A MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
was held Thursday 17th September 2009, Winscombe Community Centre at 7.30 p.m.
Present: Mrs. A Brading, Mr. S Bridges, Mrs P Bushnell, Mrs. P Cram, Mr. A Forbes (Chairman), Mr. G Luckett, Ms. D Powell (Vice-Chair), Mrs A Richmond, Miss B Roper, Mr J Westlake, Mr M Williamson.
Ward Councillors: None
NSC Liaison Officer: Mr J Foster
Police: PCSO Wright
Guest Speakers: Mr J Carlin & Mr P Whitehouse, Weston & District Community Transport Group
Clerk: Mrs. L Rampton
Press Representatives: Mr G Jones, freelance reporter
Members of the public: Approx. seventy
Apologies for absence: Mr. R Jones, Mr. G Lloyd, Mrs V McGann, Mr. C Sampson (Vice-Chair), Ward Councillors Harley & Marter..
57. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST (Agenda item 3) Mr Bridges, Ms Powell & Mr Williamson declared a personal interest in agenda item 12, Provision of Affordable Housing for the Parish
58. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD 16TH JULY 2009 (Agenda item 4)
The minutes to the meeting were approved & signed as a correct record.
Proposed: Miss B Roper Seconded: Mrs A Brading
All those present at the last meeting were in favour.
59. MINUTE UPDATE FROM THE JULY MINUTES AND AUGUST & SEPTEMBER CLERK’S REPORT– Annex 1
Min 52 – Details of Cricket Club Trustees are awaited before these are passed to a local solicitor to draw up a new lease agreement.
60. CRIME REPORT 16TH JUL – 17TH SEPT 2009– Annex 2 (Agenda item 6) Direct office no 01934 638123.
Weekly Beat Surgery Tuesday 10 am – 1 pm
PCSO Wright advised those present at the meeting that the public may have a say in setting Policing Priorities through comments made during public participation. Priorities set for the last month were detailed and it was advised that recorded crime and calls from the Parish are slightly higher than the same period last year. The commercial burglaries were not thought to have been committed by local people. Those caught speeding within the Parish have been dealt with accordingly.
61. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (Agenda item 7)
a. A Sandford resident enquired as to what works were to take place on Station Road that required traffic control.
b. A Parishioner spoke in opposition to development of the ‘Hillyfields site’, off Well Close and advised the Parish Council that there is considerable level of objection to this demonstrated by a petition issued to the Parish Council in February 2009, by objections voiced at the public forum in March and by the number of people attending this meeting. The site selection process was criticized by the Parishioner who in response to a question from the Chairman advised he spoke as an individual and not on behalf of a protest group.
c. A resident of Homestead Way spoke in favour of Affordable Housing proposals for the Parish that would allow those that have grown up here to stay to raise their own families.
d. The owner of a property in Woodborough Drive questioned the amount of employment within the parish to support additional households and such development would be contrary to policies H/1 & H/7 of the North Somerset Replacement Local Plan regarding ‘dormitory village status’ and would lead to more out-commuting. If affordable housing is needed, sites within the AONB should be considered as a last resort. A main drain from the proposed site on land at the end of Well Close passes through the parishioner’s property and should development of the site take place, there is concern for the future responsibility of this.
e. A resident of Brae Road, speaking on behalf of herself and a neighbour considered land at the end of Well Close to be the most suitable site for an affordable housing development but expressed concerns over drainage of the site. If drainage issues could be improved as part of a development, this would be excellent.
f. A further four Parishioners spoke in opposition to potential development of land to the end of Well Close siting traffic congestion, dangerous exit at the Well Close/Sandford Road junction, proximity to the primary school and flooding of the site as reasons for this. Should development of the site take place, improvements to the current drainage of Well Close and surrounding areas would also be necessary.
With no further members of the public wishing to speak, the Chairman moved on to the next business of the meeting.
62. TO SET COMMUNITY POLICING PRIORITIES FOR THE PERIOD TO 15TH OCTOBER 2009 (Agenda item 8).
Local Police Priorities for the period to the next scheduled Parish Council meeting were considered by members present and following discussion, set as follows:
1. Speeding traffic with particular attention to Station Road, Greenhill Road and Sandford Road
2. Parking issues especially on Woodborough Road and Sandford Road
3. Visible patrol in the Parish
4. Anti-social youth behaviour at the recreation ground after 11pm and week-ends
5. Parking of vehicles on footways with particular attention to Sandford.
Proposed: Mrs A Brading Seconded: Mr M Williamson All in favour.
63. PROVISION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE PARISH. (Agenda item 12)
With the consent of the Council and invited speakers to the meeting, the Chairman varied the order of business and brought this agenda item forward due to the large number of public present to hear this agenda item
a) Update on Draft Site Exception Search Report following a two month period for public comment.
