There were two members of public present who did not wish to speak.

Apologies

The Town Clerk reported that apologies for absence had been received from Cllr N J Chard, Cllr M F J Daly and Cllr L C Ford.

Declarations of Interest

There were none.

Present:

Cllr B H Terry (Town Mayor)
Cllr P Chambers
Cllr N R G Clarke
Cllr D R Cole
Cllr D E Cracknell (for part of the meeting)
Cllr J D Heron
Cllr W S Rippon-Swaine
Cllr Mrs J Terry
Cllr M A Steele
Cllr M J Urwin
Cllr A C Wiseman

In Attendance:

Mr T Simpson, Town Clerk
Mrs J Stannard, Deputy Town Clerk
District Councillor C Treleaven (for part of the meeting)
Rachel Giles, Student Adviser
James Fullick, Student Adviser
Ryan Montgomery, Student Adviser

C/4761 Minutes of Previous Meeting

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 31st October 2007, having been circulated, be approved and signed as a correct record.

C/4762 Suspension of Standing Orders

The Town Mayor suggested that Standing Orders be suspended to allow Members to speak more than once on the following item.

RESOLVED: That those parts of Standing Orders that would prohibit Members speaking more than once be suspended.

C/4763 New Forest Local District Local Development Framework – Core Strategy

Members considered the Town Clerk’s report (Annex ‘A’) on the District Council’s Core Strategy Development Plan Document – Preferred Options, which set out the planning policies for that part of the District outside the National Park for the next 20 years . The Town Clerk informed Members that his report referred to key issues that had been identified and discussed by the Council before. All Members had previously received a copy of the Core Strategy, and a copy of a draft response form that had been compiled by the Town Mayor and Chairman of the Planning, Town & Environment Committee, with the Town Clerk, was circulated at the meeting for discussion.

Members discussed each section of the response form in detail and amendments were agreed. Particular reference was made to those sections relating to the green belt boundary and housing and employment issues.

There was also concern that the Strategy did not include the New Forest National Park and that it would be neither coherent nor effective unless it looked at the district as a whole.

With regard to employment land sites, it was noted that both existing sites and reserved sites were served by inadequate roads. However, there was now an opportunity to look at creating a new site on the edge of the urban area, to avoid bringing more traffic through the town centre.

On the subject of transport, it was suggested that, if the District and County Councils were to be serious about the implications of climate change, they should be encouraged to make provision to reduce reliance on the private car, and should fund and promote adequate public transport.

It was agreed that affordable housing should not be provided at the cost of private sector housing. This would have the effect of pushing up prices and would effectively restrict the housing market further. Members agreed that priority should therefore be given to low cost housing.

There was concern about the level of infill development occurring in the town and it was thought that it would be preferable to redevelop whole areas, rather than trying to cram new houses into back gardens. It was further agreed that density should not be the defining issue in certain areas, but that quality of design and build should be of equal importance.

Members discussed the need for a Skills Centre in the town and felt that this should be positively discriminated for. If no land was available, compulsory purchase should not be discounted.

Cllr Mrs Wiseman asked for it to be recorded that she was opposed to the responses to Policy Outlines CS8 and CS10.

District Cllr Treleaven left the meeting at 7.20pm, following consideration of Policy Outline CS9.

Cllr Cracknell left the meeting at 7.30pm, following consideration of Policy Outline CS14.

RESOLVED: That the response form, as amended at the meeting and attached as Annex ‘B’, be submitted to New Forest District Council.

There being no further business, the Town Mayor closed the meeting at 8.00pm.