NPSG Minutes – August 2024

Rupert Lyon, Cllr Caroline MacDuff, Mike Manson

·         Minutes were a true reflection of the meeting

o   Proposed: Cllr Keith Rayward

o   Seconded: James Linehan

·         The Habitat report final draft has been received. RD has written a conversion table to mitigate against the discrepancy between the policy numbers in the report and the R14 version of the NP.

·         The final draft of the SEA report has arrived although it is still called ‘draft’. The NP will retain the word since that is what AECOM called it. Action: PT to clarify with AECOM.

A response has been made to the effect that the Steering Group has considered the comments regarding the three sites. No further action is required.

The report is to be found in Annex 4.

·         RD led a workshop with the Parish Council on 9^th July to go through the NP documents.

·         RD attended a BPC meeting at which BPC Public meeting on 23^rd July to answer any questions from BPC. There were none and:

·         The BPC voted to adopt the Regulation 14 version of the NP while noting that it is subject to enhancements and resolved its support for the plan, agreeing to adopt the NDP as presented as the Parish Council’s policy.  The BPC was very impressed by the quality of the document. The PC asked the Steering Group to continue their good works and submit the Plan for the statutory Regulation 14 public consultation and take it through the remaining stages for adoption by Wiltshire Council. (BPC minutes 23^rd July, 2024)

·         The NP documents have been reviewed by the Steering Group. The SG chair thanked the group for its comments. The necessary amendments to the NP have been made.

·         The consultation period is now underway.

·         The statutory consultees have all been contacted.

·         An article for the ‘White Horse’ has been submitted and will be published in the first August edition.

·         Posters have been put up around the village and on the BPC board outside the Jubilee Hall.

·         There is a banner on the railings on the village green. ST suggested moving it from location to location to ensure that it continues to garner public awareness.

·         There have been numerous posts on the ‘Bratton Village What’s On’ Facebook page, including a ‘taster’ video.

·         EC has put the same FB material on the BPC website under ‘News’.

·         A letter has been written to ‘The White Horse’ commenting on the NP.

·         The boards have now been designed and are at the printers. PT and KR took the meeting through the five prototype boards.  The Summary Decision Board lists items in order of importance in the NP.

·         KR has printed out maps to show the parish footpaths which link to other parishes and locations; local, named footpaths; big views; short views; all the sites from the call for sites; character areas; character areas, green spaces and assets.

·         KR has prepared three paper copies of the NP and two copies of Annex 1 to be placed at various locations in the Jubilee Hall during the public consultation days.

·         The QR code and BPC web link taking people to the NP have been displayed on all publicity material.  Additionally, copies of posters will be distributed to those who visit the consultation events so that they have the QR code and website addresses should they not be able to find the sites themselves.

·         Action: KL to send KR the latest poster.  Action: KR to print 20 copies of the questionnaire.

·         A landing page has been written for the website, explaining what the various sections of the NP are, with links to them.

·         It was decided that it was not necessary to ask Cllr Jo Jolly to update her slideshow for FB.

·         RD has drafted a Formal Notice for inclusion in the ‘Wiltshire Times’.

·         The questionnaire has been written and is both electronically on the BPC website and a paper copy is available in the village shop.  Publicity material includes instructions where to find it.

·         Action: RD to email those on the mailing list re publication of NP and the consultation events.

·         Action: KR to put the Jubilee Hall PowerPoint presentation on his computer to show on the open days.

·         It is thought that most of the Steering Group will be available to assist during the consultation days – although not all will be present for the whole duration.

·         Action: KR to reimburse all cake makers as and when they present their individual receipts.

·           There have already been responses to the consultation, including one digital      questionnaire completed and several emails.

·           There has been positive feedback regarding the publicity to date.

·           It was agreed that Steering Group members would take their own notebooks to the consultation days to note down comments made by visitors in order to capture the mood and thoughts of the day which might not otherwise be caught by the questionnaire. These will then be fed back to PT to collate.

·      Should anyone not be happy about a particular inclusion in the NP – for example a site included in the ‘Green Spaces’ or something in ‘Heritage Assets’, the response is that we note the comments but, that, in the light of all feedback, the Steering Group will make the decision (hopefully at the October SG meeting).

·      There is no prescribed way to respond to comments from statutory consultees. The Steering Group will make a decision as to how and when to respond once comments have been received.

·      Action: RD to send Chippenham Consultation responses as an example.

·      RD has a template to record responses from both the public and statutory bodies.

·      After R14 closes on 23^rd September, and once responses have been collated, relevant comments will go to area experts – such as Heritage Assets or Green Spaces to be analysed, in preparation for October 3^rd meeting when the Steering Group will consider each area subject’s responses to the comments and potentially make amendments to the Plan.

·      The next stage once the Plan has been revised after Reg 14 is that the Plan to be presented to  Wiltshire Council for review. PT advised that the internal deadline for this is 12^th November. Therefore It is possible that there could be several internal meetings of SG to formalise the Plan before this meeting,  It is hoped that is can be formalised at the SG November meeting.

·      Action: PT will check obligations with WC as to whether BPC will need to adopt the Plan for Reg 16.

·      SM suggested that she might be able to take revised photographs if any needed enhancing.

·      Data protection.  It is imperative that we protect the privacy of responders to the Plan. Responses will be tabulated and sensitive information redacted for public display. It is proposed that the Steering Group, as an extension of the BPC, will sign up to the privacy policies of the BPC. Action: KR to prepare a such a document and members of the SG would be required to sign up to the privacy policies.

Date of the next meeting: 3^rd October 2024