Great Bromley Parish Council MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 12TH FEBRUARY 2020 AT 7.30PM AT GREAT BROMLEY VILLAGE HALL In attendance: Cllrs Blowers, Hardy, Mander, Nicholls and Robinson. Also in attendance: TDC Cllrs Scott and Wiggins, and Lizzie Ridout (Parish Clerk) Members of the public: 1 1. Welcome and apologies for absence In the absence of a Chairman and the Vice Chairman, members agreed that Cllr Blowers would preside over the meeting until the election of a new Chairman under item 2. Cllr Blowers welcomed those present to the meeting. Apologies for absence were noted from Cllrs Lord and Hardy, and ECC Cllr Guglielmi. 2. Election of Chairman Members were required to elect a new Chairman of the Parish Council for the remainder of the municipal year following the resignation of Cllr Strowbridge at the previous meeting. Cllr Heaney proposed Cllr Nicholls to be Chairman and this was agreed by a majority. 3. Minutes of the last meeting The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 8th January 2020, previously circulated, were approved and signed as a correct record. 4. Declarations of Interest Members were invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, or other interests, and the nature of them, in relation to any item on the agenda. Cllr Robinson declared a personal interest in item 10 of the agenda, insofar as she was related to the applicant. 5. Co-option of a Parish Councillor The Clerk advised that following two Notices of Casual Vacancies being published, the Parish Council was able to co-opt two new members. It was agreed to include details of these vacancies within the Messenger. 6. Appointment of Village Hall Representative Members were required to nominate a Member as Trustee of Great Bromley Village Hall. Cllr Heaney undertook to contact Martin Frostick to ascertain what the role entailed and to report back to the next meeting. 7. Public Participation Mr Perry asked what Tendring District Council (TDC) was doing about global warming. Cllr Scott advised that a Climate Change working party had been set up by the Leader and was chaired by Cllr Coley, following TDC’s recent declaration of a Climate Emergency. This led to a discussion about plastics that TDC could or could not recycle, and issues of flooding and enforcement around ditch clearance. Mr Perry also reported rubbish dumped at the pumping station in Mill Lane. Anglian Water were aware of the issue but it was reported that it contained asbestos. TDC had inspected the site but the rubbish remained. It was agreed that the Clerk would write to the Chairman of Ardleigh Parish Council, Jon Hamlet and the Portfolio Holder at TDC, and also copy in Cllr Guglielmi. Mr Perry also commented that cancelling the Tendring and Clacton Rally would significantly reduce the District’s carbon footprint. 1 Great Bromley Parish Council 8. Corbeau Seats Rally Tendring & Clacton 2020 Mr Stanley Graham, Residents Liaison Manager for the Rally, had been scheduled to provide an overview of plans for this year’s event, however he did not attend the meeting. It was agreed that the Clerk would rearrange for the March meeting. 9. Planning Determinations – for information only REFERENCE PROPOSAL LOCATION DECISION 19/01497/FUL Proposed lean-to style extension to Carringtons Farm, Approval - Mrs Janet existing agricultural barn. Carringtons Road, Full Scarlett Great Bromley 06.01.2020 CO7 7UZ Delegated Decision 19/01844/FUL Garage conversion with external Meron Ash Approval - Mr Michael alterations. Colchester Road Full Cotton Great Bromley 29.01.2020 CO7 7TN Delegated Decision The planning determinations were noted. 10. Planning Applications - Cllr Wood did not take part in the discussion of this item. REFERENCE PROPOSAL LOCATION 19/01912/DETAIL Approval of reserved matters for outline Badley Hall Farm, Badley K W Robinson application 19/01050/OUT. Hall Road, Great Bromley CO7 7UU Great Bromley Parish Council had no objection to the application. 11. Reports • County Councillor’s Report – previously circulated • District Councillors’ Report – Cllr Scott had attended TDC’s Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee where questions are put to Portfolio Holders, with most questions about the new waste system. The recycling contract will be discussed at the next meeting. TDC’s Budget was agreed at Full Council following some amendments from the opposition groups. These included funding for enforcement, a Housing Early Intervention officer and additional funding to improve the appearance of the District. Cllr Wiggins attended the Constitution review Working Party and the Standards Committee, along with Code of Conduct training which