Agenda for the Council Meeting to be held on the 20th October 2014

Agenda for the Council Meeting to be held on the 20th October 2014

 

Birdham Parish Council

28 Langdale Avenue, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8JQ

Tel : 01243 790402

Email : clerk@birdhamparishcouncil.org.uk Website : www.birdham.org.uk

Clerk to the Council : David J Siggs

MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL

 Members are hereby summoned to attend a Meeting of Birdham Parish Council to be held at 7pm on Monday the 20th October 2014 in the Main Hall at Birdham Village Hall, Birdham.

David J Siggs - Clerk to the Council

AGENDA

 1. Election of Chairman for the remainder of the Council year

2. Public Question Time: (In accordance with Standing Orders 1d – 1l)

3. Declaration of interests and granting of dispensations if any

4. Approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 15th September 2014

5. Matters Arising

i) Land bequest to the Council

6. Clerks Report including:

i) WSCC Reports, highways matters and correspondence

ii) CDC Reports including correspondence

iii) To receive reports from Division Members of WSCC and Ward Members of CDC as appropriate.

iv) Other related matters

7. Finance and corporate:

i) To receive and approve a financial report.

ii) To acknowledge and accept the CDC Contracts for the award of the NHB (Parish Allocations).

iii) To appoint a signatory to act on behalf of the Parish to deal with the NHB (Parish Allocations).

iv) To consider the application by the BVRA for a grant of £1500.00.

8. To receive an update on the position of the Neighbourhood Plan

9. Planning matters including applications and CDC delegated decisions.

i) To receive and approve the Minutes of the Planning Committee of the 29th September 2014.

ii) Planning Applications to be decided.

BI/14/03009/LBC - Hammonds Farm , Westlands Lane, Birdham

Proposed 2 no. dormer windows and 1 no. roof light in connection with a loft conversion.

BI/14/03187/LBC - Hammonds Farm , Westlands Lane, Birdham

Proposed demolition of existing conservatory and small single storey extension.  Single storey extension to rear.

BI/14/03135/DOM - Field Cottage, Westlands Estate, Birdham

Demolition of existing conservatory and porch.  Single storey extensions: amendments to windows: conversion of garage to living accommodation with pitch roof.  Change of colour to external walls.  Addition to external walls of cladding (LAP) overlap - finish grey.

iii) Delegated Decisions to be noted.

BI/14/02264/DOM Mr And Mrs Timothy Firmston Garden Corner Church Lane Birdham

Erection of single storey lean-to extension on west elevation, and replacement of existing conservatory with new rear of house. PERMIT

10. Correspondence - Not previously circulated to be noted.

11. Reports

i)  Play area and playing field –

a) To consider the offer made by WSCC & MPP to provide a rain garden at their expense in an area of the playing field allocated by the Parish Council.

ii) Village Green and pond

iii) Condition of Village Drain/Ditch Network

iv) Police & Neighbourhood Watch

v) Communication Working Group

vi) Other -

12. Reports of meetings attended by Councillors

13. Items for inclusion on next agenda.

14. Date of Next Meeting Monday the 17th November 2014

 

THE PUBLIC HAVE A RIGHT TO ATTEND ALL MEETINGS

 OF THE COUNCIL AND ARE MOST WELCOME

 

 

 


 

Annex A

 

Rain Gardens Project

 

The Manhood Peninsula is situated south of Chichester. Geographically it forms the Western Streams section of the Arun & Western Streams Catchment area, though it is not officially part of the Arun & Western Streams Catchment Partnership.

The Manhood Peninsula Partnership is exploring projects that satisfy the partners’ aims in the area of flood and surface water management. This is because the peninsula is particularly prone to flooding, and both the Environment Agency and West Sussex County Council are heavily involved in local schemes/plans to mitigate the effects of flooding.

Rain gardens and similar initiatives, such as green roofs and living walls, fit neatly into a project doing just that. Funding is available for local flood mitigation initiatives, and rain gardens are one of the more imaginative solutions proposed.

There are a number of approaches to creating a Rain Garden:

  • Bio-retention pond, also known simply and more attractively as a Rain Garden. This is the option the Rain Gardens Project will explore.
  • Green walls and vertical gardens
  • Green roofs
  • Storm-water planters
  • Permeable paving
  1. What is the Rain Gardens Project?

Recent flooding across England and Wales has highlighted the need to think around our rainy reality. Gardens play an important role in absorbing water and providing channels for rainwater to infiltrate back into the earth, however more frequent and intense downpours make their job more difficult. We need to find a more imaginative response to get the most out of gardens and public places in this respect. Hard surfaces are the main culprit, but slow draining soil and a high water table can have a very similar effect, and are a widespread issue on the Manhood Peninsula.

The Rain Gardens Project looks at dealing with excess water by using a ‘soft engineering’ approach. Porous sandy soils help water penetrate the ground initially, where it is retained until it dissipates naturally. Using suitable plants tolerant to varying moisture levels (UK natives Purple Loosestrife and Bog Iris are lovely examples) has a number of benefits.  Plants are important aids to water dissipation by transpiration and evaporation through their leaves. They add to the biodiversity and wildlife interest of a garden, as well as being beautiful in their own right.

