7pm, Monday 1 November 2010
Larksfield, Hall Farm, Grubb Street
Present: Liaison Group: Glenn Berry, George Siely, Jane Archer, Jim
Whiteside, Jack Hall
NNDC: Brenda Seymour, Brian Farrow, Rob Young
Promoters of local arts project: Mark Haywood, Justine
Hottinger
Apologies: Rob Goodliffe, David Mole, Cubitt Siely
Background
The meeting provided an opportunity to update the group on progress with the
Pathfinder projects and for the group to bring issues and pose questions to the project team. It also provided an opportunity for local artist Mark Haywood to promote his ideas of a community arts project to the group so that they could decide whether to recommend this as a project worthy of Pathfinder support.
Notes
1. The actions and comments of the meeting of 6 September 2010 were noted. There were no outstanding actions or matters arising from this.
2. Brenda Seymour updated the meeting on a project supported by The
Sainsbury Centre in Norwich (Culture of the Countryside) which brings artistic, scientific and cultural experiences to (particularly coastal) communities. The themes and interpretations might be highly relevant to the community of Happisburgh. This would be entirely funded outside the
Pathfinder but may have some relevance to the projects that are being implemented, particularly the Coastal Heritage project. The opportunity to join in with this would only exist up until the end of March.
Brenda then introduced Mark Haywood, a Happisburgh resident and artist, who is connected with the Sainsbury Centre project. Mark then spoke about his own ideas for a separate community arts project which he hoped would get support from the Liaison Group and subsequently the Pathfinder
Board. Mark had circulated a brief outlining his ideas before the meeting.
To summarise: his ideas included developing a series of projects which would provide an artistic interpretation of the changes that were taking place in Happisburgh; investigating and interpreting the culture and history of the village and providing installations as an artistic legacy of what is soon to be lost.
Because the Happisburgh Pathfinder projects deal with very important and sensitive issues, and the kind of things Mark was suggesting were not part of the original bid, the members of the group considered them to be

somewhat marginal and a distraction from the main thrust of the programme. There was thus little support for them from around the table.
Mark reiterated that he was not seeking funding for the project but support to develop it within the community. In response it was suggested that if it was not a Pathfinder project it did not need the support of the group and that if there was community support it could be developed on that basis.
The parallels with the Pathfinder Coastal Heritage project were pointed out and it was suggested that Mark contact Richard Hoggett. It was also suggested that later in the programme, as part of the Cliff Top
Enhancement Project, opportunities may arise for some form of public art, if appropriate and the budget allows (however, the ongoing maintenance issues must also be recognised).
The Group was not against the idea that art could be very much a part of managing the process of change within the community, if introduced in an appropriate manner, at the right time but there was no support for the projects as proposed.
Conclusion/ actions

The suggested community arts projects would not be supported by the Liaison Group, but RY would report the discussion to the
Pathfinder Management Board and ensure that the matter is considered by the Pathfinder Reference Group.

Brenda Seymour should bring the Coastal Heritage Project to the attention of those at the Sainsbury Centre who are managing the
Culture of the Countryside project.

Mark Haywood should seek to bring together a group of interested members of the local community and if requested Jim Whiteside would represent the Liaison Group on that.

The Parish Council should give consideration to the potential for the
Sainsbury Centre and/or an interested local group giving a presentation on appropriate ideas for community arts projects in the village - as a stand alone project.
3. The group was updated on the Happisburgh projects, which were generally proceeding as expected and there were no particular issues to address.
Questions from members of the Group:
Q.
Could further figures be provided on the likely revenue costs of the new facilities to be developed under the cliff top enhancement and replacement infrastructure project?
A.
These are being investigated and will be reported verbally to the Parish
Council Meeting on 8 November.

Q.
When will the
‘Erosion Risk Assessment’, in relation to the removal of beach debris, be finalised?
A.
BJF responded that there was no agreed time frame for the assessment but hoped we would be in a position to issue a summary document before the end of December. He stated that this was a fairly broad brushed assessment of risk. It is a complex piece of work designed to ensure that the possible consequences might be anticipated prior to the removal of beach debris.
Post-meeting note
BJF has subsequently added this explanatory note to accompany the minutes.
This was the brief to the Consultants:
“Review of existing topographical baseline data of the beach and cliff.
Prediction of long-term erosion (fifty years) based on historical, geographic and meteorological data taking account of the impact of climate change on sea level. Comment on the requirements for a long-term cliff recession monitoring and reporting programme.
”
The erosion risk assessment should not be used as a predictive tool in itself but should be read alongside existing data.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 4 January 2011, 7pm at Hall Farm
Should there be need for another meeting in the interim, this will be arranged at shorter notice.