HALC Meeting Monday 03 June 2013
Minutes of the Annual Meeting of HALC held on
Monday 03 June 2013
The Steyning Centre
7.30pm
1.0 Attendance and Apologies for Absence
Those Present:Carol Henderson / Amberley / Gina Dixon / Nuthurst
Alan Griffiths / Ashurst / Sarah Hall / Nuthurst
Alan Grant / Billingshurst / Laurie Ellis / Pulborough
Paul Leaney / Billingshurst / Paul Thompson / Rudgwick
Kenneth Longhurst / Billingshurst / Wendy Alman / Shipley
Roger Glanville / Bramber / Paula Redmond / Slinfold
Geoff Clark / Broadbridge Heath / Laurie Apted / Southwater
Terry Oliver / Broadbridge Heath / Tony Bull / Southwater
Tim Burr / Coldwaltham / Catherine Tobin / Southwater
Vic Allmond / Cowfold / Peter Gilham / Storrington & Sullington
Sheena Lucas / Cowfold / Alan Hunt / Thakeham
Trudie Mitchell / Denne NC / David Coldwell / Upper Beeding
John Moon / Denne NC / Gerry Benham / Warnham
Ray Osgood / Henfield / Geoff Read / Warnham
Brian O'Connor / Itchingfield / Isabel Glenister / West Chiltington
Michael Tuckwell / Lower Beeding / John Wilbourn / Wiston
T C Rickett / North Horsham / Michael Tuckwell / Woodmancote
Ray Turner / North Horsham / Beverley Bell
Roger Wilton / North Horsham / Apologies:
Sally Wilton / North Horsham / Colgate PC
Val Court / Nuthurst / Norman Prince / Thakeham
Summary: 24 of the 32 Parish Councils and one of the three Neighbourhood Councils were represented.
2.0 Guest Speaker: Strategic Planning Horsham District Council to discuss the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)
2.1 Emma Parnaby, Senior Planning Officer at HDC introduced the SHLAA – Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment. HDC are required to produce a SHLAA under paragraph 47 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
2.2 It is used to gather evidence for a background document to the Horsham District Planning Framework. The SHLAA is a portfolio of sites that may be picked for future development.
2.3 It includes a list of sites, an assessment of their deliverability, assumption of the likelihood of the site coming forward for development and maps.
2.4 HDC carried out desk based research on the submitted sites and updated the previous 2009 SHLAA. Work had stopped on the SHLAA to prepare the Interim Statement.
2.5 HDC are consulting on the SHLAA as they need local knowledge to assess each site as to why it should be included or excluded from the SHLAA.
2.6 HDC would like to be told about other sites, they can be assessed and this will give more choice. To be included in the SHLAA, the site must be capable of a yield of six units plus.
2.7 The SHLAA does not set policy or allocate sites for housing. The SHLAA will be updated annually.
2.8 Sites are assessed according to suitability, availability and achievability
• To be considered ‘deliverable’ a site should be available now, be in a suitable location for development and be achievable within the next five years (i.e. that development of the site is viable). These sites are coloured GREEN in the SHLAA.
• To be considered ‘developable’ sites should be in a suitable location and there be a reasonable prospect that the site can be available and achievable in 6-10 or 11+ years. These sites are coloured YELLOW in the SHLAA.
• If a site is in a suitable location, but it is unknown when the site could be made available or viably developed, it is considered ‘Not Currently Developable’ and is coloured RED in the SHLAA.
2.9 Sites can only be excluded from the assessment if they fall within specific environmental/ historical designations;
• Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI)
• Special Protection Areas (SPA’s)
• Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs)
• Historic Parks and Gardens
• RAMSAR sites
2.10 Ray Osgood of Henfield PC asked if the SHLAA can include back garden land and Emma Parnaby confirmed that it cannot. If a site is identified in the SHLAA, it cannot be considered a windfall site.
2.11 Geoff Clark of BBH PC said that three weeks is insufficient time for consultation and Emma Parnaby said it is ongoing work but they do need to identify sites for the Preferred Strategy.
