BRERETON AND RAVENHILL NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

STEERING COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE

  1. Background

1.1       Brereton and Ravenhill Parish Council (“BRPC”) is preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan (“NDP”) in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 and relevant Regulations. The area for the plan is Brereton and Ravenhill parish.

1.2       Whilst the Parish Council will oversee and be responsible for the submission of the NDP, the management and preparation has been delegated to the Steering Committee.

  1. Purpose and Mission Statement

2.1 The purpose of the Steering Committee is to design and manage a process that will result in the preparation of a draft Neighbourhood Plan for Brereton and Ravenhill.  This will seek to increase the cohesion and sustainability of Brereton and Ravenhill as a community for all its residents and businesses, and for those working in the parish, through the empowerment of local people to plan the future for the whole community.

2.2       The process will be:

  • Inclusive – offering the opportunity to participate for everyone who lives or works in Brereton and Ravenhill;
  • Comprehensive – identifying all the important aspects of life in Brereton and Ravenhill for which we need to plan for the future; and
  • Positive – bringing forward proposals that will improve the quality of life in Brereton and Ravenhill.
  1. Tasks

The Steering Committee will:

3.1 Promote the process of preparing the Neighbourhood Plan to encourage participation and the submission of views and ideas.

3.2 Gather views and consult on ideas.

3.3 Assess evidence about the needs and aspirations of the village.

3.4 Liaise with other relevant organisations to secure their involvement in the process.

3.5 Analyse the views, ideas and proposals received during the planning process and use them to prepare a draft Plan.

3.6 Keep BRPC and BRPC’s Planning Committee informed of progress.

3.7 Formulate the draft Neighbourhood Plan within the national context of the Localism Act 2011, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the strategic policies of existing development plan that applies in Brereton and Ravenhill.

3.8 Submit the draft Neighbourhood Plan to BRPC for its approval. The Neighbourhood Plan, once accepted by the Parish Council and considered by an independent examiner, will be subject to a referendum requiring a minimum 50% vote in favour to be adopted.

  1. Membership

4.1 Membership of the Steering Committee shall comprise of such voting members who may be appointed by the parish council. Voting members must, on the day of their appointment, be either BRPC councillors, persons residing within three miles of the parish or an officer or employee of BRPC. At least three members of the Steering Committee must be BRPC parish councillors.

4.2 The Steering Committee may co-opt up to two additional non-voting members.

  1. Officers

5.1 The Steering Committee shall elect a chairperson, vice-chairperson, a secretary and such officers as it thinks fit.

5.2 If the chairperson is not present, the vice-chairperson shall take the meeting. If neither is present, voting members shall elect a chairperson for the meeting from amongst their number.

5.3 The Secretary shall ensure that appropriate arrangements are in hand for Steering Committee meetings and that agenda, papers and minutes are prepared, distributed and publicised.

5.4 The Agenda shall normally be despatched to members at least three clear days before the date of the meeting.

5.5 The Steering Committee shall keep Minutes of its meetings and shall cause the Minutes to be recorded and open to public scrutiny via the BRPC website. The Steering Committee may maintain a Facebook page.

5.6 Members of the Steering Committee shall agree to be bound by the Seven Principles of Public Life (“The Nolan Principles”) which are: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Honesty, and Leadership (see the Appendix).

5.9 The Steering Committee and all its proceedings and communications shall be subject to the provisions of Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation.

  1. Meetings

6.1 The Steering Committee shall meet not less than seven times a year.

6.2 Meetings shall normally be held in Brereton and Ravenhill Parish Hall conference room outside normal working hours.

6.3 Meetings shall be open to the public to observe proceedings.

6.4 All meetings shall include the opportunity for public participation.

6.5 The meetings shall be conducted in accordance with set procedure to be determined and agreed by the Steering Committee.

6.6 Members must declare any private interests relating to matters being considered by the Steering Committee.

  1. These terms of reference

7.1 Any changes to Steering Committee Terms of Reference shall require Parish Council approval.

7.2 These Terms of Reference shall be placed on the BRPC website and on a notice board in Brereton and Ravenhill Parish Hall and may be placed in such other places as the Steering Committee thinks fit. They shall be supplied to Cannock Chase District Council and Brereton Library.

 

 

Appendix: The Seven Principles of Public Life

The Seven Principles of Public Life, known as the Nolan Principles, were defined by the Committee for Standards in Public Life. They are:

  • Selflessness: Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.
  • Integrity: Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.
  • Objectivity: In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.
  • Accountability: Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.
  • Openness: Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands it.
  • Honesty: Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.
  • Leadership Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.