Banwell Parish Council MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL held at 7.30p.m on Monday 11 th April 2016 at BANWELL VILLAGE HALL PRESENT: Councillors Jim Weston (Chairman), Paul Blatchford, Steve Davies, Glyn Davis, Phil Hale, Con Mahoney, Michael Poole and Paul White. IN ATTENDANCE: Mr Tony Jay (Clerk). WARD COUNCILLOR: Cllr Ann Harley PARISH LIAISON OFFICER: Sheila French. PRESS REPRESENTATIVE: Becky Parker (Mercury). AVON & SOMERSET POLICE: PCSO s Jarju and Mitchell MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC: 4 85/16 To receive apologies for absence. Apologies were received from Cllr s Arnold, Bateman, Frost and Harding. District Cllr O Brien. Also from 86/16 To receive members declarations of interest on any agenda item. No declarations were received. 87/16 To invite public participation i) Members of the public. A member of the public spoke regarding planning application 16/P/0600/F. She objects to the application. There is a wall on the boundary between the land and the public footpath, which is likely to collapse if the proposed building work goes ahead, as the proposed building is adjacent to the wall. There is no clear definition of who is responsible for the wall. Also the application involves pulling down the garage which is joined onto the speaker s garage. This will mean lots of problems. The speaker suspects that if planning permission is granted then the conditions stipulated in the permission would not be adhered to. A traffic pollution report is posted on the North Somerset Council website. This was published in 2014 and shows that the pollution levels in Banwell are average compared to the other monitored sites in the NSC area. The report can be found on this link - http://www.n- somerset.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/air-quality-progress-report- 20141.pdf What is happening regarding the plastic windows which have been installed in the conservation area? This has been reported to the NSC enforcement team and is on their list. ii) Community Beat Manager s report. There was no Police presence at this point in the meeting, however PCSO s Jarju and Mitchell arrived later when they presented the Police report as follows: 1
50 calls were received from the Parish (51 last year) and 13 crimes were reported (9 last year). The crimes were 3 x assaults, 2 x criminal damage, 1 x domestic incident, 2 x harassments, 1 x fraud, 1 x anti-social behaviour and 3 x theft. The Police priorities will be to increase high visibility evening/night patrols to deter rural crime and to make the residents of the Parish feel safe. The recent cases of criminal damage at the village hall were discussed (two large panes of glass have been broken in two separate incidents). iii) Ward Councillor s report. District Cllr Harley said that when a member of the public comments upon a planning application then they should check to see that it has been posted to the planning website. If not then it should be re-submitted. NSC has outsourced the imputing of data onto their website, and so have no direct control over this anymore. Cllr Harley said that she was desperately sorry about the tragic accident in Wolvershill Road recently. She has contacted the head of the Highways Dept, Frank Cox and District Cllr Ap Rees regarding this, and they are waiting for the Police report into the accident. Then there will be a site meeting involving all parties, including the Parish Council, to see what road improvements can be made. There is a site meeting at noon on 12 th April regarding the planning application to build 44 houses in Wolvershill Road next to Goddings Lane. Cllr Harley gave a briefing regarding the application. This application should be heard by the planning and regulatory meeting in May. Cllr Harley disagrees with the Highways report which states that this development would not cause additional traffic problems in Banwell. Cllrs Blatchford and Hale will be attending the meeting. Cllr Harley has had a very productive meeting with Banwell Football Club regarding a retrospective planning application that they will be submitting. 88/16 To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on 14 th March 2016 Resolved That the minutes be approved as a correct record of the meeting. The minutes of the meeting were signed by the Chairman as a correct record. 89/16 To receive the Clerk s report/exchange of information: The following issues were raised: Following the removal of the dead wood from the trees in the Recreation Ground the trees now look terrible. It will be an agenda item at the next meeting to purchase trees to be planted and then the existing trees can be removed. The Parish Council has a stock of 150 green bags, which are available at 2 each. It is anticipated that NSC will cease collecting green bags from the majority of households in 2017 and will be introducing a scheme where a green wheelie bin can be hired in which garden waste can be placed. Therefore these bags need to be sold as quickly as possible. They will be advertised on the website; in the Parish magazine and on the notice boards. Cllr Harley explained that this was being done for health and safety reasons as the people who collect the 2
green bags are finding that they can be very heavy. Opinions were expressed that this would mean an increase in fly-tipping as some people would not want to pay to hire a green wheelie bin. A general discussion took place regarding the increase in fly-tipping in the area. The Gladman application for houses to be built on land south of Knightcott Road was discussed. The original application for 155 houses is due to be heard at the public enquiry in September. However a new application for 145 houses on the same site has now been submitted (16/P/0753/O). This will be discussed at the May Parish Council meeting. A request has been received from the Chairman of the village hall committee asking whether the Parish Council would contribute half of the cost of installing an extra CCTV camera at the hall, which would cover the side of the building nearest the road (where the windows have been smashed) and also the children s play area in the Recreation Ground. The total cost would be between 300 and 350. This will be an agenda item for the May meeting. The new CCTV cameras have been installed at the Children s Centre. Cllr Hale raised the consultation briefing document received from DCLG entitled 'DCLG Technical consultation on implementation of planning changes February 2016'. He has studied this and recommends that the Parish Council does not comment upon this, but relies upon the comments submitted by ALCA. This was agreed. 