Stanhoe Parish Council

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 12th November 2015 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – E Thuburn, tel 01485 518409

Present:
Mr. T. Austin (TA)
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Miss R. Brown (RB)
Mr. D. Lord (DL)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mr. A. Upton (AU)

Three members of the public were present.

1. To consider apologies for absence
All present.

2. To consider approval of Minutes from the Parish Council meeting of 10th September 2015 and Planning meeting of 30th October 2015
These were all passed and signed by the chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest from members in any item to be discussed
No declarations made.

4. To adjourn meeting to allow public participation
The matter of overgrown hedges was raised therefore it was agreed to proceed straight to Item 8 d) ‘Update on trees & hedges’.

A member of the public circulated copies of a hand-written note, signed by a number of residents in Station Road, in which was expressed their dissatisfaction with the state of certain hedges on the West side of Station Road and stating that it was the legal responsibility of residents to ensure that hedges on their properties did not obstruct footpaths or highways.

The matter of hedges has been discussed at many parish council meetings in recent years and details can be found in Minutes published on the village website. Also, in recent years, notices have been placed by the Parish Council in the Saints Alive newsletter reminding residents to keep their hedges clear of footpaths and highways.

5. SNAP Report
The chairman had attended a meeting of the Safer Neighbourhood Area Panel (SNAP) on 15th September. Stanhoe falls within the Hunstanton and Burnham Neighbourhood so most of the discussions centre on the more heavily populated areas which have correspondingly more problems of crime and anti-social behaviour. The proposed closure of Docking Recycling Centre was discussed due to the potential for illegal dumping of rubbish.

As a footnote to this item, the Chairman mentioned that, during a recent Speedwatch session in the village, one of the roadside warning signs was stolen. Since the police will not allow the team to operate without warning signs to motorists, no Speedwatch sessions will take place until a new sign is delivered in early December.

6. Proposed closure of Docking Recycling Centre
Public opinion was very much against this proposal. The clerk and a councillor had attended a Docking Parish Council meeting in October when a representative of the County Council had put forward the reasons for the proposed closure as being a savings of £70k per year. The alternative recycling centres at Hempton, near Fakenham, and Heacham were much further afield which would be both costly and time consuming to use. To add to the inconvenience, Heacham site was changing from a 7 days a week facility to part-time of only 3 or 4 days per week while still being expected by the County Council to cope with increased volume. It was also noted by Councillors that the closure would be a further erosion of services to those in rural areas despite residents paying council tax based on the same calculation as those residents in towns where many more services existed. Councillors asked the clerk to write on their behalf to the County Council and the local M.P. stressing their opposition to the closure.

7. Transparency Code
A new ‘Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities’ came into force in April 2015 resulting in the need for all Parish Council papers to be available on a website. In Stanhoe, the Parish Council was fortunate to have a section of the main village website to use. Agenda and Minutes of Parish Council meetings were already published there but the quantity of information would undoubtedly increase in future. It may be that the Parish Council will have to set up its own website in future and also purchase its own computer and printer/scanner. At present the clerk supplies her personal computer and printer for council business. A grant towards the purchase of any new equipment required would be available but may need to be topped up with Parish Council funds.

8. Updates on the following items:
a) Repairs to the shed adjacent to the village hall; this was the responsibility of the MEHM Trust and would be done in due course but other more urgent repairs had taken priority.

b) Geese on the pond; two of the geese were going to be re-homed this year but this had been postponed until January 2016. No problems recently reported.

c) War Memorial & Village Sign; maintenance and clearing weeds around both items were now included in the duties carried out by Mr. Punter. Mr. Punter had stated that he did not want payment for any work he did on the War Memorial so he would donate his payment for that work to the British Legion.

d) Trees & Hedges; it was reported that the area at the rear of the village pond needed attention and dead trees possibly removed. The clerk was asked to obtain a price for doing the necessary work. A resident had reported a problem with overgrowing hedge near the palisade fence opposite the pond. Councillors agreed to look into this and also carry out their usual assessment of hedges during their annual village inspection next year. See also Item 4 above.

