March 2019 Minutes
Minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2019
Present
Cllr Dennis (Chairman), Cllr Harvey (Vice Chairman), Cllrs Candler, Goodman, Hayward, Hinton, Martindale, Thomas, Webber.
In attendance
County Cllr Mr B Adams, 1 member of the public.
1. Declarations of interest
None
2. Approve minutes 20 February 2019
The notes of the meeting held on 20 February 2019 were approved as minutes and signed by the Chairman. Proposed by Cllr Goodman, seconded by Cllr Harvey, all in favour.
3. Matters arising – village pond
A letter was sent to the three riparian owners regarding their current work at the pond which had not been endorsed by the Parish Council; the riparian owners would therefore be responsible for any damage/liability.
Clerk to check with the insurance on the matter of the sluice gate which is Parish Council property and as such listed on Parish Council’s assets for insurance purposes; the riparian owners have the key to the sluice gate and lift the latter without Parish Council’s permission - the Councillors wondered whether the Parish Council should also have a key to the sluice gate and whether the Parish Council could be deemed negligent whenever the gate was lifted without its permission. Richard Kent e-mailed on 12 March to say that maintenance work would involve repainting the depth markers, pruning the willow tree, planting reeds.
Transplanting some irises, removing any debris interfering with the flow of water. A second e-mail was received on 16 March giving the following dates for the work: draining on 18 March, work on 20 March, refilling on either 21 or 22 March
4. Upper Green steps – discuss work done so far and make recommendations for the final phase Jamie West from JM Builders had signed the letter from the Parish Council containing detailed specifications on the rebuilding of the steps. A site meeting had taken place on 15 March for the Councillors and Jamie West to discuss the unacceptability of the work carried out by JM Builders’ subcontractors - it had been agreed to start the work again. The Councillors voted in favour of blue engineering bricks for the steps’ rise. A rail sample will be considered in the near future. The Councillors agreed that a project manager would be appointed for any future major projects.
The pine tree at the cemetery would be felled on 27 March by Tommy Plummer Tree Services.
5. County Council matters
County Cllr Adams said that changes to the Grantham - Stamford bus service timetable would take effect on 8 April. Cllr Adams had written to Rowan Smith at LCC with regard to the pothole at the level of Roxhome Haven on Glen Road. The Water Lane sign had been reported 3 times. The 30 mph sign at the level of 6 Counthorpe Lane was obscured by a tree.
6. District Council matters
The tree obscuring the street light at the level of 15 Clipsham Road had been reported to SKDC. Item 8A - County Cllr Mr Bob Adams to request an extension to the deadline for comments on application until 18 April and a meeting with Mr Gildersleeves.
7. Planning issues - verbal report from the Planning Working Group
S19/0068 [minutes item 8B] - Cllr Goodman said that the application had been resubmitted after SKDC declared the proposed shed to be outside the house curtilage. 8A - planning officer Mr Phil Moore had a meeting with the Planning Working Group prior to the Parish Council meeting and would from now on be in charge of all applications at The Old Quarry. He explained that outline planning permission applied to the total number of dwellings but not their location. It was noted that an additional 5 dwellings has appeared on the plan without permission. Mr Moore would advise Dr Burston to withdraw his shop application once Cllr Hinton’s shop application (on behalf of the Community Shop Steering Group) was granted.
8. Planning
A. S19/0180 – Dr Dallas Burston. Erection of 18 dwellings (Reserved Matters pursuant to S17/1134 – parcel A layout only); The Old Quarry, Station Road, Castle Bytham. The Councillors made the following comments:
The application for 18 dwellings is an over development of the site.
Valuable green space would be irretrievably lost as a result of the development, with potential harm to natural habitat.
The development would lie too close to the road.
