20/10/13 Draft Application to Register

APPLICATION FOR

THE REGISTRATION OF THE PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM

AND

THE DESIGNATION OF THE PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD AREA

SUBMITTED BY THE

PROPOSED PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM

Pyrford Neighbourhood Forum

OCTOBER 2013

APPLICATION FOR

THE REGISTRATION OF THE PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM

AND THE DESIGNATION OF THE PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD AREA

SUBMITTED BY THE PROPOSED PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM

Town and Country Planning Act, England

The Neighbourhood Planning (General Regulations) 2012

Application is hereby made to the Woking Borough Council as the Local Planning Authority for the designation of (1) a Neighbourhood Area and (2) a Neighbourhood Forum in accordance with the above Regulations.

(1) Application for designation of a Neighbourhood Area (Regulation 5)

A map that identifies the area to which this Application relates is included as Appendix C at Page 7 (Regulation 5a)

Statement explaining why this area is considered appropriate to be a Neighbourhood Area (Regulation 5b)

The proposed neighbourhood plan area (as outlined in red on the map in Appendix C) is primarily based on the area presently covered by that part of the Church of England Parish of Wisley with Pyrford which falls within the Woking Borough Council Boundary.   In order to minimize cutting roads down the middle, the boundary line has in some cases been moved so as to include both sides of the street.   After canvassing local opinion, a further addition was made on the south-west boundary, outlined in green on the map, to include all the land from Pyrford Common to Shey Copse.    To the South and East, the proposed area is primarily green belt much of which has the obvious natural boundaries with the Borough Boundary with Guildford.   The Green Belt is of particular importance to the neighbourhood.   To the North and West, there is a significant residential area which has no clear natural boundaries between Pyrford and West Byfleet to the North and Maybury to the West.   However, the inhabitants of the proposed neighbourhood area have a definite sense of local community and share common development, infrastructure and development challenges.   Collective representation has been the norm for Pyrford community through the Byfleet, West Byfleet and Pyrford Residents’ Association (BWBPRA).   The BWBPRA has expressed the wish that each of three villages submits its own separate Neighbourhood Plan.   None of these three village areas overlap.   The BWBPRA has agreed to support the formation of this Pyrford Neighbourhood Forum, covering the proposed Pyrford Neighbourhood Area.   It is intended that the plan will fairly reflect the wishes of the community by setting up a forum composed of residential and business members, drawn from all parts of the area and representing a wide range of interests, who must collectively endorse the plan.

No part of the Neighbourhood Area overlaps any other Neighbourhood Area (Section 61G(7) of the Act).

Statement that the organisation or body making the area application is a relevant body for the purposes of section 61G of the Town and Country Planning Act (Regulation 5c)… The BWBPRA has been in existence since 1928 and has informed members of the advent of legislation permitting Neighbourhood Plans.   Currently, more than 50% of all households in Pyrford are members of BWBPRA.   All BWBPRA members were informed of the potential to develop separate Neighbourhood Plans for the three villages in the BWBPRA Spring 2013 Newsletter and asked for their views.    At the Annual General Meeting held on 27^th June 2013, at which local councillors were present, BWBPRA members agreed to proceed with the proposal.

To ensure full general public participation in the Pyrford Neighbourhood Forum, two public meetings have been held in Pyrford.   At the first public meeting on 27th September 2013, attended by over 50 people, it was agreed to set up the Forum.   A draft constitution was agreed, approval was gained for proceeding with the draft application for registration and key officers were elected.   There was considerable discussion about the boundaries.   A number of people felt that the northern boundary of the Woking Borough Council Ward excluded a considerable number of households who most people considered to be within Pyrford.   One suggestion was to use the postcode boundary between GU and KT postcodes, but this still left too many households out.   It was agreed to delegate the boundary decision to subsequent committee meetings.   At the two committee meetings in early October, the parish boundary was deemed to be the most appropriate, the constitution was revised to take account of comments from a number of members and further officers were appointed.    The second public meeting on 25^th October, 2013 was attended by over 100 people.   At this meeting, the proposed constitution and neighbourhood plan area were agreed by a large majority.

This application is submitted on behalf of the Forum by the elected chairman of the proposed Forum as a relevant body (Section 61G(2b).

(2) Application for designation of a Neighbourhood Forum (Regulation 8)

The name of the proposed Neighbourhood Forum (Regulation 8a) is: ‘Pyrford Neighbourhood Forum’ (PNF)

The written Constitution of the proposed Neighbourhood Forum (Regulation 8b) is attached at Annex 1 on this application (see page 8).

The name of the proposed Neighbourhood Area to which this application relates is ‘Pyrford Neighbourhood Area’ and the map which identifies the area is attached at page 7 of this application (Regulation 8c).

