Stanhoe Parish Council

Draft Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 9th September 2021 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss R. Brown (RBR)
Mrs J. Lord (JL)
Mrs R. Birkin (RB)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)
Mr B. Gorton (BG)

Apologies:

Nil

In attendance:

6 members of the public

1. To consider apologies for absence: All Councillors were present.

2. To consider approval of the minutes of the last meeting held on 15th July 2021: No queries were raised and the minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. To adjourn meeting to allow public participation: The members of public present did not wish to raise any issues.

5. Parish Council Vacancy – Prospective Candidates: Council had spoken with 2 prospective candidates prior to the start of tonight’s meeting. Deliberations would continue at the close of the meeting.

6. Go to Town Bus Service: The Clerk had asked WNCT whether they could provide a further ‘drop request’ in Stanhoe on the 14.30 bus from Kings Lynn. WNCT had advised that with low patronage from the village, and without financial support from the Parish Council, they would be unable to offer any further services. Subsequently RBR has emailed WNCT on 2 occasions, once as a resident and once as a Parish Councillor, pointing out that there is no return service from Kings Lynn to Stanhoe on a Saturday or Sunday. RBR had received a reply to her initial email from the WNCT Manager advising that the new route and timetable would be reviewed in a few weeks and they would take another look at the possibility of including more services via Stanhoe at that point. An update is still awaited.

7. NALC Share Certificate: As a result of the NALC registering as a co-operative organisation, Stanhoe Parish Council became a founder member of NALC and was subsequently issued with a share certificate. The PC accepts no liability or obligation as a result of this change in corporate structure.

8. Egmere Energy Traffic: MW is the lead Parish Councillor for issues relating to Egmere Energy traffic. With the maize harvest, weather dependent, due to start in the coming weeks MW reminded Council that any agricultural vehicles transiting the village on route to Egmere were restricted to 15mph. In addition, each tractor/trailer unit would display a unique identifier that could be used to report any transgressions. Any issues identified should be passed, in the first instance, to the Parish Clerk.

9. SAM 2 Update: The SAM 2 had been working without issue. The fastest recorded speeds within the 30mph limit from 4th July 2021 to 1st September 2021 had been:

Date Time Speed Sign Position
24th July 08:05 50mph Longwall Barn facing the pond
2nd August 12:45 60mph Pond facing Burnham Market
During July 18,233 vehicles passed the speed sign, in August the figure was 43,407 vehicles. On the theory that most vehicles return at some point during the day, this would indicate that the monthly traffic through Stanhoe during August was is in the order of 87,000 or 2,800 vehicles per day.

10. Gambling Act – Statement of Principles: The Chairman advised Council that local authorities are obliged, in accordance with the Gambling Act 2005, to publish a Statement of Principles each 3-year period. Whilst invited to comment on the draft statement of principles, due to come into force on 31st January 2022, Council did not feel it was necessary to do so.

11. Overgrown Trees and Hedges: Further to a conversation with the homeowner, the Chairman was pleased to report that the overgrown trees/bushes at the Old Rectory had been dealt with in a timely manner. MW did report however that the issue was still apparent on some lanes and outside some properties. The Chairman agreed to discuss this with the relevant land and homeowners.

12. Children’s Play Area – Equipment Repairs/Cleaning/Litter Bin: Further minor repairs identified in the annual inspection, the replacement of shackles and caps, could be rectified at a cost of £475.00, a price negotiated by the Chairman as the original quote had been £600. Arrangements would be made for this work to be undertaken. BG, assisted by the Chairman, had recently undertaken the annual jet washing of all equipment. Unfortunately, the aerial walkway had broken recently, the quote for repair being £900. BG agreed to replace the aerial walkway with a ‘fixed’ walkway, at no cost, other than materials, to the Council. The Council thanked BG for his very generous offer. Whilst the MEHM Trust had kindly agreed to fund the playground litter bin housing, subject to the Parish Council paying the annual emptying charge, clarification was still needed on the funding for a concrete base.

