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SHENLEY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

STEERING GROUP MEETING at THE METHODIST CHURCH

 On Wednesday 25th September 2019 at 7pm

MINUTES

Attendees:   Nicky Beaton* (Chair), Rosemary Gilligan* (Vice Chair), William Susman*, Richard Archer*, Julie Lloyd, Andrea Howlet, Martin Finney*, Rachel Shaw* & Julie Lloyd, Andrea Howlet  & Carol Long      *Steering Group members

Apologies:  Annie Keen, Gavin O’Sullivan & Maureen Ashman

General points and updates

  1. Ann Darnell’s husband has died and she has gone on bereavement leave. We are therefore waiting for the official confirmation that we do not need a SEA screening so that Angela can complete the Consultation Statement and the Basic Conditions Statement.  Both Statements are needed for the Reg 16 Consultation.
  2. NB is going to wait a few weeks before chasing Mark Silverman to send us the confirmation and ask for the Reg 16 Consultation start date. The Reg 16 Consultation is run by Hertsmere and therefore we are in their hands with regard to timing.  It is now unlikely it will start in October.  We hope a November start date will be possible.
  3. RG has written to HBC raising objections to Comer Homes land behind Shenley Glass. Traffic often backs up to the M25 and a further feed into the roundabout by Tescos.  This would also change the outlook from Rectory Lane which is very sparsely populated at the moment.  She has also objected to 26 Woodhall Lane on the basis of the impact on the roads in this area.
  4. It should not just be HBC Planning picking and choosing. They will probably involve ARUP’s recommendations in their decisions to cover themselves.  Once they have allocated their sites they will still have to go through the National Planning Inspectorate who may pick them up on the green belt issue since they are not going deliver affordable homes.
  5. The current housing forecast that HBC are talking about is 714 houses per year starting in 2018 – which is over 12,000 homes! How have HBC arrived at such a number when the original numbers imposed by government were nearer 6,600?
  6. The Local Plan is now being written in conjunction with St Albans Hatfield and Watford – the S. Herts strategic partnership. We are not going to see how far Shenley is affected until we see the draft Local Plan in the spring.
  7. A leaflet has been dropped through the Furzehill Road residents’ houses. Their  established a village green on Woodcock Green is now apparently under threat.  The land owners are going to take Hertsmere to court to try and get the right to build.  RG is not convinced that HBC are taking their responsibility to protect the green belt seriously enough.

Regulation 16 consultation update

  1. NB, MF, RG, WS, Natalie Susman, Anthony Spencer and Anthony Whitaker of AECOM attended a meeting with Mark Silverman Ann Darnell at Hertsmere on 16th At the meeting Ann suggested that the reference to the Grange was removed in SH 2.4.   NB read out the wording to the assembled meeting.  All agreed that the wording was an improvement in being more accurate and agreed the change.  Agreeing to the change meant that Mark & Ann were able to agree that we no longer need to have an SEA.  Having to do an SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) could have delayed the plan by around 6 months!  NB also informed the team that SH2.1 was not considered to be Policy by Planning so it was moved to the end of the SH2 text and SH2 policy was renumbered accordingly.   Prior to the meeting Anthony Whitaker informed RG & NB that if we had used Locality funding to do an SEA it would have meant us having to repeat the Regulation 14 Consultation and so delayed the Plan by a year!   We have further funding if we need more AECOM advice.
  2. Other changes: the ticks and crosses have been reduced in size, the number of pictures of Charrington Close has been cut to 1 and a picture of Rest Harrow has been included in the ‘x’ section.  A picture of the Queen Adelaide terraced houses by the pond have been included in the ‘yes’ section.
  3. It was agreed that we should remove the sentence in red about site allocations – or at least reduce it to the normal font and put it in with the rest of the text. We agreed to send an updated version to HBC rather than post on the Web the version with the red sentences.  ‘This is not, nor does it contain a site allocation’.  It could be put with the Note above in the same font and colour as the rest of the text.  The same should also be done on page 53 in the SH1 section where there is red writing above the hand coloured drawing of the design day vision.  Policy Map SH2: Shenley Village Special Policy Area
  4. We also need to replace the URLs with shorter web addresses. RA will do this as soon as he can so Angela can update the Plan.  NB will send the revised copy to HBC next week which will hopefully nudge them into processing the Plan ready for the Reg. Consultation.    (NB has received an email from Mark indicating that they will contact us shortly about the consultation).
  5. The revised version will be posted on the website by RA.  It is the version that will be used for the Reg 16 Consultation.
  6. NB has created a SNP Reg 16 consultation comments form. After some consultation with Ann Darnell and various revisions was able to present to the Steering Group the agreed form.  RA and JL suggested minor amendments after which the form was approved by the group.

Launching the Reg 16 consultation at a public meeting:

  1. A discussion of what to send to all residents in anticipation of the public meeting took place.
  2. NB is not able to help get the print etc ready as she is away for a couple of weeks in October . She prepared various initial drafts for the Short Version Plan, Reg 16 Public Meeting Invitation, banner wording  & Presentation 1st Draft etc for the rest of the Group to complete (Caprin knows RA/GA/RS will be in contact in due course)
  3. Although we do not have a date for the public meeting we anticipate that we may be able to hold one in early November prior to the launch the Consultation. NB will find out what days the Village Hall Main Hall is available in November (email sent)
  4. The short version of the Plan is largely ready to go. RA and GA will check it over, add the final touches and send it to Caprin.  It should have a few pictures as appropriate to illustrate the key policies.  If we could afford a bit of colour on the front page that would be helpful.
  5. It was agreed that we should staple the consultation comments form to the back of the short plan so that those who read it through are able to see instantly how to make comments.
  6. 500 copies of the short plan will be printed.
  7. We also need to make a flyer/invitation with the invitation and the links on the back and 4 medium banners (White Horse, Shenley Park and the School and the Village Hall). RS to pursue this.
  8. RG showed the group the draft presentation (1st draft).
  9. We agreed to remove most of the slides (slides 6-10) relating to the HBC Local Plan – except the first and last ones. RG to check the attribution of the claim about density of building on land that is taken out of the green belt (new slide 6).
  10. We need to have a group photo to add to the presentation.
  11. RS agreed to try and flesh out the presentation – all policy slides etc (2nd draft)
  12. RA, GA, JL and RS to meet on 13th October in the afternoon to review RS’s 2nd draft of the presentation.   Sharon Madsen will be invited.  Work has prevented her involvement to date this year.
  13. NB, with RG’s input, has written an article for Shenley Village Matters which is due out in early October.

Next Steering Group Meeting:  TBA