22nd August 2017 Meeting

NP Meeting with DC Officers on 22 August 2017

Tim Sheppard; Paul Bryant and Paul Munson, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council (hereinafter ‘DC') Officers.

Points of discussion:

  • Hartest DC had problems with Survey Monkey, so ensure trial run
  • Woolpit has recently finished its village questionnaire-might assist with NP questions
  • Stradbroke PC has recently applied for the extra 6K (‘My Community') funding support for its NP in order to undertake potential site allocation assessments-work to be undertaken by ‘AECOM'-PC Clerk is Odile Wladon; contact details should be available online [Odile Wladon: Clerk - Stradbroke Parish Council Mobile: 07555 066147]
  • Dealing with NPs with potential site allocations is new for DC but not elsewhere nationally
  • Thurston PC is currently undertaking a Landscape Character Assessment. See also Lawshall Character Assessment Jan 2017 + Examiners Q&A's (weblink)
  • It is normal to include a Landscape Character Assessment as part of an NP evidence base; templates, guides are available online (‘My Community' website) See: https://mycommunity.org.uk/take-action/neighbourhood-planning/resources/
  • It is best to draft the NP ‘Consultation Statement' as a travelling document, updating as the NP progresses
  • DC has just released its consultation draft of the Joint Local Plan; consultation with PCs underway; round table meetings but will be an extra meeting between DC and those PCs undergoing NPs
  • PB provided an updated data analysis for LW (August 2017)-to circulate
  • The Suffolk Observatory also provides data profiles for Parishes (see website)
  • Useful consultant contacts: Ian Poole of ‘Places for People' and Rachel Hogger of ‘Modicum Planning' (Lavenham NP)-both of worked on behalf of DC as Consultant support for NPs before the function was brought in-house
  • DC will provide a named policy adviser/'critical friend' to assist with the NP, after staff training during September
  • The draft Memorandum of Understanding can be completed subject to confirmation of the named support officer-PB/PM to send through a clean copy for Andy Sheppard to sign on behalf of the PC
  • Future steps-analyse responses from questionnaire consultation process/develop vision for NP/draw up draft list of NP policies (potential consultant input to assist);

BDC policy manager pre-submission input into policies;

Pre-submission consultation to be organised by LWNP team-6 weeks duration-DC will share list of statutory and other consultees to contact;

Consultation feedback;

Submission version of NP to be submitted, along with Consultation Statement (and other required documents);

DC undertake further-‘formal'-consultation (another 6-weeks);

Examination, paid for by DC-LWNP help select Examiner, confidential report produced for fact-checking, then final version;

Referendum-run and paid for by DC-organised by Electoral Team; voting 7am-10pm and fixed ‘yes' or ‘no' question;

DC Cabinet approval and formal adoption but has weigh once passed by Referendum

  • Timings: NPs generally take 2.5 to 3 years to complete; time runs from Area Designation decision (13 March 2017); from the first draft of the NP to the Referendum takes roughly 1 year.

Duration: 2 hours.