Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on the 21st December 2015

Birdham Parish Council

Minutes of the
Meeting of the Parish Council
held on Monday 21st December 2015
at 7pm in Birdham Village Hall

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

Apologies: PCSO Bainbridge.

In attendance: The Clerk, Cllr Montyn (WSCC) and 5 members of the public.

Absent: None
78-15 Public Question time in accordance with Standing Orders 1d -1l:
There were no questions from members of the public.

79-15 Declaration of Interests:
There were none.

80-15 Approve and sign the minutes of the 16th November 2015.
Minute 73-15iii) should read as follows:-
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 Kingfisher & Triangle Ponds in Westlands Lane. He had also spoken to the Birdham Church Field Ltd group in this connection.
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 Macknay, WSCC, 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.

It was resolved that, subject to the amendments, to adopt the minutes of the 16th November 2015 as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

81-15 Clerks’ Report:
i) WSCC –
a) The Clerk said that he had received notification from the Boundaries Commission concerning a review of the West Sussex Division Boundaries and the number of Councillors serving each one. This would become clearer in the next few weeks and would be subject to a consultation period.
ii) CDC –
a) The Clerk said that he had now received from the Finance Department of CDC the final Council Tax setting for the year 2016/17. The figures were as previously stated in draft form.
b) The Clerk had received notification that Premier Business Park (High Seats Ltd) had submitted an appeal to the refusal of planning permission for a change of use.
iii) Reports from Members of WSCC/CDC –
a) Cllr Montyn (WSCC) said that he felt that the Boundaries Commission would change the numbers each Councillor represented in each division but not the numbers of Councillors.
b) Cllr Montyn went on to talk about the A27 improvements which were currently in the press. Highways England has been granted some £250m to carry out improvement works to the Chichester section of the A27. He will be attending a closed meeting at the end of January when more details may be known. Until then the web site Chichester Deserves Better is working on unknowns, speculation and rumour. He may well have more information for the January meeting of the Parish Council. In the meantime he had produced a sheet of FAQ’s which may be found at annex a. to these minutes.
c) He went to say that the Earnley Concourse Project had now been formally withdrawn. The Project had not been very well thought out.

d) Cllr Hamilton for the CDC said that it was likely the Boundary Commission would have an effect on the numbers of Councillors currently elected to the Council. Over recent years the CDC had considerably reduced its number of employees as a result a Task & Finish Group was setup to determine if with modern technology the numbers of Councillors could also be reduced. At its culmination the Task & Finish Group considered that the number of Councillors could be reduced from the current 48 to 35. The Boundaries Commission has looked at the proposals put forward, it is expected they will try to achieve a better proportion of electorate to Councillors and then consult with the Parish Councils.

iv) Other related matters – There were none.

82-15 To receive an update on the Neighbourhood Plan:-
The Clerk reported that he had just received an email informing him that the Decision Statement was in the process of being drafted and would be with the Parish Council in the next few days prior to being submitted to the CDC Cabinet.
It was likely that the referendum would be held in May.

83-15 Finance and Corporate:
i) To receive and approve the financial report.
The Clerk presented the financial report up to and including the 18th December 2015 shown at Annex b. The current balances are as follows;

Balances held at Bank £ 178435.50
Designated Funds £ 29654.17
Ring Fenced Funds £ 137440.18
Available Funds £ 11341.15
Creditors £ 322.88
The Clerk offered to answer any questions that Councillors may have.
It was resolved to adopt the Financial Report.

ii) To Approve a Budget & Set A Precept for 2016/17:-
The Chairman introduced the item saying that a lot of hard work had gone into producing a budget that would meet the needs of the residents and Council whilst keeping any increase as low as possible.
A number of new elements had been added to the budget eg Community Resilience, Culvert Maintenance, Catchment Pond Improvement fund including the Triangle pond and potential bluebell wood in order to slow the flow of water and therefore reduce or eliminate flooding.
The Chairman said that in order to keep the Peninsula Forum going which was of benefit to the Parish an inclusion of £500.00 had been made.
He went on to propose that the Budget should be set at £45584.15 and after a grant of £671.20 from CDC a precept of £44912.95 which was a slight increase over the 2015/16 budget but, that more was being done. When put to the vote the Chairmans proposal was unanimously resolved.

84-15 Correspondence – Not previously circulated: -
There was none.