9. Update on Planning matters:
a) An Appeal made by the residents at Stanhoe Hall, for the installation of solar panels on their land, had been upheld and permission given with the condition that the owners must submit a planting scheme for approval to the Borough Council. This would cover both planting around the panels and roadside hedgerow.

b) RES, the developers of Jack’s Lane wind farm had submitted an application for the development of a solar farm at Hyde Park crossroads on the B1454 near Barmer. There was a mixed response to the proposed development but no formal response was required from the Parish Council as the site fell outside Parish boundaries, however, it was agreed that a notice should be placed in Saints Alive reminding residents of the deadline for comments to the Borough Council. All residents should have received a letter from RES detailing their proposal.

10. Financial Reports and Approval of Payments
Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the clerk. No queries were raised. Approval was sought for the payment of the following:

invoices for the maintenance of areas around the War Memorial, village sign, children’s play area, village cross and Cross Lane pond
invoice for the purchase of replacement links for some items of the play equipment
the clerk’s salary for the months of September and October.
Approval of payment was proposed by DB, second by DL and unanimously agreed.

Members of the public left the meeting at this point – approximately 9.00pm.

11. Code of Conduct
A councillor distributed copies of the Code of Conduct and asked for confirmation that this version was still current. Confirmation was given. The existing Code of Conduct for Councillors dates from 2012 but is reviewed annually and formally adopted. The Chairman stated that comments and allegations had been made about council members and the clerk, which were wholly inappropriate and totally unfounded. This was extremely regrettable but he hoped that the situation which had caused the unpleasantness had been resolved and that everyone would now move forward and work together for the benefit of the village.

12. To receive items for the next Agenda for the meeting on 14th January 2016
Updates on Item 8 a) and b) were suggested and also the proposed poultry farm at Sedgeford.

The clerk reminded councillors that she could accept items for the Agenda up to one week prior to the meeting date.

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 9.20pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Friday, 30th October 2015 at 11.00am
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – E Thuburn, tel 01485 518409

Present:
Mr. T. Austin (TA)
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Mr. D. Lord (DL)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)

Absent:
Miss R. Brown (RB)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mr. A. Upton (AU)

No members of the public were present.

1. To consider apologies for absence
Apologies were received and accepted from all absentees.

2. To record any declarations of interest from council members in any item to be discussed
No declarations were made.

3. To consider the following planning applications made to the Borough:
1. Lean-to garden room at the rear of the property at 9, Station Road. (Borough planning ref 15/00983/F)

Councillors considered the application but could see no valid planning reason to object to this additional garden room and agreed to submit their response of ‘No objection’ to the Borough planning department.

2. Construction of a dwelling on land forming the property of Field House, Church Lane. (Borough planning ref 15/01624/F)

This application was for the erection of a new 4-bedroomed house on land currently forming the rear garden of Field House resulting in two completely separate plots. The entrance to the new dwelling would be on Church Lane adjacent to that of Field House. After some discussion, councillors agreed that there was no valid planning reason for objection but commented that the new dwelling would take up approximately two thirds of the existing plot leaving not much land with Field House. Councillors also commented on errors contained in the application which stated incorrectly that the dwelling would be on mains drainage which is not the case in Stanhoe properties. The application also stated that Stanhoe has a public bus service which has not been the case for many years.

Councillors’ decisions and comments would be sent to the Borough planning department by Monday, 2nd November.

No other matters were discussed and the meeting closed at 11.30am.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 10th September 2015 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – E Thuburn, tel 01485 518409

Present:
Mr. T. Austin (TA)
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Miss R. Brown (RB)
Mr. D. Lord (DL)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mr. A. Upton (AU)

Three members of the public were present.

1. To consider apologies for absence
All present.

2. To consider approval of Minutes from meetings held on 9th & 17th July
These were all passed and signed by the chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest from members in any item to be discussed
No declarations made.

4. To adjourn meeting to allow public participation
The matter of overgrown hedges was raised therefore it was agreed to proceed straight to Item 7 at this point.

7. Trees & hedges
(AU postponed from July meeting) Some residents were concerned about overgrown trees and hedges, especially those which partially blocked roads, footpaths and road signs. The clerk explained that hedgerows are cut back annually by County Highways department but, during routine maintenance visits throughout the year, the team was always instructed to ensure that all road signs were kept clearly visible.

Of particular concern was an overgrown hedge on the West side of Station Road. The clerk had established that this hedge stood on official Highways verge and would be cut back in the near future and subsequently would form part of the regular maintenance work.

