Doddinghurst Neighbourhood Plan

Doddinghurst Neighbourhood PlanVillage Meeting

Welcome by Deborah DickerChairman Doddinghurst Parish CouncilGood evening Ladies and Gentlemen. For those that may not know me my name is Deborah Dicker and I am the Chairman of the Parish Council.

Welcome to this Village meeting called to explain to Doddinghurst residents the objectives of a Neighbourhood Plan, what is involved in preparing the plan, why we believe a plan is needed and the support we hope for from people in the Village in preparing the plan.

This meeting is open to all Villagers but we have written to those we know take a keen interest in Village matters and to people with families who may wish to have their say on what they want to see available in the village for their Children in the years to come because we are talking about a 20 year plan.

Just to cover the domestic matters, we are not expecting a fire alarm this evening so if it goes off it is a real alert and you should leave via the fire exits and convene by the childrens play area to the stage side of the village hall. The toilets are out of the doors at the rear of the hall. If you have a mobile phone can I ask you to switch it off, or if you must keep in touch, to vibrate, but to take any calls outside the room please.

Doddinghurst Parish Council 2012. No element of this document may be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the Parish Council.1Introduction- Steering Committee Role & Members- Parish Councils roleBefore I introduce this evenings agenda let me explain the roles of the organisations directly involved.

Firstly the Parish Council. The Council has been in place for many decades and is the first tier of local government. It isnt connected to the church in any way. I mention this because some people think that the having Parish in the title links it to Church Groups. It doesnt. The Parish Council functions are closely directed by statute law and is one of nine parishes under the umbrella of Brentwood Borough Council.In November 2011 the localism Act enabled Parish Councils to create Neighbourhood Development Plans and Doddinghurst became one of the first Parish Councils in England to be sponsored for a Neighbourhood plan. This was proposed by Brentwood Borough Council and as a result we have received 20,000 of funding towards the costs of producing the document, which contains some heavy bills for compliance with statutory rules.

In order to manage the plan production the Parish Council appointed a steering committee of just five people, two Parish Councillors, two Village volunteers and the Parish Clerk. Nobody on the steering committee is a landowner in the Village - apart from their own homes that is. I mention this now, and as the explanation of the Neighbourhood Plan unfolds this evening you will appreciate why I have done so.

I think too it is worth saying that no-one here is a professional planner we have the support of professional planning advice from senior planners in Brentwood Planning Department but in doing this work everyone is a volunteer and on a steep learning curve, so please bear with us.

2 The Neighbourhood Plan - Roger Options for the Plan - Colin The Consultation Process - Helen Sustainability Appraisal - Peter Q&A and feedback - DebbieVillage Meeting AgendaThe meeting this evening will cover the topics on the slide. Roger Blake, our Parish Clerk will explain the nuts and bolts of the Neighbourhood Plan itself, Clr Colin Enderby will explain the options the steering committee have proposed for further evaluation. Helen Jackman will explain the consultation process we are following in order to produce and have the plan officially recognised. Peter Fisk will explain the Sustainability Appraisal which is a parallel document to the Neighbourhood Plan that we have to produce. Overall the presentation will take about an hour in total and after that we have allowed about 30 minutes for questions and answer session at to explain what support we need from Villagers to produce the plan.

With Q&A at the end can I ask that you keep any questions until then please?

Now I think that is enough from me and I will hand over to Roger Blake to explain more about the Neighbourhood Plan. 3 Roger BlakeNeighbourhood PlanGood evening ladies and gentlemen. As Debbie explained I am going to describe the Neighbourhood Plan or Neighbourhood Development Plan, to give it its full title, in more detail and this should take about 14 minutes. 4Overview

Neighbourhood Plan

Sustainability AppraisalWaterPowerGasSewerageSchoolsRoadsBusesEmploymentMedicalSocialCommunal ResourcesRecreation

First I would like to provide an overview slide because Debbie mentioned the Sustainability Appraisal and although Peter will be describing this in more detail later it might be helpful to appreciate now how the two documents relate to one another, and in doing so help you better understand what a Neighbourhood Plan actually is.