85-15 Reports:
i) Play Area and Playing Field. –
Cllr Wells as the Lead Councillor on the Playing field said that a contractor was due on site to give a quotation to develop a pond and a mound which was just one of the suggestions that had been made. More work was being undertaken to produce a strategy that could be put to the residents of the Parish during the Annual Parish Meeting in April.
ii) Village Green and Pond. – There was nothing to report at this stage.
iii) Condition of Village Ditch/Drain Network. – Mr Barrington reported that the Walwyn Close Project had now been completed and the pump has been removed from Church Lane. Deed still to be finalised and final account settled. Kevin Macknay has approved the works and the Landbuild account and also submitted a revised drawing of the works to the Parish Clerk. Once the legal fees have been established we will know what OW money we have left over for any other works.
WSCC Works. Still awaiting response from Kevin Macknay on the Action List prepared by Mr Barrington following a meeting with him on 6 November. This included a report on clearing works previously carried out so we can establish what still needs to be done. This should be a relatively simple task but clearly there is not the manpower in the Drainage Dept to do this.
Westlands Lane. Met with Jane Reeve, MWHG, & Chairman on 20th November to look at the ponds in Westlands. She said there might be some funds from the FLOW project but subsequently informed me this is unlikely in the short term but they might help with some manpower for clearance. She has also been in touch with Harbour Conservancy who have expressed an interest in helping but nothing more has been heard from them since. We do need co-operation from the farmer Tom Monnington for access and possible disposal of silt from ponds. Mr Barrington emailed him a couple of weeks ago and tried to phone him but no response to date.
Riparian Owners in Birdham. Chairman & Councillor Campbell did a tour around the village on 2nd December to review ditch works which need to be carried out, primarily by riparian owners. Chairman proposed that the Parish Council should notify the respective property owners of their responsibilities. Mr Barrington presented him with a list of properties and necessary works together with a draft letter for this purpose, which has yet to be progressed.
Ditch at top of Bell Lane – works still awaited. We have been notified that this should take place in January.
Pipers Mead. The Chairman of the Residents Association has been sent a letter from WSCC giving them 8 weeks’ notice to get the ditches cleared around the estate. Nothing appears to have been done and the due date for this is 7 January.
iv) Police and Neighbourhood Watch – There was nothing to report.
v) Communication Working Groups – There is to be a meeting early in the New Year to start to put together the next News Letter
vi) Community Resilience: - Cllr Firmston as the Lead Councillor for Community Resilience gave a very thorough and informative presentation on the progress of the Plan and called for members of the Council and other interested parties to meet with him in order that the plan could be progressed with the names of the vulnerable and methods of contacts plus their requirements and the assets that are available in the Parish should they be needed.
The Chairman thanked Cllr Firmston for his work in producing the draft plan and encouraged residents and others to come forward.
vii) Other – There was nothing to report.

86-15 Reports of meetings attended by Councillors; - There were none.

87-15 Planning matters including applications and CDC delegated decisions:
i) To Approve and sign the Planning Committee minutes of the 23rd November 2015.
It was resolved that to adopt the Planning Committee minutes of the 23rd November 2015 as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

ii) Planning Applications to be decided.
BI/15/03680/DOM - Mr & Mrs David Segel Chaffinches Farm Main Road Birdham
Single storey rear extension, porch over rear door and internal alterations.
The Parish Council raised No Objection with this application.

BI/15/03681/LBC - Mr & Mrs David Segel Chaffinches Farm Main Road Birdham
Single storey rear extension, porch over rear door and internal alterations
The Parish Council raised No Objection with this application.

BI/15/03253/FUL - Mrs Anna Wood Houseboat Fusil Chichester Marina Birdham
Replacement houseboat.
The Parish Council raised No Objection with this application subject to the design meeting the Harbour Conservancy design criteria. The Council did raise question concerning the wording of the application as the original Fusil had not been berthed at the site for approximately two years.

BI/15/03808/DOM - Mr Peter Mckenzie Field Cottage Westlands Estate Birdham
Extensions, partial raised roof, loft conversion, garage conversion and recladding.
The Parish Council raised No Objection with this application but did raise a query concerning the ridge height.

BI/15/03947/FUL - Mr David Thompson Copper Beech Church Lane Birdham
Division of property to form two separate cottages.
The Parish Council raised No Objection with this application.

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

iii) Delegated Decisions to be noted.
BI/15/03178/PLD Mr & Mrs J Jennings 1 St James Close Birdham
Proposed rear extension. PERMIT

BI/15/03184/DOM Mr Hugh Jefferson Cotswold House 6 St James Close Birdham
Proposed single storey side/rear extension, first floor side extension, new garage, roof lights to north and south elevations. PERMIT

BI/15/03555/TPA Mrs Grimsdale 31 Walwyn Close Birdham
Crown reduce by 2.5m (all round) on 1 no. Oak tree (T4) subject to I/97/00037/TPO.PERMIT

BI/15/03195/DOM Mr & Mrs Kane And Iwa Pirie Navarre Lodge Westlands Lane Birdham
Proposed outbuilding. REFUSE

The delegated decisions were noted.