2.12 Emma Parnaby said that parishes in the South Downs National Park should speak to that planning authority about their SHLAA.
2.13 Tony Bull of Southwater PC asked when the Preferred Strategy would be ready. Emma Parnaby said that it would be ready for adoption in early 2016; it will be discussed by HDC in July and go to public examination next year.
2.14 Packs were circulated at the meeting for Parish Councils including the SHLAA sites for their parish.
3.0 Election of Officers of HALC
3.1 Chairman – Vic Allmond nominated Val Court, was seconded by Gerry Benham and UNANIMOUSLY AGREED.
3.2 Vice Chairman – Val Court nominated David Coldwell, was seconded by Sheena Lucas and UNANIMOUSLY AGREED.
3.3 Secretary – Val Court nominated Beverley Bell, was seconded by David Coldwell and UNANIMOUSLY AGREED.
3.4 Treasurer – Val Court nominated Paul Thompson, was seconded by Kenneth Longhurst and UNANIMOUSLY AGREED.
4.0 Election of Representatives on Outside Bodies
· Standards Committee - Val Court, Isabel Glenister
· WSALC - David Coldwell, Val Court, Kenneth Longhurst, Terry Oliver, Ray Turner
· Sussex/Surrey ALC - Val Court
· Community Safety Partnership – David Coldwell
· Rural Forum - Val Court
· CPRE – Alan Wilbourn
· CLC - North Val Court, South David Coldwell)
· HDCP – Val Court
5.0 Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting held on 13 March 2013.
5.1 It was agreed that the minutes should be approved and signed as a correct record with the addition of the apologies of Val Court and amendment to point 3.4, should be Henfield Community Partnership.
6.0 Matters Arising from item 5.0
6.1 Laurie Ellis of Pulborough Parish Council and Local Action Team asked if the bi-annual meetings between the Chairmen of the LAT’s and Neighbourhood Panels with the Chief Inspector could re-commence and the Chief Inspector said they are a good idea and would look into it.
6.2 Ken Longhurst of Billingshurst Parish Council asked about sites for SID. The Chief Inspector said that Police and members of the public can use SID after training and he would look into sites for SID and hand held devices.
6.3 Julia Dawe of HDC said she would look at templates for Neighbourhood Plans and HDC held their first seminar on Neighbourhood Planning on 24 April 2013 and are holding a second seminar on 20 June for those Councils that have expressed an interest in proceeding with a Neighbourhood Plan.
6.4 CPRE Futureproofing Conference in March was very worthwhile and extremely well attended. Key speaker was Nick Herbert MP who spoke in favour of Neighbourhood Planning.
6.5 HALC had received a reply from the Department for Communities and Local Government to their letter about their concerns over the localisation of Council Tax benefit. It was agreed that this letter would be forwarded to HDC underlining HALC’s concern that this scheme was brought in with no consultation with Parish Councils in the Horsham district.
7.0 Year-End Accounts 01/04/12 – 31/03/13 – approval of year-end accounts.
7.1 Kenneth Longhurst proposed that the accounts be approved, was seconded by Tony Bull and AGREED UNANIMOUSLY.
8.0 Appointment of External Examiner for financial year 01/04/13 – 31/03/14.
8.1 David Coldwell reported that Adrian Hammond is happy to continue for another year as external examiner.
9.0 HALC Membership and Subscriptions for 2013/14 – update on receipts.
9.1 All Parish Councils have paid their subscriptions apart from non-SALC members Washington, West Grinstead and Wiston Parish Councils. Washington and Wiston Parish Councils have paid their subscription but it will be returned as they are not currently members of SALC.
10.0 HALC Constitution – review the constitution for year 01/04/14 – 31/03/15
10.1 The Secretary reported that the HALC constitution requires member Parish Councils to provide a meeting room free of charge. In practice, this is difficult as only a few Parish Councils own their meeting rooms. Most Village Halls are operated by charities and Parish Councils are required to pay for room hire.
