Petworth Town Council Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Meeting
Petworth Town Council Offices
7pm, Tuesday 26th July2016

Present
Julie Aguilar (NP Clerk)
Kate Brickell (Chair of Environment, Sustainability & Design Quality Working Group)
David Burden (Member SG) – part of meeting
Douglas Cooper (Chair of SG)
Elizabeth Hodgkins (Member SG)
Chris Kemp (PTC & Chair of Leisure & Well-being Working Group)
Ian McNeil (Member SG & representative of Housing Working Group)
Sarah Nelson (SDNPA)

Alex Rees (Chair of Working & Shopping Working Group)
John Riddell (Member SG)

Apologies for absence

Pip Aitken (Co-opted member of SG & Chair of Housing Working Group)
Rob Evans (Chair of Getting Around Working Group)
Matthew Kinghan (Nexus Planning) – not required at this meeting

Rosa Pawsey (Member SG)
Lee Scott (Member SG)
Leanne Williams (Nexus Planning) – not required at this meeting

Action items from meeting on 17th May 2016

SN has spoken to Rob Ainsley to obtain clarity over the objections to the Rotherlea development and has reported back to DC by email.

Meeting with CDC about supermarket

AR provided an update. He and PA met with Paul Over and Jane Hotchkiss of CDC on 25th July to discuss potential site allocation for a larger supermarket facility in Petworth, progress relating to the Co-op re-location and the results and possible impact of the recent SDNPA retail study.

Major points raised and outcomes of the meeting include:

  • Paul Over questioned whether the total square metres of space available for a supermarket facility in the SDNPA study have already been split between Midhurst and Petworth and expressed his concerns that, should the Grange Centre development in Midhurst go ahead, this would make the provision of a new supermarket in Petworth less likely.
  • CDC are prepared to enter discussions about potential sites for development of a new supermarket if all landowners agree to meet and if the southerly part of the car park can be re-opened to accommodate access for large service and delivery vehicles.
  • Following extensive email communication between RE and the Co-op, representatives of the company’s planning department in Manchester have agreed to come down to Petworth and have discussions with PTC in the near future.

Other points noted

  • AR stated that the landowners would want a competitive tender process if they agreed to sell their sites for supermarket development.
  • CK suggested setting up a meeting with CDC’s fellow councillors at WSCC.
  • AR proposed meeting with the Leconfield Estate to talk about infrastructure to support the chosen housing option.
  • CK mentioned the need to start developing a master plan for Petworth.
  • There was general discussion around green space for ‘food to the table’ concept and that this should be included as an appendix to the draft plan.

Next steps to take supermarket discussions forward

  • Engage with other landowners to encourage discussion with CDC;
  • Conduct feasibility of southern end of car park;
  • Consider the role of and engage with WSCC re: ‘land equalisation’, ie, exchanging community sites such the library or the fire station for other facilities including a larger convenience store or supermarket.

ACTIONS:

  • DC to set up a meeting with the Leconfield Estate and involve CK, AR and PA.

Legal requirements for pedestrian access in town centre

CK has spoken to West Sussex Highways about facilitating disabled access around the town centre. West Sussex Highways has a points system to establish whether or not they will commit monies to carry out amendments to paving in a town centre. CK has approached a disabled charity who carries out independent audits to assess access needs and this can be passed to West Sussex Highways for further consideration.

ACTIONS:

  • CK to commission the audit onbehalf of PTC.

Response to the June 17th public consultation

The full draft report is expected back from Nexus on or before 12th August.

DC stressed the importance of keeping to the timeline presented at the public consultation event on 17th June and that the draft plan should be in place by the end of 2016.

In terms of writing the plan, SN suggested using the following Neighbourhood Plans as good and useful examples - Lavant (for layout, clarity of text and simplicity), Petersfield (for terminology), Hamsey and Liss.

SN said the draft plan should include community aspirations as well as planning policies.

ACTONS

  • Determining who should write the plan should be added to the agenda of the next Steering Group committee meeting. JA to add.

Role of Working Groups/Steering Group & next steps

Outcome of discussions concluded that:

  • Housing Working Group should take the lead in first establishing key data based on evidence around the type of housing required and numbers. This should then be discussed with the rest of the Steering Group and with the close involvement and support of the Environment, Sustainability Design group.
  • Working &Shopping and Getting Around Working Groups should be merged and receive design input from the E, SD group.
  • Leisure &Wellbeing Working Group to work with Working &Shopping on determining aspirations for community.
  • Chairs of Working Groups to decide which members of their respective groups should continue contributing to the plan.

ACTIONS

  • DC, KB and EH to have discussion about ways of working between the E,S & D and Housing Working Groups.
  • DC to speak to Nexus before next Steering Group meeting to put together an outline plan and timeline for the next steps of the process which CK stated will support the application for further funding.

Next Meeting

The next Steering Group Committee meeting takes place at7pm on Wednesday, 24th Augustat Petworth Town Council offices.

The meeting closed at 10.15pm.

-ends-

1