MINUTES
COASTAL PATHFINDER PROGRAMME
REFERENCE GROUP
19 January 2011
2pm - Room 1, NNDC Offices
Present
Reference Group Members
Malcolm
Kerby
Dan Corbett
Janice
Howell
Rob Wise
Sue Willis
Tony Nash
NNDC Officers
Peter Frew
Rob Goodliffe
Peter Battrick
Item
1
Apologies
Action
None.
2
Agree minutes of the last meeting and matters arising.
Minutes of the last meeting were agreed.
Sue Willis queried her amendment concerning not agreeing with the location of the
Happisburgh Car park. It was confirmed that these were added to the minutes as
requested.
3
Update on progress
Updates on all the projects were provided as per the table below, comments raised by
the Reference group are indicated in italics.
Projects
Progress & Lessons
Happisburgh Whole Settlement Package
Cliff top
enhancement
and relocation of
threatened
infrastructure.
Pathfinder Reference Group
•
Negotiation with landowners for the site for the new car park
and beach access have been finalised and the land purchases
are underway.
•
The Parish Council and Local Liaison Group agreed with the
proposed scheme.
•
A public pre- planning application consultation was completed
and comments, where possible have been incorporated into the
scheme.
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19 January 2011
•
A planning application is in preparation for submission.
•
Specifications and tendering documents are in preparation for
the construction of the facilities.
•
The Parish Council are being assisted by a business advisor as
to the feasibility and method in which they could manage the
car park and facilities for the benefit of the community.
Group is pleased with progress and Parish Council involvement.
Removal/
relocation of
dwellings most
imminently at
risk (within the
first SMP
Epoch – up to
2025)
•
Of the 13 properties in which offers for purchase were made,
10 have come to an agreement with the Council. The
remaining 3 property owners stated at the start of the project
they were unlikely to accept any offer made through Pathfinder.
•
The necessary Council authorities to proceed with all the
purchases are now being sought and conveyancing has
started.
•
Where requested, property owners are being assisted by the
NNDC Housing Team to find suitable alternative
accommodation.
•
Demolition will commence following the completion of the
purchases and the land will be incorporated in to the Cliff Top
Enhancement Scheme.
•
Investigations are underway with landowners in the village to
identify a suitable site for the replacement properties to be
located. The planning consents should be obtained through the
use of the Coastal rollback planning policy which was adopted
by NNDC in 2008. It is anticipated that an element of the funds
used to purchase the original properties will be recouped
through the sale of new plots. Funds will be recycled into a
coastal management budget for further adaptation activities.
The group are pleased with the progress made. It needs to be
made clear to owners who have declined the offers made to them
the limitations to Council assistance in the future and what would
be available. It would need to be considered whether those
owners who have now not accepted offers would be eligible for any
support currently offered, including homelessness. This needs to
be conveyed to those owners.
Property
Acquisition for
Lease Back
Pathfinder Reference Group
•
Following community concern a housing market appraisal was
conducted to establish the changes in the residential property
market of the village of Happisburgh over the past 10 years.
This study will be made available to the public and may be
followed up by presentations to local property agents to dispel
misconceptions regarding risk to properties through coastal
erosion.
•
A feasibility report detailing the possible lease terms, payment
models and feasibility of a residential buy to lease scheme is
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19 January 2011
near completion.
•
Initial consideration of the draft report concludes that it is
possible to develop a buy to lease scheme which over the
lifetime of the properties may be cost neutral; however there
are long term liabilities.
•
The authority will need to consider the benefits against the
liabilities and risks. Considering the small scale in which this
project can operate the Council may not be able to commit to
this long term scheme. If this is the case alternative measures
which meet the objectives will be thought out.
If this scheme is not moved forward, other alternatives should be
considered. There was a general feeling that this scheme on such
a small scale would deliver any substantial benefits. Alternatives
could include an extension of the buy to demolish scheme for
properties most at risk and who would be eligible for EN12.
The group agreed that it would be worth while to make a
presentation to local estate agents to help to dispel property myths.
This would encourage ‘coastal literacy’.
Removal of
Beach Debris
•
An assessment as to what the impact to erosion rates following
the removal of beach debris has been completed. This has
proved to be complex and a précis of the findings will be
advertised and circulated locally prior to commencement of the
scheme.
•
Authority to proceed is being requested as there is a minor risk
that properties at risk in the short term may be affected by the
beach debris removal.
•
The beach debris removal will commence following the
purchase and grant of planning consent for the cliff top
enhancement scheme.
Under the wellbeing powers the benefit to the community and wider
public will far outweigh any inevitable short term loss by property
owners who have already been offered an opportunity to dispose of
their asset by the Council.
Coastal Heritage
Pathfinder Reference Group
The public statement regarding the debris removal and any potential
impacts on erosion will be circulated to the group prior to Cabinet
approval and public display. The group suggested notices should be
placed on the cliff top and in parish notice boards. An article in the
Parish newsletter should be requested. Pathfinder needs to be certain
that there can be not come back to the Project should erosion increase
following the beach works.