5. SNAP Report
The number of areas covered by the Panel had been reduced to 3 as a result of certain amalgamations. The areas are:

Hunstanton and Burnham Neighbourhood
Dersingham and Gayton Neighbourhood
The Woottons Neighbourhood.
The main topics for discussion at meetings are usually problems arising in towns. The priorities set for the coming weeks are parking arrangements in Hunstanton coach/car parks and, following a recent fatal accident, the safety levels at water filled former pits and quarries.

6. Traffic & speed signs
(AU postponed from July meeting) AU was concerned about traffic speeds on Bircham Road bearing in mind the number of concealed entrances/exits which exist. The possibility of additional signs to mark these entrances/exits was raised but no firm decision was reached.

There was discussion on moving the matrix sign from its present position to the point where the 30mph limit starts and amending the flashing warning accordingly but this would be very expensive. The parish council is investigating the possibility of obtaining funding from the wind farm community fund for this project.

7. Trees & Hedges
See above.

8. Trees beside the pond at Bircham Road
A small tree and some shrubbery had been restricting the view of motorists turning right from Bircham Road onto Burnham Road. These have been cut back recently and will be monitored in future.

9. Public Footpaths
Some ‘Public Footpath’ signs are missing from the area around Barwick. The clerk will investigate the possibility of having them replaced.

10. Possible amalgamation of Barwick with Stanhoe Parish
In principle, the Borough Council would allow amalgamation provided the residents of Barwick showed sufficient interest. A notice would be placed in Saints Alive inviting Barwick residents to contact the clerk for information or to express an interest. There would be further discussion pending the outcome of this consultation.

11. Cross Lane pond and Willow tree
The large willow tree requires pruning and some dead and broken boughs at the back of the pond need to be removed. The clerk had obtained 3 quotations for the work, all from qualified tree surgeons. The prices quoted, including VAT, were – £350, £360 and £690.

The firm quoting the lowest price wanted payment in cash and would not accept cheque or bank transfer payment. Councillors did not agree with those terms. Most councillors felt the most expensive quote was not justified, therefore, MR proposed acceptance of the £360 quote which was seconded by DL. Of the remaining councillors, 3 agreed and 2 abstained from voting. The clerk was instructed to arrange for the work to be done.

12. Churchyard maintenance
The parish council had recently made a donation to the PCC for churchyard maintenance, in particular for the new section of the churchyard. Some work had been done on cutting back brambles but more needed to be done.

13. Dogs on the playing field
There was discussion on the possibility of dogs being allowed on the playing field provided owners cleared up any dog mess. This was generally thought not to be a good idea but the final decision lay with the MEHM Trust. Any new notices required would be the responsibility of the Trust.

14. Post box on Bircham Road
A resident had reported that some pointing was required around the box which was set into a wall. After inspection, it was agreed that no work needs doing at present and, in any case, the wall is part of private property.

15. Review of Standing Orders & Financial Regulations
Both documents were formally adopted by the parish council in 2013 but should be reviewed on an annual basis. Having read through the documents, councillors agreed that no amendments were necessary.

16. Review of Emergency Plan
This plan had been updated with new members’ details following the elections in May 2015. It is for circulation only amongst councillors. No further amendments were made but the clerk was asked to ensure that all those contactable in cases of emergency were aware of their inclusion in the list of contacts.

17. Financial Reports & approval of payments
Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the clerk. No queries were raised. Approval was given for payment of the clerk’s salary and cheque signed.

18. Dates & Times of Meetings for 2016
Subject to the availability of the village hall, the following dates were set:

14th January 2016
10th March 2016
12th May 2016
14th July 2016
8th September 2016
10th November 2016
With the exception of 12th May, all meetings will commence at 7.00pm. On 12th May 2016 the meeting will commence at 6.00pm, to be followed by the Annual Parish Meeting at 7.30pm.

No other matters were discussed and the meeting closed at 8.35pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Friday, 17th July 2015 at 11.00am
in the village Reading Room
to consider planning application ref: 15/01056/0
Clerk to the Council – E Thuburn, tel 01485 518409

Present:
Mr. T. Austin (TA)
Miss R. Brown (RB)
Mr. D. Lord (DL)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Mr. A. Upton (AU)

Absent:
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)

One member of the public was present.

1. To consider apologies for absence
Apologies were received and accepted from DB and JL.

2. To record declarations of interest from members in any item to be discussed
MR declared an interest as the application to be discussed had been submitted by him.

