Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on the 16th November 2015

Birdham Parish Council

Minutes of the
Meeting of the Parish Council
held on Monday 16th November 2015
at 7pm in Birdham Village Hall

Present: Cllr Pocock (Chairman), Cllr Hamilton (Vice Chairman), Cllr Wells, Cllr Firmston, Cllr Brooks, Cllr Bird, Cllr Barker and Cllr Churchill.

Apologies: Cllr Campbell, PCSO Bainbridge.

In attendance: The Clerk, Cllr Montyn (WSCC).Cllr Barrett (CDC), and 13 members of the public.

Absent: None
66-15 Presentation by Mr N Bennett – Senior Litigation Solicitor CDC
Mr Bennett was unable to attend the meeting in person. He had sent an email report which was read by Cllr Hamilton.
Please could you note my apologies and note the following advice to the Chairman. He is able to read this information out and make a note of the advice in the Parish minutes.
The legal position regarding the unlawful developments at Birdham Farm were now in the stage were very little could be said as much of the matter was deemed to be sub-judice until sentencing is achieved.
The following is deemed to be fit and fair to publish;
1) That the prosecution went to trial and that a man was found guilty of contempt of court. The matter is listed for sentencing by the circuit judge in December. The Court noted the high standard of evidence and commented positively about the planning officer’s evidence.
2) The Council has obtained full details of the current land ownership. Applications to amend the injunction to include all relevant persons have been prepared. This will mean that the trial in January 2016 will deal with all owners of the site at that time and the intention is again to require the land being restored to its original state.
3) The Council is in the process of preparing further prosecutions for breach of the temporary stop notices on the land against new land owners.

67-15 Public Question time in accordance with Standing Orders 1d -1l:
There were no questions from members of the public.

68-15 Declaration of Interests:
a) Cllr Pocock declared a personal interest in planning application BI/15/03512/DOM as the applicant is a neighbour.
b) Cllr Brooks declared a personal interest in planning application BI/15/03555/TPA as the applicant is a neighbour.

69-15 Approve and sign the minutes of the 19th October 2015.
The Clerk was asked to make the following amendments to the minutes before they could be signed off as accurate;
i) Cllr P Montyn (WSCC) was shown as apologised yet he had been present.
ii) Minute 63-15i) last sentence of BI/15/02827/FUL miss spelt ‘ground’.
iii) Date of next meeting should read 16th November 2015.

It was resolved that, once the amendments were carried out, to adopt the minutes of the 19th October 2015 as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

70-15 Clerks’ Report:
i) WSCC – There was nothing to report.
ii) CDC – There was nothing to report.
iii) Reports from Members of WSCC/CDC – Cllr Montyn reporting for WSCC said that Southern Water is to convene a meeting to discuss the problems associated with the foul water drainage. As yet there is no date set for the meeting.
Cllr Barrett reporting for CDC said that he would be a member of the Southern Water meeting.
He went on to say that an alternative site had been found for the youth club on Parish Council owned land. However, the youth club would remain on its present site until the new site was complete.
Work in Chaucer Drive was now complete.
The allocation of Gypsy Sites is now ‘on hold’ as new guidelines are due to for publication by the Government - (Settled Sites).
The Peninsula Forum is to be held on the 7th December, as yet the venue is unknown.
The Community Wardens – The CDC Cabinet have agreed to fund for a further 3 years.
The revised Car Parking charges have been approved.
The CDC will be purchasing electric vehicles to replace old diesel powered vehicles.
Cllr Hamilton reporting for CDC said that residents should be very careful at this time of the year when using the internet. A number of scams had been identified but one in particular – the Ocado Receipt Scam – was quite nasty.
The Christmas lights switch-on in Chichester would be on the 26th November.
iv) Other related matters – There were none.

71-15 Finance and Corporate:
i) To receive and approve the financial report.
The Clerk presented the financial report up to and including the 14th November 2015 (shown at Annex A). The current balances are as follows;

Balances held at Bank £ 36732.62
Designated Funds £ 29690.17
Ring Fenced Funds £133950.41
Available Funds £ 14026.48
Creditors £ 1320.08
The Clerk offered to answer any questions that Councillors may have.
It was resolved to adopt the Financial Report.

72-15 Correspondence – Not previously circulated:

