Minutes Nov 2005

Minutes of the meeting held on 21st November 2005 in the Conference Room at Premier Marina, Birdham at 7pm

Present: Cllr Tilbury; Cllr Mrs Rees; Cllr Ms Huskisson; Cllr Kyte; Cllr Drew; Cllr Mrs Baillieu; Cllr Churchill

In attendance: The Clerk; District Cllr Davies; District Cllr Jones; County Cllr Daws-Chew; a member of the
press; Larry Jackson from Martlet Homes; Ian Smith from CDC; and two members of the public.

78-05cl. Apologies were received from Cllr Mrs Parks; Cllr Meynell

79-05cl. Declaration of interests: Cllr Drew declared an interest in planning application
BI/05/04136/COU.

80-05cl. Approve and sign the Minutes of the Meeting held on 17th October 2005. It was proposed by
Cllr Drew and seconded by Cllr Ms Huskisson RESOLVED to approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 17th
October 2005 and that they be signed by the Chairman.

81-05cl. Matters arising from the Minutes dated 17th October 2005
i) Min 70-05cl i) Affordable housing – the Chairman reported that the questionnaire had been
distributed with the Newsletter. He thanked the councillors for the distribution. The Clerk had received
copies returned to her, and presumably some had been placed in Birdham Stores. Cllr Mrs Rees would collect
these. She had heard that some communities are not willing to have affordable housing.
ii) Min 70-05cl ii) Village pond insurance – the Clerk reported that she has now spoken to the
Inspector from Rospa who inspected the pond and he recommends that a sign be placed on the wire at the
back of the pond (where it will be less likely to be vandalised) and it should say "Danger, water 1 metre deep"
where 1 metre is the depth of the deepest part of the pond. The rail along the front of the pond should also
be extended to the full length of the pond. After discussion it was agreed the Clerk would investigate the
size of sign and tell the insurance company about it.
iii) Min 70-05cl vi) Local Development Framework – the Chairman reported that the response had
been sent off.
iv) Min 77-05cl – Vandalism in the village – Ian Smith from CDC and Larry Jackson of Martlet Homes
spoke about the situation. The investigation of criminal offences is still the responsibility of the police.
However, they work in a joined-up partnership way. The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership is a group
of a number of organisations. The police have to go where they are needed most. If they do not hear from an
area they will assume all is well. When a call has come in the team picks them up, but have to have evidence.
An Acceptable Behaviour Contract is half-way to an ASBO, and it is not known to many people. Incident
Diaries are available to those who would like them and are willing to fill them in. The team can then see who
are the main perpetrators of these incidents. There is a multi-agency problem solving team to look into these
problems in East Wittering, and they will incorporate Birdham into this. Need for evidence from more than
one family if possible as otherwise the problem could be antagonism between two families. The chairman
thanked Larry and Ian for their time and input.
A donation towards improving the situation for young people had been received from a resident.
v) Posts at Claytons Corner – the Chairman reported that he had looked at them and they would
come out on a regular basis, and any councillor who was passing could try to put them back in.
vi) Poplars along the canal. The Chairman has drafted a background paper on the evidence he has
collected about this and sent a draft of it to Neil Mitchell, the Coast and Countryside Officer of WSCC.