13. Pre-Submission Consultation Period for the Local Plan Review: Notification had been received from the BCKLWN advising that the Local Plan Review will be open for representations until 5.00pm on 27th September 2021. Council did not feel it necessary to make any representation as the allocation of land to deliver the development requirements of the borough, such as housing, employment, recreation, green spaces, community and leisure was unlikely to impact upon Stanhoe.

14. MEHM Trust Matters: The Clerk had received an email from the Chair of the MEHM Trust, relating to matters discussed with the Parish Council Chairman over several months back, requesting that the feedback from MEHM Trustees be presented to Council. Whilst not exhaustive, matters included, hedge trimming work for the MEHM Trust, mole traps, funding for the playground waste bin housing, the area behind the playground, granting approval to house a Parish Council filing cabinet in the Village Hall and approaching the BCKLWN regarding the siting/erection of ‘finger posts’ for the Village Hall. Other matters relating only to the MEHM Trust were also included. The Chairman circulated a proposed response to Councillors, which after discussion was approved to be sent to the MEHM Trust Chair.

15. Planning Applications and Information: The following planning applications had been received or decided upon since the last meeting:

Application Number Proposal Decision
21/00971/F
Rear extension and front porch. Provide access to side of property.

Orchard House
Docking Road

Application permitted 5th August 2021
21/00088/TPO
Fell lime tree as too close to house and root plate lifting.

Grange Cottage
Docking Road

TPO work approved
18th August 2021
21/01702/F
Replacement dwelling and garage.

Grange Cottage
Docking Road

Parish Council comments to be submitted to BCKLWN by 21st September
16. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated to Councillors by the Clerk. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100838 J. Faulks Village maintenance 330.00
100839 M. Wilson Bird spikes for children’s play equipment 29.99
100840 W. Leighton Salary July & August 2021 325.68
100841 HMRC PAYE July & August 2021 81.40
17. Resident’s Concerns/Issues Raised after the Agenda was Published:

None received/raised.

18. Items for the Next Agenda – Meeting of 11th November 2021:

Parish Council Vacancy
Go to Town Bus – Update
SAM 2 – Update
Overgrown Trees and Hedges
Children’s Play Area

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.15pm.

 

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 15th July 2021 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss R. Brown (RBR)
Mrs J. Lord (JL)
Mrs R. Birkin (RB)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)
Mr B. Gorton (BG)

Apologies: Nil

In attendance: None

1. To consider apologies for absence: All Councillors were present.

2. To consider approval of the minutes of the last meeting held on 13th May 2021: No queries were raised and the minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. Parish Council Vacancy – Expressions of Interest: Two expressions of interest had been received. The Chairman had requested further information but it was anticipated that the next stage would be for the ‘applicants’ to meet with other Councillors before/after the September meeting. The Chairman explained how it might be possible to admit both candidates if the Council wished.

5. Go to Town Bus Service: The Parish Council had been advised by West Norfolk Community Transport (WNCT) that the Service 21, which serves Stanhoe, would be expanded with effect from 4th August 2021. The enhanced service would allow additional travel from Stanhoe to Kings Lynn, with an option to go to Hunstanton. Those wishing to use the service are advised to check the latest timetable at https://www.gtt-online.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Service-21-NEW-timetable-7th-SEPT-2020.pdf

RBR asked whether WNCT could be requested to provide a further ‘drop request’ in Stanhoe on the 14.30 bus from Kings Lynn. The Clerk would ask WNCT whether this would be possible.

6. Parish Partnership Scheme: Applications under the Parish Partnership Scheme for FY2022/23 had to be submitted by 10th December 2021. Whilst no requirement for funding immediately sprung to mind, Councillors would consider this during the coming months.

7. Egmere Energy Traffic: Councillors were in agreement that, to date, the harvest had not caused too much disruption in the village. Whilst the harvesting of rye had finished, it was envisaged that the maize harvest, weather dependent, would start on or around 13th September.