In producing a Neighbourhood Plan there are in fact two documents that have to be developed, the Neighbourhood Plan itself and a Sustainability Appraisal. This is an overview of how the Neighbourhood Plan and the Sustainability Appraisal fit together.

First of all imagine this rectangle as an area of land designated as Neighbourhood Plan area. The Neighbourhood Plan is all about the use of the land, so it might be for houses, for agriculture, for office and industry, for sports and recreation, for wildlife and waterways or for retail purposes. These are all examples of the use of land that may be in a Neighbourhood Plan.

Now a Neighbourhood Plan is not new in world-wide terms but new to the UK and introduced in the Localism Act of 2011. It can transcend Green Belt policies and the plan can also contain policies on new build design.

The Sustainability Appraisal is an EU requirement and is the infrastructure bed on which the Neighbourhood Plan exists. It makes you consider if your Neighbourhood Plan is viable and aims to achieve a low energy or green solution to future living. In this overview I have shown for instance we have a need for schools, roads, utility services, communal resources such as shops, pubs, post office, entertainment etc Peter will explain it in much more detail later. So that is how the two documents relate to one another

5 Old and new planning system Where does it have affect? What the plan encompasses? Who can create one? How it is brought into force? When will it be in place? Why do it?Neighbourhood Plan topicsThis slide shows the topics I will be talking about in relation to the Neighbourhood Plan. To explain what has changed in the English planning system the structure is now quite different to that previously in place and the neighbourhood plan enables local people to have a much bigger say in the development in their area but within limits! So we will consider:

Where he NP will have an affect

What is covered in the plan

Who can create one

How it is brought into force

When we expect the Doddinghurst Plan to be introduced

And last but not least - why do it at all?6National Planning GuidelinesAnd Policy documents Local AuthorityLocal Plan Old Planning SystemEast of England Regional Spatial Planning CommitteeGovernmentObjectivesFirstly, how the planning system has changed in broad terms over the past 12 months.

As shown on this slide, previously, government objectives on housing and development were fed into a quango, the east of England regional spatial planning committee who translated the central strategy into specific development targets for Councils throughout the whole of the east of England. These targets fed into the Borough Councils local plan. Above the local plan (for us thats Brentwoods plan) at Government level were a battery of Planning Guidelines and policy guidance documents which have now been scrapped.7National Framework Local AuthorityLocal Plan Neighbourhood Plan New Planning SystemDept for Communities and Local Government plus the Office of National StatisticsNow, arising from the Localism act of 2011 there is a three tier system. At government level the planning guidance has been slimmed down to a national planning framework that has a presumption in favour of sustainable development a phrase that created much public debate since it seemed to over-rule green belt policies but I believe assurances have been given that Green Belt remains secure.

Under the framework is the Principal authorities Local Plan and Brentwood Council is busy working on their new local plan due out for consultation later this year. As I understand it the targets for building growth, under the new scheme, come direct from central government into each Planning Authority.

And finally, the new kid on the (UK) block the Neighbourhood Plan, the subject of tonights presentation. You will notice that the Neighbourhood Plan sits below the Local Authority Local Plan. This is no accident since it is subservient to the local plan and has to relate to the Local plan i.e. mustnt contradict the local plan, or any national strategic plan either such as the building of cross rail or of a new motorway. For this reason the Neighbourhood Plan should follow after the Local Plan in terms of timing.8Where does the NP have effect?

- The Plan Area =The Parish of Doddinghurst

What does the plan encompasses ?

- The use of land in that area Policies for the design of buildings So what area will the Doddinghurst Neighbourhood Plan cover?

We have proposed that the plan area is equal to the Doddinghurst Parish Area and the boundary for that is shown on the maps here in the room.

As I said earlier the plan is all about the use of land.

But in addition to the use of land the plan may encompass design policies on how new or redeveloped housing may be constructed.

