Consultation Process
Phase 1: Getting to know the area:
2004
Initial step: May Letter sent to Romsey and District Society members asking for help with the project. 6 volunteers to deliver leaflets
Leaflet: June: To each household (493) inviting residents to inaugural meeting at Mountbatten School. 4 letters received.
Meeting 17 June: Inaugural meeting. 30 people present.
Letter to residents: July delivered to each household.
Preparation of Questionnaire: June and July by working group of 8
Guided walks: July: Two guided walks around the area, one to the north, the other to the south, between 15 and 20 people on each.
Questionnaire: Delivered to each household with accompanying letter August, replies by 21 September
Note there was some changeover in the leafletters. About 10 in all.
September: Every answer to every question typed into Access database.
Preparation for Exhibition:
The answers to each question were analysed and a summary made. The exhibition was prepared and each display board planned with words and pictures.
November Exhibition: An evening at Mountbatten School. 31 people attended
Phase 2: Preparing the Statement: 2004/5
A series of 8 meetings were held in which the contents of each section of the Statement were discussed. These were written up and then reviewed. About 6 people were actively engaged in the process. When the words were agreed upon, a copy was sent to TVBC Planning Dept for their observations. The suggestions were discussed and largely accepted. Those matters deemed not to be design were removed to an appendix and letters will be sent to the relevant councils as matters of concern, possibly in connection with comments from neighbouring areas
Once the words were agreed, pictures were added. After each set of amendments, a new version of the draft was produced. The final one was version 11. Each time it was necessary to make changes, a new version was created in order to leave a trail. Most of the versions resulted from the refinement of text such as re-ordering or rewording it. In addition, where advice was given that matter had been included that was not proper to a Design Statement, this was removed to an appendix and will be sent to councillors separately.
Changes in layout were also given separate version numbers. For example, when the layout was changed from one column to two a new version number was created. The same is true when the words had been agreed and the pictures were added.
There was very little change to the meaning of the content, most changes resulted from discussion about how to say what we wanted, rather than what we said. One of the few exceptions relates to the tactics to be used about multi-occupancy dwellings. They are not a feature of this area, and are not wanted. However that is primarily a planning matter. A form of words that would be acceptable as Design was included, but it was decided by the final working party that this might give ideas to developers and the paragraph was removed.
When the final draft had been prepared, a leaflet was delivered to each household advising residents that copies of the design statements were available for free collection. About 150 were taken up. In addition, copies were sent to councillors and others (see list in connection with Overview).
7 written comments were received commenting on the statement making 36 specific comments between them.
Final meeting: 25 November:
6 people attended and the comments were discussed. As a result a few changes to wording were made and the comment about flats removed. In addition, two or three minor textual amendments were made.
