Newsletters are the only way you can keep in touch. When we were founded, 40 years ago, Local Authorities didn't like Societies. Now attitudes have changed. We have 1,200 members - but that doesn’t mean it's easy to get officers to serve. We've done a lot of planting. Originally they said "no" because of the mowing and we had to plant crocuses instead. Now they allow daffodils.

Buckingham Society absent with apologies. Marion Fuller is standing in as minute-taker.

These were signed.

None.

Chairman Peter Diplock; Vice-Chairman John Davies; Hon. Secretary Anthony Wethered; Hon. Treasurer Ron Sims; Hon. Auditor Jane Clark. No competition therefore re-elected en bloc.

Anthony Wethered: the Hon. Sec. is not as indefatigable as he used to be. I will not stand again because I think organisation needs new blood. I've already resigned from two committees of the Civic Trust.

Peter Diplock: I now live in Rutland and I'm Vice President of the Marlow Society. But I'd be happy for someone to take over. I'm still willing to stand for this year and next (i.e. 3 years) but no more.

Bernard Meldrum (Chesham): thank Anthony, Ron and Peter for your work, effectiveness and leadership.

ANTAS web site is part of our future. Gives us opportunity to interact more. Needs to be 2-way. Silence - to questions in Newsletter and web site - is deafening. What would you like? What, from your Society, could you put on the web site? Lot of good info there, but please add to it.

Invite your colleagues to the next ANTAS meeting.

Cic Upcott (Chiltern Society): can you put a proforma in your next Newsletter please?

See typed accounts. We're in a healthy state.

• Reform of Planning System coming up - CT is making formal input, informed by its Planning and Heritage Group). There's concern about complexity of current system with regional, county and local plans. Are County Structure Plans really needed? Is it too top down, should it be more bottom up? Doubt about proposed pressure for speedier resolution of planning applications (8 weeks is "suspect"): better result more important than speed. Worry about proposed fast-tracking of major applications. JD felt multiple applications should be outlawed, and enforcement needs to be improved - how many Councils can devote enough effort to that?
• Chris Woodman (HW Soc): the fact that the Bucks Structure Plan Review is getting well underway when the previous Local Plan will not be reported on for another year is unsatisfactory.
• Bernard Meldrum (Chesham): planning requirements have no meaning.
• Derek Upcott (Chiltern Society): problem of working with two Government Offices - Bucks has far more in common with Herts than with Kent.
• John Davies: there was a suggestion in the Planning and Heritage Group that planning should be based on sub-regions instead of regions, but this probably raised as many problems as it solved.
• Andrew Sangster (Hertford): how many Societies try to monitor planning conditions? In Hertford, the District Council has an enforcement officer.
• Bernard Meldrum: tree screening - Chiltern District Council says conditions have a limited life (5 years) but trees take longer than that to grow. It's a farce.
• Jeffrey Legge (Chiltern Society - Planning Co-ordinator): AV District Council is understaffed by one-third. Enforcement system lacks statutory backing. We're putting forward to DTLR a need for a PPG on enforcement. John Davies - yes, an important point for Civic Societies.
• Peter Trevelyan (St Albans): there's an information problem - conditions are on file. In Germany, you have to publish the conditions of your consents. And lists of conditions can be huge - I've seen 37 or 38.

John Davies: this offers a real opportunity for involvement - there's statutory backing for input by voluntary groups such as Civic Societies, but quite a big workload. It's also a potential threat, because if you don't get involved, others with a different agenda (e.g. developers) will fill the vacuum. It's all part of a wider agenda of greater participation, including the Local Government Act 2000 and the recent paper "Power of Place". Community Strategies are a requirement, and they are to be audited.

Harry Morton (Amersham): we've been circulated, and we're going back by the end of the year.

John Gorton (Beaconsfield): a Parish Appraisal is being done.

