STEERING GROUP
Minutes of the 13th meeting – 31 May 2017
Held in the upstairs Meeting Room, at The George Inn, Maulden, 20:00hrs
Present:
Committee/Working Group Members
Alan Plom [Chair/Leader of Infrastructure WGp] (AP)
Simon Barnes [Vice Chair/Leader of Housing WGp and Local Economy WGp] (SB)
Sarah Michael [Treasurer / Social, Education & Welfare + Housing WGps] (SM)
Ruth Plom [Secretary / Social, Educ &Welfare WGp] (RP)
Cllr Roger Ball [Parish Council rep / Housing WGp] (RB)
Cllr Philip Jackson [Parish Council rep] (PJ)
Cllr Christine Inskip [Social, Educ & Welfare WGp] (CI)
Marilyn Caves [Social, Educ & Welfare WGp] (MC)
Mike Browning [Environment WGp] (MB)
Nigel Coote [Local Economy + Comms WGps] (NC)
David Illingworth [Housing WGp] (DI)
Julie Sheppard [Housing WGp] (JS)
Apologies for absence
David Bailey (DB)
Alan Murray [Comms, (resigned)]
Mark Bingham [Social, Education & Welfare WGp]
Cllr Stephen Summerfield
Julian Smith
Danielle Smith
Cllr Paul Downing
Cath Benneyworth (CB)
Leslie Reynolds (LR)
Welcome, Introductions and Update from the new Chair
Alan Plom (AP) took the Chair and welcomed everyone to the meeting – including new ‘face’ David Illingworth and Julie Sheppard (returning as an observer). Unfortunately, David Bailey (DB) was unable to attend at the last minute due to work commitments. Alan thanked David, Julie and Alan Murray (who also had to stand down) for their previous input. DB hoped to be able to help again in a few months, eg reviewing Working Group documents for input onto the software.
Despite the disappointment of these recent losses, AP stressed that the Group had achieved a lot in the year or so it had been meeting and it was vital to the future of the Village that the Group should continue to work towards consulting residents and producing a draft Plan for a referendum vote. The MNP will be a 2-5 year project, and could be speeded up with the help of paid/funded consultants.
It was noted that some were unsure what their posts entailed or of they could manage to fulfil them. If necessary an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) could be called in ~6 months.
We need to work closely with Maulden Parish Council (MPC) and updates are presented to the PC meetings usually by Cllr RB and also AP. PJ agreed – a number of other PC members usually attend MNP meetings too.
Minutes of previous meeting (26/4/17)
Agreed.
3. Matters arising
3.1 AP pointed out that a number of actions arising from previous meetings were still outstanding. He tabled an incomplete draft Action Log capturing some of these. [ACTION: AP to finalise Action Log for next meeting.]
3.2 Other issues included:
Young people to be involved. SB said Alameda +Redborne had been uncommunicative.
AP suggested ideas for projects e.g. for Redborne School Drama or Economics Depts. We need ideas for projects and contacts to get them involved.
JS said she had noted children’s comments. [ACTION: AP/SR To obtain from Dropbox]
3.3 Previous minutes etc to be updated in Dropbox folders [ACTION AP/RB]
4. Village update – recent events or emerging issues
4.1 CBC’s draft ‘Local Plan’
94 people had attended CBC’s Consultation Event at Haynes in February – of which 16-20 were from Maulden – compared with the 95 at Maulden Village Hall. There were some adverse comments about the questionnaire (eg not easy to decide between options). PJ was also critical of CBC’s Plan as it encompasses lots of villages and towns with different needs. Key issues and ‘requests’ for Maulden included:-
a need for a new village centre and village hall
more footpaths
a need for first time buyer houses, family homes and smaller homes for the older generation
school places will increase with more housing, so a new school at Redhills or current building expanded
a walk-in Health Centre
open spaces to be protected, e.g. Greensand Ridge
[ACTION: AP and SB to mention this at CBC NHP Training event.]
4.2 Analysis of joint NHP/Maulden PC housing consultation meeting 3/4/17 (AP/RB)
RB created a template spreadsheet based on the questionnaire, and Mike Browning (MB) had transposed the information on to it. [ACTION: SM offered to analyse.]
AP said DB had mentioned he has software which can be used for further analysis. [ACTION: AP to ask DB for software and what he had in mind.]
NC offered to produce an ‘infographic map’ but the base map needs to be clearer than the Call for Sites map. [ACTION AP/NC to contact Siobhan Vincent at CBC.]
CBC are in the process of matching sites to their criteria – to Exec on 14 June and publish on 29 June – this should indicate those sites not meeting CBC’s criteria, so MNP to wait to see which sites are agreed.
AP explained the use of the colored dots system, to indicate individuals preferred building sites vs those to be protected. BRCC could do the analysis of this, if necessary.
4.3 MPC meeting 8/5/17 feedback (RB)
RB reported that the Chair and Vice Chair from Wooton PC had talked about use of CCTV in a rec there.
SM had spoken about the need for defibrillators in the village, and this issue is to be discussed at the next PC meeting. [SM and JS have since obtained pledges/donations sufficient to provide two machines.]