The Parish Council was very disappointed that the application made no mention of affordable housing. The Councillors felt that each building plot at The Old Quarry should have a quota of affordable homes - application S18/2381 was for 7 self build, with no mention of affordable homes, which, together with the 18 dwellings above means that of the remaining 62 authorised dwellings on this site 50% of them would have to be built as affordable dwellings to meet current building criteria. This does not seem to be an economically attractive proposition for any prospective buyer of the remaining plots. Is this the intention SKDC planners have in mind and is it in keeping with the Core Strategy about to be published?
B. S19/0068 – Mr Potton. Conversion of garage to form music room, erection of office, garden shed and for a change of use of land for the erection of two buildings for holistic therapy treatments (D2). Amended information for submitted application. The Councillors had no objections to this application.
C. Cemetery tree removal S19/0049 [approved by SKDC]– 1) consider 2 quotations for replacement tree. 2) discuss whether to have the stump removed. The Councillors voted in favour of middle size Austrian pine, 1.25 to 5m tall, to be supplied and planted during the next planting season by Tommy Plummer. The twin stumps would be retained at picnic table height.
D. S19/0354 - Mr S Finlan. Erection of two storey extension following removal of a conservatory, erection of first floor extension and alterations. Churchfield House, Holywell Road, Castle Bytham. The Planning Working Group were to arrange a site visit and report back before sending comments to SKDC.
E. S17/1315 - Mr N Perry. Erection of cottage and garage and demolition of existing farm buildings and erection of house with integral garage. (Revised plans, additional information; re-advertised application). See item 6. Planning Inspectorate - appeal by Mr Sacker against SKDC with regard to planning refusal for S18/1621, Pepperidge Farm; appeal dismissed.
9. Risk assessment all areas; risk assessment playing field ground
Both risk assessments were carried out. Cllr Hinton to prepare an assessment of the churchyard as the Parish Council will be taking on its mowing for the PCC.
10. Amenities Working Group report
A visual inspection of the playing field was carried out - a branch had fallen down at the northern edge; clerk to contact Michael Wright for its removal.The cemetery sign has been cleaned, the bench scrubbed and headstones checked. Fence repairs to be carried out once the pine tree is felled. The speed indicating device (SID) had been placed for a 3 week rotation on Clipsham Road - its data showed that Clipsham Road saw more traffic than Morkery Lane. Clerk to contact LCC for a possible 50% contribution to the cost of the Station Road waiting platform adjacent to the bus shelter. LCC Cllr Richard Davies to be also reminded of the promised reimbursement for the replacement grit bins - all paperwork requested had been sent in January.
11. Cemetery matters
Tim Smith had carried out maintenance and clearing work. A gravestone was cleaned from a sap like substance following a request from the family.
12. Report from Village Hall Committee
Cllr Dennis reported that two new radiators had been installed in the supper room. Modifications had been made to the entrance light. The back stage area had been cleaned and painted; the gutter was cleared free of charge by Dower- Datech. The Village Festival Committee had given £150 to Anything Goes - Cllr Dennis had asked for the donation to be given instead to the Village Hall Committee. The hall hire charges still did not cover the running costs, with expenditure over income in excess of £1000 - net funds stood at £4847.99.
13. Correspondence
A. LCC - traffic regulation orders to place temporary, experimental or permanent restrictions on the use of public highway; LCC will now only accept public requests supported by County Councillors following discussions with the Parish Council.
B. LCC Cllr Richard Davies - highways issues can be reported on the website: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/faultreporting , by e-mail to cshighways@lincolnshire.gov,uk; or by telephone on 01522 782070
C. SKDC - Local Plan examination update
D. PKF Littlejohn LLP, external auditors - training webinar, date to be announced
E. SKDC - parish update
F. LALC News
G. Invest SK News
H. Public sector online
I. Rural services network
J. South West Lincolnshire NHS - Healthy Conversations; 2019 public engagement exercise
K. Keep Britain Tidy - great British spring clean
14. Accounts
Cheque to be paid: T Smith - work at the cemetery £200.00
15. Councillors’ verbal reports
None