March 2023 Minutes
Present
Cllr Brooman (Chairman), Cllr McLaughlin (Vice Chairman), Cllrs Goode, Harvey, Hayward,Webber
In attendance
County Cllr C Vernon, District Cllr P Robins, 6 members of the public
- Declarations of interest
None
- Approve minutes 15 February 2023
The notes of the meeting held on 15 February 2023 were approved as minutes and signed by the Chairman. Proposed by Cllr Harvey, seconded by Cllr Hayward, all in favour.
- Matters arising
None
- County Council matters
County Cllr C Vernon reported that council tax would go up by 4.99%; this had been a reluctant decision but was necessary because of the current deficit. Photo ID will be required for voters at the 4 May election. Castle Bytham was still part of SKDC and had not been affected by recent boundary changes. Road closures applications for coronation events should be applied for by 31 March.
- District Council matters
District Cllr P Robins said that applications for the Prosperity Fund should be submitted by 1 April and will be on a first come, first served basis. Green waste will be collected 23 times a year – green bins cost £26 with £10 delivery charge. Cllr Robins had placed cost of living and election photo ID posters at the shop.
- Planning issues - verbal report from the Planning Working Group
Cllr Goode presented the report: S23/0134 – measurements were incorrect on the application – the distance to plot 1 was 12.5m, not 17m as stated on the application; the minimum distance should be 14m; this issue added to that of population density resulted in the Planning Working Group’s recommendation to refuse the application. S23/0273 – a 2020 application for the same site had been approved at the time; this new application showed a new location for the garage; the Planning Working Group recommended sending back recommendations to SKDC. S23/0271 – the Planning Working Group recommended refusal of this application, with objection to the lack of detail on the application and absence of design statement. There were also historic issues with a previous application; recommendations had not been adhered to, with no trees planted to date. The location for proposed planning was very close to the road and the dwellings opposite.
Planning. A) S23/0134 - Mr Mark Nicholson; erection of a dwelling, Plot 7, adjacent to Plot 1, Holywell Road, Castle Bytham. The Councillors recommended refusal of the above application on the following grounds:
Increase density of housing this cramped form of development will create. The new development being only 2.2 meters from Plot 1, impacting on existing and future residents of the property.
It should be noted that information regarding the distance to the property immediately on the right as you look from the street is incorrect on the application. It states a distance of 17.034 meters, this fails to take into account an extension built to the side of that property. The actual distance is 12.6 meters, well below the SPD guidelines of 14 meters. Overall this will create adverse impacts on both neighbouring properties and is still not a development suitable for this environment.
B) S23/0273 - Lees and Knight; erection of a detached dwelling and garage, land adjacent to 37 Station Road, Castle Bytham.The Councillors made the following comments:clarification required as to marking of the stay in relation to the Pole Mounted Transformer in the bottom right of the plan. This was marked in the previous application S20-0415 but is missing on the current application. This will obviously have effect in regards to the new access route to and around the garage. The Councillors would also like to see a Construction Management Plan included as part of the approval. With the location of the site in a central location to the village we fell in is important to include the following conditions: contactors/site vehicles are not to be parked on the street or in the nearby layby close to the site. This is an area that is heavily used by existing residents for parking and the site itself is large enough to make a provision for vehicle parking. Provision made for all vehicles to be cleaned when leaving site as as not to spread mud etc onto the surrounding road/pavements.
If surrounding road/pavement does become dirty from site traffic this is to be cleaned regularly.
C) S23/0271 - JW and S Cooper; proposed erection of agricultural building, Willow Quarry Farm, Little Bytham Road, Castle Bytham. The Councillors recommended refusal of the above application on the following grounds: lack of detail provided on the planning application. There is no Design & Access statement, and validation is requited on usage for the building.
Location of the building on the edge of the boundary to the road, makes it in close proximity to the property across the road creating issues around noise pollution
Elements of a previous application S20/1381 on the same site have still not been adhered to. Namely point 3 relating to submission of a tree planting scheme needing to be submitted and approved by the Local Planning Authority, and point 5 in the planting of the approved scheme.