This draft document was released into the public domain for comment following the meeting of the Parish Council on 16th July 2009. Copies of this publication were sent to the Mercury and Cheddar Valley Gazette local newspapers and articles subsequently appeared in both papers. An article was included in the August edition of the Winscombe & Sandford Parish Magazine advising that the document was now open to public comment. Copies of the report appear on the Parish Council website or are available in hard copy from Winscombe Library and the Parish Council Office and notices advising of this appear on all Parish Council notice-boards. Those that have previously contacted the Parish Council about a proposed development of Affordable Housing to land to the end of Well Close have been notified individually about the existence of the draft document to enable them to comment on this. A response to the draft document has been subsequently received from a NSC planning officer that has been circulated to all Parish Councillors and it is suggested that these comments along with the response from the ERHA planning consultant should be appended to the draft ‘Exception’ site search and selection report. As at 14.09.09, objections had been received at the Parish Office from 2 parishioners with ERHA receiving 3 objections. Correspondence received objects to possible development of site 8, land to the end of Well Close with one parishioner questioning the validity of the Housing Needs survey of February 2008.
A 32½% response rate from households was received to the Villages Housing Survey carried out in 2008 that provided a good level of data to show an accurate picture of the housing need in the community. ERHA have advised that a number of ‘registration of interest forms’ have been received by them for a development in this Parish. A detailed examination of the North Somerset register will take place close to any planning application to determine the level of local need at that time and reference was made to the Supplementary Planning Document for Affordable Housing to determine allocation of these homes for the benefit of our Parishioners.
The meeting was advised that the Parish Council has received confirmation the landowner of site 3, land at Mooseheart is not willing to sell any land at this time. The draft ‘Exception’ site search and selection report will remain in draft format until such a time as this document accompanies any planning application.
b) To decide to support or reject in principle a development for Affordable Housing on land to the end of Well Close, reserving the right to comment on any subsequent planning application.
The Parish Council Chairman stressed to Councillors present that this is not a planning application but a request from ERHA to support or object IN PRINCIPLE ONLY to a possible development of Affordable Housing on land to the end of Well Close.
The work of the Parish Council over the last 20 months is documented through minutes to meetings with all decisions being made in the public domain. Parishioners are given the opportunity to attend these meetings and at each meeting are invited to participate in a section of the meeting given over to ‘public participation’ to enable Parish Councillors to hear their views. The method to advertise the public consultation event held in January 2009 for comment on a possible development on land to the end of Well Close was detailed to the meeting and included the posting of notices in the immediate vicinity of the site to ensure maximum public awareness of the event.
In discussion amongst Parish Councillors the following points were considered in relation to the ERHA request:
1. There is a proven need for affordable housing in the Parish as shown in the Villages Housing Survey carried out in February 2008.
2. A large amount of the Winscombe settlement boundary is surrounded by, and included in the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) making the Parish a desirable and expensive place to live. Due to this fact, a large number of sites identified in the draft site search report around Winscombe are within the AONB and an opinion of the AONB Service has been sought & received in this regard.
3. Policy H/5 of the North Somerset Replacement Local Plan – circumstances and criteria for releasing affordable housing sites in rural areas were discussed. Land to the end of Well Close is located adjacent to the settlement boundary, adequate social facilities & essential services are available, the site is close to public transport links & at present there is no other available suitable site to meet local need. Affordable Housing provided in this manner is provided in perpetuity and so will always remain as Affordable Homes for the benefit of the Parish.
4. It is considered important that Affordable Housing is available in the Parish to allow amongst others, young families with a local connection to return or stay in the Parish to help keep our village schools and shops open.
5. The land to the end of Well Close is considered to be the most suitable site currently available. Should other suitable sites become available in the future, these may be considered for an additional affordable housing development subject to demand at that time.
6. The Parish Council reserve the right to comment fully on any planning application submitted for this site and issues of concern, some of which have been raised by Parishioners, will be addressed at this stage.
Mr Bridges suggested that in a community of 4,500, the number of people known to be against an Affordable Housing development on land to the end of Well Close are in the minority. Initially as many sites as possible around Winscombe (where the Housing Survey showed there to be the greatest need) were identified by Parish Councillors and subsequently prioritised by ERHA in conjunction with NSC. This site search was extended to include Sandford early 2009 and re-examined by a planning consultant engaged by ERHA. Miss Roper spoke on the difficulties encountered by some local employers in recruiting young people due to the high property prices in this area.
Resolved: In principle, the Parish Council supports a proposal by English Rural Housing Association to provide Affordable Housing on land to the end of Well Close reserving the right to comment fully on all matters appertaining to any subsequent planning application.