3. To adjourn the meeting to allow public participation
The member of public present was the wife of MR who stated that great consideration had been given to the style and position of the proposed dwelling and there was a willingness to work with the planning authorities in order to satisfy any concerns the authority may have. The granting of permission for the dwelling would enable her and her husband to continue living permanently in the village where they had lived since 1978.

4. Consideration of application for outline planning permission for the erection of a dwelling on land adjoining the Old Rectory
Application documents and plans received from the Borough were circulated. A previous application for outline permission had been rejected by the Borough. Reasons for refusal were that the dwelling would impinge on the existing street view and would be detrimental to the character of the village.

According to current information supplied, the street view would not be altered since all trees and shrubs bordering Church Lane would remain. In addition, the design of the dwelling and building materials used would be in traditional Norfolk style.

To maintain council impartiality, MR and his wife did not take any part in the ensuing discussion.

After consideration of all aspects of the proposal, members could find no valid planning reason for objection. The proposed plans showed a building which would blend well with the village as a whole, was entirely in proportion to the size of the proposed site and would have no adverse affect on the nearby historic church and its surroundings.

Support of the application was proposed by AU, seconded by DL and agreed by all except MR who had abstained. A response in support of the application would be sent to the Borough.

No other matters were discussed and the meeting closed at 11.55am.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 9th July 2015 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – E Thuburn, tel 01485 518409

Present:
Mr. T. Austin (TA)
Mrs. R. Brown (RB)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)

Absent:
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Mr. D. Lord (DL)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. A. Upton (AU)

Four members of the public were present.

1. To consider apologies for absence
Apologies were received and accepted from all absentees. Absence was due to illness or pre-arranged holiday commitments.

2. To consider approval of Minutes from meetings held on 30th April and 19th May
These were all passed and signed by the chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest from members in any item to be discussed
No declarations made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow public participation
Two items were raised by those present; a) overgrown hedges on Station Road and b) the grass around Cross Lane pond. Item a) would be dealt with under Item 11 on the Agenda. Item b) It was agreed that the parish council would undertake responsibility for the cutting of the grass around Cross Lane pond. This had previously been done voluntarily by a resident who had now moved from Cross Lane.

5. SNAP Report
TA had no report for councillors as the latest scheduled SNAP meeting had been postponed due to local and parliamentary elections.

6. Standing Orders
Standing Orders for the running of parish council business would be distributed to all new members of the council. Re-elected members already had a copy of this document to which no recent amendments has been made.

7. Emergency Plan
TA distributed an update giving contact details for all new members who would receive a full copy of the plan.

8. Village Pond, geese etc.
The area at the rear of the pond had been tidied. Geese had been aggressive recently, partly due to the ganders protecting nesting areas. A local resident had agreed to take one gander and one silver white female leaving only two females on the pond.

9. Cross Lane pond & willow tree
Three quotations had been obtained for the pruning of the large willow tree and removal of dead wood around the pond area. Prices ranged from £360 to £690 including VAT and were all from fully qualified and insured tree surgeons. It was agreed that, with so few members present, a decision should be postponed until the next meeting in September. The companies concerned would be notified and asked to hold their prices until that time.

10. Traffic & speed signs
This item had been tabled by AU who was absent due to illness so would be tabled again at the next meeting.

11. Trees & hedges
This item was also tabled by AU and like Item 10 would be tabled again at the next meeting, however, it was agreed to discuss item a) raised by a member of the public present. Overgrown hedges from properties on one side of Station Road were causing problems for some residents when exiting their driveways in cars. It was difficult to see if any other vehicles were approaching from the Docking Road end. The council agreed to contact those concerned and ask for hedges to be trimmed although this could not be done until after the end of July when there was no risk of damaging nesting birds.

12. Dogs on the playing field
There was an ongoing problem of dogs being exercised on the playing field and owners not picking up dog mess. MR agreed that the MEHM Trust would look again at existing signs prohibiting dogs and consider erecting more or different signs. It was pointed out that the rough area along the edge of the field, adjacent to Cross Lane, was available for dog walkers provided they removed dog mess. The possibility of an additional dog waste bin would be considered at the next meeting.

13. Repairs to the shed beside the village hall
This work was being undertaken by the MEHM Trust. MR agreed to chase up the carpenter who was due to carry out the repairs.

