A Meeting of the Environment Committee was held on Tuesday 31st August 2010
at 7.30 pm, Amesbury Room, Winscombe Community Centre.
Committee Members Present: Mrs Mandy Brading (ABr), Mr. Steve Bridges (SB), 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),
Press: Mr G Jones, freelance reporter Clerk Present: Mrs Lynne Rampton (LR) Members of Public Present: Three
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Apologies for absence. Miss B Roper (BR) |
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Declarations of interest – None declared
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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 5 2 14a – replacement light on Roman Road – ongoing problems are being experienced with intermittent lighting being reported to SEC for action. Min 5 7c – The street name sign for The Lynch has now been cleaned. Min 7b – communication has been received by GLl from a resident of Observatory Field advising that they will plant a display on their own property that may be enjoyed by neighbours and passer-bys. Min 8a – The following footpaths have been cleared by the Community Service Pay-back team since the last meeting: AX2944, AX29/12, AX29/34 & AX29/35. AX29/71 has been cleared by ‘The Ramblers’ Association. Min 8a v – on further inspection of the Shipham Lane hedge by SB, it was considered planting is adequate and no further action is required. Min 8b I – GLl reported that repairs have been carried out to the kissing gate on footpath AX29/15 Min 8b iv – the footway on Sandford Road towards the village centre has now been cut back with the responsible land owner to be invoiced for the cost of carrying out these works. Min 11 – This Committee has previously agreed to install a handrail (fixed to floor and wall) to assist entry/exit into the Post Office. The Post Mistress is happy with this option and has verbally confirmed that she has ‘public liability’ insurance as a shop keeper. A letter should be sent to the store owners confirming that future responsibility for maintenance and insurance for the hand rail will rest with them and on receipt of a signed copy accepting the terms of this letter, instructions be given to install the rail at the expense of the Parish Council as agreed at the meeting of the Parish Council on 15th April 2010. |
LR1 |
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Public participation: an opportunity for members of the parish to make a statement. The meeting was suspended to allow members of the public to address the committee A Sandford resident addressed the committee on two items appearing on the agenda for this meeting. It was reported that vegetation is growing out from the bottom of a stone wall on Nye Road close to the crossroads that is encroaching on the highway (Agenda item 6) and reports of dog fouling ‘hot-spots’ on Nye Road and Sandmead Road (Agenda item 9). An overgrown footpath (AX29/45) was reported. |
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Correspondence including: a. Pavement parking on Woodborough Road. This matter has been reported to PC Church by GLl and as it would appear that a number of cars are persisting in this action, a letter should be sent to Inspector Keogh, copied to PC Church. b. State of Winscombe library. Two letters/emails have been received concerning the dilapidated state of the current library with one Parishioner offering to paint the outside of the building if supplied with the necessary materials! Following meetings with NSC Officers, it has been previously reported that the library is to be extensively refurbished and assurances given that library services for the Parish will not disappear. The Parishioner offering his services should be thanked for the kind offer and advised that the matter will be taken up with NSC for action c. NSC Woodborough Drive car park & overgrowing vegetation. It was reported that vegetation is actually preventing pedestrians walking along the footway close to Mendip Lodge but is also breaking down the tarmac paving and growing in the kerb. The Community Service Team should be asked to clear this vegetation and the Parishioner advised accordingly. d. Potential sites for Travelers’ – concern has been expressed to PB by a parishioner that a site within the parish with an unlocked field gate could be used unofficially by travelers and the possibility of installing a kissing gate considered by the committee. It was thought that the land in question was owned by NSC and that numerous unlocked field gates around the district exist but contact should be made with NSC expressing concern and asking for their comment on the situation, though locking the gate was not an acceptable option e. Signage of height restrictions for the former railway bridge in Winscombe – GLl has received communication requesting additional advance signage for the ‘low’ bridge in Winscombe. Existing advance warnings appear on the A371 through Banwell, but these could easily be missed by lorry drivers not familiar to the area. A request should be made to NSC asking for additional signage prior to the last convenient turning point for tall vehicles by the Church Road junction to prevent the need for lorries to have to reverse along this busy road. It should also be requested that signage appears in both imperial and metric units to help continental drivers not familiar with imperial measures. f. Nye Road Bridge – as previously requested by this Parish Council, another request should be made to NSC for additional signage advising of pedestrians/cyclists. g. Walkway between Woodborough Drive and Belmont Road hammer head – a parishioner has reported that dead branches are present in the silver birch tree on this walkway close to 16a Woodborough Drive that is maintained by NSC. A request should be made that a NSC tree Officer attends, inspects the trees and then instructs any necessary works. |