8. SAM 2 Update: The SAM 2 had been working without issue. The fastest recorded speeds within the 30mph limit from 1st May 2021 to 3rd July 2021 had been:

Date Time Speed Sign Position
14th May 22:15 65mph Leo facing Burnham Market
13th June 11.25 55mph Longwall Barn facing Bircham
During May 31,892 vehicles passed the speed sign, in June (up to 3rd July) the figure was 21,987 vehicles. On the theory that most vehicles return at some point during the day, this would indicate that total monthly traffic through Stanhoe is in the order of 54,000 or 1,800 per day.

9. Geese on the Pond: RBR advised Councillors that the number of Egyptian Geese on the pond had now reached 8 and their increased presence was a traffic hazard. RBR merely wanted this noted.

10. Overgrown Trees on Church Lane: MW reported that some trees/bushes at the Old Rectory were encroaching onto Church Lane making it difficult for some vehicles to pass without coming into contact with the trees/bushes. The Chairman agreed to discuss this with the homeowner.

11. Children’s Play Area – Equipment Repairs/Cleaning/Litter Bin: The major repairs required, as highlighted in the annual inspection, had been completed, at a cost of £1100 plus VAT, and the play area was now fully serviceable. BG, assisted by the Chairman, would now arrange to undertake the annual jet washing of all equipment. The Clerk has researched the placement and associated costs in providing a waste bin for the play area. A bin could be placed close to the play area provided it was placed on a concrete base, within a waste bin housing. Whilst costs to lay a concrete base were unknown, a bin housing would cost approximately £500 plus VAT and the current annual charge to empty the bin would be £185.29. Prior to committing to any further expense, Councillors felt it appropriate to hold a ‘budget’ meeting with members of the MEHM Trust. In the first instance, the Chairman agreed to discuss with the Chairman of the MEHM Trust.

12. Highways Issues: The Clerk had reported a number of issues to the Highways Department including the signs and posts that still require replacing at the Bircham crossroads, overgrown verges at junctions obscuring visibility, in particular the Creake junction opposite Mill House Farm on the Burnham Road, and general traffic and speed limit signs being obscured by overgrown hedging/foliage.

The response from the Highways Department had been as follows:

“The signs and posts to be replaced have had to be ordered, so will take approx. 12 weeks and then we have to programme for works to install them, so I cannot give you any time scales currently, other than to say the signs and posts are ordered.

The grass cutting has been completed for this year, this year the county council members have decided to only do one grass cut, so this junction will not be cut again as part of our grass cutting contract.

I fully appreciate the issue with visibility and will add the location to a list of locations that we may strim out, if and when I get the resource, but at this time cannot confirm it will be done in the short term.

If they are private trees hedging, it is down to the owner of the tree/hedge to cut, although we will do it if it is obscuring a road sign for safety reasons, usually with the ranger gang. I will ask my tech to check the village when she is next there.”

13. NALC Code of Conduct Petition: There is a move to introduce sanctions into the Code of Conduct to ensure that any inappropriate behaviour by Councillors will come with consequences. There is a petition on the Government website relating to this:

Legislate to enable Councillors to be disqualified or suspended for poor conduct – Petitions (parliament.uk) and is as follows:

Legislate to enable Councillors to be disqualified or suspended for poor conduct: The Government should amend legislation to enable Councillors to be disqualified or suspended for breaching relevant Codes of Conduct. Most Councillors maintain high standards of conduct, but a minority engage in unacceptable behaviour, such as harassment & bullying. This activity would be grounds for dismissal in an employment setting, and equivalent sanctions should exist for Councillors.

Councillors did not feel that this was required as it should be the responsibility of the Chairman to address any issues that came to light that fell short of the Code of Conduct.

14. Planning Applications and Information: The following planning applications had been received or decided upon since the last meeting:

Application Number Proposal Decision
21/00594/LDP
Rear extension and front porch. Provide access to side of property.

