Stanhoe Parish Council

Draft Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 9th November 2017 at 6.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mr D. Bridge (DB)
Miss. R. Brown (RB)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mr. D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies: None

In Attendance: 6

 

1. To consider apologies for absence: None. However, DV had to leave the meeting at 6.20pm.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 21st September 2017: Paragraph 11 of the minutes of the meeting held on 21st September 2017 required amendment. Subsequent to the meeting of 21st September 2017 it had been established that the entrances/gateways on Docking Road were not unplanned; one was the re-opening of a previous entrance, the other had the appropriate permission to allow access whist building work was undertaken. The draft minutes were amended to remove all mention of the word ‘unplanned’ from paragraph 11. The Minutes were then 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 the meeting to allow for public participation: Six members of the public were in attendance. The following concerns were raised to the Council:

Broadband – Slow Broadband continues to be an issue in the village, affecting both business and social use. The Clerk would obtain an update from Karen O’Kane, Programme Director for Better Broadband for Norfolk, on the plans and timescales for Stanhoe to receive ‘faster broadband’. Previous advice had suggested that implementation in Stanhoe would take place in the first half of 2018.

Stanhoe – A Conservation Area? – Extreme reservations were expressed regarding the restrictions that would be imposed upon the village should Stanhoe become a conservation area. The reservations included having to give the Borough Council six week’s notice of intent to top, lop or fell a tree over 75mm in diameter, measured at 1.5m above ground and the potential limitations that would be placed upon the repair and maintenance of buildings. Council decided that the discussion regarding Stanhoe becoming a conservation area scheduled to be held at paragraph 15 of today’s meeting would be postponed until the full implications were known and understood.

5. New Playground Equipment: The Chairman had discussed the drawing up of an appropriate Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chairman of the MEHM Trust regarding the land on which the playground equipment sits. The Chairman of the MEHM Trust was in agreement to a MoU which the Chairman agreed to draft.

6. Station Road Traffic: The Chairman was still to write to the residents living in the properties in the Station Farm area to advise them of the County Council’s response to installing additional signage.

7. Electronic Speed Signs – SAM 2 Update and Meeting with Heacham Parish Council:

The Chairman had now downloaded data from SAM 2 and was in the process, in conjunction with Westcotec, of refining the data to make it more comprehensible.

Members of the Council had met with representatives of Heacham Parish Council to advise on the process involved in purchasing a SAM 2 utilising the Parish Partnership Scheme.

8. Village Noticeboards: DV had provided the Chairman with a quotation for the refurbishment of the existing noticeboards. DV confirmed that he could start the repairs in the coming weeks. Council agreed that in the interests of due diligence other quotations should be sought with regard to future work/repairs where possible.

9. Playing Field:

Access and Security: The Chairman of the MEHM Trust had contacted the grass cutting contractor to reiterate that access to the playing field should only be made through the chained entrance. Whilst concern was still expressed by Council on the ‘open access’ to the playing field it was agreed that, for now, no further action would be taken.

Sign: The Chairman would advise MR of the changes required to the sign to enable the amendments to be carried out.

No Dogs Signs: The Chairman would discuss further with the Chairman of the MEHM Trust.

10. Palisade Fencing Replacement on Burnham Road: Highways had advised that no further repairs would be carried out to the palisade fencing; broken/loose panels would be removed but not replaced. The palisade fencing will eventually be replaced by slabs; this has been programmed by Norfolk County Council and will be done through their routine works.

11. Entrances/gateways on Docking Road: Refer to paragraph 2.

12. E-Mails from Village Residents: Two emails had been received. One email reiterated the slowness of broadband and advised Council of missing rights of way/public footpath signs. The Clerk would obtain a broadband update, as per paragraph 4, and would contact highways, in the first instance, regarding the missing signs. The second email highlighted an issue with a tree growing around the cables fitted to a telegraph pole opposite Fern Cottage on Docking Road. The Clerk had contacted Openreach who advised it was the landowner’s responsibility to manage trees causing an obstruction to Openreach cables. Whilst the Clerk had established the landowner, Council agreed that they would ‘forward’ any letter written by the resident to the landowner. Subsequent to the meeting the Chairman has decided to write to Openreach to express the Council’s concerns with respect to the residents involved.

13. Payphone Kiosk Removal: Following prompting by the Council, BT brought forward the removal of the payphone kiosk which was finally removed on 24th October. RB reported that some cabling from the payphone was still in place; the Clerk would contact BT and ask for this to be removed.

14. Cross Lane Cross: The preservation of the Cross still remains a concern. The Chairman would contact English Heritage to establish what ‘protection’ to the Cross they would support as previous efforts had met with the dissatisfaction of English Heritage and had to be removed.

