Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on the 17th December 2012
Birdham Parish Council
Minutes of the Meeting of the Council
held on Monday 17th December 2012
at 7pm in Birdham Village Hall
Present: Cllr Finch (Chairman), Cllr Tilbury, Cllr Grafham and Cllr Barker, Cllr Cobbold.
Apologies: Cllr Parks, Cllr Marshall (CDC) and PCSO R Bainbridge
In attendance: The Clerk, Cllr Montyn (WSCC & CDC) and 26 members of the public.
99-12 Public Question Time in accordance with SO’s 1d -1l:
A resident raised the issue of parking infringements by contractors working on the Old Common Close site. He had been informed by the PCSO for the area that if vehicles are parked on the road side outside of the site they will be ticketed.
A resident said that three vehicles had been parked on the road side outside of the site. It had been reported to the site manager but, nothing had been done.
A resident asked about the flooding in Church Lane and what was happening.
Cllr Montyn (WSCC & CDC) said that he had managed to get a lot done and that pumps would be on stand-by over the Christmas period. However, Conway the contractors to WSCC had said that they need to jet the culverts and that if this doesn’t work they will use CCTV to try and determine where the problem actually lies, they suspect tree roots.
Cllr Tilbury said that WSCC have today published their report into the Flooding of June and whilst the report was very intensive and dealt with a number of problems it still had some way to go.
Cllr Montyn said that if anything had been missed or was disagreed with would they please notify Stuart Smith of WSCC.
A resident said that the report did not cover totally cover Birdham.
Cllr Tilbury said that the report by Black and Veitch was in the process of being finalised.
Cllr Cobbold said that she had attended a meeting today during which it was said that all agencies are very aware of the problems facing Birdham and will be meeting again in January 2013. Cllr Cobbold went on to say that match funding from WSCC was available to fund schemes that would improve the overall situation.
A resident asked if the funding rolled on or was it time limited. Cllr Montyn said that it was on-going.
Cllr Tilbury said that GIS mapping of all culverts in the area and a register of owners could be considered as a highly desirable and useful tool for public maintenance.
A resident asked how a resident can clear their culvert if they have no access on their property.
Cllr Cobbold said that if the community could provide a possible solution then WSCC would try and help.
Cllr Montyn said that there was a suspicion that culverts where not at the correct levels which was creating some of the problems being experienced.
A resident asked if if anyone had experienced or seen the graffiti on the school.
100-12 Declaration of Interests:
There were no declarations of interest.
101-12 Approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on the 19th November 2012:
Cllr Barker requested that an amendment be made to minute 96-12, third paragraph to correct the spelling of her name from Barton to Barker. The Clerk apologised for miss-spelling her name and undertook to make the correction.
It was resolved that subject to the amendment above the minutes of the 19th November 2012 be signed as a true and accurate record.
102-12Matters arising from the minutes of the 19th November 2012:
i) Minute 89-12 - Land Bequest. The Clerk reported that there now appeared to be some concern on the part of other parties to Mr Adams Will who had questioned the validity of the Will and have also raised the question of contributions towards the maintenance and repair costs of Longmeadow Gardens. However, there is as yet no detailed information to substantiate either of these statements made by the Executors.
ii) Minute 95-12v – Finger Posts. The Clerk reported that he had contacted WSCC who had confirmed the Clerks previous statement that repairs to the ‘heritage finger posts’ were now the responsibility of the Parish Council in which they were situated. He had been informed that WSCC would if requested by the Parish Council remove the damaged post and replace with the modern variety free of charge. The Clerk said that he was now waiting for information from WSCC of the contractor who had carried out repairs in the past however, in the interim he asked the Council for their views on the continued maintenance of these posts, bearing in mind there was no budget and the offer by WSCC to replace if they became damaged. He went on to say that he had not carried out a survey to determine how many were in the Parish or their condition but, he would hope to have this information for a future meeting.
It was resolved to take no further action until the Clerk had had the opportunity to obtain a quotation for repairs to the damaged post, to determine how many the Parish owned and their location and any possible insurance addition.
