Minutes March 2007
Present: Cllr Meynell; Cllr Churchill; Cllr Drew; Cllr Ms Baillieu; Cllr Ms Huskisson;
In attendance: The Clerk; a member of the press; District Cllr Montyn; District Cllr Jones; two tree wardens and a member of the public
In the absence of both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, Cllr Meynell agreed to take the chair for this meeting only.
115-06cl. Apologies: were received from Cllr Tilbury; Cllr Mrs Rees and Cllr Mrs Parks
116-06cl. Declaration of Interest: none was made.
117-06cl. Approve and sign the Minutes of the Meeting held on 12th February 2007. It was proposed by Cllr Ms Baillieu and seconded by Cllr Drew RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12th February 2007 and that they be signed by the Acting Chairman.
118-06cl. Matters arising from the Meeting dated 12th February 2007
i) Min 107-06cl i) Contact with Earnley PC – Cllr Mrs Rees had attended the meeting with Tex Pemberton. When she receives the minutes she will circulate them.
ii) Min 107-06cl ii) Pagham to East Head Coastal Defence Strategy 2007 – Members had seen and had the chance to comment on the chairman’s draft reply to this consultation. Copies of the reply were tabled for the meeting to study. After discussion it was agreed to send this forward.
iii) Min 107-06cl iii) Village Action Plan – Cllr Drew reported that nothing has happened on this.
iv) Min 107-06cl v) Notice board – this has now been placed outside the hall and is in use.
v) Min 108-06cl i) Minerals and Waste Plan – Cllr Mrs Rees had reported that she had seen the DVD and had summarised its contents. The clerk has typed up the summary and placed it in the correspondence file.
vi) Min 108-06cl iv) Survey of Water Voles? – The Chairman had asked for the advice of Cllr Ms Huskisson on this matter. She said that it could be done but would need some input from experts in the field. The Clerk to ask Sarah Hughes to contact Cllr Ms Huskisson in the first instance.
119-06cl. Clerk’s Report including:
a) WSCC reports, highways matters and correspondence
i) The Council has received copies of Harbour Views and Pagham Events which had been distributed to councillors.
b) CDC reports including correspondence
i) CDC has sent copies of its Sports and Leisure Directory which are available for councillors.
ii) A representative of the Council has been asked to attend the first meeting of the Community Sport Network on Tuesday 27th March at the University of Chichester at 6.30pm. This was noted.
iii) The first instalment of the precept will be forwarded to the Council on 19th April and the second on 13th September. This was noted.
iv) The agenda and then the minutes of the Standards Committee held on 27th February have been sent to the Council. They will be placed in the circulation envelope.
v) Elections – the nomination forms for those who wish to stand for the elections in May have now arrived and are available. They must be returned to CDC by noon on 4th April, but it is better to get them in earlier as that gives more time for alterations if any form is found to be incorrectly completed. People nominating must be on the electoral role, and must give their dates of birth, as must the candidates.
c) Other related matters
i) There is a campaign to celebrate Sussex Day this year, which falls on 16th June, a Saturday. The West Sussex Gazette wishes to know if the Council will be doing anything to celebrate the event. After discussion this was noted.
ii) Correspondence from Mr and Mrs Crossley about their entrance and related road safety issues has been copied to the Council. This was noted.
iii) Chichester Harbour Conservancy has written with information as to when footpaths within the AONB will be taking place. There is no evident mention of Birdham in the programme.
iv) CPRE has written to introduce the new chairman of Chichester South, Rodney Chambers. He would like to set up a small committee to meet every other month or so. This was noted.
v) Action in Rural Sussex has sent information about their Village shops and post offices survey which has been sent to all shops in West Sussex. Also the Calor Village of the Year Competition. This was noted.
vi) Phil Marten has sent a brief note about Neighbourhood Watch which could be incorporated into parish newsletters. It was agreed to consider using it in the next one.
vii) The Audit Commission has written to say that Mazars will be auditing Birdham for 2006-7, while awaiting a tender for auditors for the period beginning 2007-8. New audit fees will apply from this year. This was noted.
viii) MMVS has sent the notification of its AGM to be held on 3rd April at 12 noon at Chichester Yacht Club. It was agreed that Cllr Tilbury should attend this meeting.