15. Stanhoe – A Conservation Area: Discussion postponed. Refer to paragraph 4.

16. Fingerpost and Brown Signs for the Reading Room: DV advised Council that it was the intention of the MEMH Trust to place signs at either end of Cross Lane indicating the location of the Reading Room. The Clerk would contact Highways to obtain permission, or otherwise, for signs to be erected.

17. Norfolk ALC AGM – Motion regarding Second Homes: RB had noticed that ‘second homes’ was an agenda item on the forthcoming Norfolk ALC AGM. Stanhoe has a number of second homes and RB enquired how the Council Tax collected on second homes was distributed. The Clerk would contact the Borough Council to seek clarification on this.

18. Noxious Weed Spraying: The noxious weeds opposite the Duck Inn had now been sprayed and spraying would continue on an annual basis.

19. Planning applications and information: The following applications had been received:

App Number Applicant Proposal Council Response
17/01519/LB Mr S Page Internal Alterations
3 Ivy Farm
Bircham Road Application permitted by BCKLWN
17/01589/RM Mr & Mrs M Roche Reserved Matters – Construction of one dwelling on land on the west side of Church Lane Application permitted by BCKLWN
17/01647/F Mr B Gorton Single storey garage extension
Gortmor House
Parsons Lane Application permitted by BCKLWN
20. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. No queries were raised. The Clerk advised Council that cheque number 100710 issued to HMRC on 21st September 2017 for £72.20 had not yet been presented.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100711 W. Leighton Salary September and October 2017 288.46
100712 W. Leighton Clerk’s Expenses 48.00
100713 HMRC PAYE September and October 2017 72.20
100714 BMACCS Donation 120.00
17. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 11th January 2018:

To be confirmed

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 8.15pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 21st September 2017 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mr D. Bridge (DB)
Miss. R. Brown (RB)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies:

Mr. M. Roche (MR)

In Attendance: 1

1. To consider apologies for absence: Apologies had been received from MR.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 20th July 2017: 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 the meeting to allow for public participation: The member of the public in attendance did not wish to draw anything to the attention of the Council.

5. New Playground Equipment: The Chairman had made contact with the Grants Officer of the Jack’s Lane Wind Farm Community Fund (JLWFCF) to establish whether funding could be made available to assist with the purchase of new playground equipment. At present, the Chairman confirmed that the JLWFCF would be unable to support a funding application as the land on which the playground equipment is situated is not owned by the Parish Council – it is owned by the MEHM Trust. It had been suggested that if a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was written between the landowner and the Parish Council regarding the piece of land on which the playground equipment sat then consideration may be able to be given to a funding application. Whilst Council agreed to the drawing up of a MoU, it was with the proviso that it did not involve any legal responsibilities falling under the remit of the Parish Council. The Chairman agreed to discuss the matter with the Chairman of the MEHM Trust.

6. Station Road Traffic: The Clerk had contacted the Highways Department at Norfolk County Council with a view to signs being placed in the vicinity of Station Farm warning drivers of the presence of agricultural machinery and animals. Unfortunately, the Highways Engineer is only allowed to replace or erect signs that are required for legal reasons and was therefore unable to help. The Chairman would write to the residents living in the properties in the Station Farm area to advise them of the County Council’s response.

7. Electronic Speed Signs: DV advised that the SAM 2 sign was now fully operational. Whilst DV would charge and change the battery, and rotate the sign around the four locations, he would be unable to download the data from the SAM 2 as he does not own a laptop. The Chairman agreed to undertake the downloading of data. DV further advised that garden hedging would encroach the sign at one of the locations so, along with RB, would establish the hedge ‘owner’ to enable a request to be made to trim back the hedge. Finally, Council agreed that an entry should be placed in Saints Alive advising residents that SAM 2 was now operational and of the four locations from which it would operate.

8. Village Noticeboards: The Clerk had researched the cost of 2 replacement village noticeboards. Replacements, of a similar style and standard, would cost in the region of £1500 each plus VAT. Council agreed that this was not a viable spend of public money and instead requested that DV provide a quotation for the refurbishment of the existing noticeboards.

9. Playing Field:

Access and Security: Council expressed concern that access to the playing field was not secure as vehicles could access the field from a track off Cross Lane. Whilst not suggesting it had been caused by them, the Clerk would contact the grass cutting contractor to reiterate that access to the playing field should only be made through the chained entrance.

Sign: The Chairman would discuss with MR, who had previously suggested he could arrange for the current sign to be ‘amended’.

No Dogs Signs: Discussion deferred until the November meeting.

10. Community Transport/Go to Town: RB advised that the Go to Town bus was now running to/from Stanhoe. At first sight the official timetable appeared confusing so a simplified version had been placed on Stanhoe.org and would also be included in the next edition of Saints Alive.

11. Entrances/gateways on Docking Road: RB advised Council that an entrance had appeared in the hedgerow on Docking Road opposite ‘The Grange’. In addition, there had been for some time an entrance on to Docking Road from the property being built adjacent to Field House on Church Lane. Clarification would be sought as to whether planning permission was required/had been sought for these entrances/gateways.