82-05cl. Clerk's Report including
a) WSCC Reports, highways matters and correspondence
i) Richard Bird has written to say that the cost of maintaining the streetlights for the year October 2005
to September 2006 will rise to £18.19 per light. For Birdham this will mean a total cost for the year of
£400.18, so possibly slightly more than that for our financial year 2006-7, say £450 as a rough estimate.
ii) The Council has received the West Sussex Minerals Development Plan Document: Issues and Options
Consultation Paper – comments are required by 23rd December. The Council decided not to comment.
b) CDC Reports including correspondence
i) Chichester District Private Sector House Condition Survey – the Council has been informed about this
survey which is being carried out on behalf of the District Council. This was noted.
ii) Abbie Brook has started working as Chichester District Council's Home Energy Efficiency Officer and is
keen to promote grants and discounts available for the over 60s and those on certain benefits. She would be
happy to produce leaflets etc. The Clerk would suggest that the Council should ask for these to go on the
Notice boards and also possibly some information which could be put in the next newsletter. It was decided
that this should be done.
c) Other related matters
i) SALC in association with the Assistant Chief Constable has asked if the Council would be interested in
contributing to the cost of PCSOs when the funding for them runs out which it starts to do in March 2006.
Any council interested should speak initially to their local District Commander of Police. This has been
referred to the Peninsula Community Forum for it to be discussed at their next meeting (on 7th December).
ii) The Treasurer of St James Church has asked for the usual donation from the Council for this year. The
Clerk has included it in the financial report.
iii) Age Concern has written to tell the Council that they have a new Chairman, Miss Frances Russell. This was
noted.
iv) Action in Rural Sussex will be holding some more Parish Action Plan Surgeries in January 2006. None is in
this area, but if any councillor would be interested in attending, the Clerk can give them the details and book
the slot for them. This was noted.
v) The Winged Fellowship Trust which provides breaks for disabled people and their carers is now called
Vitalise, and has written to ask for a donation. It was agreed to add them to the list to be considered at the
May meeting.
vi) Chichester Citizens' Advice Bureau has written to ask if the Council would be willing to support them this
year. As it was agreed in May to give them £50 the Clerk has written the cheque and included it in the
Financial Report for this month.
vii) The Clerk informed the Council that West Itchenor has agreed to pay a third of the cost of the training
day she will be attending on 30th November, so it will only cost Birdham £20 plus two-thirds of the cost of
travel.
viii) Owen Higby, our internal auditor has written to thank the council for the honorarium which we had sent
him.
ix) The Ship Canal Trust has written to thank the Council for their subscription and donation.
x) The Clerk suggested the following dates for meetings to be held in 2006: January 16th; February 20th;
March 20th; April 24th (includes Annual Parish Meeting); May 15th (AGM of PC); June 19th. All are the third
Monday in the month except for April which is the 4th as the 3rd is Easter Monday.

83-05cl. Planning matters including CDC decisions
A planning paper had been circulated to all Councillors.

Plans to be considered at the meeting:
BI/05/04094/DOM – Clent Cottage, Cherry Lane – Demolition of conservatory and removal of balcony, new
rear extension, replacement of flat roof dormers with pitched dormers, extension to garage to form utility,
new porch and internal adaptations to suit – It was proposed by Cllr Mrs Rees and seconded by Cllr Churchill
RESOLVED NO OBJECTION.

Cllr Crew declared a personal interest and left the room.
BI/05/04145/ELD – Land to east and south of Margherymore, Claytons Corner – Continuation of use as
residential garden. It was proposed by Cllr Tilbury and seconded by Cllr Mrs Rees RESOLVED that the
Council has NO OBJECTION to the grant of a Certificate of Lawfulness to include this land within the
cartilage of the house. However, the Council is of the opinion that despite the incorporation of this land into
the boundary of the property the SPA at this point should not be redefined and the District Council should
take measures to ensure by legal agreement that residential development does not take place on this land.

Cllr Drew returned.

BI/05/04136/COU – Hundredsteddle Farm, Hundredsteddle Lane – Change of use of former agricultural
barns to B1 (Business) use – It was proposed by Cllr Drew and seconded by Cllr Churchill RESOLVED that the
Council wishes to OBJECT on the grounds that insufficient detail is given about the amount of traffic which
might be generated and the use and purposes which might be made of the space.

Decisions taken by the Council since the previous meeting to be ratified:
BI/05/04092/FUL
Sandpipers, Crooked Lane, Birdham

The Council raises NO OBJECTION to this application

BI/05/04079/FUL
Farne Close and Farne Lane, Birdham
The Council raises NO OBJECTION to this application. We were asked to consider the resiting of the lamp
post in the Farne Close and, having consulted some of the residents, we recommend the addition of one lamp
post so that they may be sited in the south-east and south-west corners of the development at Farne Close.

BI/05/03962/TPA
26 Walwyn Close, Birdham
We repeat our comments of earlier this month about a similar application from the neighbour of this
applicant:

There was a long history of concern by residents about these trees when the houses in Walwyn Close were
built. The Council's general principle is that the trees and their Preservation Order were there when the
purchaser bought the house and all they should need is good management. We have no objection to the
removal of dead wood. We are concerned about the cutting back to three metres from the property, even
with the rebalancing. We are prepared to accept minimal pruning for the good management of the trees to
follow the advice of the District Tree Officer, to whom we have spoken, and would asked to be advised when
the work is taking place so that we may ask one of our tree wardens to be present, as they were on the
previous occasion.

