Monday 13 June 2016

Latest from Old Buckenham Parish Council

Parish Council in June
These notes have been written by the blog editor from the drat minutes and so may contain information that is changed at a later date.
Eight members of the attended as well as the members of the parish council and the new parish clerk Hilary Clutten.
Prior to the start of the meeting Adrian Joel signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office having been appointed as chairman of Old Buckenham Parish Council at a council meeting in May 2016; the Declaration was witnessed by the new Clerk.
Apologies for absence were received from Jonathan Kemp and from Ben Devlin who would be arriving late.
Terry Cracknell declared an interest in the item concerning the Green and Adrian Joel declared an interest in the planning items as a member of Breckland Council’s Planning Committee.
Public participation. The meeting adjourned for public participation. Highways matters raised included the Road Safety Working Party to investigate and come back with a recommendation. Also highways incidents are not being logged with police or Norfolk County Council (NCC) – it is important that these are logged and an incident number obtained from the police. Other subjects were traffic management and pedestrian safety, objectives regarding Green Rights and sympathetic housing development including quality of build. The drain outside the Methodist Chapel is blocked and needs reporting to NCC Highways. Also the lack of consultation regarding the primary school’s application for academy status and lack of Old Buckenham participants at the academy consultation meeting.
Minutes of the Council meetings in May. The draft minutes of the two meetings held on Thursday 5 May had been circulated. These were approved as true and accurate record.
Matters arising from the minutes. The Play Area meeting had taken place in May. Few parents attended despite the meeting being advertised in the Parish magazine. Eighty percent of those present at the meeting were in favour of fencing the area. Sarah Hornbrook thought there was a communication issue about the meeting and Graham Hart suggested that the Website Working Party look at providing more information through Facebook and the Council’s website. The Chairman reported that Breckland Council has not had a formal request for an election to fill the recent vacancy on the Parish Council. A notice about the vacancy has now been posted in the village, two residents have expressed interest in being co-opted to the Council. The Clerk was asked for details of the VAT position regarding the Village Hall and the Parish Council with particular regard to the Parish Council reclaiming VAT on Village Hall expenses. The Clerk will circulate information on this.
Planning applications received. The Clown’s House, Church Lane. Erection of wall and gate between house and annex, and installation of a Velux conservation roof window in rear roof of house. There were no objections from the Parish Council.Primrose Barn, Fen Road. Erection of garden room/summerhouse and front porch. There were no objections from the Parish Council.
Canem Cave Cottage, 62A Fen Street. Demolish building at rear of property and erect a single storey extension. There were no objections from the Parish Council.
South View, Fen Street. Erection of new 5-bed detached house and associated external works. The Clerk to ask Breckland Council to allow a time extension for the Parish Council’s comments.
27 Oaklands. Removal of flat roofs to dormer and garage and replace with tiles. There were no objections from the Parish Council.
Carlestead, 62 Fen Street. Internal and external alterations, including new single storey pitched roof to the existing rear and side flat roof element. There were no objections from the Parish Council.
Planning decisions received. Willow Farmhouse, The Green. Demolish lean-to and erect single and two storey rear extension, demolish garage/store to erect new and internal alterations. Planning and Listed Building permissions granted by Breckland Council.
Acer House, The Green. Erection of single and two storey extensions. Planning permission refused by Breckland Council due to scale and design.
Cherry Tree Cottage, Loss Wroo. Erection of motor home garage, store and workshop. Planning permission granted by Breckland Council.
Old Field Barn, Abbey Road. Erection of steel portal framed agricultural storage bin. Planning permission granted by Breckland Council.
Whitehands Farm, Stacksford. Application to change use of land for horses and timber stable block. Planning permission granted by Breckland Council.
Nominations for committees, working parties and outside b
odies.The Council agreed the following appointments for 2016/17.
Personnel Committee: Adrian Joel (chairman), Ben Devlin and Terry Cracknell.
Neighbourhood Plan Working Party: Jonathan Kemp (chairman), Sarah Hornbrook (vice-chairman), Steve Milner, Adrian Joel plus three residents, Ray Bayfield, Michelle Wilford and A Jaggard.
Play Area Working Party: Ben Devlin, Graham Hart, Adrian Joel, Steve Milner and resident Kerry Talbot.
Recreation Area Working Party: Jonathan Kemp and Carol Marshall.
Road Safety/Chapel Green School Working Party: Rona Boggia, Terry Cracknell, Steve Milner and two residents, Mike Bartlett and Trevor Crooke.
Precept Grants Working Party: Terry Cracknell and Adrian Joel plus resident Roy Dickinson.
Review of Standing Orders Working Party: Adrian Joel and Steve Milner plus resident Tim Bornett and the Clerk.
SNAP representative: Tom Johnson.
Attleborough Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group representative: Tom Johnson.
Attleborough Development Partnership representative: Rona Boggia with Terry Cracknell as a substitute representative.
Village Hall Management Committee representative: Tom Johnson.
Allotments responsibility: Adrian Joel.
Chapel Road School Stakeholders: Steve Milner.
Parish Council Website responsibility: Steve Milner and Graham Hart.
Green Rights responsibility: Ben Devlin.
Almshouses Parish Council appointed trustee: Carol Marshall.
