Petworth Town Council Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Meeting
Petworth Town Council Offices
7pm, Tuesday, 25th October 2016
Present
Julie Aguilar (NP Clerk)
Pip Aitken (Co-opted member of SG & Chair of Housing Working Group)
David Burden (Member SG)
Douglas Cooper (Chair of SG)
Rob Evans (Chair of Getting Around Working Group)
Nigel Flynn (representing Environment, Sustainability & Design Quality Working Group)
Matthew Kinghan (Nexus Planning)
Ian McNeil (Member SG & representative of Housing Working Group)
Sarah Nelson (SDNPA)
John Riddell (Member SG)
Lee Scott (Member SG)
Dominick Veasey (Nexus Planning)
Apologies for absence
Kate Brickell (Chair of Environment, Sustainability & Design Quality Working Group)
Elizabeth Hodgkins (Member SG)
Chris Kemp (PTC & Chair of Leisure & Well-being Working Group)
Alex Rees (Chair of Working & Shopping Working Group)
Introductions and announcements
· Nigel Flynn is representing the E,S&D Working Group at this meeting in Kate Brickell’s absence.
· MK is leaving Nexus Planning and Dominick Veasey will be supporting the Steering Group (SG) along with Leanne Williams. DC extended his thanks to Matthew for all his efforts on behalf of Petworth Town Council.
Approval of minutes from meeting on 26th September 2016
Minutes approved without changes.
Actions from meeting on 26th September 2016
· MK to check the viability of including the Grain Dryer and Jupp land sites in the next round of public consultation.
MK has looked at Neighbourhood Planning regulations and spoken to SDNPA and, procedurally, the two sites can be included in the next public consultation phase. If the public then vote against the two sites, they can be removed from the plan at that stage.
Grain Dryer and Jupp land sites
What has driven the decision to include the two sites since the last public consultation in June is the meeting in September with SDNPA and discussions around minimising landscape impact to the south of the town. Their inclusion would enable them to be part of the master plan and make a contribution towards softening the southern edges of the town.
LS added that the question of the Grain Dryer site and Jupp land had been raised by various members of the public during the June consultation period.
In addition, the SG needs to make it very clear at the next consultation phase why the two sites are being included.
SN gave assurance that the SG has already gone above and beyond its duty by allowing parishioners to see specific housing options (usually, these are presented at a much later stage). The group has also been proactive in speaking to landowners. It is a reasonable decision to put the two sites in the next consultation phase because this will be hard evidence that parishioners’ views have been consulted.
PA added that the role of the SG is to present reasons and then elicit constructive responses from the public.
PA asked for the SG’s view on including the two sites. There was unanimous support for the Grain Dryer site. Support for the Jupp land came with the caveat that there will be a very carefully thought-out explanation of why it should be included, and that the Neighbourhood Plan would be involved in determining key parameters such as numbers of houses, design, heights, volumes, and landscaping, etc.
Update of meeting with the Co-op
RE, CK, PA and AR (NP) attended a meeting with Samantha Moore (Regional Director, Acquisitions) and James Carter (Regional Director, Disposals) from the Co-op on 10th October.
Key messages coming out of the meeting:
· The Co-op has every intention of moving into Swan House – the current timeframe for the move and opening is March 2017.
· The NP team raised the issue of health and safety and highways, in particular being able to cross the busy A272 road to the store from the car park safely.
· It appears that the only barrier to proceeding at the current time is listed buildings consent.
· The Co-op does not believe that loading and unloading (through one door which customers will also use) will present a problem and it did not express concern over customers having to cross the road.
· The Co-op has no interest in acting as a developer of its supermarket sites and this is likely to rule them out of any new build initiative on the car park site.
· As a 2,800 square feet site, Swan House still falls into the convenience store category (anything below 3,000 square feet).
· The Co-op’s plans for signage follow the new blue corporate branding. However, the Co-op is amenable to working with PTC and the Co-op designers to develop suitable signage for Petworth as a historic town.
· The forecourt area of Swan House is owned by West Sussex County Council and is a public highway. The Co-op plans to use vans rather than lorries for deliveries. RE has spoken to WSCC who encourages the positioning of bollards in the loading area to prevent cars parking there and causing obstruction and congestion every time there is a delivery.
PA added that, if the Grange site in Midhurst is developed for a supermarket and the Co-op moves into Swan House, it will reduce the argument for an additional foodshop in Petworth.
