Wellow Parish Council

 

Clerk

Geoff White

Myrtle Cottage, Wellow, BA2 8QS

Tel:  01225 830159

 

 

Minutes of a meeting of the Parish Council on Monday 12th March 2012 at 8pm in the Village Hall.

 

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

 

 

Agenda:

 

 

12.032            To accept apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllrs. Caudle and Witty.

 

12.033            Declarations of interest in any matters on the agenda or in February 2012 minutes

                        None were declared.

 

12.034            To confirm minutes of meeting held on February 13th 2012.

The minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on February 13th 2012 were approved unanimously.

 

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

The Council agreed that there was a need for a method statement in respect of the new building next to 4 West End Cottages in view of there being no access for contactors’ plant.

 

The Chairman asked Cllr Clarkson to inform B&NES accordingly.   DC

 

Cllr White confirmed that she had asked the school to raise the issue of dog fouling in the next school newsletter to which they had agreed.

 

12.036            Planning

 

1.      New applications

 

(i)     12/00529/FUL Site Location: Little Horse Croft Farm Description of proposal: Installation of photovoltaic solar panels

 

Cllr Clarkson gave a detailed report on the application. She said that AONB guidelines require panels to be near existing buildings and not in open areas.  The Design and Access statement suggests that this is a small development and will not adversely affect the local area.  However, the planned installation is in an open area and will be overlooked.

 

The owners of a property which overlooks the development had not been informed.

 

It was also suggested that security lighting would need to be added. Combe Hay PC recently supported and application for an array of local panels but it was in a less prominent position and the Council stipulated the need for new hedgerows to hide it.

 

After some discussion the Chairman moved that we should oppose the application.  Cllr Clarkson proposed this decision and Cllr White seconded it.  This was agreed unanimously and Cllr Clarkson was asked to respond on the PC’s behalf.                                                            DC

 

 

(ii)   1/00491/FUL: Springhill House, White Ox Mead Lane. Description of proposal: Removal of existing stable block and construction of new stable block (Resubmission)

 

Cllr Clarkson said that she felt the new proposal was reasonable since the building will be undertaken on the existing base.  She proposed that the Council support it and this was seconded by Cllr White.  The Council agreed unanimously and Cllr Clarkson agreed to write to the Planning Department accordingly.                                                  DC

 

(iii) The new owners of the Fullers Earth Works had applied to remove and replace a cherry tree on their land.  The details were received after publication of the agenda.  Cllr Doman said that the tree was a flowering one rather than a fruiting one and that he had no objection to its replacement.  This was agreed unanimously and Cllr Clarkson said that she would write to Jane Brewer accordingly.                                DC

 

 

2.      Decisions received

 

The planning applications at Vera House, 4 The Square and

Clearbrook Farm had all been approved.

 

The Chairman asked Cllr Clarkson to write to B&NES to ask why approval was given and why the Parish Council did not receive a copy of their reasons.                                                                                            DC

 

Cllr Andrews said that District Cllr Butters had already told us that referrals to Committee had been curtailed.  Cllr Clarkson felt that the Vera House decision should go to Committee.

 

3.      Notification of planning applications

 

Cllr Clarkson suggested that planning applications should be circulated more widely using Richard Holland’s e-mail list. Richard agreed to do this but asked the PC to furnish him with a form of words to accompany each application.                                                                                      HP

 

4.      Resubmission at Weaver’s Farm

 

Cllr Andrews re-iterated that the PC were happy to leave responses to

B&NES in the hands of Cllrs Caudle and Clarkson. This was agreed unanimously.

 

 

12.037            Village Wear and Tear

 

Cllr Betts remarked on the condition of the chicanes.  She agreed to arrange with the Horticultural Society to sow wild flower seeds on them.

                                                                                                                        SB

 

Cllr Andrews drew attention to the speed detector installed at the west end of the village.

 

Cllr Doman said that there was a large pothole on Ford Road.  He agreed to report it to Council Connect.                                                    PD

 

Cllr Wheeler mentioned the gates along Wellow Brook.  The Chairman said that these were being replaced over the next few months.

 

Stewart Cole mentioned an apparently dead ash tree on Farm Lane.  He also said that there was a large pothole on Henley View and agreed to report it to Council Connect.                                                                SC

 

 

 

12.038            Finance

 

a.      The Council approved the payments to Stewart Cole, the Clerk and to NALC/ALCA in respect of our subscription.

