The project started in the autumn of 2003 and finished in March 2006. It covered an area that contained 1063 households. In all 24 meetings were held with a total of 39 people participating apart from walks and exhibition.
Consultation Process
Phase 1: Getting to know the area:
2003-2004
Initial step: October 2003:
A letter was sent to members of the Romsey and District Society who live in the area asking for their help in delivering leaflets advertising the inaugural meeting. 9 people volunteered. In all 14 people helped with leaflet distribution in phase one.
First meeting: November 2003:
The first meeting was held in Romsey Town Hall and was attended by 15 people.
Planning meeting: December 2003:
This was held in the Red Cross Hall in Great Well Drive. Most of the subsequent meetings were held in a private house.
Guided walks: December 2003, January 2004:
Four guided walks were held that covered the whole area. They were advertised by a leaflet drop to every household and were attended by a total of 83 people.
Preparation of questionnaire: February-May 2004:
The questions and layout of the questionnaire were prepared by a total of 12 people.
Questionnaire: May 2004:
Copies of the questionnaire were delivered to every household in the area with a request to return them by 15th July. Two shops, a petrol service station, a doctors’ surgery and nine private households acted as collecting points. Some questionnaires were returned direct to the Look at Romsey convenor.
Processing of answers: Summer 2004:
Every answer to each question was typed into an Access database. 181 replies were received, which is 17% of all households.
Preparation for exhibition:
Three meetings were held at which the replies were analysed, and materials were prepared for public exhibition. Some work was undertaken by smaller groups who reported back. The whole area was leafleted once again.
Exhibition: 4 September 2004:
An exhibition was held in Romsey Town Hall. It was held jointly with that for Upper Cupernham. In all 175 attended.
Phase 2: Preparing the Statement:
2004-2006
Following the exhibition
Nine meetings were held to discuss the content of the Design Statement. These included discussion of the contents section by section, and a visit to Great Well Drive to discuss how to analyse a street scene. Once the words were written, they were reviewed and submitted to TVBC for comment. The comments were then discussed and once the group was satisfied with the text, photographs were chosen and inserted.
Public consultation January 2006:
The draft statements were printed and a working party assembled to collate and staple them. A leaflet was distributed to each household telling residents that copies were available at nine locations within the area and several outside the area, mostly in the town centre. In addition copies of the statement were sent to all Town Councillors, Test Valley Councillors for the four Romsey wards, County Councillors for the two Romsey divisions, the MP and one or two other bodies, such as the Police and Test Way Housing.
Reactions to the design statement:
220 copies of the design statement were taken from the outlet points. In addition, people read them at such places as the CAB offices, the library and Romsey Hospital outpatients department.
Comments:
Seven people sent in comments, covering 28 points between them. All the replies were generally complimentary and most of the comments either endorsed what we had said. Each comment was acknowledged. A few corrected factual errors. The only point of discord came from a resident in Horsecroft who liked the mix of tarmac and grass along the footways.
Final meeting:
This was held on Tuesday 21st February 2006. The comments were discussed and some amendments were made to the text. Subsequently each person who had sent in comments received a letter saying how we had handled their observations, with the exception of the person who attended the meeting.
Non-design issues: March 2006:
A letter has been sent to councillors and others listing the non-design matters that were raised as a result of this project. As might be expected from so large an area, there were a number of items, and the final letter was therefore somewhat long.