Project aims:

  1. To create two (or more) Rain Gardens, one on either side of the Manhood Peninsula, to offset existing drainage problems at each site. The gardens will be created using professional, but local, expertise and volunteer groups guided by Dusty Gedge, rain garden expert and co-author of the UK Rain Garden Guide.
  2. To offer 4 workshops showing people across the peninsula how to do similar at home. Workshops to be guided by Dusty Gedge.

Project outputs. The project will aid the development of a stronger community by:

  • Providing two public rain gardens accessible to people across the Manhood Peninsula.
  • Providing solutions to water pooling after heavy rain in two public locations.
  • Increasing community capacity across the Manhood Peninsula to deal with locations prone to repeated small scale flooding.
  • Increasing awareness across the Manhood Peninsula of how and why vegetation is so important in mitigating the effects of heavy rainfall seen as a result of climate change.
  • Enabling individual residents to implement small, but important, rain water mitigation measures at home.
  1. What is a Rain Garden?

 

Rain gardens can be a simple depression in the ground filled with sandy soil, or pockets on a vertical wall. The function is the same in both instances, to act as a sink to retain rain water for a substantial period of time after heavy rainfall, while allowing it to diffuse slowly away. Excess water that can’t be absorbed on a temporary basis also has an egress point leading from the rain garden to the normal drainage system. The aim is to reduce the run off from hard surfaces that overload the more frequently used engineered alternatives.

Rain gardens can be considered the ‘soft engineering’ alternative to SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems). The technical term for a rain garden is a ‘bio-retention pond’. In this instance it is misleading because the objective is make a ‘water sink’ using fast draining soil, not create an open water area. The garden will retain water and allow it to dissipate in its own time, in the same way that many non-flowing ditches on the peninsula do at present.

Planting a Rain Garden

Plants should reflect the sunny or shady conditions in which the garden is located. Best practise is to plant in a sunny area with perhaps some shade, but not in an overcast position. This will maximise the opportunity for your rain garden to lose excess rainwater by evaporation as well as by slow infiltration into the soil. A fast-draining soil mix, ie sandy or loose textured soil, is required to encourage water to sink in and ensure lush plant growth. Soil containing a great deal of clay will have to be mixed with a sandy substrate to create the best texture.

Gardens on level ground should be situated at least 3metres (10 feet) from a house/building and its foundations. A slight slope is preferred to ensure water drains away from where it isn’t wanted, and into your rain garden. A slight berm or bank is needed to account for the slope and keep the water in one place.

The garden should be planted in an area that dries out quickly, rather than in a low-lying saturated spot. When we talk about the plants suitable for this purpose, species that tolerate wet conditions should go in the center, surrounded by those that are tolerate occasional standing water, while the plants that prefer ­drier soil should be placed at the furthermost edges.

Green Walls and Vertical Gardens

An alternative for a small area is a ‘green wall’ or vertical garden. These fulfil a similar function, but instead of being flat the plant containers form a wall of vegetation. Vertical gardens can be located anywhere, but the wall to which they are fixed needs to be protected from water either by a membrane or by ensuring a suitable space is left between the plant carriers and the walls themselves. The ability of the vertical wall to retain water can be improved by installing a flat, vertical tank behind the display of plants and foliage.

In both cases the garden needs access to the conventional drainage system if built close to buildings. This is because it may not be possible to completely offset the torrential downpours occurring with increasing frequency in the UK.

Solutions for a small garden include combining vertical garden panels with a green roof on the garden shed, with perhaps a large container adjacent the shed to catch excess water from the green roof.

Rain Gardens on the MPP Website: https://peninsulapartnership.org.uk/rain-gardens/

Project aims:

  • To create two (or more) Rain Gardens, one on either side of the Manhood Peninsula, to offset existing drainage problems at each site. The gardens will be created by local contractors and planted using local volunteer groups guided by Dusty Gedge. This will require funding for:
    • Consultation fees for Dusty Gedge rain garden expert and co-author of the UK Rain Garden Guide, who is also undertaking a similar project with the RSPB run project Arun & Rother Connections (ARC)
    • Groundworks by a local contractor to excavate the garden and 4 drainage channels.
    • Backfill with gravel or other porous medium, and soil
    • Suitable water tolerant plants
    • Tools
  • Matched funding will be provided in volunteer time for the following:
    • Planting
    • Maintenance
  • To offer 4 workshops showing people on both sides of the peninsula how to do similar at home. Workshops to be guided by Dusty Gedge. This will require funding for:
    • Consultation fees for Dusty Gedge
    • Materials
    • Refreshments
  • Matched funding will be provided in volunteer time by the parishes for the following:
    • Hosting the workshops

Project outputs:

  • Provide two public rain gardens – useful and beautiful.
  • Providing solutions to water pooling after heavy rain in two public locations.
  • Increased community capacity to deal with locations prone to repeated small scale flooding.
  • Increased local awareness of how and why vegetation is so important in mitigating the effects of heavy rainfall seen as a result of climate change.
  • Enabling individual residents to implement small, but important, rain water mitigation measures at home.