 

b.      The Council unanimously approved and accepted the financial report which had been circulated before the meeting.

 

c.      Cllr Andrews said she had been unable to make any progress regarding the release of funds from the Millennium Fund.  It was agreed that this item would be included on the April agenda.

 

In response a query from the Chairman Cllr Andrews agreed to circulate a copy of the Burial Board’s accounts.                                  HA

 

 

12.039            Litter

 

Cllr Wheeler suggested that we designate May 26th as a day for tidying up the village.  Erica Smith, from the floor, suggested that this could be done over a week rather than one day.  It was agreed that this would be on the May agenda and Cllr Wheeler to agreed to act as co-ordinator.

 

 

12.040            Footpaths

 

Cllr Doman spoke about the footpath leading from Bath Hill to Brunel House. He explained that B&NES do not have any funding to alter its route which, at the moment, doesn’t lead anywhere as it stops at the back of Brunel House.

 

The Chairman asked Cllr Doman to speak with jean Horler, over whose land the path passes, to find out what needs to be done and what it would cost in terms of legal fees. Cllr Clarkson agreed to find out whether any sources of funding were available.                                      DC/PD

  

 

Cllr Doman also confirmed that there was no need to follow up the concerns expressed about Community Farm.

 

12.041            The report from the Chairman and District Cllr Neil Butters was deferred to the April meeting. Thick fog had prevented District Cllr Butters from attending.

 

                        However, it was noted that Cllr Gerrish had been overseeing traffic calming at B&NES but that Cllr Symonds had taken over that role.

 

Erica Smith, from the floor, described the problems she had experienced while undertaking cycle training with children from the school.

 

Cllr Wheeler stressed the need for the correct signage and Cllr Clarkson suggested that we arrange a meeting between representatives of the Parish Council, the police and B&NES.

 

The Chairman said that we should implement our plan to use speed guns and Cllr Betts suggested that we should write to our MP.

 

                        It was agreed to form a sub-committee to oversee traffic calming and it was further agreed that the members should be Cllr Betts, Cllr Wheeler and Erica Smith.

 

12.042            Diamond Jubilee

 

Cllr Betts said that she had devised a plan of action which is on the village website and which would appear in the next Parish News.

 

She said that it would cost £150 to close the road through the village but she also expressed some concern at the numbers of people who had said that they would be away. It was agreed that we need to know the situation and what numbers we could expect to be around.

 

Cllr Wheeler asked whether we would fund the purchase of a Union Flag which was agreed. Cllr Wheeler agreed to check prices and order accordingly.                                                                                                 TW

 

 

12.043            Shop next door to the Fox and Badger

 

The Chairman said that the shop has no services and that the owners have not agreed to sell it. The previous Chairman of the Parish Council, Alex Martin, had been keen to use the shop as the Parish Archive.

 

If agreement cannot be reached to renovate and use the shop, the Chairman suggested that we ask the owners whether we could pay to improve the shop front.                                                                            HP

 

The Parish records are still being temporarily stored with Cllr Andrew. Cllr Betts agreed to see what space might be available at the Village Hall to store the documents                                                                    SB

 

                        Cllr Andrews will choose a date when interested parties could go

                        through the existing archive material.                                                      HA

 

12.044            Correspondence

 

It was noted that the petanque piste plans were continuing. 

 

It was decided that the Parish Council would not contribute to the Midsomer Norton and Radstock Park and Ride Scheme.

 

 

12.045            Any other reports

 

Richard Holland was asked to publicise the fact that the Mobile Library would be continuing for the time being.                                                       RH

 

The Chairman drew attention to the forthcoming Parish Cluster meeting but nobody expressed an interest in going.

 

The Chairman said that he had received a note from Cllr Witty saying that she intended to resign as a Councillor due to her husband’s work arrangements which necessitated their moving. He expressed his gratitude for the work which Cllr Witty had done over many years.

 

It was reported that some fruit and nut trees might be made available.  Cllr Andrews and Erica Smith both expressed an interest and Cllr White agreed to look into it further.                                                         JW

 

Cllr Andrews suggested that the Parish Council might plant a tree to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

 

 

 

 

12.046            Date of next meeting

 

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 8pm in the Village Hall on April 16th 2012.

 

                        The meeting adjourned at 10.05pm.

 

 

 

 

Geoffrey White

Parish Clerk

March 23rd 2012