Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting

held Thursday 6 April 2017, 7pm Mellis Memorial Hall

PRESENT: Parish Councillors: Cllr Simon Cairns (Chairman), Cllr Hilary Butler (Parish Clerk), Cllr C Winmill, Cllr M Winmill, Cllr G Ross, and Cllr R Warboys. Cllr Jessica Fleming ( CC Hartismere Div); Four members of the public. 1. To receive apologies: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Diana Kearsley (MSDC Gislingham Ward); PC Stefan Henrickson (Stowmarket SNT); Cllr Paul Sullivan (Mellis PC). 2. To approve the Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting 12 May 2016: Agreed by the meeting as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman. 3. To receive the Mellis Parish Council Annual Report. Cllr Simon Cairns. See Report 01/17 appended. 4. To receive Mellis Parish Council Financial Statement for Year Ending 31 March 2017: Cllr Hilary Butler. Account Balance as at 31 March 2017 (unapproved) reported at £16387.85 includes £9,900 in Earmarked funds and Reserves, It also includes monies allocated (approx. £7000) to the repair of the car park and access track at the Memorial Hall. The increase in funds carried forward over previous years is mainly due to the salaried post of Parish Clerk remaining vacant and the duties being fulfilled by a Councillor on an unremunerated basis. 5. County Councillor’s Report: Cllr Jessica Fleming. See Report 02/17 appended. 6. District Councillor’s Report: Cllr Diana Kearsley. In Cllr Kearsley’s absence the report was tabled. See Report 03/17 appended. 7. To receive community policing report: No report submitted. 8. Reports from Parish organisations and residents’ question time:  Mellis PCC – Betty Wells, Church Warden see report 04/17 appended.  Mellis Memorial Hall – Penny Bullock. Noted that the Hall is being well used by a variety of clubs and organisations with a number of private hires as well.  Concerns were raised by three residents about the condition of the ditch line on Mellis Common adjacent to the Public Right of Way known locally as The Carnser (FP1 Mellis). The growth of goat willow in the ditch is hindering access on the footpath and is also beginning to impede the free flow of water in the ditch. 9. Any other business: There being no other matters arising the Chairman closed the meeting at 7.40pm

Signed ……………………………………………………

Dated ………………………………………….

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Mellis Parish Council - Chairman’s Report Report 01/17 Summary for the Year Ending 31 March 2017

The Chairman would like to thank all of the Council Members for their diligence over the year and for their participation in related matters across the County. In particular, Cllr Hilary Butler acting clerk and Deputy Chair deserves particular mention for her tireless dedication to the community of Mellis and her exceptional commitment to her voluntary acting role of Parish Clerk in which she has reformed the Councils policies and sought grant funding for projects to enhance the village.

The key matters arising throughout 2016/2017 were:

 Network Rail – Anglia Level Crossing Reduction Strategy. The Parish Council (PC) received the first round of public consultation in June 2016 with 4 crossings originally affected; namely: Cowpasture Lane, Rectory Rd, Beecrofts & Abbotts, written representations were submitted in June 2016. A second round of public consultation events were hosted by Network Rail (NR) in September 2016 with further discussions between the PC and NR being held in early December. Final proposals were then submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport with the Transport Works Act Order (TWAO) being deposited on 24 March 2017. In Jan 2017 Network Rail confirmed that S19 Rectory Rd and S20 Beecrofts crossings had been removed from the project. The TWAO if consented will see Cowpasture Lane downgraded from a Byway (Restricted) to a Bridleway and the Abbotts foot crossing closed.

 Planning Application Consultations Up to end of March 2017 some 24 Planning notifications were received by the Parish. These were mainly in relation to works on trees in the Conservation Area. The largest development proposal being 10 houses adjacent to Bullocks Farm. In addition, applications were received concerning: Yaxley Manor, Home Farm, Acorn Cottage, Old Court, Mellis Lodge, Falcon House, 100 West End, The Limes, Pyecote, Whitehouse Farm, and The Old Court. The PC submitted their observations to the District as the determining planning authority.

 Queens 90th Birthday Celebrations generously organised by the Memorial Hall Management Committee were supported financially by the PC and included a street party with Commemorative medals given to village children.

 Drainage issues in the parish – Complaints were received from local residents regarding the discharge of foul water into ditches around the common and blocked water courses. Mellis PC has worked with Suffolk CC & Network Rail to resolve and raise awareness of issues.

