A Meeting of the Environment Committee was held on Tuesday 4th May 2010
at 7.30 pm, Amesbury Room, Winscombe Community Centre.
Committee Members Present: Mrs Mandy Brading (ABr), Mrs Pat Bushnell (PB), Mrs. Phyllis Cram (PCr),
Mr Archie Forbes (AF), Mr. Gerald Lloyd (Committee Chairman) (GL), Mrs Valerie McGann (Committee Vice-Chairman) (VMc), Mrs Avril Richmond (AR).
Clerk Present: Mrs Lynne Rampton (LR) Members of Public Present: Two
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Apologies for absence. Mr. Steve Bridges (SB) and Miss B Roper (BR)
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Update of the minutes of the last meeting, already signed at main Parish Council meeting as being a correct record. Min 5a – Written confirmation is to be obtained by the Assistant Clerk regarding public liability insurance for the Scarecrow Extravaganza. Min 5b – May Green Fair. John Westlake is to man a stall on behalf of the Parish Council – volunteers to assist him would be appreciated and notified to John directly. Min 5c – Verges on Sandford and Banwell Roads (where footways exist) have been litter picked by the Community Service Team. Our NSC Area Officer is able to issue fines for those responsible for dogs fouling footways but details of times and days when these offences are likely to take place need to be provided. In the meantime, new stickers are to be issued to the office so that we can attach these to lamp posts in the worst affected areas. Min 5d. – land opposite Evergreen Close. Contact has been made with the land owner via SB with the land owner advising he will make an effort to tidy up the area. Min 7b – Browns Corner litter bin – A reminder to look at this location for the suitability of a replacement bin has been given to our NSC Area Officer. Min 7c – Due to insurance implications, shop owners are reluctant to tend NSC footway areas to the front of their stores. NSC is to request that their street cleansing contractors to pay particular attention to the area outside the Co-op both inside and outside the railing when emptying bins in the vicinity. Min 7f – Sidcot lane/Belmont Road junction trees have now been pruned to provide statutory clearance heights for both the footway and highway. Min 9 – A meeting is to take place on 20th May with NSC Representatives and AF, GLl & LR to discuss future improvement plans for Winscombe Library. Should GLl be unable to attend the meeting, VMcG will attend. Suggested options for the alternative temporary siting of the library during improvement works should be offered to NSC. Min 10 – progress is being made to update the existing web-site using the services of our previous volunteer for a small charge. The situation is to be monitored and an alternative person sought for maintenance of this if necessary. Min 14a – instructions have been given to replace the pole, bracket and street light at Roman Road. Min 16a – Our NSC Area Officer is shortly to arrange to meet with Councillors to look at worst affected footways. Min 16b – An apology has been received from NSC regarding delays to alterations of bus stop markings at Browns Corner: Min 16c – Yet another change of Officer in NSC that deals with drainage has meant no further progress is available to report on additional gullies requested on Belmont Road to the front of Sewell House.
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Declarations of interest – None declared at this point but a personal and prejudicial interest was declared during the meeting by Mrs McGann in Agenda item 5 correspondence received regarding a modification order to the definitive map on land known as Hillyfields due to a family member being employed by land owners, Summerfield Developments.
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Public participation: an opportunity for members of the parish to make a statement. A Sandford resident reported that a seat close to the bottom of Hill Road (by the bus stop and Church) has recently been vandalised. The Committee Chairman advised that repairs to the seat have been instructed. The applicant for the Modification Order to the Definitive Footpath Map (Brae Rise to Well Close) spoke on the number of parishioners using this route undisturbed for a period reported to being in excess of 20 years. The committee was informed that 23 forms have been signed by various users of the path in support of the application and it was advised by the parishioner that no development plans currently exist for this site.
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Correspondence including: a. A complaint has been made about the condition of the Sidcot bus shelter on the Bridgwater Road. Sidcot School art department have previously advised that they would be willing to ‘decorate’ the inside of the shelter and contact should again be made with the school to enquire if they are still willing to accept this challenge. Regular efforts should be made to clear/sweep the inside of the bus shelter as the prevailing wind seems to constantly fill the shelter with rubbish and leaves. b. Application for a modification order to the definitive map for a footpath that is not recorded from Brae Rise to Well Close. Email communication has been received from NSC advising of the application and a request made for any knowledge of previous discussions or decisions made by the Parish Council on this matter. From knowledge of the Committee Chairman and other Committee members spanning some 12 years, the ‘claimed’ footpath has not been considered before. A personal and prejudicial interest was declared by Mrs. McGann at this point and she left the meeting. Experience of use of the claimed footpath was invited from members with PCr advising of using the route in excess of 20 years ago and AR recalling use of the route with school children at a similar period. No knowledge of any challenges to users of the claimed path are known of at this time but it was accepted that numerous routes are used unofficially across fields with little knowledge that the land owner can take action on. Mrs. McGann returned to the meeting.
