Longstone Area Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Terms of Reference

LONGSTONE AREA NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN STEERING GROUP

TERMS OF REFERENCE

ADOPTED BY GREAT LONGSTONE PARISH COUNCIL
AND LITTLE LONGSTONE PARISH MEETING ON 14th MAY 2025

1.  Purpose of the Steering Group

1.1 Great Longstone Parish Council is the qualifying body for the preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan for the Longstone Area. For the purposes of this plan the “Longstone Area” is defined as the Civil Parishes of Great Longstone and Little Longstone, including all lands incorporated within their respective boundaries

Great Longstone Parish Council and Little Longstone Parish Meeting have agreed that a Steering Committee (SC) will facilitate the delivery of the Longstone Area Neighbourhood Plan (LANP)

1.2 The SC will:

• elect a chair and secretary and appropriate officials into defined roles
• provide a locally accountable and representative lead for plan-making, agree a project timetable and endeavour to secure compliance;
• confirm, subject to consultation with Great Longstone Parish Council and Little Longstone Parish Meeting, the scope of LANP following analysis of early and subsequent community engagement;
• identify sources of funding, and subject to section 6, take responsibility for planning, budgeting and monitoring expenditure on the LANP;
• agree a project communication, consultation and engagement strategy, identify ways of involving the whole community and gather the views and opinions of as many groups and organisations in the community as possible;
• determine the types of survey and information gathering to be used, be responsible for the analysis of the survey;
• consider background and evidence-based reports prior to publication;
• consider consultation documents prior to publication;
• agree, subject to ratification by the Parish Council, a final submission version of the LANP; and
• actively support and promote the preparation of the LANP throughout the duration of the project.

1.3 The SC will be established for a time-limited period. The project is intended to run until the LANP has been presented for independent examination. The SC will remain active until the independent examiners report is published.

After production of the Neighbourhood Plan some element of the Steering Committee activity may continue under different terms of reference.

2.  Steering Committee Objective

2.1 The objective of the SC is to produce a sound Neighbourhood Plan for the Longstone Area that defines the spatial planning policy priorities identified by the community taking into account all relevant representations made during the plan-making process and having regard to all relevant existing plans and evidence.

2.2 The SC may include topic areas and work groups that are not directly related to a Neighbourhood Plan, but the committee consider that there is a real value to the Longstone Area by including the topic within their wider remit.

The Plan will include or be supported by an appropriate delivery plan setting out, where relevant, the means by which these policy priorities may be implemented.

3.  Steering Committee Membership

3.1 The SC will comprise the following members:

Alexa Masterson-Jones	Frank Hammond	Phil Barrett	Simon Headington
Andy Douglass	Georgina Blair	Richard Carter	Sara Barrett
Deborah Henley	Jeremy Cotterill	Richard Spillett	Terry Betts
Di Knowles	Jonathan Knight	Sam Lewis

3.2 Full membership of the SC will be determined by the Steering Committee who will inform Great Longstone Parish Council and Little Longstone Parish Meeting of any changes.

4.  Reporting and Communication

4.1 The SC is established with full authority from the Great Longstone Parish Council and Little Longstone Parish Meeting to deliver the plan-making functions up to and including providing appropriate draft documents and a Pre-submission Draft LANP.

The SC will update the respective parish sponsors setting out progress on its work after each SC meeting.

Great Longstone Parish Council and Little Longstone Parish Meeting will approve the Submission Draft LANP prior to submission to the Local Planning Authority.

4.2 The plan-making process remains in the control of Great Longstone Parish Council as local authority and qualifying body. All publications, consultation and community engagement exercises will be undertaken by or on behalf of Great Longstone Parish Council and Little Longstone Parish Meeting with appropriate recognition of their positions given in all communications associated with the project.

5.  Meetings

5.1 SC meetings will initially take place on a monthly basis, normally to commence at 19:00 hrs. All meetings should take place within the LANP area. The Parish Council will arrange appropriate venues for the meetings.

5.2 The SC is chaired by Frank Hammond.

5.3 Decisions made by the SC should normally be by consensus at SC meetings. Where a vote is required, each member shall have one vote. A minimum of five members shall be present where matters are presented for decisions to be taken. A simple majority will be required to support any motion. In certain circumstances voting by letter will be permitted. The Chair, or in their absence the Vice-Chair shall have one casting vote.

6.  Finance

All grants and funding will be applied for and held by Great Longstone Parish Council, who will ring-fence the funds for LANP purposes only.

• Notification of all planned expenditure will need to be approved by GLPC before actual costs are incurred.
• The Finance Co-ordinator shall keep a clear record of expenditure supported by receipted invoices and will regularly review and update the budget in liaison with the Parish Clerk.
• The Finance Co-ordinator in partnership with the Parish Clerk, will draw up and agree with the SC procedures for volunteers who wish to claim expenses.
• The Finance Co-ordinator will report back to the SC and the GLPC on planned and actual expenditure for the project.
• Invoices will be made out in the name of the GLPC who will pay them at their next scheduled Parish Council meeting.
• Members of the community who are involved as volunteers with any of the Working Groups may claim back any previously agreed expenditure that was necessarily incurred during the process of producing the Neighbourhood Plan. This includes, but is not limited to, postage, stationery, telephone calls and travel costs.

7.  Support

7.1 The Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) have a duty to support parish councils that decide to prepare neighbourhood plans or orders. They will:

• provide advice to ensure neighbourhood plans and orders meet the legal requirements; and
• allocate a planning officer to provide support and technical advice throughout the production of the neighbourhood plan.
• The nominated support officer from PDNPA is Ellie Faulder, based at Aldern House, Bakewell – faulder@peakdistrict.gov.uk

7.2 The Parish Clerk will provide support and administration with delegated powers where provided by the Great Longstone Parish Council.

8.  Conduct

8.1 The SC will follow the code of conduct set out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Whilst Members as individuals will be accountable to their parent organisations, the SC as a whole is accountable to the wider community for ensuring that the Plan reflects their collective expectations. The SC will achieve this through applying the following principles:

• Work with mutual trust and respect, and combine their expertise;
• Be clear when their individual roles or interests are in conflict;
• Provide feedback from Steering Group meetings to their parent organisation;
• Assist their parent organisation to bring appropriate ideas and concerns to the attention of the Steering Group;
• Inform the Steering Group when they are unable to deliver agreed actions;
• Treat everyone with dignity, courtesy and respect regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, ability, or religion and belief; and
• Actively promote equality of access and opportunity.

Correct as at 15th May 2025

Adopted on 14th May 2025 by Great Longstone Parish Council, sponsoring body.