Minutes of the 6th meeting – 28 September 2016
Held at The Barngalow, George Street, Maulden, 20:00hrs
Present
Simon Barnes (Treasurer/Acting Chair)
Alan Plom (Secretary/Infrastructure WG Chair)
Marilyn Caves
Simon Ratcliffe } (Business/Local Economy WG member)
Emma Jackson }
Cllr Philip Jackson } Observer (Maulden Parish Council)
Cllr Christine Inskip }
Apologies for absence
David Bailey (Chair/ Regulation WG Chair)
Julie Shepherd (Vice Chair)
Mark Bingham } (Social WG member)
Patricia Bragg }
Cllr Roger Ball (Maulden Parish Council/Housing WG Chair)
Absent
Robbie Locke (Environment WG Chair)
Andrew Draycott
Welcome and Introductions
SB agreed to act as Chair in David and Julie’s absence and welcomed everyone to the meeting.
1. Minutes of previous meeting (31/8/16)
Agreed and signed by SB (Acting Chair).
2. Matters arising and actions carried forward
(i) Item 1: Committee documents – Links to the minutes and other docs filed in the Group’s Dropbox account and closed MNHP website to be sent to all members of the extended Steering Group. [DB/AP]
(ii) Item 1: Dropbox – Technical support/demo by DB tba (next meeting?). [DB]
(iii) Item 2: Facebook page – As we agreed Face Book is not suitable for an open MNHP site, we will continue to use Maulden Voice to raise awareness and make any announcements. The ‘secret’ Maulden Village Neighbourhood Plan FB Group will remain closed and only for access by authorised active NHP Steering Group and Working Group members. [DB]
(iv) Item 2: Printing posters and leaflets – DB to contact Liquid Designs and All Fidelity Print?
(v) Item 2: NHP Questionnaires – Ongoing – collect and share any good examples. [All]
(vi) Item 2: CBC Support – Siobhan Vincent, CBC’s Neighbourhood Involvement Officer to be invited to a future meeting (October?) when more members are available. [DB/AP]
(vii) Item 2: Navigus Consultants – Invite to future meeting, when funding arranged. [DB]
(viii) Item 2: ‘Community Plan’ – Philip Jackson suggested it would be better to call the ‘Community Plan’ (ie the ‘part-way’ non-statutory ‘hopes and aspirations’ doc) a “Draft NHP”, to avoid confusion. [DB/WGp leaders]
(ix) Item 2: Comparing other NHP’s – Ongoing:
- Continue to monitor development and application of neighbouring villages NHPs. [All]
- Working Group Leaders to read Hail Weston and other NHP docs + the Cambridge ‘Community Planning Toolkit’ folder, held by AP. [WGp leaders]
- Obtain e-copies of Hail Weston’s Plan, guidance on roles and responsibilities of ‘Action Group’ Leaders‘, and their Village Survey questions. [AP]
(x) Item 2: NHP Group Training – CBC’s Sally Chapman’s training session on developing an NHP to be arranged when all available. Consider at next meeting. [DB/AP]
3. Village Update
PJ referred to the recent ‘Scarecrow’ competition which had been successful in bringing the village together. The Churches had an important role to play.
4. Report from MPC
- MNHP funding – Accountability for MNHP funding had been raised at the PC meeting. Cllrs were advised that as the NHP was independent of the Council it should have its own bank account. PJ confirmed this was the best option, to avoid requiring formal MPC approval to spend it and to avoid confusion or allegations of spending the PC’s money.
- Traffic Calming – PJ reported on the recent meeting between S Lakin (CBC), and representatives of MPC, NHP and other relevant local Groups (ie Safer Maulden and Speed Watch) to discuss practical and effective options for traffic calming throughout the village. MPC had agreed to take the lead and coordinate future discussions and will work closely with the NHP Infrastructure WGp and consult all other interested parties. [AP]
- PJ advised that Safer Maulden’s draft Survey Questionnaire should be amended to reflect these discussions and explain the realistic options. [AP]
- Details of expenditure committed (on the assessment for traffic calming measures) to date by Safer Maulden and MPC still to be obtained from CBC. [RB]
- SB also suggested Safer Maulden’s funds should be transferred to MPC? [SB]
5. Working Group update
- Comparison with other NHPs – Learning from Hail Weston:
- Role of Steering Group Chair – recommended the Chair should be ‘without portfolio’, to focus on oversight and coordination. To consider at next meeting. [DB]
- SB agreed his ‘Business’ WGp should be renamed ‘Local Economy’ WGp, to reflect wider interests.
- Further discussion deferred in view of limited time and other WG Leaders being absent.
Actions
- Progress on “as is” statements and work plans to be reviewed at next meeting.
- AP requested comments on the Infrastructure Group’s ‘As Is’ Statement. [All]
- Other key learning points listed in minutes of previous (August) meeting to be discussed at October meeting. [All]
6. Communications Update
- Agreed people need to be informed about what is going on and who is involved, as soon as possible, and to use various channels of communication – and keep it simple. Need to use colour and create a recognisable ‘brand’. However, we need to identify the demographics and decide how we can reach all of the population. Discuss at next meeting. [DB/All]
- e-communications: Social Media and Website – PJ stressed the importance of maintaining the website to ensure it is comprehensive and up to date. The Maulden Village.org website (http://www.mauldenvillage.org.uk/ ) is suitable but the NHP minutes and other information already posted on there (by DB) needs updating. SR also has expertise in websites and offered to help maintain the information on this site. He also pointed out that it needs to be accessible via mobile phones as well as PC’s. To be discussed with DB at next meeting. [DB/SR]
- e-mailing – SB emailed the 80 businesses listed on the Maulden Village website. He had received only 1 reply (from a company based in Marston!) and only 1 had been returned ‘undelivered’. Sending letters and canvassing ‘door-to-door’ would probably be more effective. [SB]
- Other Publicity Opportunities – Distribution of NHP Flyer and Questionnaire – PJ explained that the recent ‘leaflet drop’ for the Church Scarecrow competition had been carried out by those who deliver the Parish magazine + a few other volunteers to cover the entire village. Alternative methods suggested included using the Scouts (for a donation) and possibly issue with the free local newspapers.
- Printing – PJ mentioned that St Mary’s has a photocopier which could probably be used for a donation, and MPC could match fund NHP for copying. [PJ]
- Articles – SB confirmed he had contacted the Oracle to place an article.
- Film – A short video could be posted on You Tube, describing the benefits of a NHP and what it entails. AP suggested this would be an interesting project for local schools, eg Business and Media Studies students at Redborne? [JS]
Actions
- Articles – DB’s draft to be finalised and used as the basis for articles in the various magazines, websites, etc. Final version to be shared via MNHPSG Dropbox. [DB]
- Website – NHP docs on Maulden Village.org to be reviewed and updated [DB/AP/SR]
- Dropbox – Technical support/demo by DB tba (next meeting?). [DB]
7. AOB
- AP was thanked for hosting the meeting and providing the ‘wine and nibbles’.
- Next meeting on 26 October in the upstairs Meeting Room at The George – TBC. [AP]
- Julian Smith (Kingshall Estates) to be invited to attend the next meeting. [AP]
Meeting ended ~9:30pm