One of our tree wardens adds:

"I am still concerned over allowing the dead wood to be culled. It is where woodpeckers nest (remember we
have two kinds here) There has been a Great Spotted Woodpecker present all the summer. We have just
started to get Nuthatches in the gardens and we also saw bats (which roost in the dead wood holes) here as
recently as October 25th. It does concern me that the wildlife will be very much curtailed especially if all
the occupiers next to all these trees decide they want the dead wood chopped."

We ask that the Tree Officer take these comments into account.

BI/05/03942/DOM – Mr P Reeves, Lock Cottage, Lock Lane, Birdham – Conversion of rear of existing garage
to form new study for domestic use. Velux windows at rear and replacement garage doors – This application
involves minimal internal alteration to conform with domestic building regulations and the addition of a
matching Velux window. The Council raises NO OBJECTION.

BI/05/03955/TPA – Paul Harrington, 25, Walwyn Close, Birdham PO20 7SR – Remove branches from trees
T1,T2,T3 – there was a long history of concern by residents about these trees when the houses in Walwyn
Close were built. The Council's general principle is that the trees and their Preservation Order were there
when the purchaser bought the house and all they should need is good management. We have no objection to
the removal of dead wood. We are concerned about the cutting back to three metres from the property,
even with the re-balancing. We are prepared to accept minimal pruning for the good management of the
trees to follow the advice of the District Tree Officer and would ask to be advised when the work is taking
place so that we may ask one of our tree wardens to be present, as they were on the previous occasion.

BI/05/03954/DOM – Mr and Mrs D Finnamore, Broomer Farm, Lock Lane, Birdham PO20 7AX – Two storey
residential extension. The Council wishes to OBJECT to this application. Broomer Farm lies in a prominent
position in the AONB and outside the SPA for Birdhm. It is also a Listed Building (which does not appear on
the index number of our copy of the application) and therefore special sensitivity must be shown. The
elevation which it is proposed to extend is an important one as it is facing Lock Lane/Martins Lane at this
point. We consider the slab effect of doubling this elevation to be unsympathetic to this important, small-
scale, domestically-articulated country farmhouse, whose original restoration was carried out with much
greater understanding of the building only four years ago. We would also point out that there are six
enforcement inquiries pending on this property.
It was proposed by Cllr Drew and seconded by Cllr Kyte RESOLVED to ratify the decisions taken by the
Council since the last meeting.

CDC Decisions

BI/05/03404/DOM – Mr and Mrs R Meynell, Broomfield Studio, Lock Lane, Birdham PO20 7BA – garage
extension for bicycles provision and greenhouse at north boundary (amendments to planning permission
BI/04/02216/DOM) – PERMIT

BI/05/03606/DOM – Mr and Mrs T Barber, Little Dyers, 2, Longmeadow Gardens, Birdham PO20 7HP –
Replacement attached garage – PERMIT

BI/05/02655/FUL – Mr and Mrs Farquar Thomson, Barn north of Martins Cottage, Martins Lane, Birdham
PO20 7AU – Change of redundant farm building to 2 no. units of holiday accommodation and associated works
– PERMIT

BI/05/02801/COU – Mr and Mrs S Crossley, Birdham Fruit Farm, martins Lane, Birdham PO20 7AU – Two
camping pitches for 42 days per annum – REFUSE.

i) The Council has received a letter from Mike Kelley, CDC's Solicitor, which says quite categorically that
Parish Councils must meet in public to discuss planning matters. After discussion it was agreed that the
Chairman will take it up with the District Solicitor.
ii) A letter of support for the planning application at Clent Cottage has been received from neighbours.
iii) A letter objecting to proposals to cut back trees at 26 Walwyn Close has been received by the Council.

