Potterhanworth Parish Council

POTTERHANWORTH PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of Meeting held on Monday 23 June 2014 at 7.00pm, Pavilion, Queensway, Potterhanworth

1. Public Open Forum

Mrs Jean Matson raised the state of the roads in the village. There are a number of potholes in the village and Mrs Matson enquired when the roads would be improved. Councillor District Frost will speak to Highways to check on the programme for road improvements. Mrs Matson also raised the Stables building work along Barff Road. A new window at the hib end of the garage conversion has been fitted but it is not in accordance with the recently approved plans. Mrs Matson has spoken to NKDC Planning and they will check on the window when the work has been completed. The clerk will speak to NKDC Planning for an update.

Mr Kim Winfield updated the meeting on the work of the Potterhanworth Community Group. They have a total of 75 members and nine people on the implementation team. Their immediate aims are to set up a village shop, coffee shop and Post Office. They will use the Church on a temporary basis and are proposing to open on 20 September. The group will hold a quiz night on 16 July in The Chequers to raise funds. Their overall aim is to build a community centre in the middle of the village and will seek grants from various bodies to assist with this. Mr Winfield thanked the Parish Council for the offer of the Pavilion as a venue for the coffee shop, but the location of the Pavilion was not suitable, as a more central option was preferred.

Mr John Fisher said there was an overwhelming desire from respondents of the recent village questionnaire for a shop and a coffee shop. Questionnaires were handed out to all residents of the village and collected shortly after, with up to three visits to houses to try and collect all the forms.

PCSO Paul Flannigan updated the meeting on Policing matters. During the period 19 May to 23 June there have been two recorded crimes. There was a burglary to a dwelling to a house on Plough Hill. The homeowner found the patio doors to the house open, but nothing had been taken. The second crime was theft of a lawnmower from a shed at a house along Moor Lane. PCSO Paul Flannigan said that there have also been reports of a burglary to sheds at the Moor Lane allotments, but details of what, if anything, has been taken not yet known. Speed enforcement officers have been operating recently along Station Road in the village and stopped a number of speeding cars. The results will be released shortly.

The Chairman spoke to publicly thank Councillor George Holmes for all his recent hard work in the village. Councillor Holmes has repaired and painted the playpark bench, and also painted all the benches in the village. The silver water pump at the Paddocks Junction and the iron work in the bus shelter have also been repainted. Flower tubs at the village entrances have been

1 replanted and regularly watered and also flowers have been planted at the base of the sign post at the Station Road/Main Road T-junction.

District Councillor Frost said that NKDC are addressing the grass cutting situation and improvements have already been made, with additional manpower being made available from the grass cutting contractor.

2. Attendance and Apologies

Mr M Suthern (Chairman) Mr S Matusiewicz (Vice Chairman) Mr H Bourne Mr A Hollidge Mr G Holmes Mr C Ing Mr K Orton

Mr R Spence (Clerk)

Also in attendance seven members of the public, District Councillor Joyce Frost and District Councillor Ray Cucksey.

3. To Receive Declarations of Interest

Councillor Simon Matusiewicz declared a personal interest in agenda item 7, installation of timber storage unit at St Andrew’s Church, due to living near the site concerned

4. Minutes of the Meeting held on 12 May 2014

The members received the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 May 2014.

It was resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 12 May 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

5. Matters Arising from the previous minutes

Councillor Matusiewicz said that the proposed youth football team has folded, and will therefore not be using the Pavilion facilities.

The clerk will put an article in the Grapevine asking villagers whether they would like to sign up to an email distribution list, to keep up to date with village matters. Councillor Harold Bourne confirmed the two new Parish email addresses are [email protected] (to which applications to be put on the distribution list will be sent to) and [email protected] (to be used for Pavilion bookings etc).

2 6. Correspondence Received

 Email received from Nina Camm from NKDC stating that they have had some problems with the new grounds maintenance contractor, in particular grass cutting on those areas maintained by the District Council for which NKDC apologises. Glendale took over the District Council’s contract on 1st March and their efforts have been disappointing. Improvements have been made since then. Nina Camm has written to the Best Kept Village organisers to update them on this matter and not to mark down villages for the poor quality of grass maintenance that is not within the parishes control.  Email from County Councillor Marianne Overton announcing that the villages can benefit from a volunteer pool of 15 youths plus support staff for the month of July. Councillor Overton asks each parish to suggest projects that the volunteers can work on. The clerk has asked for help to paint the Pavilion Play Park and is waiting a reply.

7. Planning Applications received since last meeting

 Application for a non material amendment following grant of planning permission 08/0949/FUL. Insertion of 3 garage doors instead of 2 and resiting of 2 outer dormer windows to maintain alignment with doors below. Manor Farm, Nocton Road, Potterhanworth

No comments or objections made.

 Vary conditions 2,3 and 5 of planning permission N42/0206/10, to regularise existing weighbridge and weighbridge office and revisions to approved site landscaping details and proposed expansion of permitted feedstocks to include chicken litter. Nocton Fen Lane, Nocton.

