the event
• Send out pre-event information to inform likely concerns
• Invitation to be given to to SODC NDP team members
6. Policy update
Policy writing has been shared between them. A rough draft has been completed but was halted whilst the work by Aecom was completed and reviewed by SODC, and the consultation draft of the emerging Local Plan 2011- 2034 was published.
Policies will be ‘enabling’ policies. The Policy sub-group have contacted Aecom who are contracted to provide advice on policy writing. Minutes of a telephone conference with the consultant have been taken. The statements of the KENDP vision have been sent to her. The sub-group and Aecom are in discussion on the timing of Aecom’s input to maximise the benefits of Aecom’s advice. The Steering Group meeting agreed that Aecom should be asked to pause in their work until the NDP’s policies were worked up further. Also supported sending in draft policies to SODC before progressing with Aecom and looking at examples of other NDP policies particularly those that have gone through Examination.
Policies cover: housing (site and building design); green space; transport; economy; AONB; AONB fringe/landscape between the AONB and Reading; settlement gaps/anti-coalescence; and the potential housing site allocation.
Aecom are not offering help with the structure of the policy section and it was felt important to allow more time for drafting before engaging their help.
Action:
Contact SODC for advice on the approach to policy and engaging Aecom and to share the sub-groups approach to the structure of the policy section. Aecom to be requested to hold off with their input for the time being.
7. AOB
The chairman minded the Steering Group that the money for consultation would have to be returned if the community event is postponed to after the end of March but we can reapply for next year April 2019 on. This is not likely to be a problem.
8. Date of next meeting
Originally 5 March 2019, now 19.3.2019