Proposed: Mrs A Brading Seconded: Mrs A Richmond 9 in favour, 2 against.
The majority of public present left the meeting at this point with 11 members of public remaining.
64. A PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF THE WESTON AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY TRANSPORT GROUP
Mr J Carlin and Mr P Whitehouse (Agenda item 9)
Mr Carlin gave a history of his involvement with the transport group, starting his work as a driver progressing through various roles to Managing Coordinator. Initially one vehicle offered transport to the elderly and disabled that built up to six vehicles prior to the amalgamation of the service with the ‘door to door’ service of ‘Dial A Ride’ that was finalised on 1st April 2008. Both Mr Carlin and Mr Whitehouse spoke on the loss of grant funding to the groups leading to the redundancy of three drivers. The current operation area of the transport group is around Weston-Super-Mare with no current plans to extend scheduled services into the surrounding areas due to cash restrictions. 40,000 trips were carried out in the WSM area last year and with six of the current vehicles being wheelchair accessible, demand is increasing especially for the ‘door to door’ service. With repeated requests from this area to join the membership organisation, sources of funding are being explored to allow expansion into the rural areas. In response to questions from the meeting it was confirmed:
1. There is currently an £8 membership charge with a standard charge of £6 for return journeys, reduced to £4 on production of a valid bus pass. Special journeys can be considered at a variable charge.
2. To be cost effective, group transport can be provided to parties of 4 or more.
3. Grant funding for the group is likely to reduce in future years.
4. Drivers for the scheme must be trained to MIDAS standard.
Voluntary transport schemes currently within the Parish provide hospital transport to patients in private cars but are unable to cater for wheelchair users or patient visiting. With a possible merger of two doctors’ surgeries taking place, demand for increased transport services may be required in this area.
Mr Carlin and Mr Whitehouse left the meeting after being thanked by the Chairman for attending.
65. WARD COUNCILLOR UPDATE & NSC PARISH LIAISON OFFICER UPDATE (Agenda item 10) – None.
66. TO AUTHORISE BILLS FOR PAYMENT – Annex 3 (Agenda item 11)
CQ 102812 – payment for works carried out by the Community Service Team is considered to be very good value. CQ 102806 & 102825 – it was explained that this service includes litter picking of the Winscombe play area and skate park, litter cleansing on an agreed route through the Parish and the emptying of Parish Council dog bins. CQ 102831 – payment for capture of 2 moles at the Ilex Lane Cemetery. It was agreed that Moles in this sensitive area must be dealt with promptly.
Cheques 102802 - 102846 and direct debits payments detailed were authorised for payment
Proposed: Mr S Bridges Seconded: Mrs A Brading All in favour.
67. PARISH FESTIVAL 12TH – 27TH JUNE 2010 (Agenda item 13)
Mr & Mrs Lloyd have previously advised they are considering running a ‘best scarecrow display’ and further ideas from Councillors should now be reported directly to the Parish Office. Miss Roper advised that a sponsored walk is to take place on 4th October to raise money to meet initial costs for organising the event.
68. REPORT ON NHS NORTH SOMERSET LOCAL RURALS WORKING GROUP MEETING - Annex 4
Miss B Roper (Agenda item 14)
Miss Roper spoke on the proposals to merge the Wrington and Churchill doctors’ surgeries. Whilst it is considered beneficial to have modern facilities, the proposal does raise transport issues for patients. A large number of Sandford residents use the current Churchill practice but already have their own transport arrangements in place.
69. AWARD LAND CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Annex 5 - Mr J Westlake (Agenda item 15)
Mr Luckett & Mr Jones were thanked by the Committee Chairman for works to transfer GPS data onto an OS map. No further contact has been received from Mr Cronk concerning fencing of the Award Land from the ski-centre and works are soon to start to repair the old forge.
As Mrs Bushnell was present at the meeting, her apologies for absence should be removed and with this amendment the minutes for the Award Land Committee from the meeting dated 10th August 2009 were approved and signed as a correct record.
Proposed: Mrs A Brading Seconded: Mr G Luckett
All Committee members present were in favour
The decisions of the Committee were recommended for action by the Parish Council.
Proposed: Mrs A Brading Seconded: Mr G Luckett All in favour.
70. CEMETERY & ALLOTMENT COMMITTEE REPORT Annex 6– Mr M Williamson (Agenda item 16)
The minutes for the Cemetery & Allotment Committee from the meeting dated 4th September 2009 were approved and signed as a correct record.
Proposed: Mrs A Brading Seconded: Mr G Luckett
All Committee members present were in favour
The minutes for the Cemetery & Allotment Committee from the meeting dated 15th September 2009 were approved and signed as a correct record.