14. Financial Report & approvals of payments
The clerk distributed reports on Income & Expenditure, Budget to date and Bank statements for consideration by members. No queries were raised. Approval was given for the payment of the following:

Repairs to playground equipment
Training course for new councillors
Clerk’s salary
Payment of PAYE tax deducted from clerk’s salary to HMRC
15. To receive items for the next Agenda – meeting of 10th September 2015
The following items were agreed:

Churchyard maintenance
Cross Lane pond & willow tree
Traffic & speed signs (AU- postponed)
Trees & hedges (AU- postponed)
Dogs on playing field
Post box on Bircham Road
Standing Orders & review of Financial Regulations
Emergency Plan
Dates & times of meetings for 2016
No other matters were discussed and the meeting closed at 8.05pm.

Minutes of the first Parish Council Meeting following election of new Councillors
Held on Tuesday, 19th May 2015 at 9.00 am
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – E Thuburn, tel 01485 518409

Present:
Mr. T. Austin (TA)
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Mrs. R. Brown (RB)
Mr. D. Lord (DL)
Mrs. J Lord (JL)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mr. A. Upton (AU)

1. Signing of necessary documents by new Councillors
All members signed and submitted to the clerk the following documents which were witnessed as appropriate:

Acceptance of Office
Register of Pecuniary Interest
Dispensation for those with disclosable personal interests
Codes of Conduct
2. Appointment of Chairman & Vice-chairman
In the interests of continuity, AU proposed that TA be elected Chairman for a further year to allow time for new councillors to become more familiar with the running of the council. TA stated his willingness to accept the chairmanship for a year. The proposal was seconded by DL and unanimously agreed. RB proposed DB as Vice-chairman which was seconded by MR and also unanimously agreed.

3. Appointment of cheque signatories
All cheques issued by the council require to be signed by any two of the three signatories on the bank mandate. Two of the signatories had resigned from office prior to the election leaving only RB as a signatory. It was agreed that the two replacement signatories would be TA and MR. The clerk completed a new bank mandate accordingly.

4. Repairs to playground equipment
One of the playground items, the swinging steps, required a new supporting cross beam. The outgoing council had requested a quotation for the cost of repair from the suppliers who had given a price of £320 plus VAT. After some discussion, it was agreed to proceed with the work. Some councillors mentioned the problem of dog walking and dog fouling on the playing fields. This is a recurring problem in spite of notices stating that no dogs are allowed on the field. It was agreed that this item should be placed on the Agenda for the next meeting.

5. Dates and times of future meetings
The provisionally arranged dates for the remainder of 2015 were confirmed as 9th July, 10th September and 12th November. In future, meetings may have to start at the later time of 7.15 pm due to some work commitments.

No other matters were discussed and the meeting closed at 9.45 am.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 30th April 2015 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – E Thuburn, tel 01485 518409

Present:
Mr. T. Austin (TA)
Mrs. P. Austin (PA)
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Mrs. R. Brown (RB)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mrs. P. Roche (PR)
Mr. J. Seedhouse (JS)

Two members of public were present.

1. To consider apologies for absence: All members present.
2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting
The Minutes were approved and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest from members in any item to be discussed
No items recorded.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow public participation
Two members of the public present but neither wanted to raise any matter in particular.

5. Village Inspection Report
Councillors had carried out an inspection of the village on Thursday, 23rd April and a report with relevant photographs drawn up by TA. The report was circulated to all members.

The ‘Swinging Steps’ item of play equipment had an unsafe bolt suspending one of the supporting chains from the crossbeam. This section of the item had been removed and reported to the suppliers. An inspection was awaited which would determine if a repair was sufficient or a replacement beam required.

A large willow tree on the small pond in Cross Lane requires attention. One quotation from a tree surgeon had been obtained and another two quotations would be sought in the coming days.

A large willow tree beside the main village pond had been casting significant shadow on to the garden of a nearby resident. The tree had been originally planted by the village W.I. who had given permission for pruning to be done. This would be paid for by the resident in question.

The MEHM Trust had agreed to chase up the repair due to be done to the shed beside the village hall and to keep that area tidy. They also agreed to provide a new litter bin for the children’s play area.

A notice would be put in ‘Saints Alive’ reminding residents whose hedges bordered public footpaths that the hedges should be kept trimmed and footpaths kept clear for pedestrians.

6. Geese on the pond
During the current period of nesting and laying eggs, the geese are slightly aggressive. The situation will continue to be monitored.