- Recruitment of new Councillors
The May 4 election posters will be displayed by 20 March.
- Risk assessments
The risk assessments were carried out; village gateways and defibrillators were added to the risk assessments spreadsheet.
- Speed Indicator Device
Cllr McLaughlin has downloaded the software for the Speed indicator device and will present a monthly report with data from SID, which will be published in Glenside news.
- Contract playing field maintenance
The Councillors considered 3 tenders and awarded the contract to BDG Mowing, at a rate of £150 per cut, fortnightly. Clerk to ask whether the contractor would consider a two year contract at the same rate.
- Contract cemetery, upper green, churchyard
Michael Wright is currently unable to work; Paul Weinmann has been carrying out some of Michael’s tasks; clerk to ask Paul Weinmann which areas of Michael’s work he would consider taking on and what his rates would be.
- Amenities Working Group report
Cllr Harvey said that the cradle swing seat had been delivered and would be installed shortly.
- Footpath access St Martins
Cllr Brooman had had two enquiries regarding the access from St Martins’ to the field as large dogs cannot get over the stile. The problem seems to be dog waste left in the field. The Parish Council will liaise with the owner of the field and offer to place a dog waste bag dispenser by the gate and a new litter bin on Glen Road which would be emptied by SKDC, in order to mitigate the issue; if this solution were acceptable, the Parish Council would find out the cost of a new gate with dog access and fund it.
- Request for financial assistance from the PCC towards repairs to the war memorial
The PCC has asked the Parish Council for financial assistance towards the repair of the War Memorial situated in the churchyard. The Councillors agreed that the PCC should seek local funding and approach SKDC in the first instance; once these two avenues of funding had been explored, the Parish Council would match fund up to 1/3 of the amount requested by the PCC. Proposed by Cllr Brooman, seconded by Cllr Goode, all in favour.
- Agreement to deposit funds raised for the coronation into the parish council’s bank account
Former Councillor Peter Hinton had applied for coronation funding on behalf of the community and had asked the Parish Council to deposit any raised funds into the Parish Council’s bank account. The Councillors agreed that only the money raised could be spent and that VAT would be kept in the account in order to be distributed by the Parish Council during the next financial year; district Cllr P Robins will find out clarification on how the VAT could be spent. The Parish Council will have a representative on the coronation committee and an application will be required for each purchase. This item will be back on the April agenda.
- Burial Committee matters
None
- Correspondence
- AIMS Accountants spring budget update
- Rural Services Network bulletins
- SKDC weekly planning lists
- SKDC Democracy Services March newsletter
- Road closures
- Resident regarding War Memorial repair
- Parish Online newsletter
- LALC e-news
- P Hinton - small grants application for Glenside Community Coronation celebrations
- Mallard Pass solar farm update
- LCC Towns and Parishes – new advertisement service
- LALC – Civility & Respect March newsletter
- Resident regarding planning application S23/0134 Plot 7 adj to Plot 1, Holywell Road
- Playground Projects Ltd
- A Davies - Castle Bytham Village Hall
- South Kesteven Neighbourhood Policing team – quarterly briefing document
- SKDC – election meeting briefing slides
- SKDC – briefings to Parish and Town Councils; LGA Model Code of Conduct
- Funding for village halls
- YMCA Lincolnshire News & Updates bulletin
- LCC parish council community newsletter
- District Cllr P Robins – Community Ownership Fund, Round 2
- Dhruv Pandya – internal audit quote
- P Hinton – cemetery water supply
- SKDC – information on becoming a District Councillor
- Accounts
The following payments were approved:
- Anglian Water - cemetery £13.79
- JRB Enterprise - dog waste bags £76.98
- M Cooke - salary 26 weeks £1138.50
- HMRC - clerk’s PAYE £284.63
Cllr Goode will replace former Councillor Peter Hinton as signatory on the account.
- Councillors’ verbal reports
None
The meeting ended at 21.50