The Minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting held on Wednesday 16th January 2008 at 7.30pm
in Winkleigh Community Centre

Public Period

E1.12.7 Current business matters

a) TDC Core Strategy Consultation

The Chairman opened the meeting welcoming Maria Bailey TDC's Community Planning Manager and gave an outline of the purpose of the meeting. Cllrs were advise that this meeting was an opportunity to discuss various queries in relation to TDC's Core Strategy before making a final response to the document at the January Parish Council meeting.

Cllrs discussed at length various statements within TDC's Core Strategy including: statistics used, environmental policies, development boundaries, transport, employment, housing, gypsy/traveller sites and sustainability. Maria Bailey gave Cllrs a detailed response to their queries and stressed that she was hopeful that Winkleigh Parish Council would get fully involved with this major consultation.

Cllr Hodgson queried the time scale to which TDC is working for the production of the LDF. Maria Bailey responded that this first consultation stage will finish at the end of January when all responses will be examined. Feedback will then be sent to parishes and where queries have been raised from responses further consultation on specific issues may take place. Maria Bailey stated that TDC will keep in touch with the Parishes and meet if necessary to discuss any queries arising. Maria Bailey stated that a Draft Preferred Options document would hopefully be ready in the Autumn. Following the production of the Draft a formal 6 week consultation period would take place and stressed that legislation states that it will be 6 weeks adding that TDC intend to improve their publicity of the consultation. All representations from the 6 week consultation will then be examined and responses issued and a final document should be ready for submission to the GOSW. An extensive Public Examination process will then take place in 2009 ,the report from which will be binding on TDC, Maria advised that formal adoption can take place in 2010.

Cllr Hodgson further queried the second document, yet to be submitted, that refers directly to Winkleigh in detail. Ms Bailey responded that this was likely to be issued late in 2009 or early 2010. Cllr Hodgson raised concerns regarding the Parish Council responding to a broader 'District Wide' strategy without firm knowledge of the implications this could have on Winkleigh itself.

Cllrs Bowers queried where the planned work on the development brief for Winkleigh currently being managed by TDC fits into TDC's Core Strategy. Ms Bailey responded that she saw no reason once the Development Brief had been formally adopted it could not be adopted as a supplementary planning document once the Core Strategy had been adopted.

The meeting was declared closed at 9pm.