Introduction

St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council Standing Committees can appoint Sub-Committees to carry out specific duties on its behalf. All Sub-Committees must comply with the Council’s Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Scheme of Delegation, and any relevant statutory requirements.

This document sets out the remit, powers, and procedures for the Neighbourhood Priorities Statement Sub-Committee (NPS).

Committee Overview

Remit: To help St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council create a draft Neighbourhood Priorities Statement for the local area. This will help to address local issues and achieve Councils ambitions.

The process will promote:

• Fairness – to have a reasonable opportunity to provide evidence and make comments.
• Ambition – to implement ambitious planning policies into the Local Plan to meet the needs of Cornwall.
• Inclusion – including a variety of people and groups, offering everyone who lives and works in the parish opportunities to fully take part in preparing planning policies.
• Respect – for new ideas and creativity.

Composition: Five (5) Elected members (Voting)
Two (2) Substitute members (Voting)
Five (5) Non-members (Voting)

Non-Members: All Councillors not appointed to the Neighbourhood Priorities Statement Sub-Committee may attend public sessions and, at the discretion of the Chairman, may speak on an agenda item, but shall have no voting rights and shall not count towards the quorum.

Quorum: Three (3) members. Substitute members count towards quorum only when formally substituting for an absent appointed member.

Chairmanship: Chairman and Vice-Chairman must be members of the Council and be elected by the subcommittee at the first meeting held in each Council municipal year.

Meetings: Approximately monthly, or as required by the work programme. In the event of urgency, an extraordinary meeting may be called in line with legislation and the Council’s adopted Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation.

Timing: TBC

Venue: The Brannel Room, 22 Fore Street, St Stephen, PL26 7NN, or by videoconference where appropriate.

Reports to: Planning & Licencing Committee.

Administration: Parish Council Office

Term of Appointment: Until October 2027 or end of project whichever is sooner

Legal & Governance Framework

The Sub-Committee operates under the following legislation and policy documents, where relevant:

  • Local Government Act 1972
  • Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960
  • Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014
  • Localism Act 2011
  • Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023
  • Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
  • Town and Country Planning Act 1990
  • Planning Act 2008, where relevant
  • Equality Act 2010
  • Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR
  • National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Practice Guidance
  • Cornwall Local Plan and associated development plan documents
  • St Stephen in Brannel Neighbourhood Development Plan 2023–2030
  • Council Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Code of Conduct, Scheme of Delegation, and any adopted consultation or engagement policies
  • Relevant case law and statutory guidance in force at the time

Authority and Delegation

The Sub-Committee has delegated authority to oversee the Parish Council’s work on the Neighbourhood Priorities Statement, including engagement, evidence gathering, drafting, and recommendations to the Planning & Licencing Committee.

The Sub-Committee may authorise expenditure within its delegated budget, provided that such expenditure is within previously approved limits and does not commit the Council to future or unconfirmed budgets.

Any matter outside the Sub-Committee’s delegated authority, or which would commit the Council to expenditure, policy change, legal agreement, or future budget provision beyond approved limits, shall be referred to the Planning & Licencing Committee or Full Council, as appropriate.

Terms of Reference including delegated duties and responsibilities:

1. Project Planning and Oversight

  • Prepare and maintain the project planning process for producing the Neighbourhood Priorities Statement.
  • Set objectives, milestones, timescales, and methods for consultation and evidence gathering.
  • Keep the Planning & Licencing Committee fully informed of progress and recommendations.

2. Community Engagement and Consultation

  • Publicise the process of preparing the Neighbourhood Priorities Statement to encourage community participation and the submission of views and ideas.
  • Organise meetings, consultations, surveys, workshops, and other engagement activities as appropriate.
  • Ensure that opportunities are provided for fairness, inclusion, ambition, respect, and participation from a wide range of residents, workers, businesses, organisations, and landowners.
  • Ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that the views of the full range and diversity of interest groups are sought.

3. Evidence Base and Research

  • Develop an evidence base about the needs and aspirations of the parish.
  • Gather and review relevant local evidence, consultation responses, and background information.
  • Liaise with relevant businesses, organisations, and landowners to obtain their input into the process.

4. Drafting the Neighbourhood Priorities Statement

  • Analyse the views, ideas, and proposals received during the planning process.
  • Use the evidence gathered to prepare a draft Neighbourhood Priorities Statement for consideration.
  • Recommend content and priorities that reflect the parish’s aspirations and local planning context.

5. Reporting and Publication

  • Keep the Planning & Licencing Committee fully informed of progress.
  • Agree content about the progress of the Neighbourhood Priorities Statement to be made available to local residents on the parish website on a designated NPS page.
  • Ensure minutes and consultation outputs are retained and circulated in accordance with Council policy.

6. Working Groups

  • Establish working groups where necessary to carry out specific tasks and activities.
  • Each working group should:
    • Have a person leading the working group;
    • Tackle a specific issue or group within the community;
    • Set out its purpose;
    • Outline how information will be gathered and consultations carried out;
    • Set a timescale and estimated costs;
    • Appoint one or two members to attend regular NPS Sub-Committee meetings.
  • Each working group will be responsible for organising its own meetings and must provide a progress report to the Sub-Committee.

7. Financial Management

  • Consider and recommend budget requirements for the NPS work programme.
  • Financial expenditure over any delegated threshold must be approved by the Planning & Licencing Committee or Full Council, as appropriate.

8. Governance and Administration

  • Ensure that all work is carried out in accordance with Council Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, and relevant statutory requirements.
  • Review the Sub-Committee’s Terms of Reference annually and recommend any amendments to the Planning & Licencing Committee.
  • Make recommendations to the Planning & Licencing Committee on any matter not covered by delegation.
  • Any resolution made outside these Terms of Reference may be considered ultra vires and open to challenge in a Court of Law.