 Dam Lane – More damage from 4x4s and other vehicles is occurring despite Suffolk CC RESTRAINT NOTICES. Most recently a load space canopy from a pick up style truck was found abandoned in the lane. County Highways are apparently co-ordinating a strategic countywide response to the problem.

 Repairs to Car Park & Access Track – quotes were obtained for the repair of the car park and access track in the summer of 2016 when it was noted that the Ecoblock surfacing was deteriorating badly in certain areas and that large potholes had formed in the access track. These repairs will be at a significant cost (£7,000+) to the Parish, grant funding is not readily available for repair works. Funds have been allocated and works will be undertaken when

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building work on an adjoining plot (Whitehouse Farm) have been completed. In the meantime, temporary repairs have been effected to cover the interim at minimal cost.

 Pond clearance works Mellis Common – This project was funded through Eye Airfield Turbine s106 agreement (developer’s contributions) and the clearance works were completed in autumn 2016 in co-operation with . The funds secured are now spent but further works are being investigated on the western common.

 Mellis Conservation Area Appraisal – Cllr Warboys is keen to extend the MSDC Conservation Area through a new character appraisal. Anyone interested in helping with this project is asked to contact Cllr Rowland Warboys.

 Budget for 2017/18 set in January 2017. A Precept request of £6,500 was made to the District Council, which represents an increase of £200 over 2016/17. This equates to a 3% increase – just under £0.98 per annum (2p per week)+/- depending on Council Tax Band per household (205 properties in the Parish). This above inflation rise has been made necessary by the allocation of funds for essential works needed to the car park and access track.

 Post of Clerk to the Council: Cllr Hilary Butler has voluntarily staffed this normally salaried role and saved the parish approaching £2500, which she has indicated her wish to see donated to village projects. We all owe her a huge debt of gratitude for her tireless efforts on behalf of the village. The post remains vacant and anyone interested in training to become a parish clerk should contact the Chairman, Cllr Simon Cairns, or Cllr Hilary Butler. This is a salaried position with an allowance for home working. Lap top, printer etc. all provided.

 Mellis PC Website: Thanks to Cllr Butler’s hard work the Suffolk Association of Local Councils awarded Mellis the best website award for the small council category with a £100 award. The Council has agreed that these monies will be used towards the purchase of some new trestle tables for the Memorial Hall.

 Consultations received in the year included: Devolution Proposals for Suffolk/Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, Suffolk County Council’s Minerals and Waste Local Plan Review, Department for Transport Road Investment Strategy Round 2, SCC Countryside Access Consultation 2016- 2026, Suffolk Flood Risk Management Strategy- Protecting vulnerable communities and the Housing White Paper.

 Complaints received: in addition to the drainage issues mentioned above complaints made by local residents included speeding issues on Mellis/Yaxley Road, on-street parking outside Mellis Primary School, Network Rail’s alleged litter offences, potentially dangerous trees on Mellis Common, and the condition of public rights of way, Cowpasture Lane and The Carnser. During the next year the PC will be investigating the provision of a Vehicle Activated Sign for use on the C568 Mellis Ash and Yaxley Road and “Respect” parking zones outside the school.

 Internal policy reviews by the PC: Included Annual Review of Risk Assessment & Internal Controls Policy and Protocol for Public Participation at Council Meetings.

Simon Cairns

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Report 02/17

Annual Report 2016/ 2017

By County Councillor Jessica Fleming, Hartismere Division, Suffolk

[email protected] Tel: 07714-597980 Twitter: @jesstfleming

Firstly - thank you for your support and participation over the past year, Mellis is fortunate to have an active community that takes a keen interest in its wellbeing. A year ago we were looking at the prospect of devolution to a mayor and combined authority. Now local authorities are reinventing themselves to manage changes in local service funding and devolution. Waveney and Suffolk Coastal will merge in 2019 to form East Suffolk Council and and Babergh are increasingly working together, they will both join the County at Endeavour House later in 2017.

For highways, considerable investment has been made on road resurfacing over the past year. Speeding and heavy vehicles remain of concern, Vehicle Activated Signs are planned on the Mellis Road leading to Yaxley and I have authorised funds for an initial feasibility study on continuous footway linking Mellis Primary School with Yaxley but not at this time west into Mellis (though new housing may alter this). A full road safety study is scheduled for the A140 later in 2017.