Concerns were expressed over the possible smells from the transporting of chicken manure and also at the number of lorries travelling along poor road infrastructure. The log of lorries needs to be examined to ensure the maximum loads are not being exceeded.

 Solar Farm (ground mounted photovoltaic solar arrays to provide a 15MW generating capacity), land between Mere Road and B1178, Branston

No comments or objections made.

 Installation of timber storage unit, St Andrew’s Church, Nocton Road, Potterhanworth

3 No comments or objections made.

Since the last meeting, NKDC have approved the plans for the two storey rear extension, single storey side extension and conversion of garage, 22 The Park, Potterhanworth.

8. Nocton Fen Wind Farm Update

Councillor Harold Bourne updated the meeting on the Swinford Windfarm visit on 17 May 2014.

The company behind the Nocton Fen Wind farm project, Vattenfall offered as part of the public engagement, a trip to one of their previous installations at Swinford in Leicestershire. The trip was open to Parish councillors and members of the public. Approximately 30 people travelled on the bus and a small number made their own way there. There were representatives from Potterhanworth, including 2 parish councillors Mr Harold Bourne and Mr Adrian Hollidge, Nocton, including 4 parish councillors as well as residents from Potterhanworth Booths, Wasps Nest and possibly a couple from Bardney.

Planning application was submitted in April 2008 and was rejected by the Harborough District Council, but overruled in December 2009 by the Secretary of State and the planning inspectorate (this installation was not a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project NSIP as the Nocton Fen project will be). Construction was between 2011 and 2012 and the site has been in operation for 1.5 years.

The Swinford installation consists of eleven 2MW turbines predicted to provide enough electricity for 12,500 homes, but in fact is now generating sufficient for 14,500 homes. These figures are however dependant on the weather and are probably a maximum.

The installation resides on land owned by 7 different parties.

The 11 turbines are 125m tall (ground to blade tip when top blade vertical), the nacelle is at 80m and weighs 79 tons. The foundations were apparently 2.5m deep, however the photos showed seemed to be indicate that they were much deeper. Mention was also made of piling under the foundations. Each base was quoted at 330m2 of concrete (about 42 lorry loads).

6 km of tracks were constructed and 2000 lorry loads of material were transported to/from the site. There were also 70 abnormal loads transported.

All the cabling between the newly constructed substation building and the turbines has been buried as has the connection to the national grid 2-3 km away.

4 After the presentation the group was split into two. Both groups were able to meet with local parish and district councillors and ask questions as well as visiting the site of the turbines.

Mention was made of the subsidy paid by Vattenfall to the communities for the 25 year duration of the project, which was understood could be as much as £25M in total. This was based on MW output and the quantity of people affected and the distance they were from the site.

The councillor advised that in order to obtain these funds a system had to be put in place and the Swinford solution was to form a community interest company with parish councillors as directors. The only proviso for the money was that it was spent on projects that benefitted the community.

Mention was made that the turbines were all transported out or working hours and involved changes being made to roads, roundabouts and hedgerows. All except the access road put across farmers fields was restored.

It was explained that regular consultation with the communities was kept up through the project and consisted of newsletters and weekly drop in meetings.

No detrimental effects from low frequency noise had been experienced.

Questions were asked about the effect on property values. There were no known affects.

The only real effect of the whole project was the visual impact on the landscape; however as the topography contained more hills than the Nocton Fen area no direct comparison could be made on how far away it would be seen.

We were then driven to the turbine site where we were allowed to get off the bus at the new sub-station building. There was no apparent noise of the turbines at this point. This was later measured on Google Earth to be 633m direct line of sight to the nearest turbine.

The noise level at the base of the turbine was more noticeable and a swoosh noise of the blades could be heard each time one rotated past. At the base on No. 1 Turbine an approximate sound level measurement was made (iPhone with Sound Meter application) a reading of 55-65 dB was obtained, however this is not a reliable or accurate measurement. There was no actual vibration felt when placing a hand on the metal base of the tower, however machinery noise could be heard inside.

9. Neighbourhood Plan update

5 The Chairman said that the next meeting is to be held on Saturday 28 June with Nocton Parish Council representatives and three volunteers from Potterhanworth.

10. Pavilion and Fund Raising update

The Chairman said a working party is to be set up to look at the uses of the pavilion and whether the building layout can be changed eg moving the kitchen area. Ways to increase the hiring out of the pavilion will also be investigated. The website will be revamped. The new football team has folded and now will not be starting in September 2014.

11. Accounts for Payment

Per the attached sheet prepared by the Clerk. Proposed by Councillor Holmes and seconded by the Chairman. Unanimously agreed.

12. Date of next meeting

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Monday 14 July 2014 at 7.00pm in the Pavilion, Queensway, Potterhanworth.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.15 pm.

RJ Spence 27 June 2014