Two applications had been received for the 2 vacancies for co-opted Parish Councillors.
4.4 Planning requests
The application for 49 houses at Old Farm, Clophill Road had been rejected.
The number of new houses in Maulden has been requested but CBC not released yet.
5 Funding – Update on funding application and MPC’s interim funding (SB)
ACTION: SM and SB to get together to set up a bank account
SM has gone through the Risk assessment, and this will be reviewed after SB and AP have attended the CBC training on 9/6/17
Funding of £3,000 x three years is available from CBC – Each bid must be supported by 2 quotes and spent within 6 months. CBC had also advised that this cannot be used to pay retrospective bills.
6 Working Group Updates (WGp Leaders)
6(i) Progress, activities and changes – reviewed briefly, as none received in writing. [ACTION: RB to produce full list of (active) members for next meeting]:
Housing – Considered to be the most important group at present. SB offered to lead, as no other volunteers. Other members: RB, JS, SM, MB & DI. [ACTION: SM to review RB’s spreadsheet. DB to advise]
Business/Local Economy – SB (leader) no new members, no further actions. Most of businesses within the village not interested in what’s going on. 90% work from home. SB suggested door to door leafleting to get support/money.
Social, Education & Welfare – JS had resigned as leader, and not replaced. Other members include SM, RP, MB, CI and MS and others had attended meetings, but were unable to continue. JS had prepared the initial questions, the ‘As Is’ statement, and a full questionnaire, consulting with RP and SM. MB had joined the group. No recent meetings.
Infrastructure – AP had not been able to arrange a liaison meeting yet with Safer Maulden (SB and Saqhib Ali), Speed Watch (Malcolm Crawford) and MPC Cllrs, but he had received comments from Lloyd Hynes (now ex-MPC and as an individual not Cllr). The ‘As is’ statement is virtually complete, but needs updating to take account of recent feedback at events and comments on MV.
Environment – but needs updating to take account of recent feedback at events and comments on MV.MB to contact Sue Raven, Greensand Trust.]
Regulations – DB originally offered to pick this up but it now needs a new leader. Also no volunteers! [ACTION All: Need someone to lead on ‘Regulation’.]
6(ii) Communications
AM has now stood down as lead on Communications and contact with the media.
SB now leading, working with SB and NC. Their draft leaflet was tabled and the content and design (green and yellow logo and border) was approved – subject to minor changes. The PC had suggested the map on the reverse of the leaflet should be simplified, ie without the call for sites numbers, to avoid confusion.
The wording regarding non-availability of school places is to be amended and the date of our monthly meetings and contact email added.
Leaflets cost ~£140+ to print 5000, enough for the village. [SB to be the MNP contact.]
JS pointed out that survey questionnaires need to be phrased to include all age groups, similar to the one prepared for the Social, Education & Welfare group.
The final referendum will be held after all the WGp questionnaires have been issued, returned and analysed.
6(iii) Publicity
The leaflet (+ banner) design, production and cost to be funded initially through a £250 loan from MPC – sufficient for 5,000 to be printed (1,500 houses x 3 per household) + 500 for the Village Show. [ACTION: SB to amend leaflet and arrange printing.]
SR has set up a website domain and email at mnp.org linked with mauldenvillage.org [ACTION: SB to check OK]
The Church Magazine gets the widest coverage in the Village.
More people are using Maulden Voice Facebook group, encouraged during the recent Gas Outage.
The leaflet should ask how MPC and MNP should communicate what the villagers want.
PJ has a voters list for MPC for a whole village issue. This is separate to the Church’s information.
Ideally, we need a list of all email addresses in the village, for an email bulletin board, and door to door leaflets will cover non-internet users
7 What next?
Urgent actions were discussed and delegated, including:
7(i) Funding from the MPC – to be discussed at next council meeting. [ACTION; AP and SB to see what is in CBC training. [ACTION: SM to research]
7(ii) Leaflet – see 6(ii) and 6(iii) above,
7(iii) Banner – see 6(iii) above
7(iv) CBC Training (9/6/17) – SM not available. ACTION: AP/SB to attend.
7(v) MNP Constitution, Terms of Reference/Roles & Responsibilities. [ACTION: AP to finalise for next meeting.]
7(vi) MNP Project Risk Assessment to be completed after CBC training [ACTION: AP/SB]
7(vii) MNP Project Plan – timetable and costs to be done after CBC training [ACTION: AP, SB, SM]
7(viii) SGp and Village Consultation meeting dates – AP to arrange an Infrastructure WGp meeting with all the core groups, including Safer Maulden. 27/6/17 suggested as Village Hall only available on Tuesdays. [ACTION: AP to convene meeting.]
7(ix) Other urgent issues: ACTION: AP to resolve in consultation with SG leaders before next meeting.
8 AOB
8(i) AP suggested joint surgeries with MPC Cllrs, but these had not been successful.
8(ii) Next meeting = Wednesday 28 June at 8pm in The George.
Meeting ended at 21:45pm.