Those in attendance: Roger Drew (Chair), Sue Pushman, Rachel Roshier, Doug Williams, Darren Williams, Roger Burrows and Helen Orton.
Introductions were made with all members of the steering group giving brief information as to how long they have been resident in the parish why they were interested in this project and what particular skills they felt they were able to offer.
There is a good opportunity on 19 April at the Community Day to further consult with residents of the parish as to the issues that should be covered in the Parish Plan. A similar exercise could be undertaken as was used on 13 March 2008. The Street Fair is another opportunity for further consultation. It was recognised that teenagers and young adults are the 2 most difficult groups to engage in the process of consultation. Further consideration should be given to this.
This was published in May 2000. All members of Steering Group to have a copy of the MCAP summary, 2 documents ,the complete document of the findings of the questionnaire and the Parish Plans prepared by Stowupland and Bramford. HO to circulate with these minutes.
The next meeting will be on Monday 14 April at 8.00pm and will be held in the Old School Rooms.
Bryan began the discussions by questioning whether there should be an aim of the Steering Group. It was agreed that the aim would be to compile a Parish Plan and the objectives would be to meet the needs of the village.
Roger Drew had drawn up the pros and cons of a new survey for the meeting. He was aware that basically Doug did not have a strong view either way but felt that generally a survey gathered too much information which made it harder to analyse and to put into a Parish Plan.
Bryan stated that he had lived in Mendlesham 14 years and so was around when the initial survey and plan was undertaken. He felt that a lot of time and effort had been put into it and it was a weighty document. He felt there was still a flavour of the key issues outstanding today.
It was questioned whether the parishioners could identify the benefits of the previous Parish Plan and survey and what the changes had been in comparison to what they would want now. Although the Parish Plan indicates what had been actioned in 2001/2002, it does not indicate what areas have been ongoing and what is still outstanding. It was agreed that this should have really been a working document which needs to be reviewed on a regular basis. If it has been reviewed, then this information does not appear to be available.
Following the publication of the new Parish Plan, it was agreed that the Parish Council would need to annually review the plan and timescales in order to consider the immediate results, the points that have been completed and the longer term projects. The Parish Council should work closely with the Parish Plan.
It was agreed that the process of the survey was extremely lengthy but the analysis of the information was somewhat weak. The links between the responses from the survey and the action plan appear to have been poor.
The Chairperson of the Parish Council is of the opinion that a further survey should not take place but that the Steering Group should make a decision through the consultation of everyone in the village.
On balance it was certainly the view not to carry out another survey unless there appears to be particular opposition. Consultation will take place to ensure the views of the majority of the village are sort.
It was pointed out that the result of the flyer informing all households of the meeting on 13th March 2008 was the number of the people attending the meeting. The result of the meeting was the members of the Steering Group which, at present, stood at 7/8.
From looking at the Village Design Statement devised in Bramford, the advantages and disadvantages were discussed. It was agreed that if there was a larger steering group then a Village Design Statement could be considered but as the Parish Plan was a considerable task in it’s self, the steering group would concentrate on this alone and did not feel able to undertake the Village Design Statement. It was agreed that expertise would need to be bought in or someone identified within the village who could undertake such a task. The author would need to be mindful of the audience and ensure that all the needs of the parish were considered. The Village Design Statement would be included in the Parish Plan and would clearly be a priority for the Parish Council but it was doubted how valuable it would be for the present residents.
The Parish Council have identified this as an important issue which was supported by everyone present. It was considered to be one of the most complex areas and ideas were discussed about how to address the consultation with young people. Communicating with the young people either through the schools or by direct face to face work would be necessary and consultation through the existing organisations could take place. It was agreed that expertise in this area would need to be sort in order not to put pressure on the young people and ensuring that the young people are listened to and responded to. It was felt that the one group of young people whose views really need to be sort were those who were not already involved in an existing organisation.
Bryan raised the idea that if young people were involved creatively with the Parish Plan, in a relaxed and voluntary basis, then they may wish to contribute constructively and feel it was worth being involved. There could be competitions to design posters, etc.
Helen agreed to look at the scope of contracting a detached youth worker if the budget could cover such an expense and the feasibility from Suffolk County Council.
Roger Drew suggested setting up a stand in a similar to fashion to the one Annette Gray did at the meeting on 13th March 2008. It was discussed and agreed that the stand would be covered all day.
All the Parish council will be present which will include Helen and Roger Burrows. Bryan will be there and Roger Drew has agreed to present some information on behalf of the steering group and the work so far. Roger will contact Sharon Jones for further details.
After consulting with some of the steering group, Roger Drew has booked a stand at the Street Fayre at a cost of £10 although he was aware we could apply for an exemption to the cost but this was not felt necessary. It was agreed the stand would need to make an impact; to identify the purpose of the stand in order to raise the profile of what the steering group and Parish Plan are trying to achieve. Roger agreed to contact Annette Gray about Suffolk Acre supporting the stand. Following the meeting Roger was informed that Annette Gray would have to charge for her time and it was considered too expensive when the members of the Steering Group could achieve similar outcomes at this stage.