7. Year End Accounts 2014/15
Year End accounts as at 31st March 2015 were circulated by the clerk. The previous year’s overspend had been reversed and the year had ended with a healthy surplus partly due to an increased annual precept and partly due to there being no major repairs required to playground equipment. No specific queries were raised and acceptance of the accounts was proposed by PR, seconded by PA and unanimously agreed.

8. Financial Report & approval of payment
Income and expenditure reports, budget reports and bank statements were circulated by the clerk for the first month, ending 30th April 2015, of the new financial year. No queries were raised. Approval was given for the payment of the clerk’s salary.

Parish Council insurance was due for renewal on 1st June 2015 and 3 quotations had been received from the broker who recommended the one received from Hiscox Insurance at a premium of £401 for the year. This could be reduced to £380 for the first year if the parish council entered into a 3-year agreement. After some discussion, it was agreed that the Hiscox quotation for a 3-year agreement should be accepted. (Following the meeting, the premium was reduced to £330 due to an adjustment in the fixed assets total). In the subsequent 2 years there would be a small index-linked increase on sums insured.

9. Possible donations to Churchyard maintenance and other charities
The Parochial Church Council had written requesting a donation from the parish council towards the upkeep of the churchyard. A donation had been given in the past. After discussion, PA proposed that a donation should be given which was seconded by PR. The amount of £200 was agreed by all but that it should be accompanied by a specific request for the money to be used towards the maintenance of the new section of the churchyard which was often in need of weeding and tidying.

Requests for donations had been received from various other charities but it had been decided the previous year that money should be given only to those charities which directly benefit local residents. No change was made to this decision.

10. To receive items for the next Agenda – meeting of 9th July 2015
The following items were suggested:

Geese on the pond
Village inspection
Churchyard maintenance
Planning matters
Possible solar farm
SNAP
Possible donation to the Burnham Market car scheme
Future meeting dates
No other items were discussed but prior to the close of the meeting the chairman gave sincere thanks to those councillors who were standing down at the forthcoming election on 7th May 2015 and who had given many years of loyal service to the parish council.

The meeting closed at 7.10pm. to be followed at 7.30pm. by the Annual Parish Meeting.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 12th March 2015 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – E Thuburn, tel 01485 518409

Present:
Present: Mr. T. Austin (TA)
Mrs. P. Austin (PA)
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Mrs. R. Brown (RB)
Mr. M. Roche (MR) – arrived at 7.20 pm during Item 5
Mrs. P. Roche (PR) – arrived at 7.05 pm
Mr. J. Seedhouse (JS)

Two members of public were present.

1. To consider apologies for absence
Two members arrived late as detailed above.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting
RB did not agree with the wording of the paragraph on War Memorial Maintenance in Item 9. An amendment to the wording was agreed as follows:

“The future maintenance of the War Memorial was considered and a separate cost item will be entered into the annual budget. The metal railing on one side of the Memorial had been knocked over slightly by a vehicle. TA had tried to rectify it but Mr. Punter would be asked if he could do more work on it.”

The Minutes were then approved and signed by the Chairman. An amended copy would be circulated to all members.

3. To record declarations of interest from members in any item to be discussed
MR & PR declared an interest in Item 8a regarding a planning matter.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow public participation
Two members of the public present but neither wanted to raise any matter in particular.

5. SNAP Report
TA had attended a recent meeting at which the usual concerns of parking problems and anti-social behaviour in Hunstanton were raised. In general, crime figures were 16% up on the previous year, however, detection rate for the same period was up by 28%. Due to the potential for illegal fly tipping, a proposal to charge for the use of council recycling centres was being reconsidered by the County Council.

6. Village Inspection
The date of 23rd April was confirmed with members meeting at 2.00 pm at the village hall.

7. Annual Parish Meeting
This will be held on Thursday, 30th April at 7.30 pm in the village hall. TA agreed to organise drinks and nibbles for the evening and to arrange for a flyer to be distributed with Saints Alive inviting all residents to attend. The meeting would be preceded by a normal parish council meeting commencing at 6.00 pm.

8. Planning Matters:
a) An application had been received for outline permission for a dwelling on part of the land belonging to The Old Rectory. The owners (MR & PR) did not take part in the discussion. Other members had no objection to the proposal and an appropriate comment would be sent to the Borough.

b) An application had been made for the removal of a diseased tree from the boundary of Sarah’s Cottage on Station Road following an inspection by the Borough’s tree officer. The tree had been condemned and the owners were handling this matter directly with the Borough.