Margaret Smith (Potters Bar): East Herts District Council are sponsoring "Potters Bar In Focus" which is a rival to the PB Society and gets free meeting venues etc. It's too open to pressure from the District Council.

Bernard Meldrum (Chesham): we've been invited to give a presentation.

Peter Diplock: if you've issued questionnaires for contributions to the Community Strategy, let us have them. Use John as the conduit.

Derek Upcott (Chiltern Society): there is a Government requirement for a bottom-up approach to Community Strategies - imposing "Potters Bar In Focus" is not compliant with that.

John Davies (Hitchin): in my area the local authority is just starting on community strategy work, although something very similar was started in 1995 as Hitchin Vision. It is important that the Hertfordshire Town Renaissance Campaign is linked to local community strategies, and that civic societies take part in events organised by HTRC.

Chris Woodman: site contains 35 web pages; suggestions for improving accessibility and use (see speaking note). Stressed importance of member societies advertising the site to their own members - the site is for all members of ANTAS-affiliated organisations. (No note available of discussion.) One contributor said he was only present at today's meeting because he had found details of the venue on the web site.

Potters Bar (Robin Howard)

1. Problems with travellers.
2. Green belt boundary (got moved by the Council "by accident"), then moved back. Public Inquiry was held. Inspector likely to favour the original position.
3. Bungalows with long gardens (of which very many in Potters Bar). Proposal to demolish 6 and replace by 12 houses and 26 flats - like barracks blocks with a parade ground in the middle! Local Plan requires that "new development is in keeping with the old". Developer hasn't given up - proposal now down to 18 dwellings, including only one 3-storey block of flats. A threat to the whole town.
4. Society decided to donate a millennium clock to the town.

Hitchin (John Davies)

West of Stevenage: Urban Capacity Study figures now indicate there is no need to build in the Green Belt to meet housing requirements to 2016 and beyond. But some District Councils are challenging the figures and are delaying the revised County Structure Plan and in the meantime the developers can claim there is a need.

Geoffrey Legge (Chiltern Society): in RPG9, Herts got dumped with 65,000 homes. But in Dacorum there have been many windfall sites. We would resist incursion into GB on this scale very strongly.

Hertford (Andrew Sangster):

A Sports Hall application (including tennis courts, swimming pool, 2 squash courts - with high fees and obviously catering for rich residents) was called in. At the Public Inquiry we were challenged over our authority to speak for our members.

Street audit continues - hard work. We've now been appointed to monitor it. CCTV pictures are said to be inadequate for court proceedings, so there's now a move for better street lighting (on which there's been no consultation).

Chiltern Society (Derek Upcott)

7,000 members. Our Annual Report is summarised on our web site. Chiltern Way is now complete with some money left over. Chiltern Society is the only NGO (apart from National Trust) able to appoint someone to the new Chilterns Conservation Board.

Aylesbury Society (Roger King)

AVDC has plans for 3 major developments, including 20 acres of retail sheds.

Chris Woodman: there seems to be a deficiency in planning guidance, which doesn't differentiate sheds from other retail outlets and requires them to be as close to town centres as possible.

Amersham Society (Harry Morton)

Planning approval has been given for 68 flats behind the hospital. We'd hoped for the demolition of the high-rise nurses' block but that's not yet been proposed. Problems with travellers - toilets repeatedly smashed.

Beaconsfield (John Gorton)

Problem of trees getting old and needing replacement. Initially Council said "no" (roots interfere with services) but now a meeting has been agreed of the BS with Hyder. 30% of Society's members are Councillors - may be good, may be bad!

Chesham (Bernard Meldrum)

We have a pedestrian area with a speed limit of 30mph. Local police oppose a reduction on grounds they can't police it.

Derek Upcott (Chiltern Society): we've done a lot on that. The police argument is invalid and is refuted. There is a move for more appropriate speed limits throughout the Chilterns. The Government requirements have changed - for a speed limit, you no longer need street lighting or housing of a particular density.

None.

13 April 2002 at Marlow.