The consultation period for feedback on the policies and proposals within the draft Neighbourhood Plan was from Monday 22nd April until Tuesday 11 June.
Before consultation started all residents and businesses in the village received a brief summary of the plan and a feedback form which could be dropped back into the box in the PO, at the Primary school or 15 Meadow Way. You could also feedback online via Surveymonkey. More information on drop in sessions was given on a double-sided flyer delivered with the forms to all households and businesses.
The drop-in sessions, several at the Village Hall, but also at the primary school and litter pick, allowed people to look at leisure at the display of the Plan’s main themes and policies, see a hard copy of the plan, ask questions and enjoy a tea or coffee.
Feedback on the drop-in sessions:
- Thursday, April 25th (7:00 pm): Annual Parish Meeting in Harston Village Hall
Display of draft plan themes & policies from 6.30pm – number of people turned up in advance of 7pm meeting to look at the display – but no-one remained afterwards. About 20-25 people attended. Feedback was that the NP powerpoint presentation was very good/clear in explaining NP so we put up the powerpoint rotating during the May 4th exhibition.
- Friday 26th April 6.00 -7.30 pm display at Harston & Newton C Primary School, concurrent with school disco- very successful in one of classrooms. Had to move the first part of display outside into playground to attract attention and show where we were. About 10-12 youngish parents but lots of questions and discussion- showed lack of awareness about what plan was delivering- most focussed on EWR impact. One parent advised us that the URL we’d put on leaflets etc was too long and next time we could use ‘tinyurl.com’ to shorten the url. We have followed this up.
- Sunday 28 April – display at Litter pick 2-4 pm Rec pavilion- wet weather but lots of scouts with families (43 people) so some looked at display in pavilion after, with tea & cakes, and asked questions about what was involved/planned.
- Saturday, May 4th (10:30 am – 12:30 pm): At Better Brew Café in Harston Village Hall – a few people came specifically to see the display and ask questions- one about HAR21 &22 re active travel- thought rural networks was referring to roads not footpaths- so need to make that clearer. Another saying they would like even more footpaths into countryside on east side- particularly linking Station Rd with Rec- one we originally wanted but reduced to just the Rec from Drift- as landowner not very forthcoming.
- Sat 4th May 2-5pm in Harston Village Hall Large Committee Room- full display of NP draft and evidence – Jan Qre, views & open space displays. No-one came. Found as before that unless latch onto another event people don’t come.
- Wed 22 May 11-1pm Food Hub – Mon 27 5pm in meeting room at Baptist Church –put up display for a week- and a reasonable number took interest in the display at various church events during that time
- Wed 22 May 7pm & 7.45 chat with cubs, then scouts, referred to booklet, etc. & cubs/scouts looked at display afterwards with a few adults.
- Tues 10-12.30am at Meadow Way community centre coffee morning- display up but only 5 attended as wet weather, 2 forms filled in there
- Saturday, June 1st: Better Brew Café (10:30 am -12:30 pm). – people came to discuss and 2 gave forms in.