LR2
AF1
LR3/AF2
LR4
LR5
LR6
LR7 |
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Blocked footpaths, overgrowing vegetation, etc. a. Those noted since the last meeting. None b. Those reported at this meeting: i AX29/76 – due to overgrowth, members of the public have to walk through the Thatchers’ depot to access Station Road. This deviation should be reported to NSC ii AX29/13 (behind Mooseheart) – GLl is to inspect deteriorating stiles and report accordingly iii AX29/18and AX29/19 – previous reports to NSC of kissing gate being obstructed with a stile should be reported again to NSC. iv.AX29/45 was reported as being overgrown. GLl is to investigate and clearance of this then requested by the Community Service Team. v. vegetation is growing out from the bottom of a stone wall on Nye Road close to the crossroads that is encroaching on the highway. |
LR8
GL1
LR9 GL2
LR10 |
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General Environment a. Recycling centre behind Woodborough Inn. An update. The current emptying schedule for the containers in the Woodborough Drive car park is considered adequate at this time, but the removal of additional items deposited in the area does not appear to be as efficient. The area is frequently checked by LR and reported to NSC for action as necessary. Due to the increase in kerbside collections for recyclable items, it is anticipated that dependency on these ‘bring’ sites will decrease and Ward Councillor Lake has advised we are unlikely to see an increase in recycle containers for this centre. Should a problem exist when the entire parish is on the new recycle service, the matter may be reconsidered. b. Introduction of the new waste collection and recycling service by NSC. Regular email updates are received from NSC and it was generally considered by those in phase 1 of the ‘recycling revolution’ that implementation of the new service was working well with works taking place to address initial problems encountered by a few residents. VMcG expressed her concern of emptied containers being strewn over the footway and questioned responsibility for these containers should they end up on the highway. No response has been received from her question to NSC and this matter should be pursued by LR. A redacted letter from a parishioner asking a number of questions concerning the new service was circulated to those present at the meeting and will be responded to by LR. c. Positioning of additional grit bins – six of the seven additional bins have now been installed with our NSC Area Officer to attend with the crew installing the final bin at the top of Oakridge Lane to ensure this is installed in the correct location. d. Request for Notice Board near entrance to St Monica - Care Home. As considered by this committee at the last meeting, the notice board should preferably be located at the ‘Railway Inn’ with sponsorship of this to be considered by a local employer. e. Alleyways near school (1) to consider a request for the Parish Council to apply for registration as a PROW. (2) to consider maintenance of this private footpath. A parishioner had at the last meeting asked that the Parish Council investigate obstruction of a footpath between Plumtree Close and Ash Close and establish who is responsible for maintenance of these paths. In addition, a request had been made that the Parish Council makes an application to register these paths as a PROW and then maintain these paths. The NSC Planning Enforcement Officer has been notified of the previously reported obstructions, but it is not thought he has yet attended the site to establish if a breach of planning regulations has taken place. Following a verbal exchange between the parishioner (making this request of the Parish Council) and householders, the breezeblock wall has been removed and the fence relocated to its former position. It is understood that these alleyways between neighbouring properties were left for maintenance purposes as some unknown form of service pipe runs beneath the three alleyways, with the land belonging to the original developer of the housing estate. GL had made enquiries of NSC, and relayed to the meeting details of the correct procedure to be followed to register footpaths as public rights of way (PROW) that included collecting statements from at least 20 people who had used the paths on a regular basis for a total period in excess of 20 years in the belief that a right of way existed. Councillors had no knowledge of these paths being used in the described manner. Concern had been expressed by a number of parishioners that, if cleared, the alleyways may be used inappropriately and these parishioners may well object to an application to register the alleyways as a PROW. With no evident volunteers for the task of finding and proving use of the alleyways, no further action is to be taken by the Parish Council regarding registration and maintenance of the alleyways. The parishioner making the request of the Parish Council should be informed accordingly and, if required, provided with the necessary paperwork for that parishioner to apply to have registered the alleyways as a PROW. |
LR11
LR12
GL3 |
