10.1    The Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager welcomed everyone to the meeting.  She advised that Trevor Allison was attending as an observer for the Ramblers and that he had asked two public questions.  She also welcomed PC Nick Cookson who was observing the meeting.  She added that it was hoped that a representative of the police would join the Board at some point in the future.

10.2    The Outdoor Partnership Manager also welcomed Joy Tetsill, Senior Planning Officer who was present to give a presentation on the review of the Local Plan

To receive any public questions or petitions from the public, notice of which has been given in accordance with Shropshire Council Procedure Rule 14.  The deadline for this meeting is 5.00pm on Monday 4^th September 2017

11.1    The following public questions had been received from Trevor Allison: -

1)    Does Shona Butter think that mention should be made about ‘gates within gates’ and ‘ladder stiles over historic walls and deer fences’, in the County’s response to the consultation on BS5709? This can be addressed in her item on the agenda.

2)    The Ramblers in Shropshire are on many occasions annoyed that Planning Applications have been validated when the Applicant, or the Planning Consultants who have prepared the Application, have made no attempt to address the presence on the site in question of Rights-of-Way, or have answered the relevant question on the Planning Application incorrectly. Surely Planning Applications should not be validated if this is the case and cannot a level not be built into the validation process where the Definitive Map of Rights-of-Way is consulted? This question is obviously aimed to get a response from Joy Tetsill, the Senior Planning Officer, who is addressing this meeting.

11.2    It was agreed responses would be provided at the relevant point in the agenda

Members are reminded that they must not participate in the discussion or voting on any matter in which they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and should leave the room prior to the commencement of the debate.

12.1    There were no declarations of interest made

To confirm the election of Chair and Vice Chair

The following nominations have been received: -

Chair – Alex Carson Taylor

Vice-Chair – Mark Weston

13.1    The Committee Officer advised the meeting that as the previous meeting had been inquorate there was need to confirm the election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman. He advised members that one nomination had been received for Chairman and one nomination for Vice-Chairman.

13.2    RESOLVED:-

            That Alex Carson Taylor be elected Chair of the Shropshire Great Outdoors Strategy Board for the forthcoming municipal year and

That Mark Weston be elected Vice-Chair of the Shropshire Great Outdoors Strategy Board for the forthcoming municipal year.

Clare Fildes, Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager, will summarise the proposed plan for the new Countryside Access Improvement Plan (CAIP) and consultees (attached). The Rights of Way Network Assessment is also attached.

14.1    Copies of the Draft Countryside Access Improvement Plan and the Network Assessment had been circulated

14.2    The Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager reminded Members that the Countryside Access Improvement Plan was a statutory document under the CROW Act and that there was a requirement to review the plan every 10 years.  She advised the meeting that a working group had been meeting to advise the process.

14.3    Following a discussion it was agreed that the Improvement Plan should form part of a wider strategic document, aiming to inform partner organisations and seek greater engagement. 

14.4    In response to a query the Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager informed Members that it was hoped that a draft of the Plan would be published before Christmas with a view to publishing the final document in April

14.5    The Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager asked memebrs to feed any further comment to her

Joy Tetsill, Senior Planning Officer, will give a short presentation on current relevant planning policy documents and the review of the Local Plan.

15.1    The following public question had been received from Trevor Allison

The Ramblers in Shropshire are on many occasions annoyed that Planning Applications have been validated when the Applicant, or the Planning Consultants who have prepared the Application, have made no attempt to address the presence on the site in question of Rights-of-Way, or have answered the relevant question on the Planning Application incorrectly. Surely Planning Applications should not be validated if this is the case and cannot a level not be built into the validation process where the Definitive Map of Rights-of-Way is consulted? This question is obviously aimed to get a response from Joy Tetsill, the Senior Planning Officer, who is addressing this meeting

The Senior Planning Officer advised Mr Allison that validation was only on part of the process and that no decision was made until all relevant information was received.  Mr Allison commented that the Ramblers Association as a non-statutory consultee very often had to object to applications where Rights of Way had been ignored and this could be avoided if the rights of way had been recognised in the validation process.  The Mapping and Enforcement Manager assured Mr Allison that the Rights of Way team were consulted on any application where the relevant mapping layer showed that there was a right of way affected by the proposed development.

15.2    The Senior Planning Officer gave a presentation in which she outlined the process for the updating of the Local Plan.  She informed the meeting that the updated plan would run to 2036 and the Council was currently consulting on the preferred options stage of the process.

15.3    Ms Picton commented that there was a need for more clarity around the balance between greenspace and development.  The Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager commented that there need to have a masterplan which identified areas of greenspace.

15.4    Mr Weston referred to the call for sites and asked whether existing sites would be reassessed and whether local communities would get a chance to have input on the sites put forward.  The Senior Planning Officer commented that sites put forward would be assessed and that suitable sites would be put forward for consultation.

15.5    Mrs Motley commented that there was an opportunity to use CIL money in a more creative way to create greenspaces and that measures needed to be taken to prevent land banking by developers.

15.6    The Chairman thanked the Senior Planning Officer for her presentation

The future funding of the Outdoor Partnerships Team by the Public Health department will cease in 2019/20 if the current situation doesn’t change. This currently funds Walking for Health, Shropshire Wild Teams and the active volunteering support.

A discussion will take place around possible alternative funding streams for this activity.

16.1    The Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager advised the meeting that currently the team received £200,000 funding from the public health budget but that due to changes in the way the Public Health Department was being funded this would be halved for the financial year 2018/19 and would reduce to zero for the year 2019/20.  She informed Members that work was being carried out to look at other sources of funding such as: -

·         Developing a commercial offer for schools

·         Investigating the Social impact funding model

·         Seeking funding from Town & Parish Councils

·         Adult Social care – social prescribing

16.2    Mrs Motley commented that funding could be sought from the Big Lottery or trusts such as the Plunkett Foundation.

Shona Butter, Mapping and Enforcement Manager, will present the proposed changes to the British standards for Rights of Way furniture.

17.1    The following public question had been received from Trevor Allison: -

Does Shona Butter think that mention should be made about ‘gates within gates’ and ‘ladder stiles over historic walls and deer fences’, in the County’s response to the consultation on BS5709? This can be addressed in her item on the agenda.

The Mapping and Enforcement officer informed the meeting that no mention of ladder stiles would be made as they did not comply with the easy access policy of the Council

17.2    Members considered a draft of the British Standard for Gaps, Gates and Stiles.  The Mapping and Enforcement Manager highlighted the major changes.

17.3    Ms Faulkner commented that landowners found it difficult to access the document as there was a charge made for copies.

17.4    Mr Weston commented that there was not set standard for self-closing bridleway gates.

17.5    Members were asked to feed any further comments to the Mapping and Enforcement Manager.

18.1    The Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager advised Members of a consultation on access that the Welsh Government were currently undertaking.

19.1    It was agreed that the Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager and the Committee Offer would liaise with regard to future dates and that Members would be advised of future meeting dates when they had been agreed

19.2    The following agenda items were suggested: -

·         Local Nature Partnership

·         Brexit

·         The implication of the Public Health Cuts

Members were asked to feed other suggestions to Outdoor Partnerships Enterprise Manager