Minutes-January-2021.Pdf
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WICKHAMBREAUX PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 19 JANUARY 2021 on Zoom. Present: Parish Cllr Robin Treacher Parish Cllr Martin Twyman Parish Cllr Faith Wright Parish Cllr Darren Howe Parish Cllr Peter Collinson Parish Cllr Catherine Holland Parish Cllr Caroline Rees City Cllr Louise Jones-Roberts, CCC (Canterbury City Council) (from 8.39pm) Mrs Chenice Howard-Sparkes, Clerk to the Council 3 Members of the Public 1. CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked everyone for attending. Apologies for absence were received and accepted from County Councillor Michael Northey (Other Commitments) and apologies for lateness were received and accepted from City Councillor Louise Jones-Roberts (Work Commitments). 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Cllr Wright declared an interest in tree work application CA/20/0840 as owner of the property. 3. MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 17 NOVEMBER 2020 All councillors voted in favour that the Minutes be accepted as a true record of the meeting. 4. INFORMATION FROM MATTERS ARISING 4(8) – Cllr Treacher reported that the Manston Airport Judicial Review hearing set for 16-17 February 2021 will now not take place after the Department for Transport confirmed it will not contest the case. The Department for Transport has acknowledged that the original decision approval letter issued from the Secretary of State did not contain enough detail about why approval was given against the advice of the Planning Inspectorate. The approval has therefore been quashed and a new decision will need to be issued in due course after a re-examination of the Planning Inspectorate evidence, with an opportunity for further representations to be submitted from both sides. 5 – Cllr Wright reported that she has not received confirmation of the criteria for what constitutes “public interest beyond local objection” with regards to the change in planning call-in rights. The Clerk reported that Simon Thomas at the CCC Engagement meeting on 14 December 2020 could not provide a precise description of what constitutes “wider public benefit” as each planning application is different, however he suggested calling in applications where the case officer has made a decision “on balance”. These decisions are not clear cut in planning law and are therefore more open to interpretation, which could be beneficial to have the Planning Committee review and decide. Cllr Jones-Roberts agreed to chase for further clarification. 6(ii) – The Clerk reported that further to the Conservation Society contacting KCC regarding the size of the 30mph repeater signs on the village green, KCC has confirmed that the signs currently installed are incorrect. The signs should have been installed with 300mm signs, not 600mm signs, and KCC has raised a works order to get the signs replaced. KCC will not charge for the signs to be replaced. 7 – Cllr Jones-Roberts reported that she spoke with a lead advisor at Natural England today and confirmed that no mitigation measures suggested to date have been considered acceptable by Natural England. Although sewage treatment works are believed to be the main cause of the high nitrogen levels, Southern Water has until 2030 to carry out any remedial works identified as part of a current study. Cllr Louise-Jones Roberts agreed to send contact details for the representative at Natural England to the Clerk to make further enquiries regarding having an extraordinary meeting to receive a briefing on the current situation. ~ 1 ~ Cllr Treacher reported that approximately 50,000 homes have been delayed across the county and the government may have to intervene to reach an agreement. Cllr Jones-Roberts confirmed it is not only planning applications for large housing developments that are being affected but also minor applications that propose an increase in overnight occupation. 14(i) – Cllr Collinson reported that the pot hole on The Street on the junction with The List was repaired by KCC within a week of reporting. 5. REPORTS FROM COUNTY AND CITY COUNCILLORS County Cllr Michael Northey County Cllr Michael Northey sent a Covid-19 update to the Clerk prior to the meeting which was circulated to all councillors. Residents are encouraged to visit KCC’s website (kent.gov.uk) for up to date service information, support available, vaccination information, links to government guidance and the latest number of cases for the county. 