Working Group Progress
DC asked MK how much input Nexus Planning has received from the Working Groups. MK confirmed that none has been provided since the last meeting. However, MK believes Nexus Planning can progress by using the information it has and outlining the missing gaps for each of the Working Groups.
SN said the priority was to write something down and then DV can turn it into planning terminology.
Housing
· PA has looked at the Lavenham Neighbourhood Plan. There are similarities with Petworth and it is a very readable plan. Lavenham is very clear about the mix of dwellings required and is following the local threshold of 35% for affordable housing with preference going to Lavenham residents. She suggests using some of Lavenham’s policies and adapting them to Petworth.
· SN advised approaching the local housing authority for details on the ‘local connection policy’ for the Petworth area. She also advised, when drafting the Petworth policy, that ‘affordable housing needs to be in accordance with the Emerging Local Plan of the SDNPA’ to ensure the policy is always up-to-date.
· PA/LS said they will not challenge CDC’s level of 40% for affordable housing.
Environment, Sustainability & Design Quality
The group to provide Nexus Planning (Leanne Williams) with the following:
· Description of green spaces on their list (a couple of sentences will suffice);
· Local characteristics and materials for housing design (the Petersfield and Lavenham Neighbourhood Plans both have a policy about this that could help);
· Examples of proposed village greens (communal green spaces near housing) in Petworth itself;
· LS to provide a draft of the Landscape Sensitivity Study to Nexus Planning. He also explained that the master plan will include the subject of landscape impact. A draft brief for the master plan will be produced by Savills but it will be shared with the SG in due course.
Getting Around
The group to provide Nexus Planning (Leanne Williams) with the following:
· Details on access and junction modelling particularly for the school area;
· General statement about Alan Baxter’s Market Square ideas (Nexus to take from RE’s notes);
· Parking ratios for residential parking (Nexus to take from RE’s notes);
· Nexus to include a community aspiration relating to non-residential car parking;
· DB raised the possibility of offering an electric car charging facility in Petworth and Nexus to include this in the Draft Plan.
Working & Shopping
· PA suggested including a generic policy about providing a retail site (supermarket) within the town centre boundary which Nexus planning will do and also refer to primary retail zones for all A class uses.
· DC noted that nothing is mentioned about working and asked Nexus Planning to include the Hampers Green Industrial Estate Leconfield Estates land for potential development to help stimulate employment opportunities in the town. LS cautioned that there is a general lack of interest from developers in the site because the transport links to and from Petworth are not good. However, it should be included in the Draft Plan.
· SN mentioned the possibility of potential Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) funding for Petworth. Petworth is one of the very few rural towns that has an industrial estate.
Leisure & Wellbeing
· MK asked the group to confirm that the library should be the community hub and JR replied in the affirmative. He also added that the other alternative could be the United Reformed Church although this would be an expensive and long-term option.
· List of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) projects. SN suggested this list should be an appendix to the Draft Plan.
ACTIONS
· ALL WORKING GROUPS to provide Nexus Planning with the information they have requested in the above section of the minutes as soon as possible and no later than the next Steering Group meeting on 28th November 2016.
· LS to follow up with Savills about progress of the brief for the master plan.
· LS to encourage the Leconfield Estates to contact Hastoe (housing association who delivered affordable housing to Lavenham) once the Petworth landowners have agreed and made their position on the subject clear.
· LS to contact Jamie Brown of West Sussex Highways about access and junction modelling for the school area.
· Nexus Planning to review the feedback from the Leisure & Wellbeing Working Group and suggest a list of CIL projects.
AOB
SN informed the SG that the Henfield Neighbourhood Plan has been quashed because of incorrect evidence. She urges everyone to write everything down. She also advises against relying on the views of the community alone. Hard evidence is critical to make the process clear and transparent.
SN also asked for reassurance from the SG that it will keep to its agreed timetable for producing and consulting the public on the Draft Plan. JA confirmed that she has booked the Leconfield Hall for the evening of 30th March and all day on 31st March for an event. It might be that this day will have to be the middle of the consultation process to allay any fears that SDNPA have about the delivery of the Draft Plan.
Next Meeting
The next Steering Group committee meeting takes place at 7pm on Monday, 28th November at Petworth Town Council offices.
The meeting closed at 10.20pm
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