To receive and update on the Windsor Neighbourhood Plans and an opportunity for the Chairmen of the Windsor Neighbourhood Plan Groups to address the Forum.

Helen Price, Member of the Windsor Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (WNPSG) gave a short presentation covering the background to the Neighbourhood Plan (NP), what the WNPSG had been doing and what was going to happen next in terms of the Windsor Neighbourhood Plan.

 

Members of the Forum noted the following key points of the presentation:

 

Ø  In 2012 local communities were given the opportunity to develop a NP for their area.

Ø  Ascot and the Sunnings already had their own NP and it was likely there would be a further 10 NP’s.

Ø  NP’s were limited in what they could cover. They could not cover strategic matters and they could not conflict with National Planning Guidelines or the Borough Local Plan.

Ø  The current WNPSG was formed in 2014 at the same time as Windsor 2030 was created which covered the Town Centre of Windsor as well as the Central Riverside area.

Ø  The WNPSG and Windsor 2030 were staffed by volunteers that have had to learn legislation as they went along. They also had to contend with changes to legislation, delays with the Borough Local Plan and issues around Green Belt land and Crown Estate land.

Ø  The WNP Forum meetings were open to all and there were currently 39 Forum Members.

Ø  Four public consultations had been carried out; nine major and minor surveys and numerous presentations had been carried out.

Ø  The Plan was consultation led and evidence based.

Ø  For the current pre-submission consultation there would be a permanent display of the plan in three locations and the WNPSG  were contacting as many residents and interested organisations they had email addresses for.

Ø  There is a six week consultation and the WNPSG were making presentations, holding information days and producing leaflets.

Ø  The purpose of the consultation was to check the WNPSG had got it right by consulting as widely as possible with the local community.

Ø  The plan contained several proposed policies and key objectives for Windsor.

 

The Policies and key Objectives are:

 

Ø  Natural Environment (including Open Space)

o   Protecting and improving green spaces to ensure residents live in a high quality natural environment

Ø  Appearance (including character, heritage, design and views)

o   Influencing how Windsor looks, including guidelines for future development

Ø  Getting around

o   Improving accessibility, parking provision and cycling.

Ø  Housing and Community

o   Housing provision and community facilities bringing people together

Ø  Working and Shopping

o   Supporting small and large businesses and combatting the loss of pubs.

 

Some of the policies were for specific places, including:

Ø  Dedworth Road

Ø  The former Imperial House and Police Station Quarter

Ø  Legoland

Ø  Royal Windsor Racecourse.

 

The next steps:

Ø  All comments received would be considered by the WNNPSG and the Plan would be amended accordingly.

Ø  Peer review by the Planning Inspector or equivalent to ensure the Plan complied with all regulations.

Ø  Submit the Plan to RBWM to check it met basic conditions – a minimum of six weeks.

Ø  Independent examination

Ø  Referendum to take place organised by the Royal Borough – a minimum of five weeks (around mid 2017).

Ø  If a positive result, the Royal Borough would bring the Plan into force and it would be used to determine future planning applications in the area, with a delivery group set up as had been done with the Ascot and the Sunnings NP

 

The Chairman opened up the discussion to the Members of the Forum and the public for comment.

 

Ann Taylor confirmed that the Conservation Areas in Windsor were still very valid and relevant and that there were relevant Policies on conservation areas to strengthen and enhance the conservation areas of Windsor. There was also a trees policy and the Borough Local Plan contained a tree preservation policy to preserve trees at their best. There were restrictions with the NP as trees were covered by other policies such as the Royal Borough’s own tree policy so the NP was limited in that respect.

 

In terms of cycling and dealing with cyclists that did not follow the highway code, the Town Centre Manager, Paul Roach was trying to deal with that issue but, that was not something which could be dealt with through the NP.

 

Robert Paddison gave a brief presentation outlining the Windsor 2030 Neighbourhood Plan (NP) and where the steering group were with it. The main points of the presentation included:

 

Ø  The vision which sets out what the NP Forum are trying to achieve.

Ø  The NP Forum via a steering group was developing a NP for regenerating Windsor, it was based on evidence from the community and was summarised into three key themes. The themes are:

o   Five Star Windsor

o   Heritage

o   Economic Development

Ø  The steering group were working with consultants to make the NP locally distinctive.