Orchard House
Docking Road

Application withdrawn 20th May 2021
21/00039/TPO
The felling or re-pollarding of 3 lime trees.

Replant with 6 new suitable species spread across the address.

Grange Cottage
Docking Road

TPO Partial

30th June 2021

15. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated to Councillors by the Clerk. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100830 Play Insp Co Annual Playground Inspection 132.00
100831 CGM Ltd Increase in grass cutting April/May 2021 3.80
100832 J. Faulks Village Maintenance 245.00
100833 ICO Annual Data Protection Fee 40.00
100834 W. Leighton Salary May & June 2021 325.68
100835 HMRC PAYE May & June 2021 81.40
16. Resident’s Concerns/Issues Raised after the Agenda was Published:

Independent Remuneration Panel Members’ Allowances Questionnaire 2021: The BCKLWN has advised that a statutory review of allowances was being carried out by an independent panel and part of that review was for the Parish Council to complete a questionnaire. Questions surrounded the consideration to pay basic allowances to the Chairman and other Councillors. Council agreed unanimously that they did not wish to consider paying a basic allowance. The Clerk would respond accordingly.

Burnham Market Area Community Car Scheme (BMACCS): A letter had been received from the BMACCS Coordinator requesting help by way of a donation. Funding for the last FY was £5965.00 with expenses costing £8607.00. Councillors agreed, in line with the budget, to a donation of £120.00

Email from a Resident: An email had been received from a resident regarding the Norfolk County Community Safety Partnership (NCCSP) consultation that had been placed on the Stanhoe website. With the exception of road safety, which did not appear on the list of proposed priorities, the resident did not necessarily consider that many of the priorities listed had any bearing on life in Stanhoe. Whilst the residents’ comments were welcomed, the article was placed on the website on behalf of Norfolk Police to give all Stanhoe residents the opportunity to consider and respond to whether they feel the priorities correctly reflect the issues which matter most to them.

17. Items for the Next Agenda – Meeting of 9th September 2021:

Go to Town Bus
SAM 2 – Update

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.35pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 13th May 2021 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss R. Brown (RBR)
Mrs J. Lord (JL)
Mrs R. Birkin (RB)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)
Mr B. Gorton (BG)

Apologies:

Nil

In attendance:

Nil

1. To consider apologies for absence: All Councillors were present. The Chairman took the opportunity to welcome all Councillors back to the first face to face meeting since March 2020.

2. To consider approval of the minutes of the last meeting held on 11th March 2021: No queries were raised and the minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. Review of Parish Council Policy Documents: The Chairman advised that the review was still ongoing, but progress was being made. This item would now be removed from the agenda/meeting until the review was complete.

5. Housing Needs Survey: It was understood that all residents had received a letter inviting them to complete a Housing Needs survey. Whilst some Councillors had completed the survey, some of the questions were felt to be intrusive. Findings were expected to be available later this month.

6. Litter Bins: Further to the installation of the fence around the children’s play equipment, Councillors felt it appropriate to consider the placement of a general waste bin, emptied by the BCKLWN, as close to the play area as possible. The Clerk would contact the BCKLWN to discuss a location for the waste bin and all associated costs. The Clerk would report back at the July meeting.

7. SAM 2 Update: The SAM 2 had been working without issue. The fastest recorded speeds within the 30mph limit from mid-March 2021 to the end of April 2021 had been:

Date Time Speed Sign Position
12th March 20:50 55mph Longwall Barn facing Bircham
11th April 14.05 65mph The Grange facing Docking
During March 14,438 vehicles passed the speed sign, in April the figure was 14,862 vehicles.

8. Tourism: ‘Tourism Experience’, part of Norfolk County Council, had conducted a survey into ‘tourism in your area’. The organisation planned to carry out the survey every 6 months over the coming 2-3 years. Results of the initial survey were still awaited.

9. Temporary Event Notices (TEN): The Parish Council has been approached by Northwold and Whittington Parish Council expressing concern that currently PCs were not consulted by the approving authority (normally the Borough Council) when a TEN is requested although such one off local events may have impact on the local community.