12. Young Willow Tree growing in pond edge at the corner of Bircham Road: DB agreed to trim the tree back so that it did not impair the visibility of road users at the junction of Bircham Road/Docking Road/Burnham Road.

13. Stanhoe.org Website: RB, on behalf of the Stanhoe Archive Group, asked whether the Parish Council would be in support of an application for funding being made to the JLWFCF from the Stanhoe Archive Group. The Parish Council gave unanimous support to such an application. RB also advised Council that the webmaster thought it would be beneficial to have a ‘deputy webmaster’ in place. An entry would be placed in Saints Alive to seek a volunteer. Hosting costs for Stanhoe.org would be due again in 2019; RB asked whether the Parish Council would consider contributing to, as yet, these unknown costs. Council agreed to consider a request for funding assistance once costs were known.

14. Request for Funding – BMACCS: The Clerk had received a written request from the BMACCS Coordinator for assistance with funding. Council agreed unanimously to make a donation of £120.00.

15. Planning applications and information: The following applications had been received:

App Number Applicant Proposal Council Response
17/01519/LB Mr S Page Internal Alterations
3 Ivy Farm
Bircham Road Application supported by Parish Council
17/01589/RM Mr & Mrs M Roche Reserved Matters – Construction of one dwelling on land on the west side of Church Lane Application supported by Parish Council
17/01647/F Mr B Gorton Single storey garage extension
Gortmor House
Parsons Lane Application supported by Parish Council – Clerk to send response to BCKLWN

16. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. No queries were raised. The Clerk advised Council that the Annual Return had now been returned from the auditors. No comments or observations had been made

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

 

Chq No Payee Reason £
100708 W. Leighton Salary July and August 2017 288.46
100704 W. Leighton Clerk’s Expenses 19.94
100705 HMRC PAYE July and August 2017 72.20

17. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 9th November 2017:

No Dogs Signs (DL/MR)
Playing Field Sign (DL/MR)
Cross Lane Cross (All)
Stanhoe – A Conservation Area (All)

The Chairman requested that the meeting on 9th November start at 6.00pm, with a view to all future meetings starting at 6.00pm. Subject to there being no issues with the revised start time on 9th November, Council would ratify the new start time for meetings accordingly.

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 8.50pm.

 

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 20th July 2017 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss. R. Brown (RB)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies:

Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mr D. Bridge (DB)

 

In Attendance:

2

1. To consider apologies for absence: Apologies had been received from DB and MR.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 11th May 2017: An amendment is required at paragraph 15 to reflect that the property address associated with Mr Ben Lord should be ‘Bramley Cottage’ and not ‘The Lodge’. Subject to the change, 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 the meeting to allow for public participation: A member of the public expressed concern about vehicles driving past the Station Farm area on Station Road at speeds that were not cognisant with the current road conditions. Recent heavy rain had caused flooding in nearby fields resulting in sand, silt, gravel and excess water accumulating on the carriageway. In addition, drivers did not appear to be taking account of animals being escorted across the road or the presence of heavy farm machinery. Council agreed to mention this problem to Highways at our next discussion with them and to add the subject together with any progress on the subject to the agenda for the next meeting.

5. New Playground Equipment: DV presented Council with designs and costings for additional play equipment. The equipment could be installed in modules, over a 3 year period, with each module costing in the region of £5000. The Chairman agreed to contact the Grants Officer of the Jack’s Lane Wind Farm Community Fund to establish whether funding could be made available to support the project before taking the proposals further.

6. Geese on the Pond: No issues with the geese had been reported.

7. Electronic Speed Signs: DV and WL attended a site survey for the SAM 2 system on 4th July 2017. Representatives from the Highways Department, Westcotec (the supplier) and the Speedwatch Coordinator were also in attendance. It was agreed that the SAM 2 would be deployed in the 30mph zones along Burnham Road, Docking Road and Bircham Road on an ad-hoc rotational basis. It is envisaged that the system would be installed, to existing traffic signage poles, in September/October 2017. The Clerk would clarify what data is collected by SAM 2 and advise Council accordingly.

8. Transparency Fund Application for 2017/18: Council requested that the Clerk prepare, for the Chairman’s approval, an application for funding from the 2017/18 Transparency Fund to cover the additional costs associated with complying with the Transparency Code.

9. Playing Field:

Access and Security: Council expressed concern that access to the playing field was not secure as vehicles could access the field from a track off Cross Lane. It was understood the landowner had been approached regarding this issue – DV would check and report back. (*)

Bin: For now, there would be no changes to the bin/emptying arrangements.

No Dogs Signs: Council had received verbal complaints regarding dogs on the playing field and playground area with some dog owners failing to clear up after their dogs. The Clerk would cost additional ‘No Dogs’ signs and place a reminder to dog owners in Saints Alive.

