Wednesday 14 September 2022 at 6.00 pm – Lonsdale Community Centre
Forum Members Apologies
- Sue Alvis Lucy Kelly
- Dave Coates – Chair Andy Lee
- Pat Davies Fiona Lee
- Caroline Gore-Booth Dave Longden
- Phil Mawer Christeen McNeil
- Martin Newman Lily Moughton
- Liz Shepherd
- Chris Smith
In Attendance
- John Craig – (Head of Planning Hull City Council)
- Keith Griffiths – (Hull City Council Planner)
- Darren Squires – (Creative Projects)
- Paul Taylor – (Carnegie Heritage Centre)
Welcome & Apologies
Dave welcomed everyone to the meeting and following a round of introductions apologies were received from forum members Lucy Kelly, Andy Lee, Fiona Lee, Dave Longden, Christeen McNeil and Lily Moughton.
‘Blue Bridge’ Update
Dave briefly reported back on the situation regarding the bridge between Walliker Street and Selby Street. A consultation meeting is scheduled to be held at the Vulcan Learning Centre in the near future and Dave agreed to forward the date of this meeting to forum members once this is determined. (Subsequent to the meeting the date for this has been set for 2.30pm to 6pm on Tuesday 1st November 2022 at the Vulcan Learning Centre, 42 Heron Street HU3 3PF).
Legacy Projects
Dave briefly outlined the community consultation process which had taken place after the re-designation of the forum in November 2021. It was as a result of this which led to the development of the legacy projects contained in the plan and Dave explained that consequently this is the only part of the plan that still needs to be agreed by the forum and requested any comments or feedback about the legacy projects. Following discussion, everyone was in favour of accepting the legacy projects as they were and there were no suggestions to amend them.
Vote to Approve the Newington Neighbourhood Plan
With the acceptance of the legacy projects Dave moved that a vote be taken by the Forum to formally approve the the plan and submit the document to Hull City Council. The vote was carried unanimously.
Memorandum of Understanding
Dave similarly opened discussion regarding the draft Memorandum of Understanding which is the written agreement between Hull City Council and a proposed Neighbourhood Committee to monitor the plan should it be voted in at the referendum. It was agreed that this is a working document and may well need to be revised in the light of experience and practicalities. It was noted that the Ward Councillors and the Riverside area team have been supportive of the plan and that their involvement in the monitoring process moving forward is crucial.
Examination and Referendum process
Keith Griffiths presented an overview of the examination and explained that this would be preceded by another 6-week consultation period with a likely closing date of the end of the first week in November. HCC will send out letters written in plain English to all the known local contacts and organisations working in the area inviting comments and feedback and the plan, consultation statement and the policies map will all be available to download from the HCC website with a link to the Newington Neighbourhood Plan website. The examiner’s report will be to ensure the plan is compliant with the basic conditions and National and European legislation, Keith stated that this process should be completed by early December after the 6-week consultation.
Keith and John went on to state that there were still some uncertainties regarding how the referendum process would work since the neighbourhood area is much smaller than the Newington & Gipsyville ward boundary. This means that the logistical issues of running the referendum concurrent with the next local elections may present problems and it may well prove easier, less confusing and more economical to run it separately. Forum members asked about how people working, but not resident in the area would be able to vote and where the voting booths would be located. Keith explained that all residents in the neighbourhood boundary area would receive a voting package through the post but that this would not include those working in the area and that polling booths don’t have to be at the same locations as they are at local elections. John stated that these kinds of logistical issues would all be considered and resolved by the Council after consultation with the relevant Council departments whose responsibility it is to run the referendum. Finally, John enquired about any risks or issues the forum were aware of which may induce people to vote against the plan. In brief there are none we are aware of however the importance of a positive publicity campaign to raise awareness of the plan and gain popular support is viewed as being of fundamental importance.
Publicity Campaign
Dave emphasised the need to publicise the plan thoroughly prior to the referendum and that he intended to write a two-page summary of the plan as suggested by John. A wide and animated discussion ensued about how to pitch this and how to present the plan in the most positive way. It was agreed that timing is of vital importance as is the key message conveyed. The pitch should emphasise that it is a local plan giving voice to local people and that it will provide a means for ongoing involvement and control. The message should also mirror the major themes in the plan such as bringing derelict buildings back into use and regenerating West Park by delivering a programme of family friendly activities in the park. By having a plan, we will be better able to draw down funding to achieve these aims and make things happen.
Suggested memes included ‘You told us what is important to you’ No vote, no Plan’ ‘This is your Plan’ and the visual similarity of the boundary to an ‘Angel Fish’ provides a memorable visual meme that can be used to advantage. It was once more recognised that the value of involving our local Ward Councillors fully in the publicity campaign is vital. Dave agreed to write the two-page summary and circulate this for comment and feedback.
Any other Business
Since there was no other business Dave brought the meeting to a close and thanked those present for their attendance. Martin thanked Dave for his ongoing resolve in bringing the plan through to the referendum stage and Dave replied that should the plan be able to deliver the benefits and initiatives it contains this would have been well worthwhile.
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