Little Waldingfield Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee

Minutes of meeting 12 October 2019

Present: Tim Sheppard (‘TS’; Chair), Barbara Campbell (‘BC’), Chris White (‘CW’), Richard Furlonger (‘RF’) & Ian Poole (‘IP’).

Apologies: Jennie Jordan

  1. Given the level of objections raised at the JLP Consultation meeting, arranged by the PC on 7 September 2019; the level and nature of consultation responses objecting to development at Church Field (ending 30 Sept 2019), including from Historic England, the Suffolk Preservation Society and Ramblers; the responses to the NP consultation event on 4 May 2019 and the constraints evident from the NP evidence base, the Steering Committee has decided that development on Church Field is not an option to be pursued as part of the NP. Consideration will be given as to whether an “Open Space” designation within the NP would be appropriate.

 

  1. TS has been in touch with AECOM which is carrying out the master-planning assessments of Church Field and Enniskillen as part of the Locality NP support. In light of the foregoing, it has been decided to dis-instruct AECOM from undertaking its assessment of Church Field. TS will also instruct AECOM to look at the proposed alternative options for Enniskillen only, as a combined option is not justified as a result of the proposed reduced housing needs figure for the Parish (9 dwellings; see 9 August 2019 NP Steering Committee meeting minutes).

 

  1. As there wasn’t a quorum at the PC meeting held on 10 October 2019, an extraordinary PC meeting will be held on 21 October 2019, in relation to the PC’s consultation response to the planning application submitted for the development of 6 dwellings at Enniskillen. The NP Steering Committee is of the view that the proposal is not acceptable in its current form, not least because it does not propose the type of housing required for the Parish, as established in the Housing Needs Assessment.

 

  1. Now the current JLP consultation round is complete, a meeting with Babergh DC is proposed (Ian Poole and one other member of the Steering Committee, if TS is not available) in relation to housing numbers and the difference between the proposed NP figure of 9 dwellings and that proposed by Babergh as part of the draft JLP (16).

 

  1. AECOM’s draft master-planning report is due on 8 November 2019. Once the Steering Committee has approved the content, a consultation will be held with Parishioners in relation to whether to pursue a site allocation. Ideally this would take place before Christmas. Meanwhile IP will be putting the body of the NP together.

 

  1. Date of next meeting: Saturday 9 November 2019 at 10.00 at Malting Farm.