Minutes of the Joint Meeting of Neighbourhood Plan Groups held at Dartington Village Hall
on Saturday 28th March 2015 at 10:30 am.
Chair: Cllr Anna Lunk, Dartington Parish Council
Minutes: Bea Gill, Dartington Task group member
In attendance; Representatives from Ugborough, South Milton, Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo, Stoke Gabriel,
Modbury, Totnes, Bridestowe and Sourton, Stoke Fleming, Harberton, Dartington.
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Welcome from Anna Lunk, co- chair of Dartington Neighbourhood Planning Steering Group who gave a brief
overview of morning.
Those attending introduced themselves and where from.
Report from Dartington Neighbourhood Planning (N P)group:Steering group of around 20, Co-ordinator Kate Wilson, input from district councillor Jacqi Hodgson. Also
have task groups who report back to Steering Group. Big stakeholder is Dartington Hall Trust. Approaching
the end of process of consultation.
Challenge for N P is how to marry concerns and find common ground with the Trust when faced with
pressure of new housing developments. Housing Conference organised with the Trust and Transition Towns
Totnes has provided alternative solutions to affordable housing and inspiration for ways forward. Anna
advised attendees of links to the conference on youtube.
Bea reported on behalf of a Dartington N P Task Group Farm, Forestry, Landscape and Biodiversity which has
consulted, taken evidence, drawn conclusions and developed 10 themes which will be made into policies
using a table made up of 3 columns:- where we are now, where we would like to be, this is the policy which
will ensure this happens.
Report from Stoke Fleming N P group :Decision from the outset to keep it simple and driven by what the community voiced. Not a big parish, N P
began with a meeting and walking the parish. The Steering Group was 15, 9 parish councillors and 6 others,
expanded to 21, now 12 others. 4 working parties:- Cons???(Stoke Fleming please help me here) Roads and
Transport, Infrastructure and the environment, Housing. There is also a core group which drives the process.
The chair rotates. Aimed to produce a draft of 1st document by November 2014 which was used to form the
basis of a major consultation document “Choices for Change” includes a questionnaire response and survey.
Responses back by 15.4.2015 and these will drive production of N P hopefully before the start of the
summer holidays. Also revamped their web site.
Report from Modbury N P group:A parish of 1600 people. A “baby” of a N P group, held 2 meetings this year. Anne Turner, chair of their N P
gave outline of character of Modbury:- range of facilities, shops, school, industrial estate, businesses, listed
buildings, footpaths, wildlife and vegetation rich around the town and prized in previous consultations. BUT
the A379 runs through the centre of the town, issues of traffic, parking and effect on local businesses;
flooding in recent years; housing costs high, average income low; public transport limited eg no public
transport to Ivybridge where secondary school is so overreliance on cars.
N P started amidst a controversy over development of houses on outskirts of town; the number, which kept
increasing and the design which kept being diluted. Parish council decided to oppose some of the planning
proposals. Concern over increase in traffic and integration into town, it could become a dormitory town with
no potential employment opportunities.
Challenges N P faces:- the belief N P only about housing, there is a scepticism about the value of having a N
P. Need more of a cross section of the community involved.
How they are tackling this:- Core membership group has now met 3 times, housing needs survey done.
Group is developing their graphics – logo, a style for people to identify with. Setting up a facebook page,
twitter, web site and having a regular slot in the parish newsletter. Plan a launch at Modbury Fair in May.
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Asking people to sign up to focus on specific areas in N P; emergent themes are:- linking proposed new
development; small development in town centre; support of local businesses; sustainability; environment;
traffic, parking and public transport.
Report from Harberton N P group:This is a large parish, includes Harbertonford, largely farming, no industry. Progress with N P has been slow
and initial response was only from 43 out of 500 households, so need ideas how to engage the community in
face of apathy. Issues are Traffic, Farming and Tourism. Housing development is restricted - where could
there be development? Issues of affordable and sustainable housing. Feel they need guidance from S Hams
concerning housing needs. There is now a small N P group and themes emerging are:- housing; transport;
social amenities – open spaces- play; businesses; employment; built heritage; rural environment (they have
lost the protection of ANOB status); renewable energy – solar and wind power (threat of). They feel they
don’t have enough evidence yet to support taking these ideas forward.
Report from South Milton N P group:A tiny village, 325 on electoral role. 20% of housing is 2nd homes or holiday lets. No shops, no pub! Only
industry is farming. The entire parish is an ANOB. There are 32 Grade 1 and 2 listed buildings. There is a
village hall and many local societies.
Community met about 6 months ago and established a small working party of 2 parish councillors and 3
others. Emphasis has been on getting info from residents, held 5 meetings and now creating a questionnaire.
Not on the radar for extra housing, plans are rejected - no school, no doctor, poor access etc. However are
effected by planning decisions in neighbouring parishes eg enormous barn sited on hilltop, materials used in
construction of extensions etc. Need to ensure N P worded so S Hams take these considerations into
account. Would be prepared to accept small development of affordable housing, not 2nd homes or holiday
lets.
