Council Cyngor Cymuned Cwmbrân Report Item 3(c)

Committee: Environment, Sustainability & Planning Committee

Date: 2 March 2015

Report Author: Clerk to the Council

Events attended: South Sebastopol Environmental Steering Group

Date of Events 29 January 2015

Event Attended by: Councillors SWJ Ashley

Introduction

1. This report provides members with details of the above meeting. (Minute ESP14/041( c) refers – Environment, Sustainability & Planning Committee 21 January 2015.)

2. See minutes below, provided by Councillor Ashley.

Present:

Asbri Planning

Robin Williams (Chair), Jon Wilks,

Taylor Wimpey

Shaun White, Ben Thomas, Gareth Hawke

Whitehead Project Management Consulting

Nick Allen, Jon Whitehead

Torfaen Council Members:

Cllrs. Mary Barnett, Robert Kemp ( Ward), Brian Mawby, ( Ward and Chair of Planning Committee) (in lieu of Jessica Powell) David Yeowell, (Panteg Ward)

Cwmbran Community Council:

Cllr. Stuart Ashley

Canal and River Trust:

Mark Robinson

Torfaen County Borough Council Officers:

Helen Smith, Principal Planner Steve Williams, Ecology Team Leader Stephen Peel, Building Conservation Officer

Torfaen Friends of the Earth:

Rosemary Fisher and Carole Jacob (Minutes)

Apologies:

TCBC Members Cllrs Norma Parrish, Jessica Powell Cwmbran Community Council Member Cllr, John Winter Wildlife Trust Sorrel Jones

Introduction:

Following introductions, Mr Williams circulated the agenda and document for consideration detailing the following:

Terms of Reference for the Ecological Steering Group, Scheme of Consultation on Outline Management Plan and Management Plan – Outline Management Planning Application Stage Document includes Management Plan context, policy context, description of development, description of the site and landscape proposals, management aims and objectives, phasing, further survey and licence requirements, recording and monitoring.

Purpose and role of the ECG:

Has a legal requirement under S106 agreement and important that it fulfils the requirements and holds an advisory role to the management company. The management company has an ongoing responsibility for implementation of the management plan as it is important that the ecology is managed in perpetuity.

Will agree maintenance specifications re: MG5 grassland, woodland, buffer zones, establish the principle of open spaces, play areas and ecology of, for instance, badgers, dormice, otters, glow worms, etc.

Management Plan:

There is a need to appoint a management company who will implement the management plan, with the ESG acting as advisors. The management plan will be in perpetuity.

The developers will appoint a not-for-profit management company with experience of working with community groups, to be funded initially by the developers, then service charged on houses as residents move in and which will eventually be fully funded by the residents. TW are currently exploring it being a charitable trust and residents will be more like shareholders.

The local authority role will be advisory and regulatory having regard to obligations to landowners. There needs to be a balance of requirements. The local authority is only responsible for adopted infrastructure, such as highways and drainage.

Specialists will attend future meetings of the group as and when necessary. Next and future meetings will be to receive input from the group, as the document is a raw draft at present and feedback on principles is needed.

At the next meeting a landscape architect and an ecologist will be present. Document identifies landscape and species, and proposes what it wants to achieve.

More detailed plan (not houses) will be made available to the group as phases go ahead. These will be “broad brushed” with “key principles” providing a “helicopter view”, and no appendices as these will have been superseded. RW wants to go through this at the next meeting.

Need to establish terms of reference, to meet regularly, quarterly or six months, to make that call as time progresses.

The scheme of consultation on outline management plan is currently with the council. Members are to receive a copy.

Questions:

Cllr. Mary Barnett: Would the terms of reference allow councillors to depute if they could not attend a meeting? This was agreed as long as they were briefed - “it is your steering committee” given the right to vote on their behalf. Do not want the group to get too big and need of continuity. Decisions could be made by delegates.

Cllr. David Yeowell: Will local contractors and local skilled labour be used in the construction of the site? Assurance was given that all local South contractors will be employed and they will draw on as much local labour as possible. Employers from across South Wales will pull in their own local resource with opportunities for apprentices on site.

Cllr. Mary Barnett: Will there be collaboration with Registered Social Landlords? Yes, have already met with RSLs. Biggest challenge is the amount of labour available.

Carole Jacob: What is the progress of the archaeological survey?

The developers have to follow the implementation plan and local authority will ensure this. There will be an initial survey and an archaeological watching brief as work on the development progresses to ensure archaeology is protected. An archaeologist will be appointed to look at the site as previously discussed with her.

Cllr. Robert Kemp: Timescales? S106 is currently in the process of being signed, to be followed by discharge of conditions, part of S106, needed before the developers submit application.

There are legal obligations to the landowners in the process. The first signs of activity will be a sign “Coming Soon” with no impact yet on site. Late Summer/Autumn will see the start of infrastructure works, e.g., drainage, roads, pumping station, etc. This is half a year's work. Then early Spring 2016 the first house will be erected. TW has legal obligation to work with Barratts from Cwmbran Drive end of site up to the canal in a staged, “bite sized” approach. Statutory body agreements: 200 in phase 1 over two and half to three years. Section 106 monies released in a staged process with trigger points every 300 units, e.g. at 600, 900, etc.

Officers who sit on the steering group may have a potential conflict of interest, but it is important to get consultation accepted as L. A. must advise as professional consultants.

Cllr. Stuart Ashley: Will the management company be a legal entity, i.e. a charitable trust and a covenant on each householder's deeds with an obligation to fund? Yes, like shareholders.

Mark Robinson: Asked about the impact of the development on the canal. There will be one new bridge constructed below the tunnel and behind the houses in Five Locks Close, upgrading of existing bridge at Bevans Lane, which is 2 -5 years away. This

development is a 10 year scheme so the impact will be in the latter years.

Helen Smith stated that there is a water management scheme in place. Stephen Peel wants to be kept in touch with this.

The appointment of the management company is not a requirement of the ESG but we will be kept in touch of progress of the appointment and it is more a matter of the charitable trust approval rate. Cllr Robert Kemp was interested in the criteria and the controlling process if there were a failure of the company.

Appointments:

Robin Williams is to chair meetings for one year and Carole Jacob was asked to take notes.

The date of the next meeting is Thursday 19th February 2015 at 6 pm at St Oswald's Church, Sebastopol. This will be a long meeting, 2 hours to discuss the document on the management plan.