(*) Subsequent to the meeting, the MEHM Trust have confirmed that the landowner does not intend to take any action.

10. Community Transport/Go to Town: Further to RB attending a recent meeting, it had been confirmed that with effect from 4th September 2017 Stanhoe would be added to the timetable for the West Norfolk Community Transport bus. Costs to the Parish Council would be £700 for the first year, with an anticipated cost of £350 for the second year and no cost for the third year. The Clerk would ask the Operations Manager whether ‘boarding’ statistics would be logged and made available to Parish Councils.

11. Japanese Knotweed: Notwithstanding further e-mails to NCC and a discussion with the Highways Engineer, Japanese Knotweed will not be treated on an ad-hoc basis. As previously reported, the weed-spraying contractor will inspect in the autumn, treat as necessary, and then continue to treat on an annual basis.

12. New Signs for Church Lane: The Highways Engineer has confirmed that ‘Unsuitable for HGV’s’ signs will be attached to existing traffic sign posts at either end of Church Lane.

13. Planning applications and information: The following applications had been received:

App Number

Applicant

Proposal

Council Response

17/00788/F

Mr Ben Lord

Alterations & extension
Bramley Cottage
Docking Road

Application permitted by BCKLWN

16/01226/F

Mr David Miller

Demolition of
Station Farm Cottage
Station Road

No observations. PC to reiterate conditional support notified on 9th August 2016

14. Financial Report 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 and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No Payee Reason £
100702

E. Barber

Audit Fee

40.00
100703

W. Leighton

Salary May and June 2017

288.66
100704

W. Leighton

Clerk’s Expenses

62.98
100705

HMRC

PAYE May and June 2017

72.00
100706

Westcotec

SAM 2 Sign

3960.00
100707

Gooch Pest Control

Moles on Playing Field

105.00
15. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 21st September 2017:

Station Road Traffic (DL)
No Dogs Signs (WL)
Playing Field Security (All)
SAM 2 Update (DV/WL)
Playing Field Sign (All)
Village Noticeboards (DL/WL)
No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 8.45pm.

 

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 11th May 2017 at 5.45pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mr D. Bridge (DB)
Miss. R. Brown (RB)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies:

Mr. M. Roche (MR)

In Attendance:

4, one of those arriving part way through the meeting

1. Appointment of Chairman and Vice-Chairman: RB proposed that DL be elected as Chairman for a further year. DL stated his willingness to accept the chairmanship for a further year. The proposal was seconded by DV and unanimously agreed. JL proposed DB as Vice-chairman which was seconded by DV and also unanimously agreed.

2. To consider apologies for absence: The Clerk had received a written apology from MR.

3. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 9th March 2017: No queries were raised and the Minutes were passed and signed by the Chairman.

4. To record declarations of interest in any item to be discussed: DL and JL would step aside for part of the discussion on ‘planning applications’ as one of the applications to be discussed involved a property owned by their son.

5. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation: The 3 members of the public present from the start of the meeting expressed serious concerns regarding speeding along Burnham Road. In particular, they highlighted a school bus which passed the Methodist Church around 8.00am on school days and always appeared to be travelling in excess of the speed limit. DL explained that the Council were continually looking at options to combat speeding in the village and that those options would be discussed later in the meeting and as part of the Annual Parish Meeting. In addition, DL would ask the Speedwatch Coordinator if he could arrange for speed checks to be done along Burnham Road earlier in the day. Furthermore, DL agreed that he would write to the company operating the school bus to highlight residents concerns.

6. Parking Issues: Council had previously received complaints regarding parking issues along Cross Lane. These issues now appeared to have resolved themselves and no further action would be taken.

7. Geese on the Pond: It had not been possible to establish ownership of the geese on the pond. The Council agreed therefore that they would accept responsibility for the geese.

8. Electronic Speed Signs: DL confirmed that funding through the Parish Partnership Scheme had been approved for the purchase of a SAM 2 system. The total cost involved would be approximately £3400, with 50% being funded through the Parish Partnership scheme. Council agreed unanimously to the purchase of a SAM 2 system. In addition, Council agreed that it would be appropriate to invite the Speedwatch Coordinator to the initial and any subsequent site survey.

9. Playground – New Playground Equipment: Following an assessment of the current playground equipment by DV, it had been identified that there was a lack of play equipment for children in the 2 – 8 year old age bracket. DV would look at what was available to cater for this age group and report back at the next meeting with suggestions and costings.

10. Moles on the Playing Field: CGM had provided a quote for £310 + VAT to carry out mole control. DL advised council that Paul Crouch, a local mole controller, would charge £18 per visit. Council agreed unanimously that DL should contact Paul and instruct him to undertake mole control.