The initial consultation with the village organisations would begin at the Village Open day on 19th April 2008. The members of the Steering Group would introduce themselves and explain the purpose and aim of the Parish Plan. Following consultations would hopefully identify the key issues of their members. The main issue would be to ensure that all members of the organisations should feel consulted.
Roger agreed to liaise and keep the Parish Council informed about the progress of the Steering Group. Rachel agreed to contact Carolyn Triscott regarding the Mendlesham Newsletter. It is hoped that the Steering Group would be able to submit an article each month, at a minimal cost, to keep the parishioners up to date with the progress of the Parish Plan in order to make them feel involved (indirectly).
The Parish Council have agreed an initial budget which will be reviewed on regular basis. Priority will be given to funding forms of consultant with young people
Please refer to the ‘Proposed Scope of Work for the Steering Group’ document. The timescale outlined in the above document was agreed by those present. The length of time the consultations with young people will take is in debate and will not be confirm/agreed until a decision is made on the method of consultation. There will be regular key meetings regarding ‘hot issues’ = the ACTIONS. The aim is to finish the Parish Plan by the end of October. It was agreed it would be useful to have the timeframe to identify particular issues although, if necessary, a change direction could be taken within the timeframe.
Sue Pushman had contacted Roger Drew and no longer wants to be involved with the Steering Group due to family commitments
The next Steering Group meeting will take place on Tuesday 20th May 2008 at 8pm and will be held in the Old School Room, Mendlesham.
There were no comments or matters arising regarding the minutes from the meeting on 14th April 2008.
Introductions and apologies are as above. The 11 people above make up the steering group at present.
It was discussed that the Parish Council is likely to fund some of the additional costs; the Community Council and the County Councillor also have budgets which could be used for such activities.
Bryan Allen was due to attend a Suffolk Acre Course on 10th May 2008 but unfortunately this was cancelled.
Suffolk Acre had funding to support the process but their policy has changed and they now charge for their help. Roger Drew initially spoke to Annette about her support for the Street Fayre but decided for the group to go ahead alone which was reported to have worked well.
Helen Orton reported that the Parish Council would not necessarily be able to fund the entire plan after the initial set up although they would consider supporting costed projects. It was discussed that a Parish Plan has proven to help with obtaining grants for projects. Roger Burrows clarified that the Parish Council was sponsoring the Parish Plan but this should not cause a problem with funding in principle.
There were fewer people at this event than expected but there were a number of comments raised over the day. It was extremely beneficial as it started the communications with the organisations and the contact list began to form.There is a report from this day available.
This was the annual meeting when organisations present their reports to the village. It was discussed that over the years there attendance of this meeting has declined, where once it was a sociable village evening it is more formal now. A detailed report from the Toddlers Group highlighted their serious problems and if the situation is not resolved by September, the group will have to close. In summary, the new venue of the Mendlesham Green Scout Hut is causing problems and so attendance has declined which is noticeable as the older families are not being replaced by new younger families. When the group was held in the St Joseph’s Centre, people would just drop in where as now they have to make a special journey. It is a good point of contact and communication for young mothers who would otherwise be isolated. This group would particularly benefit from being on the Community Centre site as the children then move on to Pre-School and the Primary School.
Sharon Jones gave a good presentation regarding the issues in relations to the School, Community Centre and Playing Field site. With a coherent plan, everyone’s needs could be met.
Darren Williams discussed that there are conflicting needs over the small hall and the football club pitches. Ideally the site needs to get used by all the organisations but this will depend on the school profile. Unfortunately at a presentation to the community, only 8 people attended. The Community Centre had been loosing money over the last 10 years although it has now started to make money.
The Street Fayre was a successful afternoon and considered a worthwhile exercise as the group made some good contacts as a number of people did stop at the stand and was a good opportunity to meet people from Mendlesham. There were a number of discussions around the plan which were food for thought.
Prior to the Street Fayre, a decision was made regarding the Parish Plan having a logo on all documents and to use yellow paper to publicise the plan.
Roger Drew referred to the Emerging Issues Document. Roger explained he had grouped together certain issues as had been done in the existing Community Action Plan and added the three geographical areas of the Woodland, Mendlesham Green and the School/ Community Centre site as separate issues.
These were listed in order of the priorities in the original Action Plan although these may not be the priorities for the new Parish Plan. It is a basis for the Group Consultations which need to move beyond the issues and discuss appropriate actions to be taken. The issues need to be discussed substantively.
In the Parish Meeting there was a healthy discussion around the flooding in Wash Lane. At present there is no weighting on these issues but these are all the issues that have been raised so far. It was noted that some issues are personal views.
Roger Burrows felt that some issues had already been addressed, and gave his views, such as:
It was felt that this discussion could continue for every issue which there as not time in the meeting.
The Old School Room would also need to be included as part of the strategic discussions as a facility in the village.