is also available to Town and parish Councils. Both Cllr Scott and Wiggins will be visiting East Suffolk Council to discuss plastic waste. Arrangements have been made with Jon Hamlet to deliver wheelie bins to residents in Colchester Road and Bromley Road. Further calls about fly tipping, planning issues and the flooding situation in Hall Road. Credit to volunteers who undertake the litter picks in Great Bromley. If Members have any ideas for improvements these can be passed to Cllrs Scott and Wiggins for the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee. • Parish Councillors’ Reports • Cllr Heaney queried the progress of replacement barriers at Brook Street following a road traffic incident. • Cllr Robinson reported illegal turns in the road by large vehicles along A120. Several potholes along Park Road and Hilliards Road which needed to be reported to ECC. 2 Great Bromley Parish Council • Cllr Blowers was due to arrange the March litter pick date, this was suggested to be carried out in late March. Also: o Village Maintenance – Clerk to check renewal date. o Footpath at Cock Lane – soil has been removed by Andrew Fairley which is very much appreciated. o St George’s Close - Proposed wild flower area near the Brook. o Some footbridges were getting slippery, these have now been meshed. o Parsons Hill drain still in need of repair – Clerk to email Cllr Guglielmi and Essex Highways with a view to coning off while waiting for repair. o Closed churchyard gatepost is rotten and needs replacing. Cllr Blowers to obtain an estimate. • Cllr Nicholls – planning appeal for bungalows between Hare Green and Port House has been submitted, which TDC refused. Reference is APP/P1560/W/20/3244452. Once notification was received it would be added to the next agenda. • Clerk’s Report and Correspondence received • TDC Precept had been agreed and would be paid in two instalments in April and October. • TDC had confirmed no call for elections had been received and therefore the Parish Council could co-opt two new members. • A positive report from a resident of fly tipping being removed by contractors on the new roundabout and other instances from TDC. 12. Action Sheet review and update The actions from the last meeting were reviewed and noted. 13. Accounts The Accounts Monitoring Officer (Cllr Blowers) confirmed the accounts were in order. Members were also required to nominate a further signatory for the bank accounts and it was agreed to add Cllr Mander. The other current signatories were Cllrs Blowers, Hardy and Lord. 14. Clerk’s working hours Members were asked to consider a proposal to increase the working hours and home working allowance of the Clerk in order to undertake the additional role of editor of The Messenger. Members discussed the many benefits of having the monthly magazine and it was agreed to increase the Clerk’s hour by 20 per month, and increase the annual home working allowance by £225. It was further agreed to update Little Bromley Parish Council, which the Messenger also served, to ask if they would be willing to make a financial contribution to the arrangement. The Clerk undertook to discuss costs of advertising online with the administrators of the Great Bromley website and the Parish Council website. 15. Flooding in Hall Road The issue had been reported several times however no action has been taken. It was agreed that the Clerk would contact Anglian Water to advise that the parish Council felt there was a water main problem as the flooding occurred even when there was no rainfall. 16. Status position on Little Dragons Pre-School This item was deferred in Cllr Lord’s absence. 17. Highways update Cllr Heaney asked for progress on the barriers missing in Brook Street. Cllr Guglielmi had reported these works. 18. Bromleys Calendar Members were updated on the funds raised from sales of the Bromleys Calendar, which resulted in the Seven Rivers Leonard Cheshire home and the Essex Wildlife Trust being donated £390 each. 3 Great Bromley Parish Council 19. VE Day 75 Commemorations - update It was agreed that Cllrs Blowers and Robinson would convene a meeting to finalise arrangements involving all local groups who had expressed an interest to be involved. It was further agreed that the Clerk would write to The Courthouse to arrange their kind donation of a keg of Spitfire. 20. The following payments were approved: Clerk’s salary £286.88 HMRC £71.60 Great Bromley Village Hall £22.50 Lewis Mander – Village Maintenance £145.87 21. Date of next meeting – Wednesday 11th March 2020 at 7.30pm 22. Items for next meeting and any other business • A late invoice from Clacton Business Services for the sum of £36.00 was approved. 4 .