So, going back to the question of the plan area, the actual area proposed is shown here:9

as described by the area bordered in red. It is a pretty weird and wonderful boundary forged in times past The main area of existing housing is located in the north of the parish. To the south it is mainly open farmland.10

This aerial photo shown the main block of buildings that form the village with green fields all around it however the fields above the housing line are all part of Blackmore Parish and the Doddinghurst Plan will have no influence there.11

Here, you can see just how tight Doddinghurst is to Blackmore with the Parish Boundary as a dotted line running up the middle of Outings Lane and across the Blackmore Road. Because the people who live in these places are so close to the centre of Doddinghurst we have agreed with Blackmore Parish Council that it is appropriate for us to gather the views of these residents so they will be included in the consultation activity.12 A Parish Council or A Neighbourhood Plan Forum Must be approved by the local planning authorityNeighbourhood PlanWho can create one?

Qualifying BodiesThe qualifying bodies that can create Neighbourhood Development Plans are a Parish Council or a Neighbourhood Plan Forum the latter would be needed for unparished areas of a Borough about 80% of Brentwood (by population) is unparished.

For Doddinghurst both the Plan area and the Qualifying Body have to be formally approved by Brentwood Borough Council and the establishment of the plan area is done after consultation on the matter organised by the principal authority in our case Brentwood, and this consultation is likely to be completed for Doddinghurst by the end of September 2012???

So, for Doddinghurst, the qualifying body undertaking the plan is the Parish Council and the Neighbourhood plan area proposed is the whole of the Parish of Doddinghurst as illustrated in the maps on display.

13 Plan Consultation draft plan Approval for Inspection Plan Inspection Plan referendum Plan adoptionNeighbourhood PlanHow is it brought into force? How do you bring the plan into force? As you might expect there is a defined process for adopting a plan and so far we havent got to first base, a draft plan. Your views will be going into that plan. Once a draft plan has been circulated for comment it will be subject to an approval process prior to a formal planning inspection almost a court type hearing to ensure we have complied with the law. This is tricky since there are no UK precedents and no-one has a neighbourhood plan in place just yet. It is all very new and we have to recognise the content of the Local Plan which hasnt been published yet.

Then a further hurdle, before adoption by the Planning authority the Neighbourhood Plan is subject to a local referendum. This would be for the people in the plan areas to vote for, or against, the proposals - and it only progresses if a majority of those who vote are in favour of the plan.14Village assessment Sept/ Oct 2012Draft Plan for consultation Jan/Mar 2013Plan inspection July 2013Plan referendum Sept/Oct 2013Adoption by BBC - end of 2013Neighbourhood PlanWhen will it be in place?

So what are the timescales. These are clearly subject to external influences but if they go according to their plans then we hope to carry out a village assessment later this year more on that from Helen. The aim is then to have a draft plan early next year and be ready for an inspection and referendum later in 2013 for adoption towards the end of 2013 - but - all a bit finger in the air at the moment.15 To take control of the villages destiny - Real opportunity for local influence - Legal force in planning system - Design for rural homes - Include changes of real benefit - 20 year life span for the plan - to 2033. Neighbourhood PlanWhy do it? So Why do it? A Neighbourhood Plan, which can lasts 20 years, really does give local people a chance to step forward and determine what they want for their area and not let someone else decide it for you. This marks a profound change on the way planning policy has been carried out previously.

No, it cannot absolutely prevent someone else deciding to build a 4000 home estate on your doorstep (not that there is any hint of that!), or for instance to reduce the overfly of aircraft, however if Doddinghurst has looked at the village needs, has seriously assessed how it will be made to be sustainable and viable for the forseeable future, it has a chance of resisting such external pressures.

The plan will have legal force and can help ensure we keep a rural nature to a rural village and not become an urban extension of Brentwood.

If we get it right we can provide the social and economic environment for everyone to benefit for at least the next 20 years to ensure our children and grandchildren can live locally if they wish and for the elderly to have housing to live in that best meets their needs.

