Parish Plan Meeting of Community Groups and Organisations

 

Monday 5^th March 2007 at 7.30pm at the Community Centre

 

 

 

Gerry Hunt introduced members of the top table - Mike Goldsworthy, Cllr Ralph Whiting and Julie Smart (Clerk).

 

Gerry passed around a paper setting out the purpose of the meeting, and advised that the main purpose of meeting is to try to set up a Community Forum.  Mike Goldsworthy then talked about the background to the Parish Plan and what had led up to it’s publication.

 

The process was one of community consultation.  The Parish Plan is a community led exercise, rather than an official body.  It involved identifying the issues that the community was concerned about and producing the Parish Plan, which includes an action plan.  The main part of the consultation process was a questionnaire of 74 questions, basically asking four things.  From this an action plan was produced containing 42 items, divided into 10 subject headings.  Market research consultants analysed the questionnaires to produce the action plan.  A grant was obtained from the Countryside Agency to cover the bulk of the project.  The completed Parish Plan was produced late last year and has been widely distributed. 

 

The purpose of having the plan is to ensure that the efforts of local people are directed, to influence external bodies such as North Somerset Council, and it gives us access to grant funds that would not be available if we did not have a Parish Plan.  The grants are particularly geared to helping parishes implement actions that arise from the Parish Plan.

 

Gerry thanked Mike for giving a clear outline.  The next purpose of the meeting is to outline the target areas.  There are 42 targets within 10 sub-headings.  Gerry read out the sub-headings.

 

Gerry advised that since the publication of the Parish Plan, the Parish Council has set up a small sub-committee to look into actions that would be their responsibility, for example, highway matters.  The PC has also been in contact with Heywood Surgery, the Library and the Post Office, to ask what it could do to assist in achieving the targets set by the Parish Plan.

 

The role of the Parish Council is threefold:-

 

1)      to carry out actions to meet targets within its power;

2)      to act as facilitator when contacting NSC and other outside bodies;

3)      to budget for appropriate financial contributions for the meeting of particular targets.

 

It is largely hoped that that future of the Parish Plan will be over to the community, and what the Parish Council see happening is the formation of a group calling itself the ‘Community Forum’.  This group would be seen as an umbrella group, perhaps meeting three or four times per year to monitor ‘Task Groups’.  Task Groups would be set up to identify and carry out the activities necessary to meet the targets relating to different areas of the Plan, and would report back when necessary to the Forum.

 

 

 

 

The suggested Task Groups are as follows:-

 

a)         Footpaths and Walkways (there is already a Parish Council Sub-Committee for this).

 

b)         Social Provision for the Elderly and Disabled (which could have representatives from groups that are already set up in the community).

 

c)          Pre-school and Early Years Holiday Provision (Crockerne Primary School, Ten Tots, Salvation Army and more existing groups would be the obvious starting point);

 

d)         Play Facilities (the Parish Council is already in discussion with youngsters).

 

e)          Conservation and Sustainability (newly formed Watchhouse Hill Improvement Group [WHIG], Pill in Bloom, St Georges Flower Bank).

 

f)          Environmental Improvement (looking generally at the way in which the Parish could be improved).

 

g)          Social Cohesion (concentrate on the positives and what could be done – the level of anti-social behaviour in this parish is no more than in any other).

 

Gerry asked if there were any questions.

 

Cllr Ralph Whiting suggested that the Parish Council do not want to prescribe the number of Task Groups that may be formed.  This will hopefully emerge from the Community Forum.

 

The Community Forum will also hold the purse strings for the funding for the implementation of the Parish Plan.

 

Gerry advised that there would be at least one member of the Parish Council on the Community Forum.  Cllr Bob Langton suggested that the Parish Plan is a fantastic framework for developing the community over a 10-year time frame.  He asked if the Community Forum would be a body that might work as a validating organisation for new ideas, and add further targets into the Parish Plan.  Both Gerry and Ralph agreed this was a good idea.

 

Gerry reported that a particular issue that had arisen was communications, and that a Community Website should be set up that can have links to other relevant websites in the Parish.  The Parish Council website had recently been updated, and it is now much easier and accessible to use.  Some groups and organisations have their own websites.  There is one grant that is immediately available to us and an application has been made to set up a community website.  Cllr Brian Murphy would be very happy to be involved in this.

 

Gerry advised that work has already started on some actions for play facilities, and discussions have already started between the PC and young people in the parish.  There has also been communication with the new Play Development Officer at NSC regarding providing a facility for the younger children in the village, namely a ‘Play Pod’.  Gerry described this and advised that it will be provided by the PC, funded by NSC and manned by a warden.

 

A new group, WHIG (Watchhouse Hill Improvement Group) has recently been formed.  This group is currently a sub-committee of the PC, but eventually it will be a community led group.

 

The Community Centre Lease has now been agreed between the PC and Community Centre Management Committee, and as soon as this has been signed and sealed the Community Centre will be handed over the to CCMC, who will then take forward their project to refurbish the building.