103-12 Clerks’ Report:
i) WSCC – Nothing to report
ii) CDC – The Clerk reported that he had received the latest information from CDC regarding the Council Tax Setting 2013/14 and which he had already incorporated into the Budget Setting to be discussed in agenda item 6ii).
iii) Other related matters –
a) The Clerk reported that he had received an email from Belway concerning the parking problems in and around the Old Common Close development and although he had emailed requesting further information he had not yet received a response.
b) The Clerk went on to say that he had received a request from Earnley Parish Council asking for permission to include Birdham Village Hall into their Resilience Plan as an emergency venue. In consideration the Council felt that whilst in principle they had no objection to this request it should be pointed out that Birdham Parish Council would also be including the Village Hall in their Resilience Plan.
c) The Clerk had previously circulated copies of letters that had originated from EW&B Parish Council as part of a concerted effort to obtain definitive answers from statutory bodies relative to the planning process. EW&B Parish Council was asking for all Chairman of the Parish Councils on the Manhood Peninsula to sign the documents. The Clerk had advised the Chairman that prior to any commitment on her part the letters should be discussed at this Council Meeting and approval, or not, be obtained if Council were minded to support the initiative.
After a brief discussion it was resolved that the letters should be circulated via email to all Councillors who would agree any amendments prior to signature and despatch by the Chairman.
d) A request had been received from Anita Wright, of the Managing Change Consultancy Ltd who is working with WSCC, seeking volunteers from an older person to review proposals from housing support providers for a WSCC commissioned new service. It was suggested and agreed that this should be an item for the web site.
iv) Reports from Members of WSCC/CDC –
Cllr Montyn said that he had said what he wished to say during the Public Question time and didn’t wish to take up any more time repeating what had previously been said.
Cllr Tilbury expressed some surprise and questioned the decision made by ADC(South) in permitting the Flags and advertising hoardings at the Old Common Close development. Cllr Montyn said that it had been permitted purely as it was time limited only.
104-12To receive and approve a financial report:
i) The Clerk presented the financial statement for the 17th December which showed the following figures and offered to answer questions.
| Balances held at Bank: | £34274.27 |
| Designated Funds: | £27054.24 |
| Available Funds: | £ 7220.03 |
| Creditors: | £ 622.93 |
It was resolved to accept the financial report.
ii) Prior to the opening of the budget discussion the Clerk outlined the change in the system compared to previous years. Central Government had reduced by 10% the amount payable to Councils to meet the Council Tax Support Scheme and had removed the properties occupied by those in receipt of such support from the Tax Base. The Tax Base is used to calculate the Band D Tax rate upon which all other community charges are based.
To mitigate the effects CDC had opted to pass on all of the Community Charge benefit plus the additional 10% in the form of a grant to all precepting authorities in the District. By doing so CDC had effectively reduced the tax burden which would have had a huge impact on the Band D tax band payer.
Cllr Tilbury opened the discussion by saying that the Councillors had looked extremely hard at the draft budget prepared by the Clerk. Difficult decisions had been made in order to keep the tax burden as low as possible. Reductions had been made against a number of budget headings where it was felt that any impact could be managed.
Generally Councillors felt that it was a fair budget resulting in an increase of just £1.00 per year on a Band D property.
It was resolved to adopt the budget as presented and that the Clerk be authorised to claim a precept amount of £37614.34 from Chichester District Council.
105-12 Neighbourhood Planning – Chairman to report.
The Chairman asked Mr T Claughton – the Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group – to present his report.
Mr Claughton said that during the last month time had been spent on looking at the problem which was at the top of most resident’s lists of concerns – flooding. The Steering Group was in the process of recording all work that been carried out so far.
Starting in March of next year it was proposed to hold a tea party to engender a greater community spirit, it would be open to all age groups.
Looking forward work was progressing apace to develop and publish a questionnaire which would go to all residents in the New Year.
Finance was a cause for concern with little or no budget to actually complete the Neighbourhood Plan however, research had been carried out and it seemed that funding up to £7000.00 was available but not yet sure how this will be claimed or paid.