16Pressures for development:Population Growth LondonHouse ownershipLongevity population thinningGovernment IncentivesNeighbourhood PlanWhy do it? - If the reasons I have given so far dont move you consider also the following. In addition to understanding what the village wants and its needs for the future it is as well to recognise the overall picture for England when it comes to building new houses and development in general. The case for new housing, drawn from presentations that are being given to people involved in Planning, follows these lines:

Population for a variety of reasons its growing, and especially so in the South East of England. We are also close to London which has its own economic gravity attracting more and more people with housing coming under increasing pressure.

House ownership more people now own their own homes, and indeed second homes, than just about at any other time. This has the effect of locking up the resource because as people live longer and age their children set up their own families and naturally seek homes for themselves but the increasing longevity of parents means that children have a shrinking pool of homes left to buy from they call this housing population thinning. The view being expressed is that new builds are essential to prevent the population of small towns and villages thinning out to the extent that they loose viaibility.

However it wont be lost on anybody that for a cash strapped government, the idea of converting relatively cheap disused industrial land, or farm land, into building land is an excellent way of generating the funds needed to kick start the economy.

As a consequence of these driving forces incentives to build are increasing with the he government paying local authorities (not town or parish councils mind you) a new homes bonus for building new homes with an extra bonus for new affordable homes.

Furthermore, in addition to Neighbourhood development plans the Government have also introduced:

A Community Rights to build, Neighbourhood Development orders andCommunity Asset Registers.

17 Neighbourhood Plan VisionTo create one of the most pleasant villages in Essex for people of all ages to live in. I hope this explains the reasons why we are keen to set out a Doddinghurst Neighbourhood Plan and on your chairs is a pamphlet describing the Neighbourhood Plan and what we are trying to achieve. Please take it with you when you go tonight and share it with your neighbours, who may not have attended, and let them know what is happening.

And finally, before handing over to Colin may I leave you with the Vision we have set out for the Doddinghurst Neighbourhood Plan which is... To create one of the most pleasant villages in Essex for people of all ages to live in.......

I trust you would all agree with this aim?

Thank you for listening18 Colin EnderbyDoddinghurst PlanOptionsAs Roger explained in the previous presentation,we are carrying out this exercise in order that the Village views are presented in a considered, and reviewed, form for inclusion in the wider Brentwood Plan.To ensure that our views are heard and that we have a role in the changes in the area in which we live.The Steering Group initially brainstormed 8 Options, in no particular order, for consideration. At this point we have not separated them under the headings of Plan or SustainabilityPeter will talk more about that later.These were presented to the Village residents for comment at the May Fair, and to receive your ideas. They were, with a couple of exceptions, accepted in the feedback that we received.

19OPTIONS 1 Sheltered accommodation for the elderly.

To give a natural progression for people who have lived in the village for a number of years to be able to move into a form of sheltered housing. People do not want to move away from the Village, away from familiar surroundings and people they know just because of age or infirmity.

20OPTIONS 2 Starter Homes - small scale and low density To have small affordable homes for people who grew up in the Village and work within reasonable travelling distance, especially essential services eg Nursing, Teaching etc.We did not consider large estates or Housing Association developments, but small groups of properties respecting the local design considerations.The thought behind Options 1 & 2 was to ensure the continuation of a sustainable village open to the full range of ages.The May Fair feedback was generally against this, suggesting small groups of family sized homes, with off-street parking. This point is touched on again later.

21OPTIONS 3 Preserve and enhance rural nature of the Village, e.g.

Green SpacesPond & waterwaysHouse StylesUnlit RoadsRoadside Grass Verges and TreesOff road parking to reduce on-road parkingGenerally to protect the open, and semi-rural nature of the Village.Green spaces around houses and within the village envelope.House styles, low density and low overall height and bulk, but with adequate off-street parking to maintain a more rural aspect to the street scene,enhanced by roadside verges and trees.Support, and enhance, the features that make Doddinghurst a desirable place to live.