11. Community Transport/Go to Town: The Clerk advised Council that a meeting would take place on 18th May 2017 to confirm the route, and any revisions, for the Go to Town bus provided by West Norfolk Community Transport. The Clerk would obtain a further update from West Norfolk Community Transport following the meeting.

12. Recycling Survey: DL advised Council that an opportunity to take part in a recycling survey had been missed due to the lack of notice given before the survey actually closed. DL had subsequently visited the recycling centre at Docking and requested that they inform him personally of any future surveys to enable a positive input to be submitted. Council echoed that the Docking Recycling Centre was a valuable community asset which was sorely missed during a period of closure and that everything possible should be done to ensure that it does not become the subject of any future cost saving measures.

13. Request for Funding from the Parochial Parish Church (PCC): DL had received a letter from the Treasurer of the PCC requesting a donation for the upkeep of the churchyard. Whilst DL suggested a donation of £400, Council agreed that a donation of £200 would be more appropriate and would like to see it spent on the upkeep of the ‘new churchyard’. DL would reply to the PCC Treasurer accordingly.

14. Report of possible Japanese Knotweed in the area of the Pond opposite the Duck Inn: A resident of ‘The Green’ had reported to the Clerk a possible infestation of Japanese Knotweed in the area of the Pond opposite the Duck Inn. Following advice from the Environment Agency and the BCKLWN Environmental Health Department, the Clerk had contacted the Highways Department at NCC as it was understood that the possible infestation was on land owned by the Highways Department. Highways confirmed it was their land and that it was Japanese Knotweed. The weed-spraying contractor will inspect again in the autumn, treat as necessary, and then continue to treat on an annual basis.

15. Planning applications and information: The following applications had been received:

App Number

Applicant

Proposal

Council Response

17/00503/F*

Mr Mike Wilson

Extensions & alterations
The Lodge
Docking Road

No comment

17/00788/F

Mr Ben Lord

Alterations & extension
Bramley Cottage
Docking Road

Supported

* Please note that the Clerk was notified on 12th May 2017 that the proposed application for extensions and alterations to ‘The Lodge’ had been permitted

16. Year End Accounts 2016/17: Year End accounts as at 31st March 2017 were circulated by the Clerk. Whilst the year had ended with a substantial surplus, forthcoming expenditure on the SAM 2 and the potential addition of new playground equipment would vastly reduce the current surplus. No specific queries were raised and acceptance of the accounts was proposed by DB, seconded by RB and unanimously agreed. The Clerk would now make arrangements for the accounts to be inspected by the internal auditor.

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

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

Chq No

Payee

Reason

£

100695

NALC

Annual Subscription

92.63

100696

Came & Company

Annual Insurance

359.50

100697

BCKLWN

Dog Bin Emptying

81.12

100698

W. Leighton

Salary March and April 2017

307.13

100699

W. Leighton

Clerk’s Expenses

14.63

100700

HMRC

PAYE March and April 2017

76.60

18. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 20th July 2017:

New Play Equipment (DV)
Geese on the Pond (All)
Transparency Fund Application for 2017/18
Community Transport/Go to Town
19. Chairman’s Remarks: Before closing the meeting, the Chairman thanked Councillors and the Clerk for their continued support and he also took the opportunity to thank the members of the public for their attendance at today’s meeting.

No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 6.55pm. The Annual Parish Meeting then followed.

 

Signed: ……………………………………………………..

Chairman

 

 

Date: ……………………………………………………..

 

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 9th March 2017 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mr D. Bridge (DB)
Miss. R. Brown (RB)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies: None

 

In Attendance: –

 

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

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 12th January 2017: 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 made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation: No members of the public were present.

5. Co-option of new Councillor(s): Councillors had not yet been able to identify other candidates who may be suitable to serve as Parish Councillors.

6. Jack’s Lane Community Fund: The cut off for the current submission of bids is 31st March 2017. Councillors suggested a number of items which may be worthy of submission (notice boards, waste bin and the cleaning of playground equipment). To avoid any nugatory work in obtaining estimates, the Chairman would first confirm with the Grants Officer whether such items fell under the remit of the scheme.

7. Village Maintenance Duties: The Clerk reported that Derek Scales had agreed to undertake village maintenance duties, with the exception of the War Memorial which would still be looked after by Bill Punter.

8. Stanhoe.org – Support for the Webmaster: With effect from 1st February 2017, the Clerk had taken over responsibility for publishing all items relating to Parish Council matters on Stanhoe.org. Whilst this would ensure the Council continued to comply with the Transparency Code, it was also hoped that it would reduce the burden on the Webmaster. Council agreed unanimously to the Clerk’s contract being amended to include an additional 3 hours per month from 1st February 2017 to cover the increase in workload (see also Item 10).