While the Council was sympathetic to the concerns raised, it did not feel it was in a position to exercise a power of veto in view of its relatively infrequent meetings. It was agreed to request mandatory notification of all TENs so that precautions to protect the community could be taken if necessary. This decision would be relayed to the Chairman of the above referenced Council.

10. Play Equipment Cleaning: The Parish Council had received a circular from a local company offering a weekly sanitisation and cleaning service for the children’s play equipment. Whilst MW agreed to obtain a quotation, BG and DL would still undertake the annual jet washing of the equipment in the coming weeks. MW took the opportunity to advise Councillors that the annual inspection of the play equipment would take place in the week commencing 17th May.

11. Mobile Homes in the Paddock, Parsons Lane: There was nothing further to report other than the mobile home(s) were still on site.

12. Annual Insurance Renewal: The quotation received from Came & Company for the renewal of the annual Parish Council insurance was £662.40, an increase of over 60% on the previous year’s premium. In preparation for the meeting, the Clerk, in conjunction with the Chairman, has researched alternative options. BHIB, as recommended by the NALC, had provided a quotation of £392.63 on a 3 year Long Term Undertaking which provided all legal cover plus the options determined by the Parish Council. Councillors agreed unanimously to accept the BHIB quotation.

13. Highways Issues: The Clerk had reported a number of issues to the Highways Department, in particular the replacement/re-erecting of the signs at the Stanhoe/CITB/Fakenham/Docking (B1454) crossroads. The Highways Department had confirmed that the work to do this had been programmed and would be undertaken shortly.

14. Planning Applications and Information: The following planning application had been received or decided upon since the last meeting:

Application Number Proposal Decision
21/00594/LDP Rear extension and front porch. Provide access to side of property.
Orchard House
Docking Road Parish Council not invited to comment
The Parish Council had also been notified of a new property address:

Pool House, The Old Rectory, Church Lane.

15. End of Year Accounts, Financial Report and approval of payments: Year End accounts as at 31st March 2021 were circulated to Councillors by the Clerk. The accounts had been inspected by the Internal Auditor and all was found to be in order. Council agreed unanimously with the End of Year Accounts. The Chairman and the Clerk were therefore able to sign the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2020/21.

Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were also circulated to Councillors by the Clerk. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100821 B. Gorton Shut the Gate sign 15.10
100822 Gooch Pest Control 192.00
100823 W. Leighton Salary March & April 2021 325.68
100824 W. Leighton Expenses March & April 2021 68.33
100825 R. Canwell Internal Audit Fee 35.00
100826 HMRC PAYE March & April 2021 81.40
16. Resident’s Concerns/Issues Raised after the Agenda was Published:

Norfolk Playing Fields Association (NPFA): The NPFA had invited the Parish Council to renew its membership at a cost of £20 for the coming year. Councillors agreed unanimously to the invitation. The Clerk would arrange for a cheque to be sent to the NPFA.

Bio-digester Traffic: MW and DL had attended a recent Zoom meeting. In addition to other areas, it had been confirmed crops would be grown in Syderstone and Docking; transporting crops from these area would be the most likely to result in traffic transiting Stanhoe. Whilst the mode of transportation had yet to be confirmed, attendees were advised that drivers were paid by the hour and not by the tonnage negating any need to speed in an effort to earn more money. The final transportation routes were also still to be confirmed. No date had been set for the next meeting.

