Wellow Parish Council

 

Clerk

Geoff White

Myrtle Cottage, Wellow, BA2 8QS

Tel:  01225 830159

 

 

Minutes of a meeting of the Parish Council held on Monday, June 11th  2012 at 8pm in the Village Hall.

 

Present: Cllrs Andrews, Betts, Caudle, Clarkson, Doman, Prentice, Wheeler and White. Seven members of the public in attendance.

 

 

Agenda:

 

 

12.076              To accept apologies for absence.

There were no apologies.

 

12.077              Declarations of interest in any matters on the agenda or in May 2012 minutes

Cllr Betts declared an interest in the planning application at Bubblers Dytch but it was felt that, since she had no financial interest, it was not necessary for her to withdraw when that item was discussed.

 

12.078              To confirm minutes of meeting held on May 14th 2012.

The minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on May 14th 2012 were approved unanimously.

 

12.079              To report matters arising from the minutes and not on the agenda.

Cllr Doman said that he had been in touch with the contractor in connection with the play area but that nothing had been finalised.  It was agreed to carry this item forward to the next meeting.                                                                                      PD

 

Cllr Betts said that, because of helping to organise the Diamond Jubilee even, she had been unable to look into the costings involved in repairing the Village Hall driveway   and erecting a gate.  It was decided to carry this item forward to the next meeting.                                                                                                     SB

 

12.080              Planning

 

1.       New applications

 

Rear of 1 to 7 High Street,  Wellow.  Application 12/01928/FUL – internal and external alterations to barn, stables and forge to create two dwellings

 

Cllr Caudle said that  the application was fine and Cllr Clarkson agreed with her.  Cllr Caudle mentioned that there were nesting birds there but it was clear that B&NES were aware of them.  The Council agreed to support the application.

 

Since application 12/01931/LBA referred to the same plans  but was for listed building consent it was agreed that the Council would support that  too.                                    PC

 

Bubblers Dytch. Application 12/01857/FUL – erection of 2 detached 2-storey houses with attached garages following demolition of the existing single storey house

 

Cllr  Caudle said she was against the proposals and gave a number of reasons:

 

·         The proposed high stone walls would be out of keeping with the rest of the village and would interrupt the views over the valley.

·         The narrowness of the gap between the two buildings would effectively make this into a single building, out of keeping with the surrounding buildings

·         The local plan for Wellow decrees that there should be no flat roofs and no other building in the village has one. The proposed roof is not only flat but is to be constructed of sedum which will look particularly bare in winter and when viewed from the north.

·         The south side consists of a glass wall which would be very large and incongruous when viewed from across the valley.

·         The square footage of the proposed buildings, around 3000 sq ft each, represents gross overdevelopment when compared with the size of the plot.

·         There is no mention of stabilizing the site, particularly as this is an old landfill site.

 

Cllr Betts expressed additional concern about there being no provision for oil tanks. There was also the possibility of subsidence caused by the streams which run underneath the site.

 

Cllr Wheeler wondered whether a redesign would be viewed more favourably and Cllr Andrews replied that one house might be acceptable.

 

Alex Martin, from the floor, said that the proposal was completely out of keeping with the rest of Wellow and urged the Council to ask District Cllr Butters to take this to committee, particularly in view of his perception that B&NES were minded to give approval.

 

Cllr Caudle was asked to respond to the Planning Department giving the Council’s reasons for not supporting the application.                                                 PC

 

Wellow Farm, The Square. Application 12/02161/LBA – internal and external alterations to include restoration of the annex, reinstatement of doorway to basement steps and wall alongside, alterations to partitions and doorways at first floor, replacement of modern windows with stone mullioned patterns and existing and repointing of external elevations.

 

Cllr Clarkson said that she could find no objection to the proposal.  It looked a good design and would not be visible from the road. The Council agreed to support the application.                                                                                                  PC

 

2.       Decisions received

 

The Council noted that the planning applications in respect of Elmlea House, Under Hayes and Manor Barn had all been permitted.

 

Despite the Council having supported the application in respect of Springhill House, the application was refused.

 

 

12.081              Finance

 

a.       The Council approved the payments in respect of street cleaning, the Clerk’s salary, the internal audit, the annual service of the church clock and grass cutting at the church.

 

b.      The financial report to June 11th was unanimously approved.

