Branston & Mere Parish Council s4

2167/13 Branston & Mere Parish Council Minutes of the Meeting held at the Pavilion, Moor Lane, Branston on Monday 2nd December 2013 at 7.15 pm.

Present: Cllrs. Messrs Adams, Cucksey, Ford, Lundgren, Mumford, Newman, Ross & Wood and Cllr Mesdames Cannings, Price & Willcox.

In Attendance: Clerk Mrs Stead.

Members of the Public: Five.

Item 1 a) Apologies for absence and reasons given. The Council noted the reasons and approved the apologies of Cllrs Clarke, Marchant and Willcox. b) Declarations of Pecuniary Interests. Cllr Newman declared a personal interest in the request from the Short Mat Bowls Club as he is a member. (Item 9b)

Item 2 Public Forum Representatives from Save Branston Village spoke about a recent bulletin from the Planning Institute and a speech in the House of Commons by Nick Boles MP promoting the potential of Neighbourhood Plans which suggested that they had ‘real, statutory weight’ in the planning system. The Council was asked to reconsider their decision not to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for Branston. The Chairman responded by saying that several members had attended briefings on the subject and that the Council had discussed at length the possible benefits, the amount of work involved and the financial implications. He said that Neighbourhood Plans had to comply with national and local policies and that if land had been identified for development it could not be opposed through a Neighbourhood Plan and would not be in place in time to influence site allocations currently being decided. It was agreed that the item would be discussed again in January.

Item 3 To receive reports from representatives on outside bodies: a) County Council  Cllr Mrs Overton congratulated Branston on the successful Christmas Market, which she said had been packed and full of life.  She had received a request to put a solid white line outside the electrical shop to allow parking for delivery vans. While members had sympathy there was concern that preferential treatment could not be shown towards one business.  Cllr Mrs Overton reported that the Inspector had seen the Core Strategy draft documents and had indicated that the evidence was insufficient relating to the number of houses and how, where and when jobs and infrastructure would be provided. A meeting to discuss the issues was scheduled for 12 December and further representation invited by 9th January. She suggested that it may be possible to resubmit the lost response from Branston.  Cllr Mrs Overton had attended the scrutiny meeting on the proposed withdrawal from the library service earlier that day. She said that the vote had gone along party lines; 6:5 in favour, ahead of the final decision on 3 December. After the countywide campaign to save the service, she said that it would not look good to the public if the original proposal was approved when an alternative had been available.  23 wind turbines were being proposed for Nocton Fen. There was local concern about the size and scale of the proposals which would be twice the height of the cathedral, standing at 150m. In comparison, a project with five, smaller turbines had required 44 concrete lorries per day for 11 months. The Chairman said that he had attended the public presentation and explained that the previous owner of the land had taken out an option on it prior to selling it to Sir James Dyson. The turbines would be one field away from the North Causeway with a self-imposed, 1km exclusion zone from dwellings. Cllr Cucksey asked about timescales for the approved £2.5m project to make Canwick Hill four-lane. Cllr Mrs Overton had no information but would make enquiries. 2168/13 b) District Council.  Cllr Cucksey stressed the importance of getting involved at every stage of the core strategy. He suggested that the Inspector had made some preliminary observations ahead of the pre-hearing meeting but that it was misleading to suggest more.  The budgets for the next three years would continue to be extremely challenging and a Task and Finish group was looking for savings of £250k for 2014/15. The cost of licences, car park charges and bulk waste collection were being reviewed but garden waste collection was expected to remain at £25. It was unclear whether Council Tax would need to be increased by 2% or frozen to qualify for the government grant. c) Police During the period 05/11/13 – 02/12/13 three crimes had been reported: 2 Burglaries - Dwelling 1 Damage to a motor vehicle. PCSO Damen-Willems said that there had been a spate of burglaries in the Metheringham area. During house-to-house enquiries it had been easy to identify which properties were unoccupied as they were in darkness, making them easy targets. She recommended that people use timers to put on lights if they would not be home before dark and suggested that access to the rear of properties needed to be protected.

Item 4 a) To resolve that the notes of meeting held on 4th November are approved as the Minutes. Acceptance of the notes and the notes In Committee were proposed by Cllr Newman and seconded by Cllr Ross. b) Matters arising from the Minutes for clarification. 14104 The Save Branston Village website had been set up with a link to the Parish website. The clerk was still to confirm whether a link could be put on the parish website. 14105 Cllr Cucksey said that work to clear the Abel Smith burial plot and the land beyond had started. Ref 14089.