17. Items for the Next Agenda – Meeting of 15th July 2021:

SAM 2 – Update
Children’s Play Area – Equipment Cleaning/Litter Bin

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.35pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 11th March 2021 at 6.00pm
via Zoom
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss R. Brown (RBR)
Mrs J. Lord (JL)
Mrs R. Birkin (RB)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)
Mr B. Gorton (BG)

Mr W Leighton Clerk

Apologies: None

In attendance: None

1. To consider apologies for absence: All Councillors were present on the call.

2. To consider approval of the minutes of the last meeting held on 14th January 2021: No queries were raised and it was agreed the minutes would be signed by the Chairman when possible.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. Review of Parish Council Policy Documents: The Chairman advised that the review was still ongoing, but progress was being made. The Chairman had reviewed neighbouring Parish Council policies which varied in consistency and the number of policies in place – ranging from 8 to 23. To assist, MW agreed to review the Playground Policy and the Clerk would review the Financial Regulations and, in conjunction with the Chairman, the Community Emergency Policy. A further update would be provided at the next Parish Council meeting.

5. Children’s Play Area Annual Inspection: Following the retirement of the regular Playground Inspector, MW had contacted another approved Inspector. For an inspection ‘within 2 weeks’ costs would be £250 + VAT, ‘within 8 to 12 weeks’ costs would be £110 + VAT. MW had opted for the 8 to 12 week window and the inspection would take place sometime in May 2021.

6. Criminal Behaviour in the Village: The Chairman had been made aware that police action had been taken in response to COVID related vandalism at a house near the pond where a family have been renting for 3 years and living for the past year. Should anyone have any information relating to this then they should contact the police on 101.

7. SAM 2 Update: The SAM 2 had been working without issue. The fastest recorded speeds within the 30mph limit for January to mid-March 2021 had been:

Date Time Speed Sign Position
11th January 19:20 55mph Longwall Barn facing Bircham
1st March 16:50 50mph Longwall Barn facing the Pond
During January 10,672 vehicles passed the speed sign, in February the figure was 5,641 vehicles.

8. Rangers Visit April 2021: The Rangers had been requested to clear the storm drains in Cross Lane, clean all street furniture and the village gates and sweep the footpath from the junction by the pond to the Duck Inn. In addition, the Clerk would notify the Highways Department of a fallen road sign at the Bircham crossroads junction and a weak road sign outside Leo on Docking Road.

9. Village Spring Clean: The Great British Spring Clean is scheduled to take place between 28th May 2021 and 13th June 2021. Councillors agreed that the ‘Stanhoe litter pick’ would take place on Saturday 12th June 2021 with participants meeting at the Reading Room on Cross Lane at 10.30am. Bags would be provided and MW would investigate the cost of litter picker tools. In an effort to further reduce litter in the village, the Clerk would determine the feasibility and costs of placing additional litter bins at either end of Church Lane.

10. Biomass Traffic: Primarily MW, but also the Chairman, had attended various Zoom meetings, along with neighbouring Parish Council representatives, and representatives from Egmere Energy and Future Biogas Limited. In the main, discussions centred on the speed of the tractor and trailer units passing through villages although other topics were discussed. Positives from the meeting were:

15mph speed limits will be stipulated, and monitored, for harvest traffic through villages.

Trailers will display identification numbers and the EEL logo so any misbehaviour can be reported and acted upon.

Further meetings would be scheduled.

11. Mobile Homes in the Paddock, Parsons Lane: It was understood that a further hearing had taken place on or around 9/10 March, the outcome of which was awaited.

12. Planning Applications and Information: The following planning applications had been received or decided upon since the last meeting:

Application Number Proposal Decision
20/01908/F
Erection of detached oak framed garage

The Old Norfolk Hero

Bircham Road

Application permitted
26th January 2021
20/01921/F
Extension and alteration

The Old Stores

Docking Road

Application permitted
11th February 2021
21/00298/F
Single storey extensions to side and front of existing bungalow

Chapel Field Cottage
Cross Lane

No objection from Parish Council

13. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements had been emailed to Councillors by the Clerk. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100816 BCKLWN Dog Bin Emptying 188.45
100817 D. Scales Village Maintenance 160.00
100818 W. Leighton Salary January & February 2021 325.68
100819 HMRC PAYE January & February 2021 81.40
14. Resident’s Concerns/Issues Raised after the Agenda was Published:

Dog Waste: JL reported that she had noticed an increase in dog waste being left on pavements and on the playing field. This was particularly disappointing as there were no holiday makers in the village, only permanent residents or those who had elected to reside full time in second homes during the pandemic. A reminder to ‘clear-up’ would be placed in Saints Alive.