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a. Report on repair of parish seats. An excellent job is currently being undertaken by one of our Parish Orderlies to repair and treat Parish Council owned wooden benches with treatment of the remaining three benches to be completed within the next month. b. Possible donation towards replacement of seat at Triangle, Church Road. This committee has at a previous meeting agreed that a replacement seat is needed for the triangle of land on the Church Road/Woodborough Road junction but NSC have advised that there are no longer any benches available that were formerly located on the sea front at WSM. A local family has offered to contribute £350 towards a new wooden bench, bearing a plaque, and it was agreed by committee members that up to £250 from this committee budget may be used to complete the purchase and installation of this bench. |
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To identify dog fouling ‘hotspots’ for the Parish. At the request of NSC, dog fouling ‘hotspots’ have been reported to them as (1) Sandford Road on footway between the Post Office sorting office and the village centre (2) On Woodborough Road to the front of the shops around to Butterflies on Sidcot Lane (3) The Strawberry Line walk through the parish almost for the entire route. As raised by a parishioner earlier in the meeting, Nye Road and Sandmead Road should also be added to this list. It was agreed that a new dog faeces bin should be purchased and installed in this location in Sandford with this being added to the current bin empty schedule. Proposed by SB, seconded by VMcG, all in favour. Stickers advising of penalties for dog fouling should be fixed to appropriate posts in Sandford. Councillors Bridges and Williamson have expressed an interest in attending a training event run by NSC on this topic. |
LR13
GL4 |
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Parish flowers, tubs, seats, etc. A letter is shortly to be issued to all those looking after our parish tubs advising of winter planting and issuing a new card enabling them to collect plants from a local garden centre. |
LR14/ GL4 |
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Parish Plan. First thoughts and future actions. SB reported on actions to be taken by members of the newly formed Parish Plan Implementation Working Group and reminded those present at the meeting of the public launch for the plan that is to take place on 3rd September. The meeting was suspended at 8.35pm by the Chairman to allow a member of the public to add further information on this matter. The meeting was re-opened at 8.36pm. Following launch of the Parish Plan to the public on 3rd September, an additional committee meeting is to be arranged to discuss recommendations relevant to this committee and to consider initial thoughts on the committee budget request for the 2011/2012 financial year. |
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Website – improvements. A number of photos have now been forwarded to the individual maintaining our website to enable this to be updated. A section will be dedicated to pictures of some scarecrows displayed during the June Parish Festival. |
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Results of letter to Graham Turner of NSC. Councillors have previously been provided with a response from the NSC Chief Executive Officer regarding Footways and Highways in our Parish. It was reported that works will be taking place on Sidcot lane and Woodborough Road in October 2010 with a comprehensive capital scheme where the carriageway and footway will be resurfaced and this will result in the temporary closure of these roads for a period anticipated to be three weeks in duration. It has been asked of the engineer in charge of this scheme if works to widen the footway by the junction with The Green will take place at the same time. It was also advised that resurfacing of Winscombe Hill is also planned for later this year. A Senior Area Officer has been appointed to address issues raised by the Parish Council and communication should be sent to him, copied to the NSC CEO. SB and GL are to inspect footways and highways around the Parish to update our previous lists supplied to NSC and Councillors were requested to contact the office with reports of any known problem areas for inclusion in this. |
GL5/SB1 |
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Road Safety SB a. Report of meeting with NSC regarding resurfacing of road way and levelling and resurfacing of footways between Winscombe Bridge and A38 traffic lights. See minute 13 above b. See 13 above and need for details of potholes, etc. See minute 13 above c. Brown’s Corner improvements. An email has been received from a NSC Traffic Engineer advising that he put forward a proposal for a mini-roundabout at the Sandford Road, Woodborough Road and Hillyfields Way junction to a NSC ‘Minor Works’ meeting. The proposal was rejected but a site meeting should be requested of this engineer to ask for other suggestions to improve road safety at this point. d. Churchill Community School Routes. It is anticipated that a design for the route will be completed by December 2010 with construction of this to take place in phases to fit with current and forthcoming NSC budgets. SB and GL are to attend a meeting with the NSC project engineer and representatives of Churchill Parish Council on 2nd September 2010. |
LR15
GL6/SB2 |
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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.
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Meeting Closed: 9.00 pm Next meeting date – 28th September 2010
Signed ……………………………………….. Environment Committee Chairman Date …………………..