Roadside litter has been very evident over the past year, particularly plastics. The Suffolk Waste Partnership is keen to support local community clean-up and Mellis is doing its part in organising a pick up. The Partnership hosts a gallery of photos submitted by community volunteers, add to the gallery by emailing photos to: [email protected]

Community Transport was contracted to 7 principal operators last year based broadly on District/ Town boundaries, the Mid Suffolk operator is based in Stowmarket and can be reached on 01449- 614271. This aims to connect people to commercial buses and trains but includes community cars and Good Neighbour Schemes which can offer a ‘door-to-door’ service. No one should feel that they are stuck unable to leave home or get to appointments.

Network Rail has consulted on plans for closing or altering level crossings and the Parish and County Councils have been actively engaged. s19 (Rectory Road) and s20 (Beecroft) crossings need full Environmental Impact Assessment and have been withdrawn from the current programme, other changes are expected to proceed as proposed during the September 2016 consultation – i.e. S18 (Cowpasture Lane) – downgrade from byway to bridleway; S21 (Abbotts) – footpath to close.

Neighbourhood plans are increasingly being developed to influence local growth; 3 are now adopted in Suffolk (Lavenham, East Bergholt and Mendlesham) and 14 others have started including Rickinghall-Botesdale and the Diss Area to include Palgrave, Stuston and Brome & Oakley.

Protecting our natural and historic environment is one of the Council’s obligations and, as a Historic Environment Champion, one of my own. During the past year SCC along with the University of Suffolk initiated design and construction of a new repository, The Hold in Ipswich, which will house most of the County’s archives and offer much better public access. It is due to open in 2019.

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District Councillor Report Report 03/17

1) Economy & Organisational The refreshed Joint Strategic Plan was developed and includes a number of revised significant priorities. Due to the changes in the national framework, our two district councils will deliver enduring and positive changes for our communities and businesses over the next five years. The Joint Strategic Plan 2016/2020 puts our two sovereign councils in the best position to take advantage of the opportunities and changes in the way public services are delivered. To enable the successful delivery of the strategic outcomes, we need an enabled and efficient organisation – the right people, doing the right things, in the right way, at the right time, for all the right reasons – and be sure we are delivering value for money. Our aim is that this Plan acts as an inspiration for our communities, local businesses and other partners to work with us to achieve the outcomes. The three main priority areas that the two districts and their councillors have identified and will have the most positive impact are: Economy and Environment - Housing - Strong and healthy Communities

“Where we are now” – the districts of Babergh and Mid Suffolk form the heart of Suffolk and cover an area of over 1,400 sq.k (540 sq.m). The ‘heart’ is predominantly rural in nature, with a number of market towns; it is a special place to live and work with 6,400 listed buildings, 60 conservation areas and two areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We have a comparatively low wage economy - available figures show that we are approximately £70 per week below the national figure. But figures released for Suffolk recently show that 54.5% of Suffolk pupils achieved five or more A* - C grades where the national figure for all schools was 53.8% - this is the first time Suffolk figures have been above the national average for several years, which is encouraging progress and play a major part in the economic growth.

Last year the Council Tax rose by 1.9% for Band D properties and for 2017/18 the Council budget includes a small Council Tax increase – announcements have been sent out regarding the council tax increase. This increase is set at £2.61 for the year for a Band D property, with the larger homes paying £5.22 more over the year and the smallest properties seeing an increase of £1.74 p.a.

2) Housing Given the shortfall in homes actually built in our area in recent years, and the growing need for new homes due to ecominic growth, aging population and the changing scene of households, we need to increase the number of new homes ensuring they are the right type, right tenure and in the right place. New homes delivery – in recent years the need for homes in our area has outstripped delivery, which has been slowed down in recent years due to the recession slowing down new build. New homes are critical, not only for existing residents but also to attract new skilled workers to support the economic growth. We are building 65 new council homes across the two districts, with 14 already completed with new occupants. £460,000 grants funding from the DCLG for Community- led-housing and will be used to kick-start the delivery of new affordable homes. The two districts are looking to increase supply and expand our ’market making’ role in terms of creating the right conditions for developers and private landlords to work with communities to deliver the much needed housing.

