17th February 2016 The Harbour Club
Initial Management Committee Meeting with newly posted Shoreham Beach Management Committee members (only) & Mike Gibson Planning Consultant
In attendance: Dawn Clenton-Sparey (Chairman), John Haffenden (Vice Chairman), Maria Johnson, Melissa Onslow (Treasurer), Emma Whelan, Jennie Tindall, Viki Carter (Secretary)
Apologies received from: Howard Carter, Ben Stride & Maurice Pitchford.
Minutes to approve Previous Management Committee Meeting 13th January 2016 – unanimously approved. AGM 6th February – unanimously approved.
Future of AOAC - options and possibilities John H stated there was no further update from the conversation he had with John Mitchell at Adur District Council 6 weeks ago. Dawn CS, John H and Mike G had an initial meeting with Mike King from Releasing Potential. We are awaiting further updates. Other parties believed to be interested are a company that runs leisure centres in the South Downs & Worthing; the company that runs Adur pool in Southwick and a local School/Academy. There is currently no date for tender submission in place. There was a question on the Have You Say Day forms regarding people’s views on the future of the centre which will inform the SBNF’s position.
Liaising with Beach Green Developer/LPA Mike Gibson agreed with John Williams (Developer - Beach Green Development) he’d send the SBNF Q&A notes on the public consultation to John Williams & James Appleton (Adur District Council) to agree - then upload on SNBF website. ACTION: Mike G/Dawn CS - send notes/agree sign-off with James Appleton/John Williams - then upload to SBNF website Jennie T asked what the consensus of the consultation was. Mike G responded that there was no consensus - some resistant to development, particularly outside red line/some thought it was positive. There was some discussion around the handling of the preferred developer process. Mike G recommended we contact James Appleton (Adur District Council) andrequest he set out the procurement process as this was an issue that was raised at the public consultation on the HYSD. ACTION: Dawn CS to write to James Appleton Emma W asked what our role has the SBNF is in this? Mike G responded that in this situation it is clarification – to put out a statement about the process following a response from ADC. Dawn CS added it was to clarify & simplify. The Forum has been involved with the public consultation from the point at which the preferred developer was confirmed to SBNF (Tuesday 2nd February). The first two steps by the forum will be a statement on the website about procurement process and the notes of the Q&A signed by the 3 parties noted above. Mike noted that normally the developer gets the land on condition of planning permission and its only when the planning application is submitted that anyone - outside the council or developer - will have knowledge of it. At this stage the developer is not committed to a planning application, they have a time-frame to engage and decide if they wish to invest. There will then be a pre-application design process. At this stage there is usually consultation - although not necessarily with local residents. Mike G stated that it was important to know what has happened to date; what the next steps are and the timescale. What work is the developer going to do to move on? What are SBNF going to do? Dawn CS reported that within the Q&A notes on Beach Green on 6th February there was a question about the ‘council & community engagement.’ Mike responded there are 3 parallel streams of activity (1) Local town plan; (2) Neighbourhood plan; (3) Activity on particular sites. The developer has written to Mike G who requested ‘any correspondence must go through the SBNF Chairman.’ There was discussion around a balance between ensuring any development plans don’t go against the locals wishes and a concern over nothing happening at all due to local resistance.
Funding for 2016 - Update Dawn updated the funding situation. SBNF recently received a Neighbourhood Planning Grant to be spent by 31st March 2016 - £3935. The next application will be for £2,065 to be used by March 2017. John noted thanks to Mike Whelan for the website and other work he has done for the Neighbourhood Forum. This was seconded by Mike Gibson and others on the committee. Mike Gibson clarified his fee arrangements for new committee members.