ix) A body called Project Centre has written to inform the Council that a vehicle actuated sign will be installed on the A286 outside Richardsons Nursery. This was noted.
x) SEERA has sent two consultation papers – on Regional Housing Strategy and on Primary Land-won Aggregates. The second of these needs to have comments in by 30th March. Cllr Tilbury would be asked to look at these for the Council. The first has a number of exhibitions, but they are in Southampton or Reading, so perhaps not very helpful for this area.
xi) Defra has written to say that as the appeal against the designation of the South Downs National Park has been dismissed, a decision will now be made by government as to whether to re-start the Inquiry into it. This was noted.
xii) The Clerk reported that this would be Bob Norris’s last meeting as reporter at Birdham Parish Council. Cllr Meynell presented him with a gift from the Council. It was also decided that the Clerk should write to the Editor of the Chichester Observer to ask that the coverage of events in the Manhood Peninsula should not be reduced on Bob’s retirement.
120-06cl. Planning matters including CDC decisions
A paper detailing planning matters had been circulated to all councillors.
Plans to be considered at the Meeting:
BI/07/00859/COU – Holt Place Farm, Birdham – Variation of Planning application BI/94/00327/COU to a general all year round use. It was proposed by Cllr Churchill and seconded by Cllr Meynell RESOLVED to OBJECT on the grounds of unneighbourliness and the close proximity to residential buildings.
BI/07/01012/DOM – Dr JA and Mrs D Fenney, Greyroof, Alandale Road, Birdham PO20 7QN – demolish sun room on front elevation and erect a conservatory. It was proposed by Cllr Ms Huskisson and seconded by Cllr Drew RESOLVED NO OBJECTION
BI/07/00982/DOM – Dr and Mrs Banfield, Hill Land Farmhouse, Batchmere Road, Birdham, PO20 7LJ – single room single storey rear extension. It was proposed by Cllr Drew and seconded by Cllr Ms Huskisson RESOLVED NO OBJECTION
BI/07/01128/TPA – DG Phillips (Bosham) Ltd re Long Meadow, Main Road, Birdham – T15 and T16 – hybrid black poplars – pollard all regrowth back to previous pruning points. It was proposed by Cllr Churchill and seconded by Cllr Ms Huskisson RESOLVED to OBJECT because the Council understands that there are birds nesting in these trees now and that any pruning must be delayed until the nesting season is over. The Council would ask for further consideration to be given when nesting has finished.
Plans considered since the last meeting to be ratified:
BI/07/00089/DOM – Mr and Mrs Boarer, Appleacre, Church Lane, Birdham – proposed extension to rear and alterations -
The Council is tempted to object to this application on grounds of size alone. We would not normally expect a domestic extension to increase the floor area by more than 50%; this application increases it by 70%. However, the house stands on a large plot and is relatively small compared with its neighbours. The extension will be hidden from the front view of the house from the village green. The design and materials seem to match the rest of the building. We are concerned about the dormers in the first floor of the right hand side of the house as these could be unneighbourly to the residents of Dove House, on that side. We wonder whether Velux windows would be better here. We would like there to be a condition that the hedge be kept at its present height to maintain the privacy of Dove House. If these matters can be negotiated by the Officer with the applicant, on balance the Council has NO OBJECTION to this application.
BI/07/00675/DOM – Mr D Treagust, Garden Cottage, Bell Lane, Birdham PO20 7HX – erection of a garage for high vehicles - We understand that this utilitarian building is to be used for the garaging of a tractor, used in connection with the adjacent field, and a motor caravan, both of which require the extra headroom up to four and a half metres. The site is enclosed by hedges, one of which is 4.5 metres high. The building will be “mushroom” in colour and will not make a great intrusion into the landscape when combined with the hedges. On one side the hedge is only two metres high however. The Council raises NO OBJECTION to this building but would wish to see conditions that the surrounding hedges should be maintained at least at their present height to mitigate any intrusion into the landscape and possible loss of visual amenity to a neighbour fifty metres away to the west-north-west.
BI/06/05912/FUL
Magherymore, Claytons Corner, Birdham
As far as we can see, not having been privy to the telephone conversation referred to in the applicant’s letter, this is simply to establish the curtilage of the two properties on this site and their relationship to the amenity garden land adjacent to the cricket field. On that basis, the Council raises NO OBJECTION to this application.