90/16 To note the minutes of the Cemetery and Memorial Management Committee meeting of 8 th March 2016. The minutes were noted. 91/16 To receive a short presentation from Dan Cooper of NSC regarding the North Somerset Council Parish Recycling Scheme and to nominate a Councillor to take the lead on behalf of Banwell Parish Council. Mr Cooper was unable to attend the meeting, and so this item was adjourned until the May meeting. 92/16 To consider making a contribution towards the cost of repairing the lift at the Children s Centre Resolved To contribute half of the cost of the repair. 93/16 To consider the purchase of a new desktop computer for the Parish Office Resolved To purchase a HP GI Desktop Computer for 289.34 plus VAT and an Acer 21.5 monitor for 108.12 plus VAT. 94/16 To consider whether to purchase Microsoft packages outright for the new laptops for Councillors and/or the new desktop for the office, or to pay an annual licence fee (along with the installation of the packages) Resolved To pay the annual fee of 413 for the packages, and to pay the 450 installation fee. The resolution was correctly proposed and seconded (7 in favour, 1 against) 3
95/16 To consider the damage recently caused to the wall at the war memorial, and to consider paying for work to be carried out to repair it. The joints are cracking, and need to be hacked out and re-concreted. Resolved To carry out this work, and obtain quotations for this work. 96/16 To consider grant applications i) Banwell Action Club Resolved To donate 200 to Banwell Action Club. ii) Banwell Buddies Resolved To donate 250 to Banwell Buddies. iii) Banwell In Bloom Resolved To donate 500 to Banwell In Bloom. iv) Ist Banwell Scout Group Resolved To donate 450 to 1 st Banwell Scout Group. 97/16 To discuss ways of spending the 7,149.52 annual Community Fee from New Banwell Solar Limited. Resolved To replace the fence on the north boundary of the Recreation Ground, adjacent to Knightcott Road, to prevent the possibility of children running into the road. To obtain quotations to be considered at the May meeting. It was also decided to consult with the public asking for their views on how this money should be spent. An article will be written for the Parish Magazine, and a notice put on our website. 98/16 To consider an email received from a Banwell resident regarding traffic problems at the bottom of Westfield Road, in particular a recent accident involving a cyclist Resolved To take no action at the present time. 99/16 To consider a response to the North Somerset Council Sites Allocations Plan Resolved To submit the response written by Cllr Hale. 4
Cllr Hale was thanked for composing this response. 100/16 To decide the venue for the annual public defibrillator training session to be held in July 2016. Resolved To hold the training session on 20 th July at Banwell Football Club.. 101/16 To authorise bills for payment Resolved That the accounts (as attached) be paid. Cllrs Hale and Mahoney will sign the cheques. 102/16 To note the budget update. The update was noted. No questions were asked. 103/16 To note the record of hours worked by the Clerk in March 2016. The record was noted. 104/16 To note and comment upon planning applications. i) 16/P/0659/O. Garden/paddock attached to Bow Farm, Moor Road, Banwell, BS29 6EF. Outline planning permission for the erection of 3no. dwellings with all matters reserved for subsequent approval. Resolved To oppose this application as it contravenes policy CS33 (developments in the countryside) and is outside the village settlement boundary. Also it fails to use a redundant agricultural building. ii) 16/P/0694/EIA2. Route of pipeline on land between Cheddar & Barrow Gurney. Scoping opinion for an Environmental Impact Assessment required to be submitted with a planning application for a proposed water pipeline route and associated works. THIS IS NOT A PLANNING APPLICATION. Resolved Not to comment. iii) 16/P/0707/F. Oriel Lodge, Wolvershill Road, Banwell, BS29 6DJ. Erection of a single storey detached annexed and a single storey detached garage and a single storey side and rear extension and convert loft into living area Resolved To oppose this application as the location of the proposed garage would break the building line. The resolution was correctly proposed and seconded (5 in favour, 3 abstentions) iv) 16/P/0600/F. Land at Gables Close Banwell BS29 6DD. Part demolition of existing double garage and erection of 1no. two bedroom detached bungalow. 5
Resolved To oppose this application as the proposed bungalow is too close to the existing wall which adjoins a public footpath, and the wall would be in danger of collapse. Also because this is a close knit community, and the neighbours are united in their objection to the application. v) 16/P/0607/CUPA. Agricultural Barn at Chestnut Farm, Wolvershill Road, Banwell, BS29 6LA. Prior approval for change of use from agricultural building and land to 1no.dwelling within use class C3. Resolved To oppose this application as there is not enough information for the Parish Council to make an informed decision. 105/16 To note planning decisions (for information). i) 16/P/0107/F. Clearways, Wolvershill Road, Banwell, BS29 6DR. Erection of a single storey rear and side extension. GRANTED. ii) 16/P/0469/CUPA. Agricultural Building on Land adjacent to The Withies, Riverside, Banwell, BS29 6EH. Prior approval for change of use from agricultural building and land to 1no dwelling within use class C3, plus associated operational development comprising new windows and doors and new openings, repair/replace timber cladding and insulate/repair roof. PRIOR APPROVAL IS REQUIRED AND IS GRANTED. The planning decisions were noted. 106/16 Date of the next meeting 9 th May 2016. This is the Annual Meeting. The meeting concluded at 9.20pm. Signed. Date 6