 

c.       The internal audit , carried out by Richard Holland using the figures provided by the Clerk,  were approved and the Clerk was asked to send the relevant documents to Mazars, the external auditor.                                                 GW

 

d.      The update re the Millennium Fund was deferred until the July meeting as Cllr Andrews had been very busy having being involved with the arrangements for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.                                                             HA

 

e.       The Clerk explained the procedure for staging a bye-election in view of Cllr Witty’s resignation. Cllr Wheeler suggested that, in addition to the notice in the Square, should we ask Richard Holland to email list of contacts about it. The Chairman said that, as there had been a notice in the Parish News and that it was distributed to every household, this was unnecessary. The Council agreed.

 

 

12.082              Draft proposal for a Wellow Tennis Club

 

The Chairman said that he had received a  letter from a parishioner about the proposal and that he would forward it to the committee behind the tennis plans.

 

The committee were planning a meeting for the June 13th. inviting all those who had attended the initial public meetings..

 

Cllr Andrews said that she would go through the documents in her possession to see whether there were any deeds to the Playing Field. 

 

The Clerk was asked to retrieve the various documents held for us by NatWest Bank.

 

Cllr Andrews agreed to convey information about any documents to the committee.

                                                                                                                        HA

 

 

12.083              Village Wear and Tear

 

Cllr Caudle said that she had received communication regarding the flooding along Stoney Littleton Lane. She said that she had reported the problem to B&NES who had promised to look into it.

 

The ownership of the bank opposite David Halewood’s house was raised.   Although B&NES cut the grass on the adjoining banks this one is always left.  The owners of the property above it do not feel that it is their responsibility. Alex Martin suggested using the Parish Council’s strimmer to cut it back.

 

Stuart Cole said that B&NES had been spraying weed killer on various verges.  It could be unpleasant and he asked whether B&NES could let us know when they were planning to do it.                                                                                              GW

 

Cllr Wheeler  felt  that it was unnecessary to spray on Mill Hill and Station Road and he suggested that B&NES be asked not to do so in future.                                     TW

 

Cllr White agreed to look at the tree in Farm Lane which Stuart Cole had said was unsafe and to report it to B&NES. She also agreed to look at the possibly dangerous tree along the Village hall Drive and also the fir tree along by the Dewey family’s house which was spilling over on to the footpath.                                                          JW

 

 

12.084              Traffic calming

 

Cllr Wheeler said that he had been assured that all the traffic calming work would be completed by the end of the month and that he would keep a close watch on progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

12.085              Parish Archive

 

Cllr Andrews mentioned that some of the documents due to be stored in the Bath Records Office pertained to the Burial Board and that we should let the Clerk to the Burial Board see it before it was stored.  This was agreed to.                                                                     HA

 

 

12.086              Any other reports

 

Diamond Jubilee

 

Cllrs Andrews and Clarkson drew attention to the great efforts made by everyone in connection with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Cllr Andrews said that a profit of £913 had been made. Cllr Clarkson drew attention to the expenses which had been incurred and asked whether the Parish Council would agree to donating the £200 float that she had been given rather than having to deduct it from the profit.  It was suggested that a commemorative bench could be bought which could be sited down by the ford.

 

The Chairman asked how much this was likely to cost and was told that it would be expensive.  He asked that a definite price be found for a good quality bench, perhaps made of oak, and that its possible purchase should be put on the July agenda.         DC

 

He said that he would put a note in the Parish Newsletter to try and ascertain what the village as a whole thought of the idea.                                                       HP

 

In the meantime, Cllr Andrews was asked to give the Clerk a cheque for the amount of profit so that it could be put into the Parish Council’s own bank account.         HA

 

Footpaths

 

Cllr Caudle referred to a letter received from B&NES regarding the possible extension and re-routing of the footpath which currently terminates behind Sue Hewlett’s house.  She noted that a response was required by  B&NES by June 27th and it was agreed that she, along with Cllr Doman and Alex Martin, would write it.                             PC

 

                        Vehicles on the Playing Field

 

Cllr Wheeler drew attention to the fact that a car and trailer had been parked on the Playing Field.  It was agreed that steps should be taken as a matter of urgency to re-instate the posts and to obtain the keys from Alex Martin.                                           SB

 

Correspondence

 

The Clerk drew attention to the Annual Report from the Council for the Protection of Rural England which was circulated and to the forthcoming PACT meeting in Freshford. Some posters regarding it were distributed and he said that he would put a copy of the notice up in the Square.                                                              GW

 

12.087              Date of next meeting

 

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 8pm in the Village Hall on July 9th 2012.

 

                        The meeting adjourned at 9.05pm.

 

 

 

 

Geoffrey White

Parish Clerk

June 12th 2012