Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice to Elizabeth Jackson, Principal Democratic Services Officer, and supplied the text (contact details below) by midday on 11 November 2024, three working days before the day of the meeting. Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item. Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:-
· at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);
· when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.
If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Chair who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.
Minutes:
A public statement had been received which was read out at the meeting and a response provided.
1. Statement from Stuart Holland, Harrogate Town Neighbourhood Plan Forum
I am interim chair of Harrogate Town Neighbourhood Plan Forum. Interim, because until we are designated by North Yorkshire Council, we cannot say publicly that we are a forum. The area, which is also awaiting designation, covers the unparished areas of Harrogate. Designation is due within 13 weeks of our application (made on1st September 2024) and until that time we are not able to apply for Government funding. A six week public consultation period is approx. half way through.
In the meantime, 3 interim Forum meetings have been held over the last few months.
The first was to set up the Interim Forum.
Second to look at topical issues and the third to concentrate on the Economy of the town.
A meeting on 13th November will look at Transport issues and a final meeting for this year, on 28th November, will look at Housing
Each meeting has been attended by approx. 40 members. The full Interim Forum comprises approx. 65 and our database holds approx. 140 names.
Further meetings will be held in the new year to look at the remaining planning issues that may be included in a Neighbourhood Plan. Public consultation will also take place once formal designation has been made.
The overriding aim of the Forum is to work on a Neighbourhood Plan to sit alongside the North Yorkshire Local Plan when it is published. The Forum exists because, in the absence of a Town Council, the Community is free to appoint a Forum. This may change next springtime when a Town Council for Harrogate is elected.
At that time, it is our intention to ask the newly elected Town Council to take on the work completed up to then, or to endorse the existing Forum as a sub-committee of the new Town Council.
As the Charter Trustees of Harrogate consider the setting up of a town council, I would urge you to consider the importance of a Neighbourhood Plan and to make sure funding is earmarked for the process.
It is understood from NYC that after the public consultation is complete, the Executive will be asked to approve the designation. The Charter Trustees are asked, in this meeting, (14th November 2024) to agree their support for a designated Area and Forum and to encourage the Executive to approve designation very quickly after the six week period expires.
Response:
Thank you for your statement and comments in relation to the Neighbourhood Plan Forum.
North Yorkshire Council is currently consulting on proposals to establish a Harrogate Neighbourhood Plan Forum. If confirmed, the Forum would be the ‘responsible body’ for preparation of a neighbourhood plan for Harrogate.
The Council is also consulting separately on the proposed area for a Harrogate Neighbourhood Plan. Both consultations will end on 27 November 2024, more detailed information is available on the Council’s website.
Decisions on area designation and forum designation are anticipated to be for Executive Member sign off and decisions are expected at the end of November / early December.
When the Town Council is formed, any Neighbourhood Plan Forum for the area must cease to exist and any area designation would also cease to operate. If the Town Council wished to continue work to prepare a neighbourhood plan, it would then need to apply for area designation. As long as the areas was contiguous with the Town Council area this would be a formality.
The Town Council may wish to work with a pre-existing Forum in the form of a ‘working party’.
The Charter Trustees welcomed the work to commence development of a Neighbourhood Plan for Harrogate and it was agreed that the Charter Mayor would write to the Executive Member for Open to Business requesting support for the establishment of the Forum.
It was confirmed that where there was a town council, it must be the designated body for producing a neighbourhood plan, and the Forum would cease to exist once Harrogate Town Council was established.