It was proposed by Cllr Mrs Baillieu and seconded by Cllr Drew RESOLVED to ratify these decisions.
CDC Decisions:
BI/07/01590/PLD – Mr and Mrs J Charlesworth-Nawn, Birdham Yacht Club, Lock Lane, Birdham PO20 7BB – Construction of foundations to damp proof course level, planning permission BI/74/78 date 13/12/78. Development confirmed by CDC dated 14/06/82 as having commenced – PERMIT
BI/06/05879/FUL – Mr J Noon and Mr D Cobley, Tate House, Main Road, Birdham PO20 7BY – demolition of Widdicombe and the erection of 11 no. residential dwellings with an affordable provision – REFUSE
BI/06/05912/FUL – Mr J Dew and Ms M Cook – Magherymore, Claytons Corner, Birdham PO20 7HQ – proposed single storey 3 no. bedroom detached dwelling - PERMIT
BI/07/00094/DOM – Mr and Mrs M Wigmore, Westlands Holt, Westlands, Birdham PO20 7HJ – installation of solar panels – PERMIT
121-06cl. Correspondence
Includes:
CPRE Sussex Review Spring 2007
Play Today February 2007
CPRE Countryside Voice Spring 2007
Local Council Review March 2007
PlayBack Spring 2007
South Chichester County Local Committee 28th February 2007
WSCC Forward Plan of Key Decisions March – June 2007
Fieldwork March 2007
The Local Column March 2007
Local works flyers
WSCC Mobile Household Waste Service details
Clerks and Councils Direct March 2007
122-06cl. Reports
i) Village Hall – the Clerk reported on the meeting which had been held on 7th March between herself, the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, Betty Geary along with Shona Turner and Donna Gander from CDC. As a result of the meeting the Council has now received £25,000 as a Village Hall grant. The Village Hall AGM will take place on 3rd April 2007 at 7.30pm at the Hall.
ii) Play Area and playing field – Cllr Churchill reported that they have been kept reasonably tidy. A tree fell down in the filed and it has now been removed by contractors.
iii) Village Green and pond – the Clerk reported that the flagpole has now been repaired.
iv) Neighbourhood Watch – no report
v) Tree Wardens – the trees recently planted will want weeding, the tree wardens will do it. They will also need compost for the bases of the trees which the Council agreed to fund. It was also agreed to fund their travel to attend a course in May. Concern was raised about hedge cutting on Birdham Straight – County Council’s contractors. The Clerk to write to Highways Dept about it and to ask for remedial action
123-06cl. Finance
A paper detailing the financial situation had been circulated to all councillors.
Payments made since the last meeting to be ratified:
Clerk’s salary (February) 515.59
Iain Grant (hedges and ditches, playing field, inc.107.63 VAT) 722.63
Receipts, current account CDC grant 25,000.00
Contrib. to Village Hall 50.00
Receipts, deposit account – interest 66.78
Receipts, village hall account – nil
Payments to be considered:
Mrs Geary (litter, March) 65.00
Glassfibre Flagpoles Ltd (repair flagpole inc. 17.50 VAT) 117.50
SALC subscription (includes 53.58 VAT) 386.75
Clerk’s expenses (includes 6.37 VAT) 61.85
Notes – The CDC grant was received and paid in on 15th March. It has not yet appeared on a bank statement so cannot be included in the balances. When it does most of it will be transferred to the deposit account to earn interest. The Council has also received a donation of £50 towards the village hall from a resident. This will be placed in the Village hall account when it has cleared the bank.
It was proposed by Cllr Meynell and seconded by Cllr Churchill RESOLVED to adopt the Financial Report.
124-06cl. Reports of meetings attended by councillors – Cllr Tilbury had attended County Local committee and had written a brief report of it for the council.
125-06cl. Public Session
A resident raised the issue of the proposed new sign being rather close to the Church Lane junction – would be more effective nearer to Sidlesham Lane – the Clerk agreed to contact Highways about it.
The Church will be moving the war memorial to a site nearer the church entrance. Cllr Drew will be writing to the War Graves Memorial Trust to gain permission from them to do this.
There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.09pm.