Clerk: Mrs. L Rampton

Parish Council Office,

Winscombe Community Centre,

11 Sandford Road, Winscombe,

North Somerset BS25 1JA

Tel: 01934 844257   Fax: 01934 844292

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Affordable Housing Working Party Update

Tuesday 3rd March 2009, 12.30 pm.

The Weeks Room, Winscombe Community Centre

 

To consider Land off Well Close, Winscombe

 

Councillors Present:    Steve Bridges (SB), Geoff Luckett (GLu), Mike Williamson (MW),

Others Present:                        Louise Davidson (LD)                  Regional Development Manager, English Rural Housing Assoc

                                                Victoria Kay (VK)                       NSC Housing

                                                Richard Mead (RM)                    Summerfield Developments

Clerk:                           Lynne Rampton (LR)     

 

Apologies for absence were received from Roy Jones (RJ), Avril Richmond (AR) & Chris Sampson (CS).

 

Following the two public consultation events held in January 2009, LD & RM provided an update of the current situation for the benefit of the Affordable Housing Working Party representatives.

*              LD & RM had met on site with a NSC Planning Officer to further consider the proposed development on land at the end of Well Close.

*              The Landscape Architect appointed to the project has been in contact with NSC Officers. Photos are to be taken of the surrounding area.

*              Ecology – it was reported that no protected species have been found on site. Existing watercourses and hedgerow will be maintained.

*              Routes for public use will be maintained. A small diversion may be required following submission of a planning application.

*                   Investigations have not revealed anything of archaeological interest on the land.

*              It is anticipated that a planning application will be submitted for homes of a simple cottage design with porches using traditional brick and render materials.

*              A NSC Highway Officer has not raised concerns for the proposed development at this stage. Judgement will be reserved for a planning application.

*              The Environment Agency has stipulated conditions for the site to protect watercourses.

*              A feasibility study of drainage has been carried out. It was reported that a main drain (amounting to 50% of the drainage in this area) has been blocked for a number of years and has recently been dug out by hand and other ditches have not been maintained. For these reasons, the idea of a pond will be removed from the proposed planning application possibly with a reed bed substituting this.

*              Due to the level of the school field, flooding of the primary school is thought to be caused by surface water run-off from their playing field. This may be resolved by unblocking existing drainage pipes.

*              Issues were identified for the Primary School at the Key Stakeholder meeting held in December 2008.

*              The remaining open space will be offered to the Parish for community use as part of a planning application.

 

 

*              RM will prepare an update brief that will be circulated to Key Stakeholders including the Parish Council at the March 2009 meeting.

*              An update to the public consultation events was not prepared by LD and submitted on behalf of ERHA to the local press as this could have been seen as retaliation to protestors of this scheme.

*              Future publication of the proposed scheme was discussed with LD to submit articles to NS Life, local magazines and papers and school newsletters. LR is to provide deadline dates for the Church magazine and Home & Local to LD.

*              An Area Forum is to be arranged and held by NSC South Area Committee to discuss the provision of Affordable Housing in the Parish.

*              Future consideration should be given to the methods for distribution of Affordable Housing Registration of Interest Forms that may include use of employers within the Parish.

*              LD reported that the Affordable Housing development currently under construction in neighbouring Churchill Parish is over-subscribed.

*              RM advised that a full planning application will not be submitted to NSC before the Area Forum takes place on 23rd March 2009.