Minutes of the Meeting of Beech Parish Council

held in the Village Hall on Monday 15 October 2007

 

 

    PRESENT:

 

Councillor Edward Neish (Chairman)                                 Members of the Public: Mr Graham Smith

Councillor Ian Gibson

Councillor Peter May

Councillor Norman Miles       

Councillor David Woodroofe                                                  

Councillor Anne Burridge

Mrs Sheron Gillard – Clerk to the Council                          

 

 

07.49   APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies were received and accepted from Gill Young (illness).

 

07.50   CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

The Minutes of Council Meeting held on 17 September  2007, copies of which had previously been circulated, were confirmed.  Chairman Edward Neish signed them as a true record.

 

07.51   MATTERS ARISING

           Adoption of Revised Code of Conduct: Standards Board and Monitoring Officer advised and required notice had            been published in the Alton Herald (w/e 5 Oct 07) at a cost of £110.92 and would appear in the next issue of the            Beech Newsletter.

 

07.52   DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST  

           Cllr Ian Gibson declared a Prejudicial Interest in planning application 21720/001/FUL, 36 Wellhouse Road, his

           interest being that the applicants are clients of his employer.  Cllr Gibson left the room during Public Question

           Time, when representation was being made, and again during the item’s discussion and decision by Council.

          

07.53   REPORTS FROM ADVISORY PANELS AND ITEMS FOR REFERRAL

           I) Development & Planning Advisory Panel

               a)   One application was considered: Proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That Council’s comments

                    be forwarded to EHDC as follows:

                    i)  21720/001/FUL   Beechwood, 36 Wellhouse Road   Five dwellings and garaging following

                                                              demolition of existing.           OBJECT for the following reasons:

                        Provisions under H10 of District Local Plan have not been met as follows:

                             b.  Insufficient argument for the amount of trees/foliage to  be removed and concurred by EHDC’s                                    arboriculturalist’s report.

                             e.  Insufficient evidence that individual plot sizes of more than 0.2 hectares cannot be met by present                               application.

                            

                        Further comments:

                        Council would welcome a future application that addressed the above and following concerns:

                        1.  Any development of the site should be conditional on all surface water being disposed of on site                        including all run-off from hard surfaced areas so that the same does not reach Wellhouse Road.

                        2.  The removal of trees will exacerbate problems with surface water run-off.  Therefore, provision                            should be made to prevent water reaching highway, possibly by creation of an attenuation water

                             catchment on the lower part of the site.

                        3.  Any trees removed should be replaced and sympathetically sited to provide additional screening.

                        4.  Issues relating to highways, such as narrowness of Wellhouse Road and roadside parking, have not                        been adequately addressed.

                        5.  In conjunction with concerns raised in 4 above, recommend restriction in size on construction traffic.

 

                   

 

                                                                                                             Minutes October 2007 continued….page 2 of 3

 

 

 

                    b) E-Planning: Hampshire LCDT seminar with speaker from The Planning Portal on 6 November 2007.

                        No Council members available to attend.

                                                                                              

           II)     Highways and Footpaths Advisory Panel:

       a) Chairman and Clerk reported on a meeting held with Alan Todd from Hampshire Highways on 2 October

                        and Mrs Jayalath who had been slightly injured by passing vehicle, along with her puppy, on 24                                     September whilst walking down Medstead Road.  It was acknowledged by all that it would be                                              impracticable to provide     a footpath along this stretch but Council/Hampshire Highways would request                                 police speed check.                                                 

        b) Road Condition Survey – Alan Todd acknowledged receipt of Council’s report and expressed his

            willingness to meet with Councillors to discuss but stressed the financial constraints placed on the

            department.  He agreed to investigate why the gullies had not yet been cleared.

        c) HCC Hampshire downs Countryside Access Plan

            Relevant map sheet referred to Panel.

IV)   Community and Environment Advisory Panel

                        a)  Village Hall Report:

                             The Village Hall & Recreation Committee wished to make an application to use the Developers’                                   Contributions held by EHDC and had requested that Council support this.  In principle,                                                     Council were prepared to support an application if it met the funds strict use criteria.  However,

                             Council are also aware that there are a number of other projects currently under consideration within

                             the village that could make use of Developers’ Contributions.  Therefore, the Village Hall committee

                             were to be asked to provide a copy of their application to EHDC for consideration.

                        b)  Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service – ‘Our Plan’ Consultation Booklet.  Questionnaire referred to Panel.

                        c)  Community Action Hampshire – ‘Creating a Sustainable Village’ event 24 October 2007.  No members

                             of Council available to attend.

 

07.54   HAPTC AGM – Saturday, 13 October 2007

              Norman Miles had attended on behalf of Beech Parish Council.  NALC’s Chief Executive, John Findlay and

              Chairman, Ken Cleary had been present.  The meeting had approved Treasurer’s recommendation to freeze

              2008/09 affiliation fees to the county association at this year’s level.  It had been resolved to adopt revised

              Standing Orders and Constitution.  As a result, the association is now known as the Hampshire Association of

              Local Councils (HALC). The motion to consider service provision, representation, etc by NALC had been narrowly defeated.

 

07.55   TRAINING

           EHDC Planning Training – to be held on 16 October 2007 at the Alton Assembly Rooms at 7.00 pm.

            Norman Miles, David Woodroofe, Peter May, Ian Gibson and Sheron Gillard to attend.

 

07.56   FINANCE

           a)   Summary Receipts & Payments for 2nd Quarter ended 30 September 2007 – NOTED.

           b)Payments authorised: 

               Proposed Ian Gibson and Seconded by Anne Burridge RESOLVED:                                               

              i)    Mrs S Gillard: Clerk’s Net Salary, Allowance and Administration Expenses (Oct 2007)         £376.80

               ii)  HCC – Pension Payments (employer’s & employee’s contribution for Oct 2007)                    £86.41

               iii) Alton Herald (Code of Conduct notification)                                                                        £110.92

                                                    

07.57   CORRESPONDENCE

           The following items were formally received:-

                   Hampshire Action Team – Notes of recent meeting                                                                                                     HCC – Hampshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework Core Strategy and                                                    Hampshire Minerals Plan and Newsletter 5

                   HCC – Appointment of new Chief Executive    

                   DEFRA – Ways to Tackle Climate Change                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                             Minutes October 2007 continued….page 3 of 3

 

 

 

07.58   DATE OF NEXT MEETING

  Confirmed that the next meeting of the Council would be held in the Village Hall on Monday, 19 November 2007

  at 7.30pm preceded by Parishioners’ Question Time at 7.15 pm. 

 

CLOSURE OF MEETING  

Chairman thanked all present for their attendance and closed the meeting at 8.50 pm.

                       

 

 

 

 

signed: ...........................................................

                                                                                                              Chairman Beech Parish Council

     date: 19 November 2007