AGM/Have Your Say Day - 6th February 2016 Dawn reported that the day went well with a good attendance both for the AGM and the HYSD. Mike Gibson re-iterated this and felt that good progress had been made. Emma filmed some of the HYSD and suggested putting some bite-size sections of Mike G summarising what a Neighbourhood Plan is on the website. This was agreed. ACTION: Emma to edit & upload for website Emma stated there were 12 forms regarding the Community Facilities, green spaces and landscaping (including Beach Green) completed on the day and a further 10 completed online after. John stated that when forms are being entered onto the website there must be no editing – it must be clear what people are saying. There was some discussion around the process for gathering all the information so it can be analysed. There are a number of maps from the HYSD workshops with post it notes with comments/suggestions on (from both October 2015 & February 2016 HYSD). It was agreed that Maria J, Melissa O, Dawn CS would take these and type the comments/suggestions out verbatim, once this has been done they should go to Mike G for analysis. ACTION: Dawn & Maria, Melissa to type comments/suggestions. Mike to analyse
Working Groups Arrangements to develop draft Neighbourhood Development Plan policies for April Have Your Say Day Mike G clarified the process for the next Have Your Say Day is to develop policies for the draft neighbourhood plan. It would therefore differ from the previous Have Your Say Days which have involved gathering ideas. The next one should be a policy discussion day. Before then Mike G will polish up the workshop questionnaires and place them on the website to promote them. ACTION: Mike Gibson/Mike Whelan – finalise questionnaires There was some discussion around the April Have Your Say Day date and location. It was agreed if possible that it should be held at The Church of the Good Shepherd in order to engage with the residents of West Beach. The Quays bar at Emerald Quays was also put forward as it has been more difficult to engage with those living in flats however it was rejected on the basis of a limited size and lack of parking. It will be considered for smaller workshops that will take place at later dates. The following dates for HYSD were proposed - 12th / 13th / 19th / 20th / 21st April. John will check dates with Church of Good Shepherd. It was suggested week commencing 18th April would be preferable to give more preparation time after 6th April SBNF Management Committee meeting. ACTION: John to liaise with the Church of Good Shepherd Mike stated that he would put ideas together for draft policies based on the information from each working group. The evidence for this needs organising. The Household survey to be finalised onto website so people can comment on it and the data can be analysed. Mike Gibson to discuss with Mike Whelan to clarify if all the information has been entered. Mike G will resolve the content then Mike W will place on the website after which it can be analysed – further discussion around how best to do this is needed. ACTION: Emma/Dawn/Mike G, Mike W – to discuss on 25th February, 1pm: An updated Communications and Community Engagement Strategy, including the web-site and relationships with key stakeholders - including SBRA, the Houseboats, Shoreham Beach Primary School, Environment AgencyThere was some discussion around stakeholders. It was felt that although there had been consultation with stakeholders other than SBRA it had not been evidenced. At the Have Your Say Day in October attendees were asked to respond regarding their status as Stakeholders eg. Port Authority. Dawn had attended a Shoreham Management Meeting (last year) where she met Friends of Shoreham Beach (FOSB); a kite surfing group and others. Suggestions included the wish for a community hall here. Mike stated that once the stakeholders have been identified SBNF can send them bulletins to cascade to their members as already happens with SBRA. John mentioned an existing ‘Shoreham Beach Facebook group’ and whether SBNF could engage more via this route. Dawn has been in contact with the Environment Agency (EA) regarding the EA plans for Shoreham which have particular impact for the houseboat residents. The EA have offered to do a workshop/event around this. John stated that if this is to happen the EA must send a technical specialist not community engagement, Mike and others concurred with this. ACTION: Dawn to liaise with EA about workshop/event Dawn has arranged a meeting with Chair of Governors & Head Teacher of the Beach Primary School, Miss Woodman on 25th February to discuss effective engagement with the school. ACTION: Dawn to update committee on this meeting To include a meeting for Mike Whelan to brief all about Website – not discussed at this meeting. ACTION: Bring forward to next Management Committee Agenda. Regular meetings with MG between Management Team Meetings Mike suggested dates should be fixed for Management Team and then other meetings in between. Dawn stated these meetings would be set up using doodle which had proved successful for this meeting.
Local Planning Authority - report of meeting 27th January 2016 Dawn, John, Mike attended a meeting with Moira Hayes & Cat Hutchinson (Adur & Worthing Local Planing Authority) who are undertaking the Local Plan to ensure SBNF are working in tandem with them. Dawn has updated Moira on the HYSD on 6th February - by phone.
Shoreham Beach Residents Association AGM 27th February 2pm SBNF have been invited to talk to SBRA AGM with an update. Dawn/John to attend. ACTION: John to arrange attendance time with Joss Loader (Chair, SBRA).
Best working practice and SBNF Management Committee All emails to shorehambeachforum@gmail.com. Mike clarified that the aforementioned email address must be used for everything related to SBNF. It was noted sbnfchairman@gmail.com email address is no longer to be used.
Any other business SBNF has been contacted by Peter Davies (Shoreham Port Authority) regarding a block of garages (before Ferry Road car park by the entrance to the tow path). The owners have received an expression of interest and organised a group to potentially develop the land and move the garages underneath. The land is owned by the Port Authority who want to sell it and are likely to do so at a peppercorn rate. Dawn has phoned the Locality to see if SBNF can do anything - who suggested possibly ‘crowd funding.’ John reported he has researched the lease/ownership situation of the Beach Huts as some of the initial Beach Green concepts showed drawings with them moved or placed elsewhere. The agreement is a license (not lease) for people to put a beach hut on the plot, it is extinguishable by 3 months’ notice either side. If sold the owner must give 3 x annual license fee to council or 10% of sale price.
Next meeting(s): Wednesday 9th March, (& 23rd March)? Wednesday 6th April, (& 20th April)? Wednesday 11th May, (& 25th May)? Wednesday 8th June