Agenda item

Workshops

Officers from the Planning Policy Team

Tim Cutts, Acting Head of Planning Policy, introduced the background to the document and some of the policies contained in it, such as 35% affordable (social rented and shared-ownership) housing, education, libraries, but also transport and movement, for example escalators in the Northern Line Underground station. There were also traffic proposal in the document such as making St George’s Road two ways, while London Road would be a public transport only road. The leisure centre and the Tabernacle were also taken into account, as well as St Mary’s Church Yard. The document divided the area into nine character areas. The consultation would end on 7 February 2012. 

He explained the way the workshops would be conducted, and he meeting split into workshops.

Following the workshops, the meeting heard the following feedback:

• Community infrastructure and transparency in the decision making was important
• Public toilets and libraries in the area needed to be preserved and extended
• The public realm was not a blank canvass. Planners should work with what is already there. It was important to look at development on a micro-level and adopt a bottom-up approach. Officers needed to go out and about more and speak to people.
• Affordable homes were important, but the definition should be that they really are affordable to local people

The chair said that the consultation feedback would be added to the minutes, and thanked everyone for attending.