88-15 Items for inclusion on the next agenda:
The proposed A27 works
The proposed changes to the Audit System
The proposed changes to the New Homes Bonus

89-15 Date of Next Meeting:
18th January 2016 at 7pm in Birdham Village Hall

There being no further business to discuss the meeting was declared closed at 8.47pm

Signed ___________________________ Dated ____________________
Chairman

Annex a.
A27 Improvements
FAQs

A27 Chichester

Q1. What technical work is taking place on A27 Chichester?

A. Highways England is currently developing six possible options for A27 Chichester improvements. West Sussex County Council members were briefed on the options in June 2015. Technical work is currently taking place to assess the impacts of the options. This work will eventually inform the business case for the Government’s ‘preferred scheme’.

Q2. Why is Highways England conducting pre-consultation engagement with local stakeholders?

A. These discussions are taking place to ensure local stakeholders contribute to the evidence base which will be used to assess the impacts of the options. These discussions are covering a range of environmental, social and economic issues.

Q3. Why are these pre-consultation discussions confidential?

A. At least some of the options will require third party land which could lead to claims of property blight. It is necessary to hold pre-consultation discussions in confidence to ensure that information about the options is released to the public in a planned and managed way to avoid causing unnecessary public concern or prolonging uncertainty for landowners.

Q4. When will the public consultation start?

A. The public consultation is planned for spring 2016. The Cabinet Member has recently written to Highways England requesting that details of the public consultation are published as soon as practically possible. The consultation is believed to be due to start in March 2016.

Q5. Why has the consultation been delayed?

A. Technical work has taken longer than originally planned which has delayed the start of the consultation. It has been necessary to undertake this work to ensure that Highways England is able to respond to as many questions as possible during the consultation.

Q6. Is the County Council involved in preparing for the consultation?

A. Arrangements for the consultation are being made by Highways England. The County Council is preparing for the consultation by helping to ensure that the consultation will be publicised by the County Council.

Q7. What is the County Council's view on the options?

A. The County Council will consider the options and the outcomes of technical work during the consultation before a formal consultation response is prepared. It is envisaged that this will be a key decision likely to be taken in April 2016.

Q8. Which stakeholders have been involved?

A. The County Council has not seen the list of stakeholders who have been involved to date, although it is aware that various discussions have taken place.

Q9. Why has Chichester City Council not been briefed on the options?

A. WSCC has been made aware that Chichester City Council has not yet been briefed on the options and understands that Highways England is seeking to brief the City Council soon. (This has now taken place)

Q10. What is Highways England planning for the consultation?

A. Highways England is currently developing its consultation plan. The consultation will be widely publicised to residents and businesses and is likely to include public events in a range of locations alongside all consultation materials being made available online.

Q11. When will a ‘preferred scheme’ be announced?

A. The Secretary of State will announce the preferred scheme following public consultation on the options and consideration of the public feedback. This is currently scheduled for summer 2016.

Q12. How much funding is available for the scheme?

A. The Government has indicated in its Roads Investment Strategy that the central Government contribution to the scheme will be between £100-£250m. The local authorities have agreed to contribute £10m (from WSCC) and £10m (from CDC through developer contributions).

Q13. When will the scheme be delivered?

A. The Government has indicated that the scheme will be delivered in late Road Period 1 (2015-20). The timing of construction will depend on nature of the preferred scheme and will only be confirmed once a preferred scheme has been selected.

A27 Arundel, Worthing & Lancing

Q14. What work is currently taking place on major schemes?

A. Highways England is currently undertaking technical work including construction of a new traffic model to assess the highway impacts of the options. Traffic and environmental surveys have been undertaken which will help to inform the business cases once preferred schemes are selected.

Q15. What is the Government’s commitment to the scheme?

A. The Government has included a commitment in its first Roads Investment Strategy to deliver major improvements to the A27 also at Arundel, Worthing and Lancing. Following the recent spending review, the Government has committed to fully funding the Roads Investment Strategy.

Q16. When will consultation on options take place?

A. Consultation on options is currently planned for spring 2017
Annex b.
Agenda Item 6i
Birdham Parish Council

Financial Statement as at 18th December 2015
£
Bank Accounts as at 31st March 2015 36732.62
Receipts to date 183454.35
Expenditure to date 41751.47

Balance 178435.50

Represented by;
Current Account (Barclays Community A/c) 15377.30
Deposit Account (Barclays Premium Business A/c) 156247.39
National Savings 6810.81

Total 178435.50
Less
Reserve @ 50% of Precept 21063.13
Loan Reserve for half year 8591.04
Outstanding Cheque/s -

Total 29654.17

Ringfenced Funds
Op Watershed 133950.41
NHB 3489.77

Available Funds Total 11341.15

Signed

Clerk to the Council
18th December 2015

Payments to be considered

B Geary (Litter Picking) 70.00
Clerks Expenses (Telephone etc.) 30.16
M H Kennedy & Son (Grass Mowing) 222.72

Total 322.88