9. Playground:

Formal Equipment Inspection: The formal inspection of the playground equipment was undertaken by David Bracey on 25 January 2017. Whilst no specific areas of concern were highlighted, the Inspector recommended that the equipment would benefit from a clean to remove a build-up of algae. The Chairman would confirm whether the cost for the clean could be in the form of a submission to the Jack’s Lane Community Fund. Failing that, Councillors would consider alternative options.

Waste Bin: The Clerk had contacted the Borough Council but they did not consider the installation of a ‘doggy bin’ in the play area to be appropriate. Council agreed that a bin located outside the play area, and accessible by the refuse lorry for emptying, may provide a solution. The Chairman would confirm whether the cost for a bin and housing could be in the form of a submission to the Jack’s Lane Community Fund.

10. Transparency Fund: The Chairman confirmed that an application (for February and March 2017) had been made to the Transparency Fund to cover the additional costs in the Clerk’s salary (3 hours per month) to ensure compliance with the Transparency Code. A further application for FY 17/18 would be made should funding become available (see also Item 8).

11. Community Transport/Go to Town: The Clerk confirmed that West Norfolk Community Transport would consider adding Stanhoe to the route when the timetable is next reviewed (May/June 2017). The Clerk would obtain a further update from West Norfolk Community Transport in early May.

12. Cross Lane Cross: Concern was again raised by Councillors regarding the safety of the Cross Lane Cross as tyre marks were repeatedly apparent on the grassed/soil area surrounding the Cross. The Clerk had contacted the Borough Council regarding the concerns but suggestions for the refuse lorry to ‘tweak’ its route were not supported. The Chairman would write to the Borough Council to further express the concerns of the Council and would include photographic evidence to support those concerns. In addition, the Clerk confirmed that Highways did not support the installation of railings around the Cross but would agree to the installation of conservation kerbing. The Parish Council would be liable for the costs involved in installing kerbing, estimated to be circa £2500.

13. Highways (including Rangers Visit): The Clerk had reported a number of issues to the Highways department regarding potholes, the repainting of white lines (at junctions and centre lines), the sweeping of Church Lane and the repairs required to the palisade fencing at the Bircham Road/Docking Road junction. Whilst some of the potholes had been filled, the remainder of the works had been scheduled into the 2017/18 Highways programme. The Rangers did not visit the village in February as the issues raised were outside their remit.

14. Local Audit – Public Access to Documents Bill: This Bill would enable journalists to have the same rights of access as local electors and passed through the Committee stage in the Commons without amendment. The Clerk would inform the Council of any such requests and would ensure that the Council complies with the Bill.

15. Thoughts for the Annual Parish Meeting: Councillors agreed that information on traffic calming measures and the progress on obtaining faster Broadband in Stanhoe would be the main focus. In addition, the Chairman would brief parishioners on what the Council had done in the preceding year, plans for the coming year and how the Parish Precept budget is spent.

16. Planning applications and information: No new applications had been received.

17. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. As requested the Clerk had produced a table showing the actual % of expenditure against budget. In addition, the Clerk confirmed that it was not possible to be paid ‘gross’ so would continue to make PAYE payments by cheque.

A proposed budget for FY2017/2018 was presented to Council and was agreed unanimously.

Approval was sought and agreed for the following payments:

 

Chq No

Payee

Reason

£

100691

D. Bracey

Playground Inspection & Report

90.00

100692

HMRC

PAYE

90.60

100693

W. Leighton

Salary for January & February 2017

241.54

100693

W. Leighton

Printer Cartridges & Paper

51.88

 

18. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 11th May 2017:

Cleaning of Play Equipment (All)
CPRE E-Mail regarding Housing Allocation Pledge (All)
Parking Issues – (There was some discussion regarding some parking problems being experienced on Cross Lane, resulting in damage to the edge of the road. It was agreed this would be added to the next meeting’s Agenda (All))
No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 9.15pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 12th January 2017 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:

Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mr D. Bridge (DB)
Miss. R. Brown (RB)
Mr M. Roche (MR)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies: None

In Attendance: –

 

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

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 10th November 2016: 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 made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation: No members of the public were present.

5. Co-option of a new Councillor: The Chairman reported that due to other obligations the individual under consideration would have to, for now, withdraw his interest in becoming a Parish Councillor. The Chairman was still keen to co-opt a least one additional Councillor and asked fellow Councillors to canvass for suitable candidates and report back at the next meeting.

6. Village Maintenance Duties: Bill Punter had notified the Council of his retirement and thanked them for their support – The Council thanked Bill for all his work over the years in maintaining aspects of the village. RB suggested that Derek Scales may be a suitable replacement as he already did similar work. RB, with the support of the Council, agreed to contact Derek regarding the vacancy.

The Clerk reported that he had been approached by Willie Shackcloth regarding a number of dead trees around Cross Lane pond. Willie would be willing to cut down the trees, at no expense, subject to Council approval. Councillors thanked Willie for this very kind gesture and were content that he remove the dead trees as necessary. The Clerk would inform Willie accordingly.