10.2 The Secretary had contacted the other District Associations in Sussex to find out how they operate and gave the following report:
District Association / Meeting Location and cost / Honorarium / SubscriptionChichester / Lavant paid by CALC / £200 plus expenses / None – no treasurer at the moment
Horsham / Varied FOC by Councils / £375 plus expenses plus HDC support up to £500 / £15
Lewes / Lewes paid by LALC / £300 plus expenses / £20 for small Councils to £50 for large Councils
Mid Sussex / Haywards Heath paid by MSALC / Chairman’s Town Clerk and Secretary funded by his Council / £10
Rother / Battle paid by RALC / £575 plus expenses / £25 for small Councils to £45 for large Councils
Wealden / Uckfield paid by WALC / £800 plus expenses but under review due to extra work / £9 for small Councils to £85 for large Councils
10.3 The Secretary reported that if HALC ceased to send postal copies of the agendas and minutes to Parish Councils, relying on email and the HALC website, then HALC could afford to pay for room hire and change venues more frequently, without the need to increase the level of subscriptions.
10.4 Kenneth Longhurst proposed that the HALC constitution be updated to remove the requirement for member Councils to provide free meeting rooms, was seconded by Tony Bull and AGREED UNANIMOUSLY.
11.0 Horsham District Local Plan, 5 Year Housing Land Supply and Appeals
11.1 Cllr. Longhurst of Billingshurst Parish Council requested this agenda item.
11.2 Billingshurst is under increasing development pressure. 46 houses were recently permitted on land at Daux Avenue, Billingshurst on appeal. The appeal decision could be a significant case and be used as a precedent for future appeals. There is another appeal on 02 October for 510 houses at Billingshurst and the developer has also submitted an identical new planning application for 510 houses which may be heard in August.
11.3 Julia Dawe, Spatial Planning Manager at HDC said she would send some legal guidance and direction from the appeals. The way in which the five year housing land supply is calculated has changed and HDC has fallen foul of its rules. She said that members had written to Francis Maude MP because HDC has 7,000 houses permitted but cannot meet the five year housing land supply requirement. She said HDC are trying to write their Local Plan as fast as they can.
11.4 Val Court asked how robust Neighbourhood Plans are? Julia Dawe said that in East Sussex a Neighbourhood Plan was recently dismissed by an Inspector as it was only in draft format. She urged Councils to get started on a Neighbourhood Plan as it shows they are being proactive.
11.5 Val Court asked how long it would take from starting a Neighbourhood Plan to it being feasible to be used? Julia Dawe said the Local Plan would be published for consultation in the autumn but the decision by the Inspector would not be only 2016 so until then the district will be vulnerable. Philip James of HDC added that the more progress you have made, the better chance you have of influencing the Inspector at an appeal. He said that Inspectors are having difficulty with Neighbourhood Plans; some accept them as a material consideration whereas others do not.
11.6 Ray Osgood of Henfield PC asked at what stage does a Neighbourhood Plan have some materiality? He asked how Neighbourhood Plans can be examined when the Local Plan is not in place. Philip James said there was a test case in Tewkesbury where development was approved as there was a lack of a five year housing land supply, the Core Strategy was not in place and the Neighbourhood Plan had not been through examination. The Secretary of State has called in this decision for re-consideration.
12.0 Reports from Representatives on Outside Bodies:
12.1 Standards Committee – No meeting.
12.2 WSALC – Company formed and directors appointed.
12.3 Sussex Surrey ALC – Company formed and directors appointed.
12.4 The Secretary will circulate the acronyms list to all members.
12.5 Community Safety Partnership – The Secretary attended a meeting on the Think Family Expansion Programme, more details at the annual meeting of HDC and HALC.
12.6 Rural Forum – No meeting.
12.7 CPRE – No meeting.
12.8 CLC – No report.
12.9 HDCP – No report.
13.0 Members Questions and Comments
13.1 It was agreed that HALC would write to HDC to thank them for attending the meeting, but express disappointment about the presentation and lack of packs for Ashurst, Cowfold, Slinfold, Thakeham and Wiston Parish Councils.
14.0 Date of Next Meeting –
14.1 Calendar of meetings for the coming year to be issued shortly.
Meeting closed at 9.30pm.
6/6