MINUTES OF A MEETING OF OLD CLEEVE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 20th March 2017 at Washford Memorial Hall at 7pm Present: Mr T Webb, Mr K Hunt, Mr C Godwin, Mrs M Smith, Mr P Gannon, Mrs H Beaver, Mr D Searle, Ms J Johnson-smith, Dr T Bridgeman, Mrs L Baker In attendance: Chairman, Clerk, Cllr Lawrence, Cllr Dewdney Apologies: Cllr Lillis, Mr S Eggar, Mr P Richards, Mrs C Bird, Mrs R Conley The Chairman opened the meeting and asked for any declarations of interest against items on the Agenda. Mrs Smith declared an interest in the planning application for Cleeve Park. 269/03: Report from the Police. No report had been received by the Clerk and no Police attendance to give one. The Clerk reported there had been 2 cases of violence and sexual offences in Old Cleeve Parish. 270/03: Reports from SCC and WSC Councillors: Cllr Lawrence: The stones in the Gabion baskets on Blue Anchor sea front could be gone by the summer as a number of people wanted them and SCC agreed that this could go ahead She would be meeting with Peter Hobley regarding the footpath next to the chalets at the west end of Blue Anchor beach. Clerk to contact Rights of Way for a report on the situation. Minehead Hospital will be re-opened shortly. Williton Hospital is losing a lot of qualified staff who are going to work at Hinkley Point. This is a concern. Cllr Dewdney: Recycling for West Somerset is moving from Phase 3 to Phase 2 which will take place in March 2018. Smaller vehicles are to be used. Somerset County Council bridge department are co-ordinating the distribution of the rocks in the gabion baskets at Blue Anchor Planning Fees will be rising by 20% in line with Government with no concessions. There are ongoing investigations relating to the east end slipway and sea wall in Blue Anchor, including whose responsibility it is to deal with the problem. The slipway remains closed at this time. Cllr Dewdney to report back to Parish Council about the subsidence on the bank in Blue Anchor. Mr Gannon expressed concern to Cllr Dewdney that the list of Statutory and non-Statutory functions that had been given to Chairman over the telephone contained anomalies. 271/03: Minutes of the meeting held on 13th February 2017 were circulated, agreed and signed. Proposed by Mr Gannon, seconded by Mr Webb and carried. 272/03: Action Points from the previous minutes: Street Light in Belle Vue – Mrs Beaver reported that Glenn Martin is dealing with. MUGA and recreation ground – Mr Hunt still going to repair the fence. Mr Searle has put up sign. Ivy at Washford Recreation Ground – as Mr Eggar was not at meeting, we will wait until April to get an update. Mr Searle offered to do the work himself. Sand for sand stores – Sand has now been delivered to Roadwater and Washford. Clerk has invoiced WSC for the sand, has not received a cheque to date. Cllr Dewdney requested that the Clerk send a copy of the invoice to him. Clearing ground around shed at Washford - Mr Edwards has now completed the works. 1 Development at White Horse Inn – a new Planning application has been submitted by owners. List of Statutory and Non-Statutory functions – Cllr Dewdney gave a list to the Chairman over the phone. List of contact numbers for WSC – Clerk is still awaiting from Cllr Lillis Centre line of grass going down Ham Lane – Cllr Lawrence to speak to David Peake tomorrow. This situation has now been resolved. Sand stores – Clerk reported to the Parish Council the list of equipment that had been agreed with Dr Bridgeman. The cost was within the budget of available funds remaining from the grant funding. It was proposed by Mr Hunt that the Clerk purchased the equipment, seconded by Mr Gannon and carried. 273/03: Highways and Footpaths - Dr Bridgeman had attended a meeting with representatives from Highways. A list of flooding issues in Washford will be put together and presented to Planning. The CCTV survey in Willow Grove has been completed. Dr Bridgeman will do an historic flood report following the gulley in Treborough causing a sinkhole. Highways will help to sort this out, making sure that the pipes are the right size and grilles working. The external lighting at Gracepits Farm is shining very brightly onto the neighbouring property most nights. Clerk to write to planning to clarify what was agreed on plans. Mrs Smith reported that the lights at Hoburne caravan park in Blue Anchor were being left on all night. Clerk to contact Clerk at Carhampton. 274/03: Report about Minehead to Blue Anchor Beach Action Plan meeting - The coastal area had been split into various sections and analysed. Some were deemed to have a 15 life, some up to 50 depending on maintenance. The finance being allocated was based on the cost of losses and took into account the number of people being affected. The railway would be protected. There were currently no plans to support the business at the Blue Anchor Hotel. The road is a diversion route so should really be protected, but no guarantee was given. The caravan parks do not qualify for protection as caravans are mobile and depreciate in value. 