Agenda and minutes

Venue: COUNCIL HOUSE, PLYMOUTH (NEXT TO CIVIC CENTRE)

Contact: Ross Johnston, Secretary to the Local Access Forum 

Items
No. Item

18.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this Agenda.

Minutes:

The following declarations of interest were made by members in accordance with the Code of Conduct –

 

Name

Subject

Reason

Interest

Councillor Churchill

Chair’s Urgent Business – Plym Valley Cycle Trail

(minute 20 refers)

 

Member of Planning Committee

 

Personal

Councillor Wheeler

Chair’s Urgent Business – Plym Valley Cycle Trail

(minute 20 refers)

Member of Planning Committee

 

Personal

 

19.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 92 KB

The Forum will be asked to confirm the minutes of the 13 June 2011.

Minutes:

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 13 June 2011 are approved.

20.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Plym Valley Cycle Trail

Ray Fairchild, Chair of the LAF informed members that the National Trust had recently made an application to the Planning Authority for a Plym Valley Cycle Trail. It was commented by members that –

 

(a)

in principle the idea of a cycle trail was supported, however, Forum members were concerned about the proposed location due to issues about car parking and current users;

 

(b)

the application demonstrated that the National Trust was becoming more receptive to the needs of the wider public audience, which was encouraging;

 

(c)

consultation on the cycle trail had been minimal and as such the Forum felt that the consultation deadline on the planning application should be extended.

 

Agreed that –

 

(1)

Ian Stewart, Vice-Chair would draft a letter to the Planning department in response to the Plym Valley Cycle Trail planning consultation deadline asking for the deadline to be extended for the Forum to make comments following a site visit;

 

(2)

the LAF Secretary would seek to organise a working group on the Plym Valley Cycle Trail by 23 September 2011 and invite all Forum members to attend;

 

(3)

a copy of John Emery’s email on the Plym Valley Cycle Trail be emailed to all Forum Members.

 

21.

TRACKING RESOLUTIONS pdf icon PDF 35 KB

To monitor progress on previous resolutions.

 

Minutes:

Members noted their tracking resolutions.

22.

REVIEW OF THE TERMS OF REFERENCE pdf icon PDF 52 KB

To review the PLAF’s terms of reference.

Minutes:

Agreed the terms of reference is approved.

23.

DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2010/11 pdf icon PDF 922 KB

The Forum will consider the draft Plymouth Local Access Forum annual report for 2010/11.

Minutes:

The Forum considered the 2010-2011 draft annual report and commented that it was pleasing to see statistics on public rights of way being included in the annual report at section 4.10, however, the statistics recorded could be improved to make them clearer and more comparable.

 

Agreed that –

 

(1)

the PROW Officer would write a statement to be included under the statistics at 4.10 informing the reader as legal process in progress;

 

(2)

subject to (1) being complete the 2010 - 2011 annual report is approved for publication.

 

24.

WHITLEIGH: SAFER AND SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL 2011 (CONSULTATION RESULTS: PRELIMINARY REPORT) pdf icon PDF 124 KB

The Forum will receive an update report on progress of the Whitleigh: Safer and Sustainable Travel 2011consultation results (previously known as Access Whitleigh Project).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members noted the report.

 

Agreed to invite Rosie Dale, Major Schemes Officer to attend the Forum’s next meeting on 12 December 2011 to provide an update on the Whitleigh: Safer and Sustainable Travel project.

25.

STEPPING STONES TO NATURE PROJECT UPDATE pdf icon PDF 95 KB

The Stepping Stones to Nature Project Coordinator will provide an update report on the Stepping Stones to Nature project (Year 2 July 2010 – June 2011).

Minutes:

Zoe Goss, Project Coordinator provided an update about the Stepping Stones to Nature Project in Plymouth and informed members that –

 

(a)

the project, which was close to concluding its second year of a four year project, had achieved excellent progress in engaging people positively in using green space;

 

(b)

as part of positively engaging people in using green space the project had coordinated events at a number of green spaces across the city including –

 

 

·        

Woodland wood;

 

 

·        

Ham woods;

 

 

·        

Southway Valley LNR;

 

 

·        

Efford Valley;

 

 

·        

Forder Valley;

 

(c)

the project had delivered a number of capital improvements within woodlands to provide visible physical improvements which had encouraged increased participation;

 

(d)

the project had delivered many successes in its first two years and would continue to strive forward in years three and four developing on the already successful improvements to improving access to woodlands and information and by building confidence of people using green spaces.

 

Agreed to distribute to all Forum members the Stepping Stones to Nature Project Annual Report for year two.

26.