84-05cl Correspondence
Correspondence to be circulated includes:

Shaping Health – various documents
SALC Annual Report and Accounts 2004/5
Local Council Review November 2005
CPRE Sussex Review Autumn 2005
ICIS News Autumn 2005
SALC Autumn Newsletter
Standards Committee Minutes
Spotlight October 2005
Clerks and Councils Direct November 2005
WSCC Forward plan of Key Decisions November 2005 – February 2006 and December 2005 – March 2006
Playwork South East SERPA request for funding
Action in Rural Sussex Annual Review and Newsletter no 1

85-05cl. Reports:
i) Village Hall – the Chairman reported that the hall now has a roof so we hope everything is moving
on. Timing – may be a bit of an over-run. It could be the end of January or beginning of February before it is
open. Fortunately there is some contingency money built in to the budget. It would be wise to expect a
£5,000 to £10,000 over-run. It was agreed to limit the over-run to £7,500. The Council may have to draw on
the grant to meet some of this.
A letter has been received from HM Customs and Excise re claim for £7154.07 which is being referred to
the Public authorities Unit of Expertise in London and the Clerk and Chairman have the matter in hand.
ii) Play Area Report and Playing Field – the Clerk reported that Knight Fencing had been asked to
repair the damaged gate post at the Farne Lane end of the Play Area while they were doing the work on the
corner of the field. Cllr Churchill reported that the slats on the seat are loose. There are splits in the seat
of a swing. There are rubber caps missing from the bridge. The seat which was taken out during the work is
currently at Knight Fencing's yard waiting for a decision as to where to site it. The seat the other side of
the playing field has since been ripped up and placed against the hedge. After discussion it was agreed to
place it in the field in the corner next to Birdham Straight and away from the Farne Lane corner.
iii) Village Green and pond – Mr Berry has been in touch with Cllr Ms Huskisson about the pond. The
hedge in Westlands Lane has been partly ripped out as a tidying up of the dead elms and the brambles. It will
be replaced with native species.
iv) Footpaths and bridleways - Footpath 37 water was collecting at the end and washing away the
chippings which makes it less muddy. The farmer has cut a channel to help the water draw away. This has
made it difficult for the disabled to cross it.
v) Neighbourhood Watch – there was no report.
vi) Other i) proposal to CDALC. The Chairman will propose at the Peninsula Community Forum that
there should be ways of amalgamating some of these committees.
ii) Bus service from Birdham to Bishop Luffa School – Cllr Mrs Baillieu reported that there used to be a bus
service to take children to the school but it was withdrawn after half term, and the new circular bus does
not start until 9am. The children cannot get there in time now. County Cllr Daws Chew agreed to take this up
at County Hall.

86-05cl. Finance
i) A financial situation report had been circulated to all councillors.
Payments made since the last meeting to be ratified:

Action in Rural Sussex (Chairman's lunch at AGM) 15.50
Principal 1 Ltd (Photocopier Service contract, includes 8.75 VAT) 58.73
Knight Fencing (Work at Farne Lane corner of field inc. 255.15 VAT) 1713.15

Receipts – Village Hall account – nil
Deposit account – nil
Current account – VAT refund (September) 3828.85
- refund of over-payment on streetlight maintenance
- 334.76
West Itchenor PC copies and phone 28.35

Payments to be considered:

Mrs Geary (litter, November) 65.00
Adrian Dover (grass, October) 76.00
Chichester District Council (grass cutting includes 13.97 VAT) 93.77
Grant Associates (Village Hall, includes 87.50 VAT) 587.50
Foster Playscapes Ltd ( repairs to play area inc 37.70 VAT) 253.13
CAB (grant, agreed in May) 50.00
Mrs S Heasman (Clerk's expenses) 15.21
R. Tilbury (paper for newsletter) 5.00
EA Chiverton (Interim invoice, includes 8528.10 VAT) 57260.10

Notes: On 17th November the Clerk moved £2000 from the deposit account to ensure there was sufficient
money in the current account to meet the Knight Fencing bill. She will move £57847.60 from the Village Hall
account to meet the two bills relating to that work. There has been a delay in having the latest amount of
VAT repaid, but she hopes that is now being sorted out.

It was proposed by Cllr Ms Huskisson and seconded by Cllr Mrs Baillieu RESOLVED to approve the financial
report.
ii) Precept part 1 – a paper had been circulated to all councillors. After discussion it was agreed that
final decisions would be taken at the December meeting of the Council.

87-05cl. Reports of meetings attended by councillors
Cllr Mrs Rees – reported on Airs/SALC AGM. Local Area Agreements are managed through the Strategic
Partnerships. The presentations short on detail, and apparently clarification will come to us. The Duke of
Richmond has retired as their President.

88-05cl. Public Session
A member of the public asked about the development at Long Meadow. The Chairman explained the current
situation. The Council has not yet seen any plans or any application for development.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 9.25pm