73-15 Reports:
i) Play Area and Playing Field. – The Chairman asked Cllr Wells to respond to this item.
Cllr Wells said that a lot of work needed to be carried out and that the Council would make use of the money which had been allocated under the 2014 NHB. A designer had been contracted to help with general layouts etc. and we would be speaking to Sport England for both help and possible funding.
The School was in the process of being consulted as would all residents of the Village. So far ideas that had come forward included a BMX Track and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA).
A resident asked if allotments would be considered for the land that had been bequeathed to the Council. In addition to allotments it was also suggested that tennis courts might be an option. Both ideas would be considered as would any other ideas that came forward at a proposed workshop to be held in the New Year.
The Clerk said that the new hedge planting would take place just as soon as the sap had stopped rising in the plants but, in any case would be completed by Christmas.
ii) Village Green and Pond. – A resident asked why the War Memorial was not on the Village Green rather than the graveyard. The Clerk said that the War Memorials Trust are loath to sanction the removal and replacement of War Memorials without very good compelling reasons to do so.
iii) Condition of Village Ditch/Drain Network. – Mr Barrington said that he was to attend a meeting with Jane Reeve of the MHWG to discuss the possible contribution of manpower and funding reference the flow project. He had also spoken to the Birdham Church Field Ltd group who will also be attending in connection with the possible extension of the Village Pond.
Mr Barrington then said that there has been an order raised to remove the Walwyn Close pump. A Deed of Easement is in the process of being drawn up between the Parish Council and Mr Langmead. A further drawing will need to be drawn up to attach to the deed.
He had met with Mr McNay concerning approximately 15 items that had yet to be completed. Contractor reporting is very slow and the Surface Water Management Plan has been subject to active planning and will be presented in due course.
A resident raised the question of responsibility for the maintenance of the fence that had been erected behind Walwyn Close. The answer is Mr S Langmead.
A resident wished to re-iterate a vote of thanks to Mr Barrington who had worked hard to ensure that residents were not flooded as they had been in previous years. This was resolved unanimously.
iv) Police and Neighbourhood Watch – PCSO Bainbridge had given her apologies for the meeting.
v) Communication Working Groups – There was nothing to report from the Working Group but a resident asked if it was possible they might look at improving the WiFi. Cllr Barker who is also a Village Hall Trustee said that the Trust was looking into it already and would come back with their findings.
vi) Other – Cllr Firmston as the Lead Councillor for Community Resilience said that the Group would be looking at developing individual and household plans as well as a Community version. Dr Barton would be helping to produce the plan from the draft plan which needs updating.
Cllr Firmston said that he had received a copy of the Community Facilities Audit from the Clerk which he found very useful even though it was now out of date.
Currently the Group were in the process of identifying resources such as chain saw and heavy lifting equipment.

Cllr Brooks reporting for the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group said that the Group had been told that the plan was declared sound and was likely to be debated at CDC Cabinet in either December of February with the referendum sometime after that.
74-15 Reports of meetings attended by Councillors; - There were none.
75-15 Planning matters including applications and CDC delegated decisions:
i) Planning Applications to be decided.
BI/15/03437/DOM - Mr M.J. Rees Farne House Court Barn Road Birdham Chichester
Alterations and enlargement of existing garage to form a double garage and log store.
The Parish Council raised No Objection to this application.

BI/15/03555/TPA - Mrs Grimsdale 31 Walwyn Close Birdham Chichester West Sussex
Crown reduce by 2.5m (all round) on 1 no. Oak tree (T4) subject to BI/97/00037/TPO.
The Parish Council raised no comment and deferred the decision to the CDC Tree Officer.

BI/15/03512/DOM - Mr R Beale Apple Tree Cottage Cherry Lane Birdham
Rear single storey extension and rear dormer projection.
The Parish Council raised No Objection to this application

BI/15/03544/DOM - Mr and Mrs Wright Fir Trees Shipton Green Lane West Itchenor
Alterations and extension.
The Parish Council raised No Objection to this application

BI/15/03609/LBC - Mr and Mrs Wright Fir Trees Shipton Green Lane West Itchenor
Alterations & extension.
The Parish Council raised No Objection to this application

BI/15/02127/REM - Tawny Nurseries , Bell Lane, Birdham,
Application for reserved matters including appearance, landscaping, layout and scale, relating to outline planning permission BI/12/04147/OUT.
It was proposed by the Chairman and resolved that this application by its importance to the local community should be deferred and decided at a full Planning Meeting on the 23rd November 2015.

It was resolved to authorise the Clerk to notify the Councils decision to CDC Planning.

ii) Delegated Decisions to be noted.
BI/15/02632/FUL Mr & Mrs J Slatter Brightwater 14 Greenacres Birdham
Replacement dwelling. PERMIT

The delegated decisions were noted.

76-15 Items for inclusion on the next agenda:
The Budget
Community Resilience

77-15 Date of Next Meeting:
21st December 2015 at 7pm in Birdham Village Hall

There being no further business to discuss the meeting was declared closed at 8.10pm

Signed ___________________________ Dated ____________________
Chairman

Annex A
Agenda Item 6i
Birdham Parish Council

Financial Statement as at 14th November 2015
£
Bank Accounts as at 31st March 2015 36732.62
Receipts to date 179946.37
Expenditure to date 39011.93

Balance 177667.06

Represented by;
Current Account (Barclays Community A/c) 24627.09
Deposit Account (Barclays Premium Business A/c) 146229.16
National Savings 6810.81

Total 177667.06
Less
Reserve @ 50% of Precept 21063.13
Loan Reserve for half year 8591.04
Outstanding Cheque/s - 102376 36.00

Total 29690.17

Ringfenced Funds
Op Watershed 133950.41

Available Funds Total 14026.48

Signed

Clerk to the Council
14th November 2015

Payments to be considered

B Geary (Litter Picking) 70.00
Clerks Expenses (Telephone etc.) 22.36
A Dover (Grass & Bus Stops) 105.00
AMS Contracting Ltd (Ditches) 900.00
M H Kennedy & Son (Grass Mowing) 222.72

Total 1320.08