Proposed: Ms D Powell Seconded: Mrs A Brading
All Committee members present were in favour
Update to minutes of 4th September – Appropriate action has been taken by all allotment holders receiving letters from the Parish Office regarding lack of cultivation and no hens or henhouse have yet arrived on allotment 31b.
Update to minutes of 15th September – A snagging list of outstanding works has been prepared by Mr Williamson.
In view of the considerable financial input from St Monica Trust to the cemetery & allotment extension area, the Parish Council would like to acknowledge this by the installation of a permanent marker. Whilst ideally any marker would be in place for the opening ceremony, Councillors considered it important to take time to investigate alternatives and this will be installed at a later date.
It was proposed by Mr Williamson, seconded by Mr Bridges , all members in favour that some form of permanent marker be installed at the cemetery to acknowledge the involvement of St Monica Trust with the Cemetery & Allotment Committee further investigating options for approval by the Parish Council.
The decisions of the Committee for meetings held on 4th & 15th September 2009 were recommended for action by the Parish Council.
Proposed: Ms D Powell Seconded: Mr G Luckett All in favour.
71. EMPLOYMENT & POLICIES COMMITTEE REPORT – Annex 7 Mr S Bridges (Agenda item 17)
Min 6 – This matter will be considered further when details of the forthcoming equality bill are known or sooner should strong opinions exist about the current practice of opening the Parish Council meeting with a prayer.
Min 9 Community Governance Review – A recommendation has been made by the committee that no change is made to the current boundaries and electoral arrangements.
Min 10c – Additional hours of work are currently being generated due to increased Parishioner contact with the office regarding affordable housing for the Parish.
The minutes for the Employment & Policies Committee from the meeting dated 24th August 2009 were approved and signed as a correct record.
Proposed: Mr S Bridges Seconded: Miss B Roper
All Committee members present were in favour
The decisions of the Committee were recommended for action by the Parish Council.
Proposed: Mr S Bridges Seconded: Mr M Williamson All in favour.
a. Community Governance Review – To Consider Parish Boundaries, Council Size And Parish Warding
It was proposed by Mr Williamson, seconded by Mrs A Brading, all members in favour that no changes are made to the existing parish boundaries or electoral arrangements.
72. ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE REPORT – Annex 8 Mrs A Brading (Agenda item 18)
The minutes for the Environment Committee from the meeting dated 1st September 2009 were approved and signed as a correct record.
Proposed: Mrs A Brading Seconded: Miss B Roper
All Committee members present were in favour
It was proposed by Mrs Brading, seconded by Miss Roper, all in favour that an application is not made to become members of the ‘Open Spaces Society’ (OSS) due to duplication of this service in other areas.
Clearance works are taking place behind the Mabbett seat by the Woodborough Road public conveniences and it was urged that this be planted to prevent re-growth of the overgrowth.
The decisions of the Committee were recommended for action by the Parish Council.
Proposed: Mrs A Brading Seconded: Mrs P Bushnell All in favour.
73. PLAY AREA & SKATE PARK COMMITTEE REPORT - Annex 9 Mrs A Brading (Agenda item 19)
A fact finding meeting has been arranged for Monday 21st September with representatives of the Youth Club and North Somerset Council regarding grant funding for the Parish under the Playbuilder scheme.
The minutes for the Play Area & Skate Park Committee from the meeting dated 10th August 2009 were approved and signed as a correct record.
Proposed: Mr A Forbes Seconded: Mrs A Brading
All Committee members present were in favour
The decisions of the Committee were recommended for action by the Parish Council.
Proposed: Mrs A Brading Seconded: Mr A Forbes All in favour.
a. To co-opt Mrs V McGann & Mr G Luckett as committee members
It was proposed by Mrs A Brading, seconded by Mrs A Richmond that Mrs McGann and Mr Luckett are duly co-opted onto the Play Area & Skate Park Committee. All members in favour.
74. WAR MEMORIAL RECREATION GROUND COMMITTEE REPORT - Annex 10 Mr S Bridges (Agenda item 20)
Min 8a – Mr Williamson stressed that the ground is for use by all parishioners and not just the two clubs involved in drafting an agreement for discussion.
The decisions of the Committee were recommended for action by the Parish Council.
Proposed: Mr J Westlake Seconded: Mr M Williamson All in favour.
75. MATTERS FOR INFORMATION (Agenda item 21)
· Planning permission (09/P/1055/F) has now been granted for the construction of a 25 bed care home on land adjacent to the former Sandford Stone Centre.
With no further business, the meeting concluded at 9.30 pm
Signed................................................................... (Chairman)
Date.......................................................................
Winscombe and Sandford Parish Council acknowledges the general duty placed upon it by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The Council will continue within its functions and policies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and promote racial equality of different racial groups.