9. Parish Council Elections
The clerk explained the procedure for nominations and acceptance of nomination by prospective councillors. The deadline for submission is set for 9th April but ideally papers should be submitted before that date to allow for checking and any possible corrections. A meeting for new councillors to formally accept office must be held within two weeks from the Monday following the election on 7th May. The date of 20th May was set provisionally.

10. Jack’s Lane Wind Farm (road closures & benefit fund)
A CLG meeting had been held on 11th March following an afternoon tour of the site. TA reported that the site offices would be removed within about 2 weeks. That and re-instatement of the roadway hedges and verges would require temporary road closures. The turbines would be operational from April 2015. One more CLG meeting would be held in the Autumn and then the committee disbanded.

The total benefit fund for the affected villages would be approximately £30k per annum with individual projects limited to £5k. RES announced that they were in the early stages of planning a solar farm on a 25acre site to the west of Jack’s Lane.

11. Updates on ongoing matters:
MR reported that repairs to the shed should be carried out within two weeks.
Trees beside the village pond were still under discussion. A resident in Cross Lane had also expressed concern about a tree overhanging the pond in Cross Lane. Both situations would be looked at during the village inspection on 23rd April.
The War Memorial had been discussed previously and also in Item 2. It was agreed that provision would always be made for its maintenance.
A licence had been obtained from the County Council for the placing of plant troughs at village boundary signs on Burnham Road, Bircham Road and Docking Road. One had already been installed and the remaining two would be done in the near future.
12. Financial Reports and approval of payments
Income and expenditure reports, budget reports and bank statements were circulated by the clerk. No queries were raised. Approval was given for the payment of the clerk’s salary and for the invoice issued by the Borough for the collection of dog waste from bins.

13. To receive items for the next Agenda for the meeting of 30th April
Due to this meeting being held immediately prior to the Annual Parish Meeting, it was agreed that the Agenda should be brief and contain only the usual compulsory items, updates and consideration of the accounts for the year ending 31st March 2015.

Before the end of the meeting, thanks were given to the MEHM Trust for installing a new heating system in the village hall which was a great improvement. No other matters were discussed and the meeting closed at 8. 50pm.

Following the end of the meeting it was agreed that existing councillors would meet informally for lunch at the Duck Inn on 27th April as some councillors would be standing down at the forthcoming election on 7th May.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 8th January 2015 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – E Thuburn, tel 01485 518409

Present:
Mr. T. Austin (TA)
Mrs. P. Austin (PA)
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Mrs. R. Brown (RB)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mrs. P. Roche (PR)
Mr. J. Seedhouse (JS)

Nine members of public were present.

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm by welcoming all councillors and members of the public and wishing everyone a happy New Year.

1. To consider apologies for absence
All members present.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting
Minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed
MR and PR declared an interest in Item 13 and stated they would leave the meeting before any discussion took place.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow public participation
One member of the public had a list of items to which he asked the parish council to give consideration. The items were:

the post box set into the wall opposite Brewers Cottage may require some attention to the surrounding mortar.
some white lines on the highways in the area are in need of re-painting.
County Council to be reminded that many pot holes required attention which should be possible since the Government had allocated extra funding to councils for this purpose.
another letter should be sent to the district councillor regarding the untidy state of the field at the former scrap site on the corner of Fakenham/Bircham Roads.
could something be done to prevent or discourage wide and heavy farm vehicles from eroding the edges of grass verges throughout the village?
the installation of a kerb around base of the village cross to prevent vehicles from damaging the grass. The chairman pointed out that there had once been a kerb but it had been removed following an instruction from English Heritage.
could a request be sent to BT to increase broadband speed in the area?
now that the six turbines of Jack’s Lane wind farm had been erected, the parish council should vigorously oppose any suggestion to increase the number of turbines in future.
is there the possibility of planting a bank of native trees which would eventually screen the turbines from parts of the village?
there had been some mention in the press of the possibility of fracking taking place in Norfolk and the parish council should show great concern about this matter.
Following the parish council meeting of 13th November 2014 two members of the public present had received a letter from the parish council expressing concern at the number of cars parked on Docking Road outside their property. These residents had sent a written reply but had attended this evening to emphasise their disappointment at having received such a letter. They pointed out that there were no parking restrictions on Docking Road and their parked cars were parked in compliance with the law. They had lived in the property for two years and knew of no traffic incident in that time because of parked cars.