Stanhoe Open Gardens 2021: The 17th July was the date scheduled for Stanhoe Open Gardens 2021.

15. Items for the Next Agenda – Meeting of 13th May 2021:

SAM 2 – Update
Review of Parish Council Policy Documents
Mobile Homes in the Paddock, Parsons Lane

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.30pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 14th January 2021 at 6.00pm
via Zoom
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss R. Brown (RBR)
Mrs J. Lord (JL)
Mrs R. Birkin (RB)
Mr M. Wilson (MW)
Mr B. Gorton (BG)

Mr W Leighton (Clerk)

Apologies:

Nil

In attendance:

Nil

1. To consider apologies for absence: All Councillors were present on the call.

2. To consider approval of the minutes of the last meeting held on 14th November 2020: No queries were raised and it was agreed the minutes would be signed by the Chairman when possible.

3. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: No declarations of interest were made.

4. Docking Recycling Centre: DL had been made aware that there was a discussion on the ‘Nextdoor’ website relating to the possible reduction of operating hours/closure of the Docking Recycling Centre. This was following a review that had taken place between October and December 2020. DL had contacted Andrew Jamieson, Norfolk County Councillor and Cabinet Member for Finance, to express concern on behalf of Stanhoe Parish Council and the residents of Stanhoe. Andrew Jamieson confirmed that consideration was being given to reducing the operating hours by 1 per day but there were no plans for closure. However, after due consideration, Andrew Jamieson reported back to DL that the proposal to reduce the operating hours had been scrapped. Councillors agreed this was excellent news; the Docking Recycling Centre is a very well used and valuable asset providing an excellent service to Stanhoe and other surrounding villages.

5. Review of Parish Council Policy Documents: The Chairman advised that the review was still ongoing. A further update would be provided at the next Parish Council meeting.

6. Children’s Play Area Fencing – Update: The installation of the fencing around the children’s play area was now complete and all bills had been settled. Total costs involved were £1065.34 for materials and £750 for labour, £1815.34 including VAT of £177.56.

The sharing of costs with the MEHM Trust had been agreed as follows:

Total costs of £1815.34 ÷ 2 = £907.67 – This figure is in line with the MEHM Trust’s agreement to fund 50% of all material and labour costs, up to a maximum of £1000, plus 50% of the cost of all fixtures and fittings.

£907.67 – £750 for labour paid by the MEHM Trust = £157.67 due to the Parish Council from the MEHM Trust.

This £157.67 can be offset by 50% of the VAT (£88.78), as the Parish Council will in due course claim back the VAT.

The net figure due to the Parish Council from the MEHM Trust would therefore be £68.89 – this has subsequently been received.

For completion, BG agreed to fix a ‘Please Shut the Gate’ sign to the entrance. MW queried the widening of the entrance to the playing field; DL confirmed that this had been completed in accordance with the initial plans to remove hedging back to the gatepost, previously hidden.

Finally, all Councillors expressed their thanks for the phenomenal personal contribution that BG had made to the project which had undoubtedly saved both the Parish Council and the MEHM Trust further expense.

7. SAM 2 Update: The SAM 2 had been working without issue. The fastest recorded speeds within the 30mph limit for November and December 2020 had been:

Date Time Speed Sign Position
24th November 21:55 65mph Leo facing Burnham Market
17th December 04:25 65mph Grange facing Docking
During November 9,247 vehicles passed the speed sign, in December the figure was 12,232 vehicles; a considerable reduction in vehicles travelling through the village.

8. Rangers Visit: The Clerk informed Councillors that the Rangers were scheduled to visit the village sometime during January. The Rangers had been requested to clear the storm drains in Cross Lane, clean all street furniture and the village gates, sweep the footpath from the junction by the pond to the Duck Inn and clear the drainage pipe that runs into the pond at the Bircham Road/Burnham Road junction.

