1. Minutes for last meeting

Minutes from both Board meetings on 16th September and the 18th November were reviewed.
16th Sept amendments – changes to names, Reg Rush and Jon Platten
18th Nov amendments – neighbourhood natters

No Matters arising

KP to make amendments

2. Credit Union

Kate presented a brief report she had written about setting up a local Credit Union. Over the past 12 months Victory Housing has been working with Norfolk Credit Union to develop a Credit Union scheme for their tenants. They have created an arrangement where Victory Housing staff simply signpost any tenants in need of financial support to Norfolk Credit Union. Victory Housing does not handle cash or have any say over who does or does not get a loan, it simply offers guidance, advice and a signposting service.  All financial transactions and the management of tenant’s accounts are fully controlled by Norfolk Credit Union. Victory Housing staff are available to help customers fill out application forms and assist them in gathering together all the information needed for opening accounts or accessing loans. Norfolk Credit Union has asked if WAP would be interested in setting up a similar scheme, available to the whole community, in Wells.

The Board agreed that this would be a valuable service for the community and that the method established with Victory Housing would be a good model to use. The Board felt that Kate should support this project but that WAP should not be linked directly with the Credit union. It should be a separate project run on a day to day basis by members of the community and not WAP. Kate suggested that she support local volunteers with finding a suitable venue, promotion and advertising and training.

Kate to meet with Mike and Cathy Gates to start the process of setting up a credit union

3. Transition Towns

Pete reported on a Transition Town meeting both he and Kate had attended in December. In 2005 environmentalist Rob Hopkins introduced the concept of Transition Towns. The Transition Town movement was born from the Permaculture theory – Permanent Agriculture or Permanent Culture, which is designed to make communities self sufficient and localised. Rob Hopkins has spent the last 3 years supporting small collections of motivated individuals to set up projects and Transition Initiatives within their communities. The main aim of a transition initiative is to raise awareness of sustainable living and build local resilience. Communities are encouraged to seek out methods for reducing energy usage as well as increasing their own self reliance. A clear Transition Town model has now become established and there are 96 official Transition Towns across the UK (including Norwich).  

North Norfolk District Council is very supportive of this initiative and has asked all Local Area Partnerships to discuss the concept with their Boards / Communities. If a community would like to set up some projects relating to transition towns then NNDC would be happy to provided some financial / officer support.

The WAP Board felt that the Transition Town concept should be considered by the Environment Forum but supported the project in principle. The Board also agreed that this is a potential WAP / Wells Town Council project and urged Pete to discuss this with Town Councillors at their next meeting

Kate to discuss with the Environment Forum at their next meeting

Pete to liaise with Keith Leesmith to get TT on the next WTC agenda.

• Project Update

Kate reported on project progress since the last WAP meeting. Kate asked the Board for advice on several of the projects, members commented as follows:
Housing – setting up a homes for Burnhams
Kate sought advice on how to move forward with this project as she has not been able to get in contact with any of the Parish Councils. The Board advised her to continue working with Peter Morris from West Norfolk LSP. Peter Morris was going to liaise with the Parish Councils on Kate’s behalf and let her know if any of them were keen to set up a local housing trust for their area.

The Board discussed how WAP could use the £5k that has been allocated from the budget for this project if Home for Burnham’s was not going to exist. Peter Rainsford suggested using the money to create a glossy brochure / guidance manual that outlined how and why Homes for Wells got started and that included a step by step guide for other Parishes / Towns wishing to set up a similar project.

It was agreed that if this latest attempt to engage Burnham Parish Council’s in a housing project was unsuccessful, then creating this manual would be a good idea.

Environment – Carbon Footprint Calculator
Kate asked the Board for advice on funding for the survey as they had recently been unsuccessful in obtaining a grant from The North Norfolk Coast Partnership. Members commented on how complicated the carbon footprint survey was and that many homes in Wells are run as businesses i.e. B&B’s and this made it difficult to calculate the information required. The Board advised the Environment forum to consider using a different form that was more user friendly which would encourage more people to fill them in online and therefore reduce costs.

Children and Young people – Fathers Forums
The Children’s Centre is in the process of setting up father forums and has sought support from WAP. Although Kate attended the initial meeting she felt that WAP could not offer much to this project. The Board agreed that this was not a project for WAP to get heavily involved with and advised Kate to only offer assistance where she felt WAP could add value without getting too involved.

All other project that Kate reported on were going well, full details can be found in the WAP project report available from the WAP office or via email.

Peter Rainsford thanked Kate for developing the new reporting method and the Board agreed that it was a good way for them to support and guide WAP projects. Cheryl Crawford suggested that even though we do not have a specific tourism or business project running there should be a section on the report with that title. She also suggested that a link to the North Norfolk Business Forum and the Skills Partnership be put on the WAP website. 

Kate to clarify if Burnham Parish Councils were interested in a housing project and to confirm to the Board in March.

Environment forum to research other options for the carbon footprint survey.

Kate to let Helen Millward know that she must step back from this project

Kate to get links put on website and add tourism and business to the project report.

• Wells For the Future

Kate informed the Board that the executive summary and full consultants report were now in the public domain. Copies would be made available from the WAP website and Wells Library.
Several members of the Board raised concerns about Wells Town Council’s approach to reviewing the project options.  The Board were in agreement that WAP should try and offer the community an alternative view on the projects and try to highlight the great benefits some of the projects would bring to Wells. It was agreed that an article and letter be sent to the Quay to encourage local people to read the executive summary and make sure their voices and opinions were heard.

Peter Rainsford and Joyce Trett to work on Quay article / letter

• Partner update

Kate reported that the e-newsletter was currently being developed and should be available for partners to receive at the next meeting. Members agreed to input information onto the e-newsletter on behalf of their organisation or group

Partners had no other information to provide

• Any other Business

John Millward informed members that the North Norfolk Coast Partnership who are responsible for the management of the AONB are reviewing their Management Plan. The draft plan is currently out for consultation, John urged WAP to ‘have a voice’ in this process and submit a consultation response.  Members agreed that it was an important document that would affect the WAP area and so agreed to consider the draft plan. John agreed to collate member’s comments via email and produce a ‘collective’ submission on behalf of WAP.

John also informed the Board that he was a co-opted member of the North Norfolk Museums committee and offered to be the link between the two groups. This offer was accepted by the Board.

Another group that John belongs to is the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England. This group is interested in the work of all 7 Local Area Partnerships and want to have a more formal channel of communication between themselves and WAP. The Board agreed that this would be a good arrangement and asked Kate to investigate how this could work in future.

All to read draft management plan and send comments to JM by 6th Feb

Kate to email link to the document to all and online submission form to JM

Kate to investigate how WAP and the Campaign can make formal links

• Date of next meeting

Tue 17th March 2009 7.30pm Wells Library