7. Playground:

Formal Equipment Inspections: DV had recently contacted the playground inspector on a number of occasions but had received no response. DV would make one further attempt, with a view to arranging an inspection, before considering an alternative inspector.

Waste Bin: The Clerk had contacted the Borough Council to discuss the emptying of the waste bin. This could be routinely emptied by the Council contractors at a cost of £98 per annum provided the Parish Council provided a ‘bin housing’, the cost of which was likely to be in the region of £500. Councillors did not consider this to be a sensible spend of Parish Council funds and asked that the Clerk go back to the Borough Council to ascertain whether the installation and emptying of a ‘doggy bin’ would be more cost effective.

Sign: The amendment or replacement of the playground sign would be placed on hold until the final decision on the BT Payphone had been made – the consultation period is due to end on 20th January 2017.

8. Parish Precept Setting Information 2017/2018: Councillors agreed that the Parish Precept should remain at the same level as last year – £6500. The Clerk would respond to the Borough Council accordingly.

9. Community Transport/Go to Town: RB advised that a new ‘Go to Town’ bus service was introduced in July 2016 by West Norfolk Community Transport with the aim of making rural communities ‘better connected’. Whilst the bus calls at the CITB Reception and Monks Close, it does not connect with Stanhoe. The Clerk would contact West Norfolk Community Transport to ascertain why Stanhoe is excluded from the route and whether, in future, Stanhoe could be included.

10. Highways Meeting 6th December 2016: Further to the meeting, a submission of intent had been made to Norfolk County Council for a SAM2 sign. Applications would be considered in January 2017 and decisions notified by March 2017. Councillors agreed that as part of the Annual Parish Meeting to be held in May 2017 a discussion on the ‘possible’ installation of ‘village gates’ should be held with residents.

11. White Lines: RB advised that the white lines at the Station Road/Docking Road junction had faded. In addition, RB had been approached by a villager who was concerned that the centre lines on Bircham Road had also faded. Other highways issues discussed were a pothole on Church Lane, a pothole adjacent to the entrance to Church Farm and the pothole adjacent to the Cross on Cross Lane which was still ‘temporary’. The Clerk would notify the Highways department of these issues.

12. Stanhoe.org Website – Support for Webmaster: The Chairman would contact the Webmaster to establish a definitive way forward. The Clerk would contact Norfolk County Council to ascertain whether financial support from the Transparency Fund could be used to maintain the Parish Council aspects of the website.

13. Grit Bin and Supplies for Reading Room: RB advised that previously a grit bin had been positioned outside the Reading Room allowing residents to help themselves to grit for personal use. The Clerk would contact the Borough Council to establish whether this service was still available.

14. Cross Lane Cross: Concern was raised by Councillors regarding the safety of the Cross Lane Cross as tyre marks were apparent on the grassed area surrounding the Cross. Some residents had observed the refuse lorry being ‘very close’ to the Cross as it exited Cross Lane on to Docking Road. The Clerk would raise the issue with the Borough Council to establish whether the refuse lorry could ‘tweak’ its route. In addition, the Clerk would research the possibility of installing railings around the Cross, similar to the railings around the monument in Bircham, to afford some protection.

15. Information Circulation: Notwithstanding information received was forwarded to Councillors by e-mail, the Chairman suggested, and Councillors agreed, that once per month a ‘hard copy’ of such information should be circulated to Councillors for comment. The Clerk would ensure this started on the 1st February 2017 and would continue on the 1st of each month thereafter.

16. Planning applications and information: No new applications had been received. The Chairman reported that he had attended a planning seminar in Kings Lynn in November 2016. The Chairman agreed to forward the information he had received as it may assist Councillors when considering future planning applications.

17. Financial Report and approval of payments: Up to date income & expenditure accounts, budget report and bank statements were circulated by the Clerk. DB requested that if, in future, the Clerk could produce a table showing the actual % of expenditure against budget. The Clerk would ensure this was produced. Approval was sought and agreed for the payment for the repair to the notice board and a temporary repair to the pothole by the Cross, village maintenance, the purchase of OS maps and the salary due to the Clerk from 1st November 2016 to 31st December 2016. The Clerk advised that he had received a letter from HMRC requesting all customers to pay PAYE electronically in future. The Clerk did not have the authorisation to do this through on-line banking so suggested that in future he should be paid ‘gross’ and make PAYE payments personally. Whilst Councillors were content with this, for transparency the Clerk would first contact the auditor to confirm that there was no issue with this.

18. Updates on items Previously Discussed:

Broadband Update – Efforts continue to examine alternative sources of broadband in the event that BT are further delayed. WiSpire recently conducted a preliminary survey of Stanhoe for these purposes.

Closer Liaison with other Parish Councils – The Clerk had contacted 5 Parish Councils bordering Stanhoe. So far 3 positive responses had been received.