Contact details of members of the proposed Neighbourhood Forum are (Regulation 8d):

(1)  Martin Doyle – Chairman

Email: cdrp@the-residents.org

Telephone: 01932 346925

Address: 10 Onslow Way, Pyrford, Woking, GU22 8QX

(2)  Ian Whittle – Vice-Chairman

Email: iwhittle@btinternet.com

Telephone: 01483 724091

Address: Wheelers Farm, Warren Lane, Pyrford, Woking, GU22 8

(3)  Joy Sashak – Treasurer

Email: sachakj@yahoo.co.uk

Telephone: 01932 346170

Address: The Old House, Pyrford Road, Pyrford, Woking, GU22 8

Statement explaining how the proposed Neighbourhood Forum meets the conditions contained in Section 61F(5) of the Act (Regulation 8e)

(a)   The constitution of the proposed Forum (see Annex 1) and the Pyrford Residents’ Association have the express purpose of promoting or improving the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the proposed Neighbourhood Area (Section 61F(5)a);

(a)   Membership is open to (Section 61F(5)b):

(i)   individuals who live in the proposed Neighbourhood Area,

(ii)  local businesses and individuals who carry out business or work there and

(iii)  individuals who are elected members of the Woking Borough Council or of the Surrey County Council and whose area includes the Neighbourhood Area concerned;

(b)   Membership includes a minimum of 21 individuals each of whom meets at least one of the following criteria (Section 61F(5)b):

(iv) living in the Neighbourhood Area concerned.   The current residential members are house owners and tenants, drawn from a range of occupations and professions including:

• Accounting
• Architect
• Banking
• Communications
• Finance
• IT
• Landscape gardening
• Marketing
• Operational analysis
• Project management
• Retail development planning
• School governor
• Teaching
• Town planning lawyer

The membership also includes homemakers and students

(v)  working in the area (whether for a business carried on there or otherwise).   A number of businesses are located in the Neighbourhood Area, of which seven are retail shops three are recreational facilities, and two are residential institutions.   All three categories are represented on the Neighbourhood Forum.

(vi) is an elected member of the Woking Borough Council or of the Surrey County Council and whose area includes part of the Neighbourhood Area concerned.

Registered membership of the proposed Neighbourhood Forum consists of 61% males and 39% females.   The age profile shows that 12% are aged under 40, 29% are aged between 40 and 60, and 59% are aged over 60.   Membership is dispersed  widely among the proposed Neighbourhood Area.   One registered member (2% of the membership) is a local councillor for Pyrford who resides outside the proposed Pyrford Neighbourhood Area.

(d)   It has a written constitution (Section 61F(5)d), and

(e)    There are no other conditions that have been prescribed (Section 61F(5)e).

Further, the interim Forum has already secured a membership that meets the ‘Desired’ criteria of Section 61F(7) of the Act, namely:

(vii)      Has secured membership that includes more than one individual falling within each of the subparagraphs (i) to (iii) of subsection (5)b, Addendum to Application for recognition of a Neighbourhood Forum;

(viii)      Has membership drawn from different places in the Neighbourhood Area proposed and from different sections of the community in that area; and

(ix)  Whose purpose reflects (in general terms) the character of that area.

Our publicity method – apart from the information provided to BWBPRA members, there have been a number of initiatives aimed at reaching a wider audience.    At the Pyrford and Wisley Flower Show, held on 13^th July 2013, the BWBPRA had a stand publicizing its intention to develop a Neighbourhood Plan.   Also, at the celebrate Pyrford event on 4^th August, 2013 there was a similar display of publicity material for visitors.   Notices requesting volunteers to join the Neighbourhood Forum and publicizing the September Public Meeting were posted at key locations.   These included two shop windows in Marshall Parade, the BWBPRA notice board at Marshall Parade, the Village Hall Notice Board, community notice boards at the Church of the Good Shepherd and at the Pyrford C of E Primary School.   Notice of the September Public Meeting was published in the Pyrford C of E Primary School start of term newsletter.   Articles about the intention to establish a Neighbourhood Forum and to develop a Neighbourhood Plan were published in the Surrey Advertiser in advance of the September Public Meeting.   Subsequently, articles were published in the Surrey Advertiser reporting on the September Public Meeting and on the decisions to establish a Neighbourhood Forum and to develop a Neighbourhood Plan.   .Leaflets were delivered to every home in the Neighbourhood advising residents in advance of the  October Public Meeting.

Appendix A

PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM

Committee Members

Martin Doyle                    Chairman

Ian Whittle                      Vice Chairman

Steve Wright                   Vice Chairman

Yvette Bolton                   Secretary

Pat Barnes                      Secretary

Carole Gale                     Secretary

Joy Sashak                     Treasurer

Angela Doyle                   Membership Secretary

Cliff Bolton                      Publicity Officer

Derek Berriman

Brian Dodd

Michael Doyle

Geoff Geaves

Vicki Kirby

Tony Pratt

Barbara Provis

Akeel Sashak

Julian Walker

Mike Warren

Vincent Withers

Graham Christie (Borough Councillor)

Appendix B

PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM

Forum Members – List of Names

Appendix C

– Map of proposed Neighbourhood Area (revised 17-10-2013)

(See Website map)

ANNEX 1

THE PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM CONSTITUTION

(See Constitution on Website)

ANNEX 2

THE PYRFORD NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

(to be developed)

(All percentages shown to the nearest 0.5%)