275/03: Tree Inspections – Mrs Baker recommended that the Parish Council carry out an annual inspection. Clerk to contact Mrs Conley to ask for advice. 276/03: Planning 6/24/17/101 – Windwhistle Barn, Windwhistle Lane, Sticklepath, Proposed change of use and conversion of old redundant agricultural barn to a camping barn, - the WC facility for persons with the use of wheelchairs has now been indicated to be compliant for size (min 2.2m x 1.5m) however no wash-hand basins or waste water disposal is indicated, The internal WC enclosures will require adequate ventilation and lighting provision. A food preparation sink/wash sink has been indicated and diagrammatic discharge to a soakaway. This method is NOT compliant with building regulations. Should the Local Planning Authority be mindful to approve the application, conditions should be imposed for compliance with building regulations and environmental health regulations to prevent contamination and hygiene risk to multiple users of this proposed facility. 6/26/17/102 - Crown House, Sticklepath, Watchet, proposed rear 2 storey extension to house (to replace existing structure) - The proposed scheme would appear to comply with the policies relating to size, design and materials. The proposal has no adverse effect upon neighbouring properties. Old Cleeve Parish Council recommends approval of the scheme. 3/26/17/008 – The White Horse Inn, Washford, variation of conditions 2 (approved plans) of application 3/26/14/012 - Old Cleeve Parish Council objects strongly to this scheme. It has all the appearance of a cynical manipulation of the planning process. Permission was granted for a development in open countryside because it would improve a business by providing three commercial bed and breakfast units. The units were to be separate from each other: each had its own access, and there were no cooking facilities as the guests would eat at the White Horse. However, as constructed, the accommodation is a single dwelling with a kitchen and a utility room. The labels ‘communal’ and ‘staff’ on the plans do nothing to change this. 2 Detailed objections Our detailed objections are as follows: Open Countryside - The proposal is in open countryside outside development limits as defined in both the previous and current Local Plans. It is not situated either within a primary or secondary settlement. Planning History An earlier application for a two storey dwelling and garage, reference 3/26/10/007 was refused. The current application more closely resembles that application than it does the approved business scheme 3/26/14/012. - Old Cleeve Parish Council supported the stated aim of application 3/26/14/012 for the improvement of a local business but questioned the size of the provision as excessive. It did not match the norm of a three-unit motel type (room only and en-suite). The current application diverges even further from the standard construction for its stated purpose. Compliance - As this is a prefabricated timber frame ‘kit’ building it may be interpreted that the applicant had no intention of compliance with the planning scheme from the date of consent. Taking advantage of the fact that the Planning Authority and the Building Control body, in this instance an approved Inspector, do not communicate, the submitted scheme to the Building Inspectorate was for a detached three-bedroom dwelling. The criteria for construction compliance for the different uses would need to be known beforehand. Fire Risk -The original plans indicated provisions for adequate fire separation and sound insulation between the units. Drawing no. 1195/201 diagrammatically indicated this in basic form. Fire risk will be far greater in the revised construction with a central staircase and no separation between units. Concern is still raised over the proximity to the boundary in this respect. Flood Risk - The original flood risk statement indicated that resilient construction would be used in mitigation. Timber frame and timber clad construction does not meet this criterion, regardless of use. Design A single storey utility room extension has been added, not previously indicated. There are variations in the fenestration between the approved scheme and that constructed. Implications - Should the LPA agree to consent for this application as presented, the accommodation will have a far greater fire risk and be reclassified as a house in multiple occupation. The alternative is that the accommodation will not be ‘available’ at any time and occupied as a single residence contrary to the planning policies that formed the basis for the approval of scheme 3/26/14/012.