This page provides information on advisory groups that have been established to provide input to WPC on specific areas of the Council's responsibilities 

 

Note:  Advisory Groups have no decision-making powers or delegated responsibilities; they are established to support the Council in taking decisions in areas where the advisory group has specific expertise/experience.  The need for, and role of, advisory groups is reviewed annually by the Council. All advisory group members are part of the community and serve in a voluntary capacity.  

 

1) PLANNING ADVISORY GROUP (PAG)

PAG was established in 2014 at the request of the Parish Council, following a recommendation of the Parish Plan. The Group comprises members with professional experience of planning and architecture. The purpose of the group is to help the Council in responding to planning applications referred for consultation by East Suffolk District Council (ESDC)

The group's brief is to assess all planning applications relating to buildings in Walberswick against national and local planning policy and to report to the Parish Council. The reports are to be used at the Council's discretion; the responsibility for submitting comment to ESDC on behalf of the village remains with the Council.

PAG operates under the following rules:

1)  No correspondence or discussion takes place with planning applicants or anyone else with an interest in the application.

2)  The group is non-partisan. It does not lobby for particular outcomes and cannot enter into disputes between applicants. 

3)  Applications are assessed on the basis of the information presented and the relevant planning policies. PAG views sites from the nearest public footpath or highway where it can and where it is relevant.

4) PAG does not usually comment on small variations of detail to approved applications, nor to applications relating to trees.

5) Applications are reviewed by at least three members of the group, usually more. Members with an interest in an application absent themselves from its consideration.

6) The deliberations of the group are confidential but all reports are posted on the WPC website.

PAG reports are published on a dedicated webpage once the Parish Council has included them in the published Agenda

 

2) SCROLL ADVISORY GROUP (SAG)

The Scroll Advisory Group was created in May 2019 by resolution of Walberswick Parish Council (minute ref: 360 19/20 b). It's role is to provide advice to the Council on the preservation and display of the Walberswick Scroll. The initial members were: John English, Sue English, Pat Lancaster, Richard Scott, Bill Ungless and Kay Ungless.  This Advisory Group determines its own Chair and a member to also represent the Group on the Heritage Hut Management Committee. 

 

3) SAFE SPACES ADVISORY GROUP (SSAG)

The Safe Space initiative was started in 2018 at the suggestion of the Walberswick Common Lands Charity and Walberswick Parish Council. The purpose was to look at ways to make Walberswick a safer space given the need to share its increasingly busy roadway among motorists, pedestrians and cyclists while at the same time respecting the unique and special character of the Village. The initiative was launched at the 2018 Annual Parish Meeting.

Safe Spaces was ratified as an Advisory Group to the Parish Council in December 2020 and it's terms of reference are as follows:

1. To advise the Parish Council on issues of Safe Spaces and in particular to develop a set of proposals for possible implementation in the Village.

2. With the agreement of the Parish Council, to engage with Suffolk Highways and our County and District Representatives to gain the necessary support/sign off/input on these proposals.

3. To provide technical support to the Parish Council during the Council’s future consultations with the Village on the Safe Spaces Proposals.

4. To act as a support group to the Parish Council in delivering on the proposals once they are approved and prioritized by the Council.

5. The Council may wish to include the Safe Spaces proposals as part of the Neighbourhood Plan in order to give implementation additional authority.

The members of the Safe Space team are as follows: Josie Bassinette, Robin Buncombe, James Darkins, Alvin Hunt, John Nichols, Hannah Sutton, Bill Willison

 

4) NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN STEERING GROUP

The initial steering group consisted of Councillors Bassinette, Lewis & Winyard and first met in February 2020. Tbe initial task was to register the intent to produce a Neighbourhood Plan and to designate the area to be covered (Walberswick parish boundaries) - this was done and confirmed by ESDC in March 2020. In May 2021 WPC made the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group an advisory group and it was resolved to both meet with ESDC planners to agree a way forward and to widen the membership of the Group to include members of the wider Walberswick community