01 December 2015 – Minutes

THAME TOWN COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of the Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committee held on 1 December 2015 at 7.55pm in the Upper Chamber, Thame Town Hall

Present: Cllrs B Austin (Chairman), D Bretherton (Deputy Chairman), P Cowell, N Dixon (Town Mayor), D Dodds, A Midwinter and M Stiles.
Officers
G Hunt, Town Clerk
A Oughton, Committee Services Officer

1 Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Fickling (Holiday) and Emery (Business).

2 Declarations of Interest and Dispensations

There were no declarations of interest.

3 Public Participation & Public Questions

There were no applications to address the Council. There were no questions put to the Council.

4 Minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2015 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

5 Working Groups

Members discussed the proposed Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the three working groups:

a) Green Living Plan for Thame WG

It was noted that the ToRs for this working group would be subject to further discussion with Thame RSA. It was agreed that a sentence be added under ‘Background’ to state that the production of the Green Living Plan was no longer the responsibility of the Planning & Environment Committee following the agreement made at Council to form the Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committee.

The font to be altered for consistency throughout the document. Last sentence of page two alter Travel Plan co-ordination to read Travel Plan co-ordinator.

RESOLVED that:

i) The Terms of Reference for the Green Living Plan for Thame Working Group be amended as stated above and approved.

b) Infrastructure Delivery Plan WG

Cllr Bretherton stated the document was not 100% right but it was a starting point from which to move forward. The ToRs were agreed without amendment.

RESOLVED that:

i) The Terms of Reference for the Infrastructure Delivery Plan Working Group be approved.

c) Town Centre WG

Members agreed that under the heading ‘Goals’ point two should read ‘To retain and enhance our vibrant Charter Market’.

RESOLVED that:

i) The Terms of Reference for the Town Centre Working Group be approved.

6 Future Items for Discussion

Future items for discussion were agreed as follows:

• To receive progress reports from all Working Groups at each meeting.

• To discuss the format for reporting progress to a wider audience.

• What scope, nature or extent to which amendment to the Neighbourhood Plan could be conceived that would not require the need to go to Referendum. To note any changes in Government legislation that may influence the tolerance for change.

• Implication of the SHMA figures.

• Monitoring compliance and conformity of the Neighbourhood Plan.

• The methodology of reporting progress on projects via action lists or for more complicated projects the use of Gantt charts.

It was agreed that Cllr Austin would extend an invitation to Cllr Dyer to sit on the Committee as a non-voting member.

Cllr Bretherton had put together a document which listed future infrastructure projects that would require funding e.g. electricity for the Tuesday market. Cllr Bretherton would circulate the document to the Members of the Committee for further consideration.

The meeting concluded at 8.17pm

Signed …………………….
Chairman, 12 January 2016