22OPTIONS 4 Improve & Expand Sporting and Community facilitiese.g. New Village Hall,Provision of open recreational spaces.Support for facilities for new, and existing, Village activities for residents of all ages..e.g. Scouts

23OPTIONS - 5BUILDING DESIGN

- Establish design policies for new builds and redevelopment in a rural environment.

- Ultra low carbon footprint buildings, sensitive designs for solar panels etc.Vernacular building designs that reflect local building traditions, and materialsLow carbon footprint for construction and use.Sensitive designs for solar / PV panels.Television aerials.

24OPTIONS 6To protect the Green Belt and Green Spaces in principle:

Playing Fields and recreation areas Woodlands and Managed Woodlands Special Environmental Places (Wildlife) Quiet Lanes Permit development only for work for major Community Benefit.Prevent open spaces, sports fields and woodlands being developed.Development criteria of Community Benefit so that only development important to the sustainability of the village will be permitted. e.g. Surgery, schoolsQuiet Lanes are routes that are signposted to warn motorists that they are extensively used by walkers, cyclists etc.Generally supported in the May Fair feedback with the comment that there should not be Greenbelt development and to leave Doddinghurst as a village.

25OPTIONS 7 Encourage small business and retail enterprise and infrastructure

- register Community Assets e.g. Post Office.

Small scale business in redundant buildings, and operated from home.Under the Localism Act 2011 registering Community Assets gives the Community the right to bid for an asset should it be offered for sale. I have given the example of the Post Office, but Peartree Field is leased, not owned, land around the schools and Rectory are Church owned, and it will ensure that we are notified of any impending sales, and avoid nasty surprises.Provision of High Speed Broadband to enhance recreational, and business opportunities.No feedback from the May Fair.

26OPTIONS 8 Transport - establish comprehensive policy for people of all ages

CommentaryBetter commuter links to Brentwood, and Shenfield, Stations.Better evening bus services to enable Villagers to access Brentwood sport and social activities.Children are currently bused to Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone. Poor local bus services, except for Mum's Taxi make participation in pre, and post, school activities difficult.Sunday Bus

27 Helen JackmanDoddinghurst PlanConsultation ProcessGood evening everybody. I will explain the consultation steps were are taking but first I would make this observation on the process since28OPTIONSCONSULTATIONOBJECTIVESThe Options described by Colin will become Plan Objectives through the process of consultation. During the consultation we will also be fact finding to establish exactly what the asset base is in the Village for instance, what is the nature of the housing stock? What is the population demography? and last but not least the opinions of what people believe the village needs for the future.29 Parish Council Website and Link Newsletters Information in the Press May Fair exhibition 7th May 2012 Village HallConsultation Process & Media 1We have to prove that the Neighbourhood that is, a representative, cross-section of the village or Plan Area population - has ownership of the Neighbourhood Plan and that that representative cross section of the population has been given a voice in the formulation of the Neighbourhood Plan.To this end this Steering Committee has put together its ideas on the way forward for the Parish, publishing these ideas as Broad Options and we are then providing as many opportunities as possible, within the time constraints placed on us, for all sections of the population to voice their opinions, which can then be incorporated into the Plan, before it can be submitted to Brentwood BC. We need to know if we have correctly gauged the most important issues as Options. Only you can tell us.You will already have seen the double page spread in the centre of the June copy of The Link magazine, and some of you will also have read about the Neighbourhood Plan on the Doddinghurst Parish Council website. These are aimed at encouraging you to become involved in the Consultation process for the Neighbourhood Plan and the Sustainability Appraisal.Our first consultation was a successful stand in the village hall at the May Fair. We were very impressed at the number of people who came and talked about the Plan Options and who took the time to write their own comments and thoughts. As suspected, you clearly care about the future of the village and its surrounding land.

