NP April 2023 Agenda
All Councillors are summoned to attend a Neighbourhood Plan meeting of Hough on the Hill Parish Council on Wednesday 12th April at Hough on the Hill Church community area, commencing 7.30 pm approximately.
Signed Lesley Frances
Clerk to the Council
Date: 31st March 2023.
AGENDA
1. Apologies.
2. Declarations of interest in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011.
3. Resolution to sign Minutes of meeting 31st January 2023.
4. Consider any dispensation requests.
It has been agreed that we pursue the Neighbourhood Plan update – please see attached, the print of the meeting the Parish Council had with Jake Horton.
5. Resolution as to whether we proceed with the minimum update so that we just update policies HOH 1, 7, 8 and 15.
OR
whether we include a new Design Report
AND/OR
whether we include further LGSs.
6. Dependent on above resolution:
[a] Discuss amendments to Design Report and resolve to put the updated amended report to Aecom and/or
[b] Discuss the way forward for allocated LGSs taking into consideration the landowners that have objected to their land being designated. Consider 4 areas of land that Cllr Taylor has put forward.
7. Review and discuss project plan put forward by Cllr Taylor [consider that we may have a new PC in May].
Appendix 1 - Transcript notes of meeting with Jake Horton on Wednesday 8th March 2023.
Once you have a Neighbourhood Plan (NP) you can only update it – you don’t do a new one. National and Local policies have changed a lot. Our Design Code and LGS assessment has already been done. We are a completely new Council albeit that Marilyn was involved previously. The entire Council is the NP Group.
It is up to us to decide if we want to update our Plan – we don’t need to but SK will always revert to the 2015 NP and the Local Plan will always be considered first – if ours is reviewed and updated then it will be considered. The onus is on us as to how far we go – what are the primary factors to us? The NP will be assessed against the current SK Local Plan and not the upcoming one.
There are 4 policies we need to look at – October 2021. Do we want to update environmental issues and climate change matters?
Are there any time processes – there is no timescale – we are the first to have a NP review. Timetable to be determined by the Group. Marilyn said drafting could start tomorrow. PC has £500 reserved for costs that may not be covered by grant funding we get. It has not cost us anything so far. What is the likely cost of the Statement of Community Consultation? The Planning Department is 3-4 months behind. Caythorpe referendum is 4th May 2023
The PC is the ultimate decision maker but could delegate a breakaway group which come back to the PC. As we have a Design Code ready and LGS allocations to be decided, we don’t need to delegate. Look at the Claypole LGS – each site has individual assessment. The Design Guide forms part of the NP – a new appendix to the existing NP. The existing NP is on our website.
We should consider allowing for bi-fold doors and other more modern requirements – guidelines. The NP is a document for guidance and is not hard and fast rules. We must get comments on final Design Code. Once submitted to SK would need very valid reason to withdraw. Nobody but Marilyn understands it as they weren’t party to the original discussions. We need a project plan, time line and structure. Briefing Note is a starting point (Still To Do). Need to decide on whether we are doing a minimum of the 4 policies, or what last PC had agreed to do.
The new adopted Local Plan is the 2020 one – review will not be groundbreaking. New updated Local Plan not till about 2025. Are we better waiting till then? If we do minor amendments it still goes to inspection and then to the examiner who decides if we need a referendum. Jake didn’t know what would or wouldn’t require a referendum but would enquire. Jake action.
If we update only SP3, 4 and 5 it still goes for inspection and examination but can’t guarantee it wouldn’t go to referendum. SK has not had an unsuccessful referendum. Referendum is a vote by parishioners as to acceptance of amendments. Must have more than 50% of voters to say “yes”. If the referendum is unsuccessful then the PC can have another go. Last one 127 were for and 31 against the NP vote (47% of electorate voted).
Hough is different to Brandon and Gelston. Hough is a small village and Brandon and Gelston are hamlets and considered as open countryside.
Mention of Built UP Area – boundary is out of conformity with the SK Local Plan. Ropsley used built up area and they gave a view as to what there’s was. That didn’t concur with SK. Hough decided to do that for Hough on the Hill but there were a lot of different arguments. Ropsley recently had a planning appeal and it was stated that the red line had no status in planning whatsoever. In our recent refusal the Planning Officer mentioned our BUA. What is the point of a BUA if the planners do not accept it? What is it in the Design Code? Jake to action – refusal includes BUA.
What is the difference between LGS and Green Belt? Allocation of land as LGS gives the same protection as green belt status. There is no difference between them and they are offered some protection. To develop LGS land – same restrictions as green belt. LGS is to protect important pockets of land – usually village green sites or memorial sites. Can you put solar panels on green belt land? Could the Wilderness be supported as LGS as it is 20 acres or so?
Conservation areas have to have planning applications for new doors/windows etc whereas properties outside of the conservation area do not.
Open Space is usually sports and leisure facilities and is different to LGS.
Definitive maps? Suggest sign up to Parish Online for maps or SK will help us with maps.
Suggest a project plan but there are no time constraints.