15 July 2020 at 1900
Online video-conference
Agenda
1. Chairman’s Opening Remarks
2. Financial Report
3. Secretary’s Report
4. Community Engagement Report
5. Forum Redesignation Actions
Attendees:
Dave Collins (DC) Chairman
Kevin Hall (KH) Vice Chairman
Jonathan Marshall (JM) Treasurer
Tony Wallington (TW) Community Engagement
Mike Whelan (MW) Secretary
Mike Gibson (MG) Planning Consultant
Item 1 Chairman’s Opening Remarks
DC opened the meeting by thanking those present for their inputs regarding the video of the recent JSC meeting which discussed Forum redesignation. This had been helpful in drafting the Press Release.
Item 2 Financial Report
JM presented the financial report and the latest statement of receipts and payments. There has been no recent account activity due to the lack of funds. Current account balance £27.50 in credit. (Click here to see the report: https://bit.ly/sbnf-finances).
Item 3 Secretary’s Report
MW presented the Secretary’s Report. The agreed press release about the current status of the Forum has been published in the Shoreham Herald (online edition). SBNF’s longer piece relating to delays due to Covid-19 has also been published and the discussion has been opened up to all members via the comments form and emails. The latest Neighbourhood Plan page on the website has been simplified to improve document access for mobile device users on slow internet connections. The cost of running the website, form-processing, contact relationship management and mass email software is of the order of £170 per annum. MW is currently funding this himself, which needs to be addressed.
MW pointed out that the council website shows a very out of date membership map (2014) which needs updating. He thought some objectors might be getting their information from this source rather than the SBNF website (https://www.shorehambeachforum.com/members) and re-designation application, which is more up to date.
DC asked MW to estimate the projected costs for funding the website through to completion of the Neighbourhood Plan.
MG commented that some work still needs to be done to respond to Planners comments dating from September 2019.
Item 4 Community Engagement Report
TW presented the community engagement report:
Beach News: I usually write up & agree a draft with Dave but this time, I was happy to let him do his bit as the last couple of months has concerned the re-Designation application.
I wanted to clear up the matter of how many issues of BN come out yearly. It's not a quarterly publication, but three editions: Spring/Summer/Winter. This has now been corrected on our website.
SBRA: Since February, I know Joss has been heavily involved with the community with offers to assist with shopping and collecting prescriptions and a particularly heavy workload with visitors crowding the Beach etc. This she did in tandem with the vicar of Church of the Good Shepherd. Their monthly physical meetings are converted to emailed contributions that Joss collates and issues in draft for members to comment then a final copy is posted on their website. No Zooming.
Membership: During the remainder of March and into April, I emailed stakeholders with the Forum's latest position regarding a new Designation. Those businesses with a physical presence on the Beach who I had already visited in 2019, but did not have email addresses for, I posted physical, typed updates through their mail boxes.
I received a complaint via DC from a group of Beach Green residents who were accusing the Forum of not addressing their concerns about Beach Green and the MUGA when preparing the Regeneration policy. I emailed them to suggest I couldn't comment at present as the Forum was timed-out but when the Forum receives a fresh Designation, I'll return to them once I've spoken to members of that working group.
Item 5 Forum Redesignation Actions
DC asked members to consider the best way forward to increase community engagement and make suggestions to improve this. He proposed that Management Committee meetings should take place on a monthly basis. In the current situation these will continue to be an online video conference.
MG summarised the essential way forward as he saw it.
(i) Re-engage with the Adur planning officers to re-establish their support for the Neighbourhood Plan. This meeting should be held as soon as possible
(i) MG/MW to review /complete responses to ADC Planning Officers September 2019 comments
(iii) Establish an agreed and costed work programme with ADC officers to make the Neighbourhood Plan ready for Regulation 14 submission for presentation to JSC in September
· including meetings with neighbourhood stakeholder organisations (SBRA, FoSB etc) and a Have Your Say Day on proposed Reg 14 Draft Plan following re-designation in September.October
· Reg 14 Draft Plan Statutory Consultation – 6 weeks November – December
(iv) Amend Reg 14 to enable submission of Reg 16 Draft Plan January- February
KH suggested the Management Committee use all communication channels available to engage with forum members. We need to address the objections to redesignation that were reported at the JSC. To share the costs MW is incurring with the website, enable an AGM and Have Your Say days to take place KH suggested Management Committee members might make a voluntary contribution to the SBNF bank account to permit some spending to organise these events to take place.
JM welcomed the idea of such a voluntary contribution. Possible ways of doing this were discussed.
MW suggested using the existing PayPal donations function accessed via the websites Get Involved page.
TW pointed out that the earliest Neighbourhood Plan Referendum date, May 2021, coincides with council by-elections postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis. This timing could be a problem due to the uncertainty created by an election. He also stated that it was vital DC would be able to represent the forum’s interests at the next JSC redesignation meeting in September 2020.
MW stated we can share videos on the Forum’s YouTube channel to showcase progress. SBNF’s Facebook page has been generating an increasing number of likes recently. The digital infrastructure necessary to support future actions leading to completion of the Neighbourhood Plan are in place.
Any Other Business
Clarification was requested regarding the difference between SBNF subscribers and members. MW explained that subscribers only have to submit an email address to register interest in being kept informed. “Members” can influence the constitution and have voting rights at a forum AGM. They must be Beach residents/work on the beach and strict qualification rules apply – as specified by Neighbourhood Planning legislation. Details are explained at https://www.shorehambeachforum.com/members.
MG stressed how important membership records are to demonstrate there is a balanced representation and that members understand the basic conditions required by the legislation.
Meeting closed at 2045. The next Management Committee meeting is scheduled for 12 August 2020 at 1900.
Image courtesy of http://www.schultzeworks.com/philcopc/