30 Village meeting (here today). Personal invites. Street surveys and household questionnaires BBC Local plan ensure the NP matches

Consultation Process & Media 2Yet more said they would come to this Village Meeting about the need and scope for a Neighbourhood Plan before commenting. In order to ensure a representative cross section of the village population at this meeting, personal invitations were sent to key members of the community, as well as putting up posters adverting the meeting

The next, and very important stage of the process, is to be a house to house survey later - in the autumn, when we will attempt to visit each house in the Plan area in order to carry out a short survey of the current land use/housing, and gather your views on priorities for the future of the Parish.Following the survey and fact finding exercise, the steering Committee will make amendments as necessary before issuing the Draft Neighbourhood Plan for your comments.Our next step will be to compare the Draft Plan to Brentwood Borough Councils Local Plan, which incorporates Doddinghurst and the other rural areas within the Brentwood boundaries. Our task is to ensure that the two plans match, sometimes by negotiation with the Borough Council.

31 Draft Neighbourhood Plan issued for comment. Final Plan prepared and critiqued. Formal Planning Inspection process undertaken. Village Referendum electoral roll.Consultation Process & Media 3Once we have ensured there are no discrepancies between the two plans, the Neighbourhood Plan will be published in its final form. It will then be submitted to an external Planning Inspector who will either approve it or ask for some alterations so that it can be approved.Finally, everyone within the Plan Area who is on the electoral role will have the opportunity to read the Doddinghurst Neighbourhood Plan and take part in a referendum showing whether they are happy for it to be adopted.The Plan will be adopted if the majority of people who vote, are in favour, so if you have an opinion, please cast your vote.

I will now hand you over to Peter Fisk to talk about the sustainability appraisal.

32 Peter FiskDoddinghurst PlanSustainability AppraisalI'm going to talk about the Sustainability Appraisal that must be done as part of the process of creating the Neighbourhood Plan.As you have already seen, the Appraisal covers a wider scope than the Plan itself, and I hope you will understand why by the end of the talk.

33 Why do it What it is How it is created Why we need your help to get it rightSustainability AppraisalIn the talk, I'm going to explain why we have to prepare it, what it is and how we put it together. Then I'm going to ask for your ideas to help start filling in the gaps in information and ideas in the work that we have done so far. We want the plan to be built on the knowledge and views of everyone in the village, and the appraisal must reflect this.

34Sustainability

Doing nothing now thatwill harm the futureof our children

First, though, what is sustainability. Here is a definition that we rather like:-

That is a long term definition, but there is a lot more to it than that. We need to cherish all parts of our community in the shorter term, too, making sure that the Plan and Appraisal processes include everyone. More about this shortly, but why do we have to do it?

35Why Do It?

To ensure that our Plan isthe best that we can achieve.

Legislation mandates itWithout it, our Plan couldbe challenged in court.There are two main reasons why we need to prepare a Sustainability AppraisalFirstly because the team want the Plan to be as near perfect as we can make it. The Sustainability Appraisal will help us to do this and particularly to point out any errors.

Second because legislation mandates it. Its both EU and UK legislation, although the UK legislation is still being amended. If we didn't do it, and a developer wanted to develop some land that we have not zoned for development, then they could challenge our plan in court and get their own way regardless of the Plan.

So what is a Sustainability Appraisal?

36Sustainability AppraisalWhat is It?A process to ensure that our plan is sustainable.

A report to confirm itThat says it all, really.We have been given some documentation and a little training on the steps to carry out the process. The process has seven steps and includes an Environmental Assessment .It looks at a full range of environmental issues right from wildlife through carbon consumption to everyday environment issues such as litter and graffiti. All of which are aimed at ensuring that we have an enduring and sustainable community which is pleasant to live in. And that the plan does nothing to upset this.Like the Plan, the Appraisal is checked by experts, too, and we have a chance to correct the errors before the Plan goes forward for final acceptanceThe Appraisal is developed alongside the plan, sharing data and ideas with the work on developing the plan. Some of the ideas that we develop as we prepare the Appraisal will have a direct impact on the Plan. Others, though, may emerge as just items for the Parish Council to consider as part of their regular work supporting and improving the Parish.So we need our Plan to be accurate and sustainable, and checked and appraised, but what does Sustainability really mean. We chose to break it down into three main areas, but they do rather overlap at times.