• The project has been well received by the Parishioners of
Happisburgh.
•
A Happisburgh Heritage Group has been set up and will
continue the heritage work beyond Pathfinder.
•
Training sessions on heritage investigation techniques and
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19 January 2011
recording have begun.
•
A publication deal for a book on the heritage of Happisburgh
has been agreed, content is now being finalised.
•
Other interest has been generated along the coast and kickstarted other heritage recording schemes.
The group are very pleased with the emerging outcomes from this
project and it has exceeded the earlier expectations.
Facilitating the
relocation of
Manor Caravan
Site
•
A scheme is being developed for the relocation of the caravan
park and negotiations for the land required are beginning.
•
The scheme will need to be locally publicised and planning
consent granted.
There are some local misunderstandings around the project, especially
with the school, further discussions should take place to explain the
project.
Business Support Package
Business Advice
• 184 businesses have been contacted of which 88
businesses have now signed up to the scheme. The original
target was 80 businesses; this has now been extended to 90.
•
58 participating businesses have completed Business
Diagnostic health checks with Business Link
•
22 businesses have been provided with information to enable
them to use the professional advice vouchers.
•
15 Businesses are accessing advice from business advisers
NWES and where required developing business plans.
•
The timescales for the project have been extended into the
next financial year as more time is required to enable
businesses to use their professional advice vouchers and
access to business advice and planning.
•
Positive feedback has been collected from Parish Councils and
businesses alike.
Business
Support Project
Following the themes emerging of issues faced by businesses
taking part in the business advice initiate and following the
advised approach from the marketing project the following
business support activities are being developed for delivery
from March 2010.
•
•
Pathfinder Reference Group
Loans scheme for coastal businesses that can not access
mainstream funding (available and managed over a 5 year
period).
Grant scheme to provide assistance for businesses to access
professional advice, enhance business infrastructure and
adapt to coastal change, develop workforce skills and improve
marketing.
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19 January 2011
•
•
•
•
•
East Norfolk
Tourism
Marketing
Grant scheme for communities or groups of businesses to
improved the infrastructure of the coastal area to encourage
tourism.
Activities such as workshops and development of business
circles to assist skills development, business networking and
self support.
Enablement of local Tourism Forum to deliver specific outputs
over a three year period to encourage visitors and develop the
local tourism offer.
Finalise and publicise marketing and business planning
toolkits for future use of businesses in coastal areas of north
Norfolk.
Develop and improve the web presence of the East North
Norfolk Coast on existing tourism websites.
Ensure that only viable businesses are supported and that the
Pathfinder does not prop up failing businesses.
• East North Norfolk Coast marketing Action Plan and Tourism
Development plan has been completed and actions have been
incorporated into the activities of the Business Support Project.
•
Draft Marketing Toolkits have been submitted and a photo
library for use of businesses is being compiled.
Comments were received querying some of the formatting of the
marketing reports and some of the marketing language. Overall it was
agreed that the report reflected the needs and issues in the area
(which some of were already known) and provides a solid base in
which to refer and develop and deliver the marketing needs for the
area.
Infrastructure Package
Relocation of
• Finalisation of terms of grant of funds to Trimingham Parish
Trimingham
Council.
Village Hall (the
Pilgrim Shelter)
The group were pleased that the site was identified and that
negotiations were in place for site acquisition. There were
discussions around safeguards required for the funds and
appreciation of Trimingham Parish Councils capabilities for
delivering the project.
Realignment of
• Work is underway and will be completed by the spring.
Cromer
(Marrams)
footpath
Removal of
Complete
beach debris at
Beeston Regis
Project not initiated
Investigate the
options for
Salthouse Car
Park
Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Project (BCKL&WN)
Pathfinder Reference Group
5
19 January 2011
Wolferton
Private
Contribution for
Flood Defence
Project
4
•
Draft report on evaluating the approaches for an equitable
mechanism for securing business/private contributions to
defences has been submitted and is being finalised.
Rob Wise requested a copy of the draft report for consideration. It
was considered that the findings of the report may be very useful
with regard to the changing position of coastal defence funding.
Spring Pathfinder Conference
The group supported the proposed format of the conference and agreed that it was important
to disseminate the lessons learnt from the North Norfolk Pathfinder with other organisations.
5
Financial Update
There is currently a shortfall in revenue funding in the Pathfinder. NNDC is currently
investigating and gaining approval to amend this situation by swopping some Pathfinder
capital with NNDC revenue. This will enable the projects to proceed as planned.
6
7
Open discussion & Any other business
It was suggested that some trees should be planted at the end of Pathfinder to
replace trees felled for all the paper used by the project.
A suggestion that an in depth feature article on all the Pathfinder should be pursued
in the local (and national) press towards the end of the project.
Next Meeting
The date of the next meeting was discussed. It was agreed that Rob Goodliffe would
send out a time availability table to all members and inform them of the next
meeting’s time/date once all had returned their availability. This would probably be
after the March Pathfinder Conference.
Pathfinder Reference Group
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19 January 2011
RG/
GROU
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