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Blocked footpaths, overgrowing vegetation, etc. a. Those noted since the last meeting: i AX29/78 – obstruction by high fence. The committee chairman has been advised that this footpath is obstructed by a padlocked deer fence. Councillors have previously, and still consider that the correct route of the footpath does not pass through the orchard but walkers diverted into the field from the original path (on which Avon County Council installed two stiles) due to an obstruction on the correct route. The obstruction on the correct footpath route has been cleared prior to installation of the fence and Mr R Phillips, PROW Officer at NSC advised accordingly. ii Suggested introduction of footway from end of Greenhill Lane to Pye Corner and beyond to Churchill Parish. A NSC Officer has made contact with the committee chairman to advise of possible plans to extend a footway to Pye Corner principally for use by Churchill school children following NSC being advised of recent accident history for this area through local residents and the Parish Council at a Parish Voice meeting. NSC should be advised that the Parish Council is morally in support of this action. iii Unofficial diversion of AX29/3 and 29/72 acceptable to NS. Two stiles on this unofficial footpath have been replaced with Somerset stiles (without the cross piece to allow easier passage). Due to limited funding at NSC, not all stiles can be replaced with kissing gates but this matter has been referred back to contractors to enquire if an additional cross piece can be added to the stiles. Fields in this vicinity have recently been ploughed with NSC confirming that footpaths as identified on the definitive map are still accessible. Contact was made with NSC by the land owner prior to works being carried out and signs were posted in the fields to advise the public, but these were unfortunately ripped down. iv Verges recent cleared of rubbish by PayBack Team – as requested. Litter picking has taken place on Sandford Road and Banwell Road where footways exist. b. Those reported at this meeting. None
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General Environment a. Recycling centre behind Woodborough Inn. An update. Ward Councillor Lake advised at the April meeting of the Parish Council that steps were being taken to secure additional recycling bins for the site to deal with the volume of recycling until the new collection service was fully operational in this Parish in September 2010. It was reported that the new NSC contractor keeps the site in good condition with the majority of any problems being suffered over the week-end periods due to lack of container space for goods deposited. b. Positioning of additional grit bins – progressing slowly. c. Parish street name signs. The metal street name sign at The Lynch is considered to be in a bad state of repair and instructions should be given to the contractor that restores these signs to clear and repaint this sign.
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Report on state of parish seats. A list of parish seats with possible repairs required was circulated to members present and the following recommendations made: I. The seat at the Church Road triangle is now considered to be probably beyond further repair and enquiries should be made as to the availability of any disused seats from Weston seafront to replace this. Should these seats be no longer available, a new seat should be purchased from within the committee budget to replace the existing with the decision for this delegated to the committee chairman and Clerk. II. The newly installed metal seat by the Sandford Methodist Church does not require treatment. III. The seat, formerly present opposite the Sandford Station Care Village site cannot be found and enquiries should be made with local residents as to the last possible sighting of this seat. Instruction should be given to the Parish Orderly to carry out the necessary repairs as detailed.
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Parish flowers, tubs, seats, etc. A letter is to be sent to volunteers adopting a tub reminding them of procedures to claim back funds spent on the planting of the summer containers.
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Safety at junction of Woodborough Road, Sandford Road and Hillyfields Way. Councillors are shortly to meet with a NSC Traffic Management Officer to discuss possible improvements to this junction to increase both pedestrian and traffic safety. It is anticipated that the issue is then likely to be passed to the ‘New Works ‘section of NSC Highways again for consideration. Whilst the results of the Parish Plan have yet to be supplied to the Parish Council, early verbal indications imply that concern is expressed by Parishioners for pedestrian safety in this vicinity and a pedestrian crossing close to Dunster Court is wanted. The Chairman detailed failed attempts of the Parish Council over numerous years to secure the requested crossing with reasons for this being given by NSC as 1) Not enough traffic 2) Not enough pedestrians 3) the width of the footways either side of the road being too narrow to support the crossing and associated street furniture 4) the crossing would be too close to bends in the road by the Railway Bridge and by the Woodborough Inn to ensure pedestrian safety 5) NSC consider there to be a low level of accident history in this vicinity to justify such a scheme. |
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Agreed grab handles for post office – present position. A letter has been hand delivered to the Post Office regarding this matter with written confirmation requested regarding future ownership/responsibility of the hand rail for insurance purposes. |
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Problem Lights - failures should be reported immediately, with lamp number, directly to Parish Clerk.
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Information – either points of information or subjects for discussion at next meeting. a) A sign at the end of Max Mill Lane (Barton End) is no longer present and should be reported to NSC. b) Barton Road sign from Church Road – vegetation needs trimming back and should be reported to the property owner. c) Temporary toilets at the WMRG as agreed by the Parish Council for the Rugby Club ‘Sevens’ tournament should now be promptly removed. d) It would appear that many residents of this Parish have not received revised waste collection and recycling calendars with much confusion arising in the first week of the new programme with collections taking place for the Parish on a bank holiday Monday. Measures have been put in place by NSC to deal with areas of non-collection/confusion and all Councillors issued with a detailed programme of proposals to rectify this matter.
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Next Meeting. Tuesday 6th July 2010 |
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Meeting Closed: 8.50 pm
Signed ……………………………………….. Environment Committee Chairman
Date …………………..