Report from Bridestow and Sourton N P group:- district Council is W Devon
2 villages between Okehampton and Tiverton. Set up a N P group in October 2014. Held open meetings to
gather different opinions, attended by 12, 15 up to 30 people.
Issues:- designated to receive quite a number of new houses 30 in Bridestow half of which is in a national
Park. 3 sites in the village put forward by landowners, 2 of which are inappropriate. Now 2 more suitable
sites have also been put forward within the village of Bridestowe.
And the railway:- the opening of the Plymouth to Tavistock line and Okehampton to Exeter line - the joining
line at present is a disused line now a cycle path – has huge implications for the area, industry, employment,
housing.
Successes:- tried to develop our ideas alongside those of W Devon and it has worked! Our plans need to run
in parallel so we can ask the right questions in our questionnaire, if we ask the wrong ones, events may
overtake us.
Put together a questionnaire which will be distributed with the parish magazine soon. Most of the questions
are open ended looking for suggestions, it’s an information seeking exercise.
Report from Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers N P group:Group still in early stages. Held 3 public meetings using an email list of 200 names on register. Put together a
questionnaire asking community how they would like to see development of housing; infrastructure; river
and harbour; environment and ??? ( N M and N F help me here)
They are now a group of 8 and envisage another 2 or 3 meetings before questionnaire is distributed. Their
website will be active from the end of April and hope to form a steering group by mid summer.
Issues:- none in particular, they are very lucky to be in a popular retirement area attracting professionals
whom they can tap into to form their study groups.
Report from Totnes N P group:Thea paid co-ordinator who started in February 2015. Population of 8, 500 so her role is instrumental to the
process. The N P process had stalled so sees her immediate task to re - launch plan.
Priorities are:- community engagement strategy:- web site; leaflets; press, tap into professionals in the town,
Schumacher, Plymouth Uni.
Wants to encourage involvement in task groups which will be led initially by Steering group members. Task
groups possibly for housing, culture, history, buildings, open spaces, traffic, transport and infrastructure.
Other groups may develop over time.
Issues:- Housing is a big issue, possibly 1000 homes proposed, needs to engage with surrounding parishes in
order to provide demand. Traffic and transport.
Hopes to complete N P process within next 18 months.
End of reports
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Anna thanks Jacqi Hodgson for organising this meeting and invites her to speak about relationship between
District Council and Neighbourhood Planning:
Jacqi:- “W Devon are doing so much better than S Hams in this respect. S Hams planning department is in
disarray, a drop of 24% in planners, don’t know who is/ will be employed. S Hams “Our Plan” timeline is to
produce draft by September 2015, but doubt this will happen. SO the quicker we get our N Ps in draft form,
the better. ( Tony Whitty adds there is a growth in case law supporting this)There is strength in numbers. We
can say what we think is appropriate. The housing needs assessment seems to be being adjusted to produce
higher numbers which makes me very unhappy. We need to deliver good and sustainable planning. The
Housing conference saw a change, ideas were aired, brought other people into the process e.g. Bob
Tomlinson and Place making. District councils/councillors are there to support you.”
Anna advises that after the elections in May for District Councils N P groups should invite new/re elected
councillors to their next meetings.
Anna then took questions.
Q. Were housing needs survey specific?
A. Harberton – it was done for affordable housing.
Jacqi – contact affordable housing officer
Newton and Noss – intend to use Plymouth Uni
Anna, Dartington – intends to research who buys new homes… where occupiers lived before, where work,
tenure etc (could find some answers on electoral role)
Q. To Stoke Fleming; how did you fund your booklet? ( and other access to funding)
A. Received grant from S Hams, £8000 for N P and using parish funds. They reckon the cost of publishing
their final draft will be £5-6000. They are paying Market force £1400 to go door to door to collect responses
to their questionnaire. They have used colour to appeal.
Q. To Dartington; can you share table for drafting policies?
A. Of course. We all need to share resources, Dartington has several good links on it’s N P web site. Totnes
has a resources bank.
Q. Should N Ps have separate website to that of Parish Council?
A. Yes, general advice is they should.
Q. How do we keep 2nd homes to a minimum?
A. Can’t effect what’s happened in the past.
Q. How do we provide for low cost housing?
A. Problem begins with the cost of the land. Community Land trusts can be one way, Harberton has a CLT in
partnership with a local farmer he’ll have a %age of what’s built, daughter needs housing, in return for
providing land.
Q. How much is N P costing each parish?
A. Some put the figure at £10 -15,000, however depends on each plan and grant availability. Cost to Totnes,
possibly up to £70,000, to Dartington £20-30,000.
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Jacqi suggested if anyone is undertaking community consultations, could they share when and where as it
would be very useful to share the process. Also we should set up an email group for N Ps attending and
Parish clerks.
Amanda (Dartington) was concerned we don’t reach housebound and carers with our consultations. Please
use her as a conduit to managing this. (Totnes Caring)
All attending expressed their thanks for today’s meeting and the need to repeat it. Modbury offered to host
the next meeting after the general election, late May, early June. Exact venu to be confirmed
Meeting closed at 12:30.