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The number of empty homes reduced as a result of a survey and 97 empty homes were brought back to provide homes, generating £130,000 of income to the local economy during this period. A financial inclusion project has helped over 150 referral, helped tenants claim £33,106 more and averted 13 evictions. 3) Environment Since the installation of the Solar PV project on our housing stock, the ‘green energy’ generated an income of £460,000 this year. These panels provide greatly reduced energy costs to our tenants. This project has reduced CO2 emissions by 3.7 million tonnes since June 2014. The continuing improvements on our ‘recycling’ initiative have seen a 6.5% increase in our business waste service and 20 tonnes of glass is being collected and recycled every month. 4) Communities Working with our communities is essential as we focus on how we can stimulate sustained growth in new housing and business to lead to greater economic prosperity. In particular we want to attract skilled people into our area and retain and enhance essential community infrastructure and facilities such as schools, health services, village halls, sports facilities and play areas. By concentrating on these priorities we will help retain our district as a safe and healthy place to live. Through our focus on preventative programmes and activities, we will help ensure that our residents have every opportunity to take responsibility for leading active, healthy and safe lifestyles. An important part of the programme is to improve mental health and wellbeing to enhance the lives of individuals and families. The Suffolk Health and Wellbeing Board together with partners have all been involved in this vital work to get the best possible outcome for adults and young people to make sure they have every opportunity to improve their mental health and wellbeing – the work continues.

Neighbourhood Plans – we have empowered communities to bring forward their Neighbourhood Plans across the district and the first 3 plans have now been adopted with a further 14 in progress.

Grant funding – we have provided over £725,000 in grants to our community groups, comprising £492,184 in revenue and £233,526 in capital funding. These grant payments help our villages to maintain the best possible facilities and activities in our rural settings.

Cllr Diana Kearsley Member for Gislingham Ward Mid Suffolk District Council 01379 783061 email: [email protected]

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Mellis Annual Parish Meeting, 2017 - Church Report Report 04/17

We live in an increasingly secular world, so up and down the country those people who are involved in their parish churches are finding it a struggle to keep going. Mellis is no exception.

As a result of the crisis meeting this time last year I’m happy to report that we now have a full- strength Parochial Church Council, with a Treasurer, a Secretary and one Churchwarden. The aim is always to have two Churchwardens, but we can’t quite manage that one.

The Revd Julia Lall continues to be the Priest in Charge of Mellis, but she’s also the Priest in Charge of Thornham Magna, Thornham Parva, Gislingham, Yaxley, Stoke Ash, Thorndon and Wetheringsett, so she’s a very busy lady! In case you’re wondering, the Rectory, where she lives, is in Thorndon.

St Mary’s continues to have two regular services a month, on the second and fourth Sundays, and communion is taken to The Limes every first Wednesday. There are also special services, such as the Harvest Festival in September and Carols by Candlelight before Christmas. On these occasions the congregation is joined by the Mellisians, and children from the Primary School and they both sing. Refreshments are served afterwards and there is usually a retiring collection, shared between St Mary’s and a charity, and the response to that is always amazing, so thank you to the hundred or so people who come to those services and give so generously.

A surprise last year was that we were unexpectedly able to have a Midnight communion service on Christmas Eve, even though there was another one at Stoke Ash. We thought around twenty people might come, but forty turned up! That was splendid! All services in Julia’s group of eight churches are displayed on the church notice boards and the board here at the Memorial Hall.

There are three weddings booked for St Mary’s this year, which is great, and the first baptism of the year was held last Sunday, when more than seventy family and friends came to baby Maisie Rose Bennett’s big day. Also, the funeral of Geoffrey Smith took place in February.

The crisis meeting also revitalised the Fundraising group and monthly Coffee Mornings recommence next week, Tuesday April 11th from 10.30am until noon, so do come along for coffee, cake and chat. The cake is superb! For children there is an Easter Egg hunt in the churchyard on Easter Saturday afternoon, with refreshments and a raffle in the church for mums and dads.

A considerable amount of work has taken place in the churchyard in recent months, and we particularly thank Carol and the Parish Council and not only for the Council’s own financial help but also for sourcing funding from Suffolk County Council and Mid-Suffolk District Council. Thank you.

In our secular society there are still many people who, although they don’t want to attend worship on a Sunday, still value their parish church as an ancient building full of the history of this village. The turn-out at the crisis meeting showed us that many people in Mellis still want their parish church to remain open and active, but to do that we need to raise £13000 a year! I’m sorry to end on a financial note, but there it is. It’s a great strain on the small, regular congregation to do this. To help, we have introduced a Standing Order form, so that, if you are one of those people who do not want to see your village church close, you can make a regular donation – large or small – without turning up for a service! That must be good!

Betty Wells Churchwarden April 2017

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