Ø  Five Star Windsor was a description of the end to end experience the steering group would like everybody who uses Windsor to enjoy.

Ø  Windsor’s heritage was one of its most important assets which is true for businesses as much as it is for residents.

Ø  It is important to preserve and enhance the area as much as possible.

Ø  The NP was supporting economic growth by improving access for all, which included parking and transport. It also included ensuring the Town was a place that businesses wanted to stay in.

Ø  The future programme was as follows:

o   Consultants had drafted a plan

o   The steering group had amended it

o   The NP was currently in the latter stages of modification/finalisation

o   The draft would be referred to the NP Forum for approval

o   Pre-submission (Regulation 14) version for consultation would be soon.

 

Paul Roach, Town Manager (Windsor) confirmed the key priorities of the NP were about protecting what was unique about Windsor for visitors, residents and businesses; it was the Council that protected open spaces.

 

Robert Paddison, Neighbourhood Plans Project Lead confirmed it was important to identify non-designated assets but, he was not aware of a list of them being produced as part of the NP. The Town Manager stated that non-designated assets had been discussed within the steering group who were clear about what should happen.

 

The Windsor Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group had  invited Windsor 2030 to meetings but, they had not received any response or any anybody attending the meetings . They also mentioned that the Windsor 2030 steering group website had not been updated for some time. They added that there had been an agreement to work together but, that was proving difficult.

 

Councillor Bowden commented that he liked the phrase Five Star Windsor but that Windsor 2030 should not be using the term ‘regenerate Windsor’. Windsor was a world wide brand and he did not think that Windsor Town Centre needed regenerating.

 

v  Action: Paul Roach, Town manager to follow up with the steering group as to why their last set of minutes had not been published on their website.

v  Action: Paul Roach, Town Manager to raise difficulties with working together with WNPF with the Windsor 2030 steering group

 

Update - Specific aspects of the BLP

 

Russell O’Keefe, Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services, stated he was providing an overall update on the Borough Local Plan. The main points the Forum noted were:

 

Ø  Summer 2016 the BLP reached final draft stage

Ø  There were a range of issues to be addressed prior to submission

Ø  Extra consultations with communities were to take place before going to Cabinet in November 2016

Ø  Full consultation would take place in December 2016 on Regulation 18

Ø  Following the consultation, the council would review all feedback and adjust the Plan accordingly

Ø  The Plan would then go before Full Council in February 2017

Ø  Following that, a full consultation would take place on Regulation 19

Ø  All comments following that consultation would be collated and sent to the Planning Inspectorate in April 2017

Ø  Both the Regulation 18 and Regulation 19 consultations would take six weeks to complete.

Ø  Infrastructure delivery plan to would be delivered alongside the BLP and would be published on the Council website.

Ø  The draft would be available of the Infrastructure delivery plan but, would not form part of the consultation

Ø  The programme for Windsor specific elements of the BLP to engage with residents would be in the form of leaflets and information on the website.

Ø  The intention was to make it easy for residents to engage with the process

Ø  There would be information promoted through channels such as Facebook, Twitter, libraries, the Town Hall and also in Around the Royal Borough publications. The communications would contain dates of when information would be made available.

 

Robert Paddison, Neighbourhood Plans Project Lead confirmed that Regulation 19 was not about content and was about process of producing the Borough Local Plan. The draft of the Borough Local Plan (placed on the web site) in summer 2016 was a draft regulation 19 version which needed more work on it,  which was being carried out. The Regulation 19 consultation is planned to begin in February 2017. The Plan was published in summer 2016 but it did not progress to Regulation 19 due to legal advice.

 

Russell O’Keefe, Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services stated the council would be carrying our Regulation 18 consultation where residents can submit comments and feedback. Cllr Bowden commented the BLP was motoring ahead but he feared after October 2016 following the decision regarding the third runway at Heathrow, that would mean the council would need to re-look at how the council accommodated the need for extra housing, business and flight. Cllr Quick said she was hoping that would not be the case as the Borough very strongly opposed the third runway. Cllr quick added she felt it would be good if there was a short summary on the BLP so that people could get to grips with the Plan and that as the consultation period crossed over with Christmas, the consultation period may need to be extended.