12 March 2019 – Agenda
SUMMONS TO ATTEND A MEETING OF
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN CONTINUITY COMMITTEE
TO: All Members of the Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committee
Cllrs B Austin (Chairman), D Bretherton (Deputy Chairman), P Cowell,
D Dodds, M Dyer, H Fickling, C Jones, P Lambert and M Stiles
Ex Officio (Voting) Members – A Midwinter (Town Mayor) and L Emery (Deputy Mayor)
To: All other Members for information
VENUE: Upper Chamber, Thame Town Hall
DATE: Tuesday 12 March 2019
TIME: On the rising of the Planning & Environment Committee and not before 7pm
Graham Hunt
Clerk of the Council
Date: 6 March 2019
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest and Dispensations
To notify of any items that appear in the agenda in which there may be an interest that has not been recorded in the Member’s Register of Interest; and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.
3. Public Participation and Public Questions
To consider applications from members of the public to address the Committee (5 minutes maximum), in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. Applications to speak must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 5pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
To consider questions from members of the public (who live, work or run a business in the Parish). Written questions must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 4pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
4. Minutes
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 29 January 2019.
5. Working Groups
To receive a report / update from the chairmen of:
a) The NPCC Co-Ordination Working Group
b) The Infrastructure Delivery Plan Working Group
c) The Green Living Plan Working Group
d) The Town Centre Working Group
e) Transport Plan Working Group
f) The Community Facilities Working Group
g) The Burial Space Working Group
5d. Market Town Co-Ordinator Update – 12-03-19
6. South Oxfordshire District Local Plan
To note the consultation submission (as attached) made by the Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Officer (NPCO) following the Local Plan Consultation Team (LPCT) meeting on 15 February 2019.
To note that SODC have reported that 2000+ comments were received and that SODC aim to submit the plan for independent examination on 29 March 2019.
6. TTC Response SODC Publication Local Plan 2034 18_02_2019
7. Thame Neighbourhood Plan Revision
To note that the NPCO has been in discussions with neighbouring parish councils in order to establish interests or concerns:
On 7 February the NPCO attended a meeting of Sydenham Parish Council and established the following concerns, raised by Sydenham Parish Councillors:
* Sydenham emphasised how reliant the Parish is on Thame as a service centre and complimented Thame’s free parking regime and fair enforcement;
* There is concern that the Cattle Market will be developed for a use not in keeping with Thame’s role. Sydenham expressed a preference for new retail facilities being centrally located in order to reduce travel;
* An ongoing concern is school capacity, especially at Lord Williams’s, given recent and proposed housing growth. Nursery provision is inadequate with people forced to travel or resort to private childminders, if that can be afforded.
It was agreed that the NPCO would draft a Memorandum of Understanding stating that these were the issues that could be considered as land use matters between the two parish councils.
On 20 February the NPCO met with Great Haseley Parish Council and a member of SODC’s Planning Policy Team to discuss including land around the proposed Cattle Market site on Rycote Lane within Thame’s Neighbourhood Plan. The advice from the District’s officer was that although the risk of further applications would not be entirely removed, it was best to bring the site into a comprehensive review via the Thame Neighbourhood Plan. Any future development proposals would then be better dealt with against the background of identified needs. Great Haseley Parish Council will discuss at their next Council meeting on 11 March 2019 the proposed extension of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan area boundary around the Cattle Market area.
To note that, following unforeseen delays, the Call for Sites exercise for the Thame Neighbourhood Plan review has been launched. Given the District Council’s stance on GDPR the call has had to be generalised to cover almost any proposal.
To note that an assessment of evidence other than housing and employment has shown that some matters will require further work or review:
Demographics, due to inward migration in Thame and the surrounding area; Landscape impact, given the partial coverage of the District’s assessment; Townscape assessment to better inform density and design; Accessibility, given the new development and open space that has and is taking place; a Thame land availability assessment, given the condition of the District’s Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment.
To note that the NPCO / Town Clerk will endeavour to provide a revised time line for the TNP revision by the next NPCC meeting, to reflect the effect of continued external impacts.
8. Oxfordshire Growth Board / Oxfordshire Plan 2050
To note that the Statement of Community Involvement, which Thame Town Council contributed to, was reported to Oxford City Council’s Scrutiny Committee on 21 January 2019. There were 37 other respondees. The document has been changed to reflect some of the comments made by the Town Council, namely:
* There is a much greater emphasis on seeking the views of individuals and other bodies, outside the narrow requirements of legislation;
* The aim of the document is to now detail how the Oxfordshire authorities will inform, involve and consult “interested parties”, rather than stakeholders;
* A two-way relationship between neighbourhood plans and local plans is now shown, diagrammatically;
* The outline of who will be consulted with at each stage of the Plan’s formation has been amended to include the general public and other interested bodies.
* Other changes made include additional text discussing the need to tailor consultation to the stage the plan is at and that residents will be encouraged to register on the consultation database for the Oxfordshire Plan 2050. Finally, the appendix containing the list of specific and general consultees has been reworded to reflect the generalized bodies and organisations who will need to be kept informed. This should ensure more, rather than fewer, agencies are involved.
To note that various Officers / Councillors attended the Oxfordshire Plan 2050 (JSSP) consultation event at Thame Leisure Centre on 18 February 2019.
To note that the consultation period on the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report has been extended to 25 March 2019, with the NPCO preparing a response as necessary, as previously agreed.
To delegate responsibility for the formation of the Thame Town Council response to consultation on the Oxfordshire Plan 2050 Vision and Objectives by 25 March 2019 to the NPCO.
To delegate responsibility for the formation of the Thame Town Council response to Oxfordshire Plan 2050 Call for Ideas by 12 April 2019 to the NPCO.
9. Affordable Housing / Community Land Trust (CLT)
To receive an update on progress of the Thame Community Land Trust.
10. Housing Needs Analysis
To receive an update on any progress towards the production of an up-to-date Housing Needs Analysis for or including Thame.
11. Other Items to Note
a) To note that an internal meeting with Stofords to discuss options on the Cotmore Wells / Howland Road site took place on 6 February 2019. There is a likelihood that the Town Council will work with Stofords on an independent supplied Thame specific Employment Needs Analysis.
b) To note that Cllrs Dyer and Fickling (and the NPCO) attended the Historic Towns Forum Neighbourhood Planning Review event on 26 February 2019
c) To note that the SODC Planning Committee refused planning permission P18/S3143/O for the Kingsmead Business Park on 20 February 2019, as reported to Council on 26 February 2019. Further Counsel advice is being obtained.
d) To note that the Town Council approved the Design Brief as tabled for the Lower School site on 26 February 2019.
e) To note that an internal meeting with Rectory Homes was held on 28 February 2019 at their request to discuss potential future site allocations.
f) To note that SODC has refused planning permission P18/S3596/FUL for the ‘Housing with Care’ development at The Elms.
g) To note the latest SODC Planning Portfolio report, as circulated to all Councillors on 28 February 2019.
11g. SODC Planning Portfolio Report January 2019
h) To note that Hallam Land / Montpelier organized a public Exhibition on proposals for a new Health Campus for Thame on 6 March 2019.
i) To note that an internal meeting with Bloor Homes has been set for 13 March 2019 to discuss potential future site allocations.
j) To note that dates have been suggested to Curtin & Co / Commercial Estates Group / Taylor Wimpey discuss potential future site allocations.
k) To note that this is the last Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committee meeting of the current 4 year cycle.