They felt that the letter they received had gone beyond the council’s remit and hoped that having explained their point of view the matter would now be concluded. The chairman stated that it was the duty of the council to investigate any concerns raised by village residents which had been brought to its attention. He agreed that no laws had been broken and thanked the residents for coming along to put forward their point of view. The matter would now be closed.

5. Village Inspection
A date was set for Thursday, 23rd April 2015 with councillors meeting at the village hall at 2.00pm.

6. Scrap Site – Fakenham/Bircham Roads
This had been discussed under Item 4 but it was agreed that another letter should be sent to Docking Parish Council, in whose area the scrap site fell, to ask them to speak to the owners about the state of the site.

7. Planning Matters
The clerk reported that an application for permitted development to a house in Station Road had been refused on the basis that it fell outside the range of permitted development.

The owners of Stanhoe Hall had appealed to the Borough against the refusal to allow retrospective permission for a bank of solar panels on their land. The parish council had originally objected and after some discussion it was agreed that no further comment needed to be sent to the Borough.

8. Stanhoe representative for the Jack’s Lane wind farm Community Benefit Fund committee
The chairman stated that, in his opinion, the representative should be a member of the parish council. He was already the representative for Stanhoe on the liaison group with RES, the energy company. After some discussion, it was proposed by DB that the chairman should also be the Stanhoe committee member for the Community Benefit Fund. This proposal was seconded by MR and JS and was unanimously agreed. Councillors expressed their sincere thanks to the chairman for all the work he did on their behalf.

9. Updates on the following:
Wind Farm: All turbines now installed so a road closure will be in place soon to allow for clearance of all site construction equipment. The access lane will be re-instated to its original state by the energy company.
The Benefit Fund committee will be meeting in the near future. A number of villages would receive benefit but no amount had yet been set for Stanhoe. To date, suggestions for use of the fund in Stanhoe, included improvements to the village hall, the possibility of a ‘trod’ along Bircham Road and some tree planting to screen the turbines.
Trees beside the pond: Following discussions at previous meetings, it has been established that none of the trees has a preservation order attached and there are no restrictions relating to what can be done to trees on Common Land. It is probably not possible for the parish council to pay for any pruning or removal but MR reported that the resident who initially raised the issue would be willing to pay costs.
War Memorial Maintenance: The future maintenance of the War Memorial was considered and a separate cost item will be entered into the annual budget. The metal railing on one side of the Memorial had been knocked over slightly by a vehicle. TA had tried to rectify it but Mr. Punter would be asked if he could do more work on it.
Plant trough at the village boundary: This requires a licence from the Highways Dept. which has been provisionally granted subject to them receiving dimensions of the intended trough and a photograph. These will be submitted in the near future.
10. Budget for 2015/16
A draft budget was circulated by the clerk with no increase on the precept of the current year’s figure of £6,500. In addition, there would be a £100 Central Government Council Tax Support Grant. Subject to the above mentioned war memorial maintenance being shown as a separate cost item, acceptance of the budget was proposed by RB, seconded by PA and unanimously agreed.

11. Financial Report and approval of payments
The clerk circulated Income and Expenditure reports, a Budget to date report and the most recent Bank Statements for the current financial year. No queries were raised. Payment was approved for the clerk’s salary and training course expense.

12. To receive items for the next Agenda
Items suggested for the Agenda of the next meeting scheduled for 12th March 2015 were as follows:

Repairs to the shed adjacent to the village hall
Wind Farm benefit fund
Village inspection
Potential new councillors
13. Planning suggestion at The Old Rectory, Church Lane
Having previously declared an interest in this item, MR and PR left the meeting before any discussion. MR and PR, the owners of The Old Rectory were investigating the possibility of building a new smaller house on the part of their land to the north of the existing house. The plan would be to move into the new house and then sell The Old Rectory with a new boundary line between the two properties. Stanhoe has been designated by the Borough as an area unsuitable for additional development and permission for new homes is usually on the basis of demolition of the old, however, councillors had no objection in principle to the building of a new additional property provided all the normal consultations took place upon submission of a planning application.

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 8. 50pm.