6. HIGHWAYS (i) Highways Improvement Plan Cllr Treacher reported that KCC has accepted renewing the existing footpath in principle on Wickham Road but extending the footpath to the white bridge is complicated by BT manhole covers. Cllr Treacher proposed earmarking £5,000 for the improvement works, subject to final confirmation from KCC. This was unanimously agreed. The Clerk reported that the Conservation Society suggest relocating the repeater sign on the village green facing The Street to become back-to-back with the school sign outside Bell House. The Conservation Society consider this to be a “neater” solution as it would remove signage from the green. Although it is not normal practice to have signs of different sizes back- to-back, especially the size difference being proposed, it is possible to achieve. As the Parish Council is the ‘Client’ for the project, the decision is the Parish Council’s to make. Although there is the conservation argument to move the sign, there is also the argument that by doing so it makes the signs less prominent to vehicles travelling in that direction as a reminder of the change in speed limit. KCC advised there will be additional costs associated with moving the sign, potentially up to £500.00, which the Parish Council will be responsible for meeting. The existing pole will need to be assessed to ensure it is in good condition to have another sign (a change in weight difference, however small, can have an impact on the integrity of the pole as designed) so a new pole may need to be purchased and installed as well as the new sign. After some discussion, it was unanimously agreed to keep the sign in its current position. Councillors did not feel it necessary to move the sign and were content with the current arrangement, providing the signs are replaced with the 300mm version as outlined under Item 04 above. The Parish Council may revisit the suggestion at a later date once the impact of the smaller sign in its current location has been assessed. (ii) A257 Update Cllr Twyman reported that a virtual meeting was held on 16 January 2021 attended by 5-6 attendees. The A257 group is chasing KCC for an update on the relevant surveys required in relation to reducing speed limits. Cllr Twyman also reported that the group is concerned at the potential traffic impact of a planning application for a large housing development anticipated to be submitted in Littlebourne. Should the application be submitted, Littlebourne Parish Council will contact residents to establish opinions before making its representation. General Highways Matters Cllr Twyman reported that a sign for the Duke William Public House on Drill Lane has been removed but the metal pole has been left in-situ. Councillors agreed that the sign either needs to be replaced or the pole removed. It is unclear whether this was an official highways sign and Cllr Treacher agreed to raise this with KCC. ~ 2 ~ Cllr Holland reported that Land & Water Services Ltd accidently demolished a finger post sign in Stodmarsh. Cllr Twyman reported that he has reported the sign to Michelle Weston at KCC and Cllr Holland agreed to contact Ms Weston to request that the replacement sign be timber rather than metal to be more in keeping with the Conservation Area. 7. PLANNING CA/20/02862/FUL – White Cottage, The Street The Parish Council has no objections to the proposed installation of an external air conditioning unit. CA/20/02922/LB – Wickham Court, The Green The owners of the property addressed the Parish Council to confirm their long term ambition to restore the property to how it looked in the early 1900s, based on historic photographs of the property from that time. This will include the reinstatement of the window shutters, rebuilding the portico, repointing, and reinstating the railings and gates which were presumably removed as part of the war effort. The trees to the front of the property will be pruned and one yew tree felled to enable the reinstatement of the railings and open up views of the property. The owners offered a site visit to all councillors once restrictions allow or a virtual site visit if preferred. The owners confirmed that the design of the en-suite ventilation has been careful considered to blend into the slate roof and not detract from the frontage. Cllr Wright enquired whether the owners had considered enlarging the windows as an alternative to rooflights. The owners responded that they do not wish to disturb the historic fabric of the house any more than necessary and considered rooflights to be a more sensitive option. The owners clarified that the outbuildings to the rear of the site that formed part of the historic farmyard remain under separate ownership. The Parish Council has no objections to the proposed internal/external alterations including en- suite bathroom and dressing room to second floor and conversion of attached storage to residential use, alterations to soil pipes, cast iron ventilation grills and balanced flue to relocated boiler. CA/20/02432/FUL – White Cottage, The Street CCC has granted permission for the installation of 1no rooflight to rear elevation. CA/20/02432/FUL – The Mill Yard, 2 The Green, Wickham Road CCC has granted permission for a dormer window to the front and rooflights to the rear of the property.