It was questioned whether the existing resources are being used effectively in the village. The village has an opportunity to purchase further land which would help the development of the community site and alleviate some of the problems. It is all part of the bigger vision of utilising what we have already got which is where the consultations need feedback from the villagers. It was agreed that there were three options for the school in the future, to remain the same, to expand or to close. The pre-school has expanded a great deal over the past few years and so runs mornings and afternoons five days a week, it is vital for the football club to have pitches within the centre rather than outside the village and the Toddler group need to be on the community site. There is now a fantastic play area on the playing field. The village needs to look at marketing the usage of these facilities and resources in order to consider the future development.
A member of the Steering Group raised the issue that a facility for teenagers was being moved on and decisions were being made by one particular parish councillor despite the fact that the Parish Council had asked the Steering Group to gain the recommendations of the village.
A member of the Steering Group reported that it had been requested that the project was postponed as the site is owned by three different groups; the project cannot be stopped by a certain group. It was agreed that the groups need to work together.
The Parish Plan will gather a range of diverse opinions but the Action Plan will highlight the priorities. It will focus on the small issues just as much as the big issues and will include immediate, short, medium and long term plans. The smaller immediate issues will make the village feel the plan has made a difference.
It was noted that Doug Williams was particularly interested in the Community Centre/ School Playing Field site.
An idea was voiced about the bringing together a working group to discuss and develop the planning process particularly for this site which would include representation from each group that uses or would need to use the facilities/ resources.
There are three options for this site:
It was questioned whether if extra land was purchased, the Community Centre Committee may not be able to manage the whole site alone. The village need to contribute their views. It was felt that the Parish Council might not be the right organisation to pull the project together. The Steering Group may be seen as neutral and could get more people to express their views but if a new group was formed the there would be no existing negative views.
It was agreed that the role of the Steering Group is to highlight the issues to the Parish Council of what the village wants by collating the information but the majority of the members of the Steering Group felt it was not the Steering Group’s job to make the decisions at this time.
There are certain projects that are urgent issues that need to be address in the near future but with each scenario, if a building was erected in a particular place, it could block the site developing and would not be beneficial. Careful consideration needs to be given for every scenario.
Darren Williams reported that half of the organisations use either the community centre or small hall.
The Parish Plan Steering Group needs to obtain the wishes and requirements of the village through the consultations and then to present these recommendations to a new Community Centre/School/Playing Field Steering Group.
So far in relation to this issue, Sharon Jones’ presentation is the only thing to happen.
It was a concern that the Youth Shelter may be erected in an inappropriate place despite the work of the Parish Plan Steering Group.
It was questioned whether a Design Statement for the School/ Community Centre/Playing Field Site would be of some benefit.
The important issue was around getting organisations to relate to the other groups which would open the village and organisations up and improve communication and working relationships. From this, the possibilities are immense and could really make a difference to Mendlesham.
It was agreed that an individual consultation session should be undertaken with the residents as there are particular issues with Mendlesham Green. It appears that Mendlesham has been getting all the facilities but no improvements are made in Mendlesham Green such as the playing field equipment. It was considered that there was the ‘poor cousin’ attitude towards Mendlesham Green and so an emphasis of the issues in that area needs to be addressed. A meeting in the Scout Hut for consultation in Mendlesham Green will be arranged.
The presentation evening during the second week of July will develop communication.
Rachel Roshier explained that it had been agreed that the Steering Group could have a page a month in the Mendlesham Newsletter in order to keep the village up to date with the project and to aid the consultations. The first article would be in the June Magazine and she would then write another for July Newsletter. If any members of the Steering Group wanted to contribute to this article then they were welcome and just needed to contact Rachel.
Mike Favager offered to set up a website for the Parish Plan which is a relatively low cost form of communication with the members of the village. It was also discussed that a website can produce data and could be a forum for young people to contribute their views. This could be linked to the Parish Council Website and to other organisations within Mendlesham.
Cindy Clements will be asked if her photographs of the village could be included on the website.
Suffolk Acre had advised Roger that if the Steering Group did not have a budget, it may hinder the Parish Plan obtaining funding in the future.
The problem the steering group had at present was that, apart from a few obvious costs, it was unknown what expenses may be occurred in the future. The main and largest costs will be the youth consultation and the publication of the Parish Plan document.
Roger Drew was awaiting details regarding the publication costs from Sharon Jones who had been getting a number of quotes.
The quality of the final document was discussed and agreed that a polished document similar to the example from Stowupland would be ideal as it was easy to read and informative. It was felt that the document needed to capture people’s interest as it would be an ongoing project. It would need to be publicised in the right way. It was also agreed that one copy of the Parish Plan would be distributed to each household in Mendlesham and Mendlesham Green free of charge.
So far it has been agreed that the Parish Council will be paying for the hire of the meeting rooms.
It was agreed that a budget should be drawn up and would include the following:
At present Sharon Jones was keeping a record of the costs incurred so far and these would be transferred to Roger.
Jill Wiltshear said she was happy to be involved although she was unsure of how she could contribute apart from giving the views as a Mendlesham resident.
Mike Favager said he was happy to be involved.
The next Steering Group meeting will take place on Tuesday 24th June 2008 at 8pm and will be held in the Old School Room, Mendlesham.