 

David Billington asked if the Task Groups would have access to funding.  Mike Goldsworthy advised that there is a Parish Plan Officer at North Somerset Council whose job it is to direct whatever funding is available towards specific issues that the PP has identified.  Various organisations have also been set up to assist with specific grants or projects.  Ralph Whiting reported that the PC has budgeted a sum for the next financial year, which will help towards implementation of the PP.  This sum would be made available to the Community Forum.

 

Gerry reported that the PC had thanked the steering group for the hard work they have put in towards the Parish Plan and all members are extremely grateful for it.

 

Ralph Whiting reminded all present that this is only the ‘plan’.  It has taken a lot of work over a long period of time, and unless it is taken up by the community, it will remain just a plan. 

 

Gerry advised that the Government has directed that it is important that local authorities (NSC) must take account of PPs when they set their policies, and in this respect the PC has attempted to direct the Secretary of State to request NSC to amend the Replacement Local Plan (Green Belt) to take into account the views of the PP, particularly when they devise their planning policies.

 

Gerry asked for a show of hands of anyone who would like to be involved in the Task Groups.  The following expressed an interest:-

 

Ivor King (Paths & Walkways)

Anne Brain (Footpaths Group)

Ted  Edgar (Health)

Peter Milner (Environmental Issues and Improvements)

Madelaine Bickle (Environmental Issues and Improvements)

Bob Langton (Environmental Issues and Improvements)

Jenny Billington (Conservation)

Liz Moore (Conservation)

Paul Kent (Youth & Play Facilities and Social Cohesion)

 

Peter Brewer (Pre-school and Early Years Provision).  Peter offered to make contact with all the relevant groups that have been mentioned and set up a meeting to take things forward.

 

With the exception of Ted Edgar, all of the above were happy to sit on the Community Forum.  Fred Gaskin was also happy to sit on the Community Forum.

 

 

 

Paul Kent asked if a newly formed Task Group would elect a Chairman.  Gerry advised that this would normally be the case.  Paul Kent suggested that it would be helpful for all new members to have some sort of overlap with Mike Goldsworthy.  Mike confirmed he was happ to be a member of the Forum, and advised of other organisations that would be very helpful in implementing the PP.

 

David Billington asked if there would be a Task Group dealing with health in a broad sweep.  Gerry suggested that maybe opening a dialogue is the only thing that would be needed, and a Task Group may not be necessary.  David advised that Patient Participation Groups have withered for various reasons.  Ted Edgar reported that at his previous surgery there was a Patient Forum that dealt with issues raised a couple of times per year, and if there was enough support the Pill Surgery would have one.

 

Liz Moore suggested that there are already quite strong groups formed in the community and was not sure if what was needed was another layer of management, and what would be gained from them meeting together.  Gerry advised that some groups may only need one meeting to establish common agreement about what needs to be done.

 

Peter Milner suggested there are lots of gaps, and some groups have not been considered.  For example, areas on the outskirts of the parish (fields behind allotments), where much concern has been raised about their future.  Ralph Whiting reported that there are a number of areas within the parish that are designated as common land, and many people are not aware of that and so these areas are neglected.  Gerry suggested that this issue could be taken on board by one of the groups that have been suggested.

 

Gail Martin stated that she was happy to be involved in a Community Centre fundraising group. 

 

Gerry advised that should anyone want to discuss this with a group before committing, they should contact the Parish Clerk if they then would like to be involved.

 

Ralph Whiting asked all present if they felt that they understood the concept of the Community Forum as it has been explained, and is it a viable concept.  A member of the audience suggested that there were only people of a certain age present, and it appeared that there were no youth groups represented.  Gerry advised that every group the PC knew of had been invited, and the meeting had also been mentioned in the February issue of the Pill Paper stating that all individuals were welcome.  He pointed out that, age group wise, there was a very small cross section represented here, and he would be speaking to those that had not attended.

 

Peter Milner suggested the main question was one of communication and cohesion, and knowing what other groups are doing.  He hoped that the community website would address this.

 

Gerry advised that new notice boards had been budgeted for next year, and that communication generally could be improved in the village.

 

 

 

 

 

Gerry advised of an idea he had on generally improving the environmental side of the village, and wondered whether some kind of ‘street warden’ for each road would be useful, somebody who was seen as the liaison person for that road, to whom all residents could report issues and submit ideas.  There are lots of Neighbourhood Watch groups in the parish, which could perhaps be extended to include this type of thing, not only looking at crime, but also improvement.

 

Mike Goldsworthy advised that if anybody would like to find out more, there is a meeting being held on Friday at Kewstoke, covering what do you do with your parish action plan (funding/contacts etc).  If interested, contact the Clerk and she will book a place.

 

Gerry advised that the Parish Council term of office comes to an end in April.  There are 15 Parish Councillors on the Parish Council and all are up for re-election.  If there was anybody who wanted to be involved in the community, they should put themselves forward.  Nominations have to be in by the 4th April.  There are 5 councillors representing Easton-in-Gordano and 10 representing Pill.

 

Any organisations/group wishing to be involved should in the first instance contact the Parish Council.  There will be another item in the next issue of the Pill Paper, and the Parish Plan will be discussed at the Annual Parish Meeting.  The first Task Group meetings may be possible in May, but there is no reason why any group shouldn’t have a meeting whenever it is formed.  The PC will contact all viable groups. 

 

Meeting ended at 20.53