PLYMOUTH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT pdf icon PDF 555 KB

The forum will receive a briefing report on the Green Infrastructure Plan.

 

Minutes:

Members received a report on the Plymouth Green Infrastructure Project.

 

Agreed that –

 

(1)

theLAF Secretary would seek to find out how many Forum members could be nominated to sit on the Saltram Countryside Park Stakeholder Forum. Subject to three members being allowed the Forum nominated Ray Fairchild, Chair, Ian Stewart, Vice-Chair and John Skinner;

 

(2)

a list of Forum Members nominated to sit out on other bodies be provided at a future meeting.

 

27.

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK CONSULTATION

Minutes:

Forum members received a consultation request on the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

It was agreed not to respond to the consultation as a Forum but members were minded that they could respond to the consultation as individuals.

28.

RECRUITMENT TO THE PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY DEPARTMENT

To receive an update from the Public Rights of Way Officer.

Minutes:

Robin Pearce, Public Rights of Way (PROW) Officer provided members with an update on recruitment to the PROW department. Members were informed that –

 

(a)

the University of Plymouth were receptive to the idea of providing an intern to the PROW department;

 

(b)

due to a staff restructure and the implementation of the Accommodation Strategy the idea of recruiting an intern had been put on hold;

 

(c)

the intern employed would suitably be a student of geography or similar subject and be available for a year’s work experience in order to assist with the backlog of footpaths awaiting to be added to the definitive map.

 

Forum members commented that they felt that recruiting an intern was intrinsic to the expediency of footpaths becoming defined as PROW.

 

Agreed that –

 

(1)

a letter be written by Ray Fairchild, Chair, in consultation with the LAF Secretary and PROW Officer, to the Chief Executive of Plymouth City Council identifying the need for the recruitment of a University Intern at the earliest opportunity;

 

(2)

an updated list of Forum members contact details be distributed to all members via email.

 

29.

WORKING GROUPS

To receive updates from any recent working groups and to agree any working groups for items on this agenda.

29a

RIGHTS OF WAY IMPROVEMENT PLAN WORKING GROUP

Minutes:

The Forum was informed that a recent working group undertook to look into the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) – work programme priorities and that the working group recommended that the ROWIP should spend the money from the Local Transport Plan on revising the South West Coast Path Walking Guide and improving historic trails in Plymouth.

 

The PROW Officer, who also attended the working group, gave an update on the recommendations made by the working group. Members were informed that –

 

(a)

the work on revising the South West Coast Path Walking Guide had been commissioned and that 10,000 books would be produced and be available free of charge to members of the public;

 

(b)

only one of the five historic footpaths would have been improved using the money allocated, however, subsequently more money had become available and now all five historic footpaths could be improved;

 

(c)

 

in order to improve all historic footpaths the PROW Officer needed to be aware of what improvements were required and requested for a volunteer to undertake the research.

 

Agreed that Ray Fairchild, Chair would walk two of the five historic paths in Plymouth and report back on what improvements are required to the PROW Officer.

30.

WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 189 KB

To receive the Forum’s Work Programme for 2011/2012.

Minutes:

Members noted their work programme and agreed that –

 

(a)

the following items be added to the work programme:

 

 

· 

South West Coast Path update – 12 December 2011;

 

 

· 

Public slipways update – 12 December 2011;

 

 

· 

Eastern Corridor Development update – 12 December 2011;

 

 

· 

MVVUmvelt Incinerator – 12 March 2012;

 

(b)

a site visit be organised within the next six weeks to look at three separate woodland sites that have had significant improvements made to them through the Stepping Stones to Nature project;

 

(c)

the recent Planning Authority consultation be included on the agenda for the next Forum meeting and be emailed to all members for consideration.

 

31.

CORRESPONDENCE pdf icon PDF 99 KB

To consider any correspondence received and note any correspondence sent by the Forum.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Forum noted their correspondence and agreed that in response to the letter received on 13 July 2011 from Ian Gillhespy, Senior Valuation Surveyor, he be invited to the next meeting of the Forum to provide an update on Statutory Land Transfers for Ridgeway School and Coombe Dean School.

32.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held at10:30am on Monday 12 December 2011 at the Council House, Armada Way, Plymouth.

Minutes:

Agreed that the next meeting of the Forum be held at 10.30am on Monday 12 December 2011.

33.

ISSUES ARISING FROM FORUM MEMBERS

To discuss any issues brought forward by members of the Forum.

Minutes:

Following issues raised Members were provided with an update on the following –

 

(a)

Ridgeway School Extinguishment Order;

 

(b)

the Royal William Yard;

 

(c)

the South West Coast Path;

 

(d)

city wide signage for footpaths.