Planning Committee Minutes July 2024
Cherry Willingham Parish Council
Minutes of Cherry Willingham Parish Council’s Planning Committee meeting with the Senior Neighbourhood Planning Policy Officer, held on Tuesday 30th July 2024 at 10:00 in the Millenium Hall
Present: Cllr. S Bates, Cllr. A Burge, Ian Lacy, Paul Moore, Nev Brown (LPA)
Apologies: Cllr. Houghton
No official agenda for this meeting as it had been arranged with the sole intention of discussing the template for applying for a grant from Locality for the updating of the Neighbourhood Plan and the committee is grateful to Nev Brown, Senior Neighbourhood Planning Policy Officer for attending the meeting.
Ian Lacy agreed to chair the meeting
Cllr. Bates to take notes (minutes)
Some of the questions asked on the form are self-explanatory, but the committee to talk through the form and Ian Lacy to fill in paper copy as each item discussed.
The ultimate organisation will be Cherry Willingham PC, with Cllr Houghton as main contact. If there is a steering group formed, there will need to be a memo of understanding linking it to the PC.
Organisation’s aims: to maintain conformity with the Local Plan, to update NP according to current circumstances, to be in line with NPPF and considering the priorities of the PC. The new government is likely to make a call for land for housing.
Previous grant after 2015? Funding was found for the existing NP, but committee members did not know where it came from. Need to find out if it cam from Locality. Was there earlier funding at the draft stage? Was it before 2015? Was an end of grant report done? Ian Lacy to talk this through with Ann Welbourn (previous Chair).
Was there technical support earlier – no.
Previous other support – Luke Brown, Nev Brown.
Demographic information:
The 2021 census is available now for population figures.
Percentage of deprivation – NB can provide a link to these figures.
Progress:
Previous plan was completed early 2019 and the date of designation will be on the neighbourhood planning site.
The intention is to do a full updating of the NP so all processes will have to be gone through again. Housing to be allocated – yes, according to the allocation in the Local Plan, no additional to be allocated. The Marina is in the current plan, and Bleak Farm is in the current allocation. Infill is accepted, but need a policy re the nature of surrounding houses. We must show we are not against development, but no more large developments.
Environmental assessments would be needed before any land developed, and planning may have lapsed for some allocated areas. Design is important.
Housing needs survey required, e.g. self-build, social housing.
Climate change agenda – e.g. solar panels, wind farms
4 sites are already allocated, but affordable housing should be nearer to the village within the development.
Although we are not seeking to allocate more housing than in the local plan, we would want to influence design to fit in with the immediate environment, e.g. Bleak Farm.
There will be a need for technical advice nearer completion. If using volunteers for a task, e.g. compiling a questionnaire, would need technical help to structure the questionnaire to prevent unattainable wish-list.
Any money from anywhere else? CWPC will be setting budget Sept-Oct, could include a 2k to 3k contingency for the NP review.
Need to apply for grant first, then explore technical advice needed. Policy would need to be evidence based. PM suggested scoping study first.
Plan would need Health check – NB could do that. He suggested drawing a flexible line around the village to see areas for allocation. Little Cherry is contentious, it is described as a small settlement and allocation is now full.
Any grant taken would have to be spent by the end of the financial year, so would need to find a consultant very quickly.
Timetabling – need a start and end date.
Are there any procurement rules for consultants – do we need 3 quotes?
Need to prove only value for money. Look at project costs – leaflets, meetings, consultation, technical reports. The main cost will be the consultant.
IL suggest we start to fill in the online form using what was discussed today and then pausing until we get quotes from consultants.
Starting point – should approach Luke Brown who has done the reviews for Nettleham, Scothern and Dunholme. NB has provided details for other consultants to be approached. A definitive decision taken over what we want the grant for – the consultant.
Scoping study? For a desktop review to look at what is needed. This would lead to us being able to produce a brief (job description) for choosing a consultant.
Need to produce a list of things we want to see in the revision, e.g. infill, preservation of views etc. A landscape appraisal was done for the original plan.
To go through full Council for permission to approach Luke Brown for a quote and availability for a scoping study. This should be done by Cllr Houghton.
To do: To find out about original grant
IL to start filling in the form
Cllr. Houghton to approach Luke Brown for preliminary look at the review, then full quote.
Date of next meeting: Tuesday 3rd September 10am (please note that there is already a date in the diary for a committee meeting, 20th August).