106-12 Planning matters including applications and CDC delegated decisions:
i) It was resolved that the minutes of the Planning Committee of the 29th November 2012 be signed as a true and accurate record.
ii) Applications to be decided.
BI/12/04371/LBC and BI/12/04368/DOM Chaffinches Farm, Main Road, Birdham
Chaffinches Farm lies outside the Birdham SPA but within the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This application is mainly the same as the applications to which the Council responded in February 2007 (BI/06/05809LBC and BI/06/05820/DOM) which have now lapsed but which were approved at the time. This year a further application was made (BI/ 12/01569/ and BI/12/01830/LBC) but was refused by the LPA, but not by this Council, on the grounds that “by reason of the scale and design of the proposed single storey rear addition and the associated loss of existing building fabric, this element of the proposal would result in material harm to the special architectural and historic interest of the host building which comprises a Grade II Listed Building. Furthermore, the proposed canopy would detract from the spatial integrity of the existing courtyard area to the rear of the property and would likewise harm the character and appearance of the host building”. We believe this to have been a very narrow response to this application by the Historic Buildings Adviser, although we had ourselves commented on the fenestration and called for more muted colours to be used in line with the recommendations of the Chichester Harbour Conservancy’s Design Guidelines but assumed this could be achieved by negotiation rather than refusal.
However, the applicant has now changed the fenestration to a more traditional appearance and the canopy has been reduced. These changes seem to meet the criticisms of the Adviser and our own comments and Birdham Parish Council has NO OBJECTION to this application.
BI/12/03306/FUL Lockfield, Lock Lane, Birdham
This is an application to replace the sea wall at Lockfield. The applicant has provided a Level 1 Flood Risk Assessment which shows that the wall will lie within the normal tidal range of Chichester Harbour. It will be built as close as is practicable to the existing wall (approximately 350mm to 600 mm). Care will be taken with the delivery and storage of materials such that the visual and physical damage to the landscape will be kept to a minimum during construction work. We also note that a vibrating jack hammer will be used to limit noise intrusion. We are pleased to see that one of the reasons for this work is the preservation of the mature oak trees and that any loss of mud land in the designated conservation site will be offset by the purchase and permanent wasting of a mooring. It is disappointing that one of the oak trees is already probably terminally damaged by sea water. There appears to be a modest allowance for climate change in the proposed height of the new wall. This Council does not have the expertise to judge the technical features of the proposed sea wall but assumes these will be the subject of consultation with suitable experts by the Planning Officer.
Birdham Parish Council has NO OBJECTION to this application.
B/12/04416/DOM 9 Bell Lane, Birdham
This application is to build a small extension at the rear of the house, change the use of the present garage to part garage and part living space and to change the level of the cill under the ground floor kitchen window. The property lies within the Birdham Settlement Policy Area.
The raising of the cill appears to be a matter of 20cm and will have no effect on the visual aspect of the property as viewed from the road.
The rear extension is to the existing garage which will then be reconfigured. It is 1180mm in length and has the effect of squaring off this part of the existing ground floor. There is no extra fenestration in the extension and therefore no loss of amenity or privacy to neighbours.
Birdham Parish Council has NO OBJECTION to this application.
It was resolved to instruct the Clerk to forward the decisions of Birdham Parish Council to CDC Planning.
iii) Delegated Decisions to be noted
BI/12/03015/FUL Mr S Greenwood Widdicombe Main Road Birdham
Erection of replacement two storey dwelling as amendment to approved extant permission BI/08/02179/FUL. PERMIT
BI/12/01196/LBC Mr & Mrs A MacDonald The Thatched House Birdham Road
Alterations and two-storey extension to Listed Building; change of use; extensions and rebuilding of outbuildings to form 2 no. tourist units. PERMIT
BI/12/01709/ELD Mr Wayne Hemingway Home Shipton Green Itchenor
Recreational use in association with the adjacent dwelling house. REFUSE
It was resolved to note the delegated decisions made by CDC Planning
107-12 Correspondence – Not previously circulated:
The Clerk reported that he received the following;
i) A letter from The Manhood Peninsula Partnership thanking the Council for its donation and including a copy of its 2013 Calendar.
ii) The latest copy of the CPRE Sussex Review
iii) The latest copy of the LCR.