9. Village Spring Clean: The Great British Spring Clean is scheduled to take place between 28th May 2021 and 13th June 2021. Councillors agreed to defer the setting of a date for the ‘Stanhoe litter pick’ until the next meeting when more may be known on the relaxing of current Government restrictions. BG suggested, and Councillors agreed, that the ‘pick’ should be extended just beyond the village boundaries as litter was inclined to be dropped before those responsible entered the village.

10. Biomass Traffic: The Chairman had received an email from a resident expressing concern at the amount of heavy traffic travelling through the village during the summer to the Anaerobic Digestion Plant at Egmere. The email also included a document compiled by ‘local residents’ and included the following disclaimer:

“It is not an “official” document. It has not been checked with the plant, its owner, its operator or with the responsible planning authority. It is quite possible, therefore, that it contains errors.”

Some Councillors felt the document should be further distributed, but with uncertainty surrounding the validity of some of the information, and without permission of the unknown ‘author’, this was decided against. Nevertheless, Councillors did not underestimate the significant impact that the heavy traffic had upon Stanhoe residents and other surrounding village’s residents. The Chairman agreed therefore, to draft an email to other local Parish Councils offering to join any consolidated effort there may be to highlight the issues to Future Biogas, who manage the plant at Egmere. It was also felt that copying the email to local MP’s, the Police and the Stanhoe Speedwatch Coordinator could add further weight. The Chairman would send his draft to Councillors for comment, prior to sending on.

MW thought he may know the author of the document, so agreed to try and confirm this.

11. Planning Applications and Information: The following planning applications had been received or decided upon since the last meeting:

Application Number Proposal Decision
20/01714/F First floor side extension and front porch.

Ivy Cottage
Docking Road
No objection from the Parish Council

Application permitted by BCKLWN on 22nd December 2020

20/01908/F
Erection of detached oak framed garage

The Old Norfolk Hero
Bircham Road

No objection from the Parish Council
20/01921/F
Extension and alteration

The Old Stores
Docking Road

The Parish Council objected to the use of cladding and raised other comments including, but not limited to, parking and the extent of the development.

This was a majority decision by the Parish Council

20/02014/LDP
Lawful Development Certificate – proposed pool building and swimming pool

Old Rectory
Church Lane

Parish Council not invited to comment at this stage
The Parish Council had been informed by the Environment and Planning Directorate, BCKLWN that the address formerly known as Beulah Cottage, Bircham Road would now be known as Beulah House.

A resident had notified the Chairman of an open garage/cart shed that had been erected in the vicinity of The Green and had queried whether planning permission for such a structure was required. A number of Councillors had looked at the structure and did not feel that planning permission was required. The Chairman advised the resident accordingly and suggested that contact should be made with the planning department at the BCKLWN if the answer was felt to be unsatisfactory.

14. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements had been emailed to Councillors by the Clerk. A finalised budget for 2021/22, encompassing some minor line entry changes, had also been circulated. No queries were raised.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100812 D. Lord Conference Call Costs – November 2020 55.42
100813 W. Leighton Salary November & December 2020 325.68
100814 HMRC PAYE November & December 2020 81.40
15. Resident’s Concerns/Issues Raised after the Agenda was Published:

Illicit Mobile Homes in the Paddock, Parsons Lane: DL advised Council that the hearing scheduled for 16th December 2020 has been adjourned as the BCKLWN believed the mobile homes/caravans had been removed from the site. When the BCKLWN were informed that the mobile homes/caravans were still on site a further hearing was scheduled for 13th January 2021 – this was subsequently adjourned, reason unknown.

A further hearing had been scheduled for mid-February 2021.

16. Items for the Next Agenda – Meeting of 11th March 2021:

SAM 2 – Update
Review of Parish Council Policy Documents
Mobile Homes in the Paddock, Parsons Lane
Village Spring Clean
Biomass Traffic

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 7.05pm.