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SHENLEY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

STEERING GROUP MEETING at THE METHODIST CHURCH

 On Thursday 2nd August 2018 at 7pm

MINUTES

Attendees:

Gemma Archer, Maureen Ashman, Nicky Beaton (Chair), Rosemary Gilligan (Vice), Gavin O’Sullivan.    Rachel Shaw and Julie Lloyd* were also in attendance.  *Denotes attended for part of the meeting

  1. Apologies for absence: Richard Archer & Andrea Howlett.
  2. Approval of previous meeting Minutes on 22nd May 2018 – Minutes approved.
  3. Design Day Feedback including Angela Koch’s Design Day Report: Those who attended agreed that the Design Day was very successful.  35 people attended throughout the day with most of them attending all day.   People were on board with the new Village Envelope plan and the favoured site (recommended by Aecom in the Site Allocation Report which is available to view on the Village Website).  Angela’s Design Day Report has been circulated.  NB read it earlier and thinks it reflects the day well and is an extremely good and useful report.  The Steering Group has been asked to read it as soon as possible and give NB any comments promptly. Guy Beaton will edit it.  It was agreed that the report should be posted on the Village Website as early as possible with mentions on Facebook pages.  GA agreed that she or RA will do postings.    There was a discussion about traffic flow.  RG said developers like having roundabouts and having two roundabouts into Site 4 could help calm traffic in London Road.  Angela does not favour roundabouts because they are ‘land hungry and not good for pedestrians or cyclists.  NB does not feel that traffic from the proposed development would have a huge impact as many of the residents are likely to be older, not doing school runs or going to work.   Traffic from Harris Lane/Newcombe Road or Anderson Road does not cause major problems.
  4. Shenley Plan 1st Draft Survey – Numbers Completed to Date & Survey Results & Comments so far: NB said that 35 on line surveys have been completed and one hard copy but there may be more in the Hub post box (the Parish Clerk is currently on holiday). 3/8 Update – 41 on line surveys have been completed.   Support for the Plan is good overall.  Most of the comments are positive.  GA asked if we will be sending a hard copy of the Survey out to all households.  NB confirmed that this is the plan.  RG suggested that it is sent out with a prepaid postage addressed envelope.  NB said that ideally we need 250 people to respond but 200 would be acceptable so bearing in mind our tight budget we do not need to incur the extra expense of the Hertsmere BC addressed envelopes and postage.  It was agreed that we will send surveys out with a covering flyer note which will advertise the Public Meeting on Thursday 13th September.   Everyone to try and encourage people to read the Plan and complete surveys.   RG & NB attended the last WI meeting and handed out Surveys and Short Versions of the Plan.   NB did the same whilst on the SCAG trip to Windsor on 16th July and MA likewise at the Bowls Club meetings.   The August edition of the Parish News is out – the Neighbourhood Plan article has been included in full and the article was circulated to the Committee and Parish Councillors.  It should help increase the responses.   RS stood outside Shenley Primary School on Tuesday 17th handing out Surveys and Short Versions of the Plan.  NB hopes that a NP prompt has appeared in the end of term Shenley Primary School letter.
  5. Publicity & Actions Needed to Increase Survey Responses – Discuss   It was agreed that more Facebook prompts are needed.  William Susman has suggested that at the next Public meeting we facilitate people completing surveys on line before and after the presentation.  All agreed it is a good plan.   Meetings at say St Martin’s Hall could be considered – Come and have tea/coffee discuss the Plan and do the survey?
  6. Public Meeting in Early September – Date & Plan of Action – Meeting will be on Thursday 13th September (thus avoiding important Jewish holidays). End of Consultation period currently 15th September can be extended by a couple of weeks if necessary.
  7. Public Meeting Flyer & Banners – Rachel will prepare a draft flyer. NB will organise some banners and A4 posters.   As well as the Draft Plan and Survey we will be launching the Neighbourhood Plan initiative.
  8. Neighbourhood Development Orders (NDOs)– Update – NB confirmed that we can go ahead. She told the Group that we need to form a NDO Group to steer in through the processes.  We need to try and facilitate the NDO referendum at the same time as the Neighbourhood Plan Referendum, ideally next Spring.   It was agreed that the NP Steering Group will manage the NDO as well.   Site 4 will need to be carefully managed.  RG said we need a Trust arrangement like the Letchworth Garden Village.  RS’s partner Peter may be able to help us.

Christine Lyons, Head of Planning at Hertsmere has resigned.  MA says she has to serve three months notice.  RG feels that her resignation will make things easier for us.   She seems to be the main driver for pushing 9,000 homes in Hertsmere.  We hope that her resignation will not cause delays in the process.   We also hope that they will reconsider the numbers.   RG reminded us that the final paragraph of the Government White paper says that the South East has had a lot of development.  There needs to be more in the North, Northern power house.   We need to keep pushing Hertsmere Planning.  NB has requested a meeting on 23rd August.   NB, RG and Angela Koch will be meeting Eddie McGuire on the same day.

  1. Finance – Monies Remaining & New Grant Options – NB will ask Amanda Leboff to give us a summary of expenditure to date so we can see how much money we have left. RG to contact Locality to see if we can apply for further reports or any additional funding.
  2. Any Other Business NB & RG briefed the Group about the meeting on Wed 1st August with SP Broadway who represent Comer Homes.   Comer have put forward the Site below Coombe Wood.  They have read our Draft Plan so they know what is favoured.  The Design Day and the Survey results to date were discussed.   It was agreed that the Community might look favourably on the Comer site for future development when the Plan is revised.   RG told them that we do need to have a general idea of what should happen beyond 2036.  Comers will keep in touch.

NB told the Group that Angela Koch recommends that the Parish Council adopts the Shenley Neighbourhood Plan as the Parish Plan.  That way it will have more influence and cannot be ignored by HBC Planning.  RG commented that they should not be ignoring our emerging Plan but they did when we wanted them to look at the Plans for the Catholic Church hall.  NB will ask Amanda Leboff to put it on the SPC September meeting agenda.

  1. Date of next meeting: Monday 4th September at the Methodist Church

 

ACTIONS:

  • Everyone to read Angela’s Design Day Report asap and make comments
  • Guy Beaton to edit Design Day Report
  • GA & RA to put final Design Day Report on Website and publicise on Facebook pages
  • RS to prepare Public Meeting flyer
  • NB to book Chapel and prepare banners & A4 posters
  • NB to book Methodist Church for next Steering Group Meeting
  • NB & RG to meet HBC Planning & Eddie McGuire with Angela Koch
  • RG to contact Locality re extra funding/reports