Reports from Working Parties. The Road Safety Working Party had discussed seeking advice on an alternative location for the crossing. There was no seconder for a proposal to go ahead with the crossing as originally designed by NCC. The Council agreed, with one abstention and one against, to refer the issue of getting a consultant and other site options to the Road Safety Working Party. Regarding the Play Area, the overall choice is to have metal fencing and there will soon be a meeting to choose the colour of the fencing and to measure up for gates. Concerning the Neighbourhood Plan, the survey document has to be returned by Saturday 25 June. There is a free prize draw to be held at the July Parish Council meeting for those surveys returned by Saturday 18 June. Breckland District Council has offered to come and give advice after the results of the survey are collated. The Council agreed that the Clerk should get additional paid hours for collating the responses if there was a good return rate. The Working Party on precept grants had met in May and its report circulated to all councillors; it was thought that an additional member of the working party would be helpful. The objective of the group is to encourage village organisations to ask for some financial assistance so that the promotion of their existing/new activities could be of benefit to the residents of Old Buckenham (including Stacksford). Roy Dickinson had provided a draft application form and notes which, once agreed, will be able to be obtained from the Clerk. The closing date for applications will be Friday 30 September. The Working Party proposed that a panel should adjudicate on the allocation of funds, which will total about £3,500, and bring its recommendations to the Parish Council by the end of October. It is also proposed that awards be announced in November and that there should be a joint awards ceremony with the ‘community heroes’ in April 2017 including a free buffet and drinks. The Council approved the adoption of the Precept Grants Working Party Report.
Cycling Festival September. The Council resolved to adopt the Cycling Festival taking place in September and to set up a working party to handle the issues that would arise from this such as road closures.
Chairman’s report. The Chairman reported that Hilary Clutten had been unanimously appointed by the HR Committee to the post of Clerk/RFO of the Council. Graham Hart was thanked for his help in moving the Parish Council’s files and office equipment to the Clerk’s home.
District Councillor’s report. There is a new Breckland District Council chairman and the new Breckland Website has proved popular. A new sign has been placed in St Andrew’s Close saying that it leads to Marsh Field Lane.
Parish Councillors’ reports. Tom Johnson reported that the Village Hall Committee will be meeting on Saturday 2 July. The next films being shown in the Village Hall are ‘Steve Jobs’ and ‘Bridge of Spies’. The Village Hall Committee would like to resurface the Village Hall car park. It is likely to cost £20,000 and NCC is willing to give a grant of £10,000 through the Parish Partnerships Scheme. The Village Hall Committee would like the Parish Council to possibly loan it the other £10,000 that was needed. It was agreed that the Parish Council should consider this request at a subsequent meeting. Meanwhile the Village Hall Committee needs to submit three quotations for the work to the Parish Council. The cow parsley on the Green is getting high – the Clerk was asked to contact NCC with a view to them cutting the Highways’ area on the edge of the Green. There has been an unpleasant letter about a hedge on the corner of Cake Street and Harlingwood Lane. NCC are to be asked to get it cut. Terry Cracknell thought that the Council should have a list of what it has to do with a view to setting targets. Also the handling of correspondence, particularly letters from residents which should be acknowledged and scanned for circulation. The mobile SAM sign has been in various locations around the village but has not being fixed as it could be prone to criminal acts. There is an old event advertising sign that needs removing, and a clothes bank has arrived in the Village Hall car park.
Highways. There is a highways’ issue in Ragmere Road, near the entrance to the allotments. The track from the Clinic to the old Baptist Chapel needs potholes repairing. The Clerk to report these to Highways.
The Green. There would be a meeting of the Green Right Proprietors on Tuesday 14 June. The Chairman would like to be able to show plans of the proposed crossing at this meeting and Ben Devlin was thanked for his grass cutting.
Public participation on agenda items only. It was reported that only 15 parents attended the academy status meeting which was a disappointing turnout. The Parish Council should have been included in the academy status consultation and the Clerk was asked to write to the School Governors to express the Council’s feeling about this. Tim Bornett to do some more investigation and report back to the Council next month. How will the proposed crossing help disabled or visually-impaired residents get around the village? Is the money not better spent on helping these residents get out and about? There is one resident in particular who needs such help. It was reported that there is local help available through a charity and a mini bus with a ramp. The Chairman asked if he could be advised in confidence of the resident in question.
Items for next agenda. These included the siting of bollards (Sarah Hornbrook will email Graham Hart about this issue who will then make enquiries).The Clerk is to circulate information to councillors about VAT and Village Halls. Other subjects include the correspondence list, community and social media, the Green road crossing, the Road Safety Working Party report, Parish Council target setting, the Health and Safety Working Party report, the Play Area fencing, the Cycling Festival and the Neighbourhood Plan Survey.

The next meeting of Old Buckenham Parish Council will be on Thursday 7 July at Old Buckenham Village Hall commencing at 7.30pm.

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