Item 5 Correspondence: a) Newsletters and Periodic Publications. 14106 LALC News Autumn 2013 14107 Lincolnshire Fieldpaths Newsletter Autumn/winter. b) Letters for information. 14108 JPU – The deadline to comment on the Community Infrastructure Levy had been extended until 23 December. 14109 Savills – Notification that the application for outline permission for 198 dwellings on the Strawberry Fields had been submitted to NKDC. Some concern was expressed about the timeline to respond being shortened by the Christmas holiday. 14110 Lincoln Co-op – Information had been received that a maximum 2 hour stay would be imposed on their car park and fines issued, in a bid to deal with the lack of spaces for their customers, which had become even more of an issue since the Curtois Close restrictions had been implemented. c) LCC – Proposed parking restrictions on Beech Road. 14111 The plan was discussed at length and considered to be too heavy-handed. A suggestion would be put forward to extend the double yellow line proposal to the boundary between 2 & 4 Beech Road and remove the restrictions beyond. That would allow the buses to be able to clear Lincoln Road while waiting for oncoming traffic. 14112 A proposal to remove the shrubberies on Archer Road to eliminate maintenance had been received. It was agreed that while it was disappointing to lose the border, the Parish Council could not take on the maintenance. d) Sleaford & District Citizen’s Advice Bureau – Invitation to attend meeting. 14113 It was felt that residents from Branston would be more likely to use the Lincoln office and so the invitation would be declined.

Item 6 14114 Planning Applications & Tree Applications: a) Planning decisions received. 2169/13 Planning permission had been granted on the following applications: 13/0420 Demolish & rebuild boundary wall East View, Chapel Lane 13/0847 Single storey extension 23 Silver Street 13/1062 Pitched roof & conservatory 8 Earlsfield 13/1118 Single storey extension Rose Cottage, Branston Booths b) Applications already viewed – For Information. 13/1293 Replacement doors & windows The Coach House, Longhills My Council considers that the proposals are sympathetic to the character of the building. The Coach House was converted to residential in 1976, so would never have had Georgian windows. Hardwood windows will enhance what were originally the doors to the coach house. 13/0605 Outline for 73 Homes - Appeal Moor Lane While my Council does not object to appropriate development they feel that the 9 points raised in their original objection were valid and relevant to the community. Particular reference should be made to the following issues: 1. Misrepresentation of the Parish Council in the Design & Access Statement. No meeting with the Chairman took place; just a telephone conversation. My Chairman’s statement is enclosed. 2. The landowner has failed to take on board the housing need identified in the Parish Plan 2011. The Parish Plan represents the thoughts of local residents who requested starter homes, Affordable Housing and suitable accommodation for elderly people. This application, with all matters reserved, gives no indication of the nature of the houses planned to allow an informed decision to be made. The full Parish Plan is available at http://www.parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/branstonandmere. (ref pages 26 & 27) A full consultation paper was sent to every household to achieve the most comprehensive document possible. A summary of the plan is enclosed and reference is made to pages 10 & 11, with particular reference to points 1, 3 & 6. 3. There has been no attempt by the landowner to consult with the community. 4. The sewer system is inadequate to take any additional capacity. It is staggering that Anglian Water and the Environment Agency have not raised any arguments on the proposal, giving the impression that there are no concerns. The neighbouring estate was built in the late 1980s and it became quickly apparent that the sewers had not been installed correctly. Anglian Water identified the problem and approached local residents to pay £1000 each for it to be rectified. Some residents sought legal advice at that time and a second letter was received stating that the County Council had taken on the problem*. The full details should be available from Anglian Water. The neighbouring village of Heighington is regularly affected by raw sewage and flooding because the size of the pipes is inadequate to cope with the volume; the last occasion being Christmas 2012. Waste from Branston passes through Heighington en route to the sewerage works. It is clear that the system is already at capacity and improvements are required before any additional development. 5. The issue of flooding from surface water has not been considered. Some residents on the neighbouring estate continue to be affected by flooding every time there is heavy rain. Letters from one family affected are enclosed. It is unacceptable that development is allowed that affects residents quality of life in this way and improvements and safeguards are essential. Additional evidence provided by residents had not been allowed as it had not been received until after the date. It would be possible to attend and speak at the hearing when written representations could be accepted. c) Alleged contravention of planning conditions. 253 Lincoln Road The clerk had received complaints from neighbours alleging that the conditions imposed were not being upheld. Enforcement officers had suggested that the conditions were not enforceable. After much discussion the clerk was instructed to make a formal complaint to the Head of Planning and request that the matter be re-examined and measures put in place to protect the residents. 2170/13 d) Tree applications for discussion. Remove overhang from Ash tree 127 Lincoln Road Permission had been given to reduce the eastern lateral crown by 2m to include reshaping. No branches more than 75mm in diameter could be removed and no reduction in height.