37Three Key Areas of Sustainability

SocialEconomicEnvironmental

Health of the communitySustainability is about the Social, Economic and Environmental health of the community.We want a lively, active community where everyone feels included and where people want to remain and can remain within the community as far as possible. We obviously want to avoid our community decaying into urban sprawl or industrial wasteland, but we also want to avoid the slow death that has happened elsewhere as the shops, pub and post office run down and close and there are no younger people around to take over the running of the village amenities, clubs and sports facilities.Of course children grow up and move away to university, and people move away in search of appropriate work. But we shouldn't have a community where teenagers can't enjoy their life within our community and don't have access to places of entertainment. It shouldn't be the case that disabled folk are at a huge disadvantage or where elderly and infirm have to leave our community to find sheltered accommodation miles from friends and family.So now for three slides of our ideas so far on what we need to consider in our Sustainability Appraisal. Remember not all of these will have a direct impact on the Plan, and many will not be achievable even on a 20 year timescale, but the Appraisal will ensure that the Plan doesn't prevent us from maintaining a sustainable community.38Social:-

Local schools for local childrenLocal housing for local familiesLocal accommodation for local elderlyLocal facilities shops, pub, sports, health servicesmedical, clubs, (with disabled access)CommunicationsEventsLocal Schools for local children. - We are lucky that we have two excellent schools in Doddinghurst with enough places for local children plus some from adjacent parishes. But get to year 7 and its off on the bus to Brentwood, Shenfield or Ingatestone with little chance of attending pre- or after school activities as the school busses don't support it.Local housing for local families We must consider what happens when children grow up and get jobs nearby. They won't want to live with Mum and Dad forever , so is our plan going to be sustainable without Any new housing? Local facilities. Doddinghurst still has its churches, pub, shops, post office, community halls with their events and activities. Many villages don't have these and we must ensure that our Plan doesn't do anything to prevent them continuing or growing. For example, the Plan must strive to prevent the disposal of sports fields for development.Communications is my thinking on the need for an environment where people feel free to communicate. Not just with good broadband and telephone services, but to meet in places like the Parish Room or even just to stand and chat, not hassled by wind blown litter or offended by graffiti. Design of the built environment is therefore very important and I will come back to that again later.Communications is also about roads and public transport, and the Parish Council is already doing some excellent work here regarding the bus service to Romford and now the new Sunday service to Brentwood and beyond which is currently under trial.

39Economic

Local workplacesAccess to other workplacesAccess to servicesAppropriate use of resourcesLocal workplaces. What I mean by this is the development of local businesses that don't degrade the environment. So the plan might discourage a gravel pit, for example, but do nothing to prevent, say a dentist opening up premises, thus providing local employment for local staff and saving the rest of us a trip to Brentwood when our dentures are in need of an annual service!Access to other workplaces is really about transport and commuting. We can't expect everyone living in Doddinghurst to be able to work here like they probably did around 1900, if the plan can help reduce the carbon footprint of daily multiple journeys to nearby towns or train stations then so much the better.Access to services I've really covered already, with the extra point that there are other services such as the community hospital, Brentwood library and maybe one day a cinema that people need to access.Use of resources is about land resources. Are there fields which are so stony or wet that they would have better uses than arable? Should we encourage farmers to grow amenity woodland and coppice it for carbon neutral fuel?The third heading for Sustainability is Environmental