108-12 Reports:
i) Play area and playing field – There was nothing to report.
ii) Village Green and Pond – There was nothing to report.
iii) Police and Neighbourhood Watch – In giving her apologies PCSO Bainbridge asked that her emailed report be read out which was done and for completeness is included as annex a to these minutes.
iv) Communications/Parish Newsletter/Website – Cllr Finch said a newsletter was going out as we speak. She apologised for the delay but felt that as the newsletter contained important information concerning Riparian owners of ditches and culverts the delay was justified.
v) Other – There was nothing to report.
109-12 Reports from Councillors attending meetings:
Cllrs Cobbold and Finch had attended the All Parishes Meeting at CDC during which Officers and Councillors gave updates on Finance and the Flood Review.
Cllrs Finch and Cobbold had attended the Manhood Peninsula Forum Constraints Workshop at which it was suggested that the only Parish which could take further development was Tangmere although it was recognised that Tangmere could not take it all. The largest concern was waste water treatment with the only remaining headroom for treatment being Sidlesham. Residents disputed that Sidlesham had the headroom to take on any more development and raised suspicions that untreated sewage may be being discharged.
Cllr Montyn (WSCC) said that raw/untreated sewage was not being discharged into Pagham Harbour and currently the Sidlesham Plant did in fact have additional headroom of 7-800 homes. He did say that Bacterial treatment is taking place.
He went on to say that a program of asset management has bought forward repairs or replacement of a culvert in Church Lane.
Cllr Finch said that she felt that the whole subject may well be worth a debate at some other time but, the subject was too large and the time to short to have that debate now.
110-12 Items for inclusion in the next meeting:
There was none
111-12 Dates of Next Meeting:
21st January 2013 at 7pm in Birdham Village Hall
In closing the meeting at 8.39pm the Chairman wished all residents and Councillors a very happy Christmas and New Year and invited all those present to join with her and the Councillors in mince pies and other Christmas fare.
Signed ___________________________ Dated ____________________
Chairman
Annex A
Report by PCSO R Bainbridge as presented to the Parish Council Meeting of the 21st December 2012
Please accept my apologies for not being able to attend the Birdham Parish Council Meeting on Monday.
As ever, Sussex Police advice is to maintain security of all property and be vigilant and report anything suspicious. Be Bright Be Seen when out on the roads, especially cyclists at night.
A sail and tools have been taken from Westlands; CCTV of the area is being viewed.
The Road Policing Unit have been in the area targetting speeding and drink driving.
We have received some calls from residents regarding inconsiderate parking relating to contractors of Bellway Homes. The site manager has been very co-operative but still we get the odd obstruction of the footpath near the entrance on the main road. I plan to call the MD about this as it appears to be an issue with new contractors to the site who visit for the first time. If they can be advised before they attend this area that they must not cause an obstruction, we should have less problems.
I have been visiting social clubs mainly used by our elderly residents and have warned them of cold callers and rogue traders.
I have been very impressed with the West Manhood Venture bus and their volunteers who take the elderly residents on shopping trips and to their clubs. It is such an important link and for them to be able to get out. I was successful in a bid from the Police Property Act Fund for £200 to assist in maintenance of their vehicles.
I was also able to give a further cheque of £200 toward an Activity Group in Bracklesham. I have visited the Birdham Youth Club on Tuesday in the village hall and am impressed by the dedication of the youth workers and helpers and the obvious enjoyment the activities bring to the youth - who were having a great time.
All best wishes to you, Birdham Parish Councillors and Residents for Christmas and the New Year.
Rose
Rose Bainbridge
PCSO
Neighbourhood Policing Team - Selsey West Downs
Tel: 101 Ext. 19516 Mobile: 07881 754535
"Talk to Me, I can help"
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