22/11/2018 SC Minutes

SHADWELL NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE

Meeting held at 8 pm on Monday, 22 November 2018
Kindly hosted by HJ

MINUTES

Item 1 – Apologies for absence

Apologies from ES

Item 2 – To agree minutes

Minutes from 15 October 2018 were agreed.

Item 3 – Update about the public open day

It was felt that the day went very well. 56 people attended, including our 3 Ward Councillors, and our MP Alec Shelbrooke, who expressed their support, and thanks to the Steering Committee and advisors, for the Draft Plan.

There were 9 written comments left on the day, and many discussions and questions. Over the whole 6 week exercise, there were a substantial number of comments and observations submitted, which were generally very supportive. There were just two comments which expressed objection to parts of the Draft Plan, both from affected landowners. There were also comments from the various statutory consultees. PB has included all the comments on an assessment table, relating each to the appropriate section of the draft plan. All comments and observations will be properly considered, and dealt with appropriately, which, after taking advice, may require the draft plan to be subject to some detailed amendments. The assessment and actions on the comments will be made publicly available as part of the Consultation Statement on submission of the Plan for Examination.

Item 4 – Discussion of PB's appraisal of comments to date

(as circulated prior to the meeting)

PB advised that various matters raised required discussion by the Steering Committee.

Description of the village and its needs:

LCC has advised that the use of the word "atmosphere" in a policy could be difficult to interpret. Therefore, more description is needed at the beginning of the Plan, outlining and defining what that "atmosphere" is and using that definition in the policy instead. There could also be more detail of what the people of Shadwell want to see for the future, as expressed in the Vision.

Bio-diversity

There were substantial points raised in comments about bio-diversity, which the Steering Committee generally accepts. PB suggested that the importance attached to bio-diversity should be identified where appropriate throughout the document, rather than introducing a new policy. The question of whether there is an SSSI off Gateland Lane was discussed. AB will send a habitat map for consideration (subsequent viewing of the online Leeds Natural Environment map, which includes the Leeds Habitat Network shows Pits Wood, Dan Quarry and other woodland areas as part of the Network, but none are SSSIs). It was agreed that hedges were important and should be included in the trees and gardens section.

Public Rights of Way

AB indicated it is good practice to include details of footpaths and their condition in NPs. DT agreed to provide a document showing footpaths in the village. (DP subsequently provided PB with a copy of the PRoW Condition Survey carried out March 2012).

Local Green Space

School Playing Fields. This is a protected pitch in the saved policies of the UDP, though that doesn't prevent development if it ever became surplus to requirements. At some stage the school, an important local facility, may need to expand, and the earlier decision not to designate it as Local Green Space was endorsed.

It was agreed to investigate the privately-owned but publicly accessible woodland off Ash Hill Lane, suggested during the consultation as a possible LGS.

Ridge and Furrow fields

The field south of Main Street with visible ridge and furrow earthworks had been identified partly because of corroborating evidence of markings shown on the Inclosure Award map included in "Shadwell and its People". We were advised by two feedbacks that the original 1807 Inclosure Awards map did not include these markings, which may therefore have been added before publication of "Shadwell and its People" in 1978 without recording the changes. It was noted that the age of the ridge and furrow currently visible is, as yet, unclear. The owner of the field suggests that the feature may be the result of C19th steam ploughing, rather than a medieval feature, and objected to its inclusion both as a Local Green Space and a non-designated heritage asset. AM endorsed PB's suggestion that the field be removed from the list of LGSs because of the lack of strong historical evidence and this was accepted by the Steering Committee. However, it would remain in the Green Belt and not suitable for development (an objection to the current draft Site Allocations Plan is not a concern of the Neighbourhood Plan at present). The request from a landowner for a meeting with the Parish Council would be considered by the PC. For its part, the Steering Committee would post on the website an acknowledgement of, and thanks for, all comments received. There will be a future opportunity for all people who submitted comments to make further representations on the submitted Plan when it is published, in accordance with the statutory procedures.

Non-designated heritage assets

There are other areas within the Parish which may be medieval or older ridge and furrow, such as between the school and Charville Gardens. These are less visible but are clearly marked on the LIDAR maps. As Historic England has suggested that consideration should also be given to the wider historic landscape, due to its historic association with the village and its contribution to the village's setting, it was agreed that PB should contact Historic England and WYAS about all the land around Shadwell village. The significance of various features of the historic landscape, including ridge and furrow markings of various ages, could be considered when assessing their value as heritage assets. PB also advised that the general historical development of the village could be more fully described in the Plan.

PB advised that the Examiners for the Bramham and Kippax NPs indicated that an NP cannot identify non-designated heritage assets, but AM confirmed that Leeds CC takes a different view.

The "Holy Well" on Holywell Lane. It was agreed that, although this is of local importance, there is insufficient evidence to determine the exact location, so it would not be included.

Stone date marker, at the side of the field track south of the corner of Winn Moor Lane and Gateland Lane. This needs to be found and investigated to determine local importance.

Maps

AM offered to provide detailed maps of non-designated heritage assets as well as revised LGS maps. PB will liaise when these are finalized.

NPPF References

As the Plan is unlikely to be submitted before the 25th January NPPF references will be changed to the 2018 version.

Holywell Triangle Conservation Area

At present this is referred to in the Draft Plan as if it were adopted. If, at the submission stage it has not been adopted, references will need to refer to "proposed" Conservation Area. JT indicated that he was hopeful that movement towards adoption would be made shortly. Ward Cllr Robinson had offered to help with funds for the Public Consultation of the Conservation Area. JT requested that the Parish Council organize the Public Consultation, in conjunction with LCC conservation team.

Community Facilities

It was agreed to include the school in the list of community facilities, also to change the description of the Holywell Lane Recreation Centre to "large" rather that "largest" following a feedback comment.

Housing

There was a suggestion from LCC (and obliquely from others) that the housing mix Policy might include a threshold for the provision of the required mix. This will be considered. Also, as there are no allocated sites, the plan needs to make it clearer how the required housing mix can be provided through small-scale windfall development.

Community Action

Agreed to re-name "Projects" as "Community Action". As the trustees of the Recreation Centre wish to redevelop, this would be added to the list of community actions.

Appendices

AM confirmed that Plans can refer to appendices (the Linton NP Examiner has struck out an appendix from that plan). The existing appendices (amended as required) would therefore be retained in the final Shadwell plan.

Item 5 - Any other business

It was agreed to keep the NP bank account open for the time being.

Item 6 - Date of next meeting

To be considered in January 2019.