40Environmental

Low Carbon Renewable ConstructionFuel Efficient BuildingsResources water, electricity, sewage disposalMinimising need for transportNo adverse ecological effectsDesigned to minimise crimeThe plan needs to consider how far to go with sustainable building design. Should we advocate low carbon footprint construction for any new properties, for example? Should we demand designs used elsewhere in East Anglia that are so fuel efficient that houses can be built needing no central heating and therefore more affordable to run. Should our design standards recommend rainwater collection or other water re-use, again reducing house running cost .Resources The village needs those resources to thrive, and currently there are some restrictions locally. Severe shortages would threaten our community.Transport I've already covered that.Ecological effects The plan must not inadvertently have any damaging effects to local ecology. But the team don't know what special local ecology is vulnerable. Are there rare orchids or trees? Are there special habitats for birds or insects that might be affected by the Plan. We need your help to identify these throughout the Parish.Designed to Minimise Crime is a reference to some of our most recent development. Desolate, dingy,, isolated brick car ports encourage vandalism and graffiti and roads devoid of front green space discourage pride in appearance or neighbourliness. The police refer to something called 'Broken Window Syndrome' where a broken window or graffiti or litter encourage break-ins, or more litter or graffiti. Our building designs need to take this into account and everyone needs to keep their part of the village tidy to minimise such antisocial behaviour.So there I have given you some, but by no means all of the issues to consider when thinking about our environment and sustainability as it affects the Plan.

41Creating the Appraisal

- Fit in with the Brentwood Plan- Identify special characteristics of - Doddinghurst good and bad- Identify specific items for Plan and Appraisal- Do a scoping report and get it checked- Consider alternatives- Check proposals- Prepare ReportI won't go into detail about the process of creating the appraisal as it is similar to and indeed intermingled with the process of creating the Plan. As mentioned already, we need to have an idea about our housing, our population, where do they work, what groups and clubs interest them ,and much more. Also what are their views.Particularly important is the phase of checking that nothing in the Plan causes an overall degradation to our environment.So now you can see why we need your support. We need you to tell us what is important to you. What you like and what you dislike about the village and how we should represent those likes and dislikes in the Plan. We need to know facts about those threatened dormice or orchids, facts about our fields and hedgerows and woodlands. And later, when we know exactly which questions to ask of everyone in the village, we need some help to visit every house and collect the set of data and views that we need to complete the Appraisal and the Plan.Here are some reminders of what we want you to think about. Againthe three key areas are

42Three Key Areas of Sustainability

SocialEconomicEnvironmental

Health of the communityHere are some reminders of what we want you to think about. Againthe three key areas are

When thinking about these, please think about

43Social:

ChildrenTeensElderlyDisabledServices, shops, medicalCommunicationsEventsBut don't forget to tell us about any other areas you think are important44Economic:

Small BusinessesFarmsServicesShops

How do we ensure that they survive in an environmentally friendly way.

45Environment:

Countryside Wildlife, Quiet Lanes, Hedgerows, Woodlands

Travel Walking , public, private (speeding, parking)

Appearance Architecture, litter, graffiti, trees and verges

That is a short extract from the list. Think about what we need to do to improve and keep Doddinghurst a good place to live for all ages of future generations.Thats all from me. I've explained roughly what a sustainability appraisal is, why we need one, how we do it and how we need you to help. Thank you for your attention and all your ideas and suggestions.

And now I would hand you back to Debbie for a question and answer session.

46Debbie DickerQuestions and Answers

Thank you all for being so patient and listening to the speakers. We have a small stand in the hall that set out the options and you are welcome to browse afterwards and leave comments now or give us feedback anytime. The information to do this is on the leaflets Roger mentioned earlier.

So can I open the floor to questions please?

In doing so can I ask you to stand and state where you live in the village.47 Feedback needed - exhibition stand for comments - comments to clerk@doddinghurst-pc.gov.uk Support needed - village assessment, survey and questionnaire, sustainability appraisal Feedback and Support We are now about out of time so one last reminder please. We do need your ideas and feedback. Remember, the options are to become objectives and some things may emerge that the Parish Council will need to address separately from the Neighbourhood Plan.

If you are able to support us in any way with the house to house survey and data gathering or in developing the sustainability plan, especially on matters such as wildlife and environmentally special areas or anything we have covered please leave your name and phone number with Roger Blake.

Thank you for your time and have a safe journey home.48