Item 7 Other Reports: a) History & Mosaic Group 14115 Cllr Wood reported that the group was in the process of gathering information and evidence for their WWI centenary project. b) Youth Club update 14116 There was nothing to report. c) Planning for the Future 14117 Cllr Mrs Price reported that the Planning Committee had drawn up a list of needs which would be prioritised. Work would continue at the next committee meeting before reporting back to the full Council. The CIL response would be circulated by e-mail prior to submission. d) Alternative proposals for the Library service 14118 The Chairman said that the joint Expression of Interest had been accepted although it was unclear at this stage whether the request for an additional £7k of funding per year towards the cost of a paid library assistant had been approved. A business plan would be required by March. e) Report on the Christmas Market 14119 The clerk suggested that the market and switch-on had been a fantastic community event and had been very well supported by the village. All stall holders had enjoyed a good trade and were already requesting double stalls for 2014. Local businesses including the Fish & Chip shop and Home Guard Club had also been very busy. The Tombola, Raffle and stall hire fees had covered the costs and a profit of £880.10 made in aid of the Skate Park Project. The Chairman said that it had been a brilliant first attempt and formally thanked the committee and Andrew Neall for their work. f) Skate park update 14120 Cllr Ross had nothing further to add. g) Survey of trees. 14121 The report had not been received and the item was deferred.

Item 8 Governance Review – a) Risk Assessment. 14122 A risk assessment had been carried out for the Christmas Market and there had been no issues. b) Safety review of the cemetery. 14123 The full report had not been received but it had been confirmed that all loose masonry, grave markers and broken stones would be removed as soon as the Chancellor’s approval had been received. A member of the PCC had also been tasked with testing, photographing and annotating the gravestones.

Item 9 14124 Finance: The grant for the Bus Shelter had been received (£2000). a) To approve payments to be made. Mrs S Stead Wages & Expenses 1138.00 Mr R Wilkinson Wages & Expenses 1002.30 Revenue & Customs Tax & NI 399.02 Josh Beedham Pitchmarking 50.00 Cllr Lundgren Chairman’s Allowance 200.00 LALC AGM 10.00 Information Commissioner Data Licence 35.00 Came & Co Insurance for stalls 79.50 Hill Holt Wood Jungle 120.00 Grundy Agricultural Mower parts 17.51 2171/13 ESPO Bin/post/snowcal 240.48 Ecofurn Bench (Lincoln Rd Rec) 255.00 Mark Harrod Ltd Boot Brushes 44.40 E-On Unit in car park light 150.00 Technical Surfaces Astro maintenance 501.00 Wallsall Electrical V Hall hand dryers 576.00 Post Office Ltd Postage 50.00 Cllr Lundgren Mileage 64.00 b) To consider a request for £300 of funding from Branston Short Mat Bowls. 14125 The request would be considered at the Precept meeting. c) To consider the purchase of a boot brush/scraper outside the Pavilion at a cost of £180. 14126 The request had been made by the Handyman because of the amount of mud being brought into the Pavilion. The purchase was approved. d) To consider the purchase of a new computer at a cost of £588. 14127 A quote had been obtained from SCIS. Other suggestions were made including using an IPad and building a computer to meet our precise needs. Further enquiries would be made and the item discussed at the Precept meeting. e) Precept meeting. 14128 Cllrs Lundgren and Ross agreed to draft a proposal for consideration.

Item 10 Items for information 14129 Cllr Mrs Price said that the Fair Trade group would like to request Grant Aid to help their project to make Branston a Fair Trade Village. 14130 Cllr Cucksey reported that the footpath at the corner of Beech Road had dropped and would become a greater hazard if puddles formed and froze.

The meeting closed at 9.30pm.