Public Rights of Way – The Clerk had purchased OS maps covering Stanhoe. The Chairman will contact Norfolk County Council for further advice regarding this issue.

Stanhoe’s BT Payphone – The consultation period is due to end on 20th January 2017.

Ownership of the Cross – The Clerk had contacted English Heritage and the Borough Council but had not been able to ascertain who owned the Cross. DV had some contacts who may be able to provide some information – DV would check and report back.

19. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 9th March 2017:

Co-option of new Councillors (All)
Stanhoe.org website – support for Webmaster (DL)
Thoughts for the Annual Parish Meeting (All)
No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 8.55pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 10th November 2016 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present: Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mr D. Bridge (DB)
Miss. R. Brown (RB)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies: Mr M. Roche (MR)

In Attendance: A number of members of the public attended the Better Broadband for Norfolk presentation.

1. To consider apologies for absence
The Clerk had received apologies from MR.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 8th September 2016
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 made.

4. Stanhoe Broadband Upgrade
Karen O’Kane, Programme Director for Better Broadband for Norfolk, gave an update on the planned roll out for Stanhoe. The main points from the presentation were that the roll out would be undertaken in two tranches during 2018 and a number of properties in the village (28) may not be able to receive an upgrade at all. The upgrade was likely to be in the form of ‘fibre to property’. Karen agreed to forward a copy of the presentation to DL for dissemination as necessary.

5. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation
Discussion centred on the Broadband upgrade where disappointment was expressed regarding the timescale and the fact that some properties were unlikely to receive any upgrade at all. The possibility of the installation of a wi-fi antenna was also discussed but Karen advised that this could not be funded by Better Broadband for Norfolk.

6. Co-option of a new Councillor
To be carried forward to the January meeting.

7. Closer liaison with other Parish Councils
DL suggested it may prove useful to formally exchange meeting minutes with other Parish Councils bordering Stanhoe. If items of mutual interest or concern were identified, then these could be approached collectively. This was agreed by Councillors; the Clerk would approach the Clerks of the Parishes of Bircham, Docking, Burnham Market, Syderstone and North Creake to seek their agreement, or otherwise, to the suggestion.

8. Geese on the pond
No further issues were raised.

9. SNAP
DL attended the SNAP meeting on 20th September. DL advised that a new PCSO had been appointed for Stanhoe with a name to be confirmed. A number of points were raised at the meeting none of which were of direct concern to Stanhoe or its residents. ‘Ghost pavements’ had been suggested to DL as a possible solution to the lack of formal pavements, particularly on Bircham Road, in Stanhoe. Councillors however, did not support this suggestion.

10. Playground
Formal Equipment Inspections: Whilst the Clerk confirmed that it was not a requirement of the Public Indemnity insurance, Councillors agreed that annual formal inspections of the playground equipment should be undertaken by a qualified engineer. DV would arrange this.

Waste Bin: The Clerk would contact the Borough Council to discuss whether the waste bin could be routinely emptied by the Council contractors.

Sign: The amendment or replacement of the playground sign would be placed on hold until the final decision on the BT Payphone had been made.

11. Public Rights of Way in Stanhoe
Councillors agreed that Ordnance Survey maps covering the Stanhoe area should be purchased to try to establish/confirm all the Public Rights of Way in and around the village. The Clerk would purchase the necessary maps.

12. Defibrillator
The Clerk confirmed that that there was currently no funding available from the British Heart Foundation to assist with the purchase a defibrillator.

13. War Memorials Trust
The Clerk had circulated to all Councillors, for information, a link to the War Memorials Trust website.

14. Removal of Stanhoe’s BT Payphone
It was agreed, by majority decision, that the Council would neither support or object to the removal of the BT Payphone. The Clerk would complete the paperwork and return to the Borough Council.

15. Planning applications and information
No new applications had been received.

16. Financial Report 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 and agreed for the payment for the repair to playground equipment, the salary due to the Clerk from 1st September 2016 to 31st October 2016 and the PAYE due to HMRC. The Clerk updated Councillors on the issues with Barclays Bank advising these had now been resolved. DL requested that if Councillors identified any ‘significant’ future capital expenditure this should be passed to the Clerk and recorded in the budget.

Any Other Business:
17. Cross Lane Cross
RB advised that the Cross had sustained some minor damage, possibly by being ‘clipped’ be vehicles. In addition, a hole had developed in the tarmac close to the Cross. The Clerk would establish who ‘owned’ the Cross with a view to seeking guidance on how it can be better protected. In terms of the hole, the Clerk would advise Highways but in the interim DV agreed to undertake a temporary repair.

18. Stanhoe.org Website
RB asked if any progress had been made with supporting the webmaster. DL would discuss further with the webmaster.

19. Rangers Visit
The Clerk agreed to e-mail the Rangers engineer to confirm what work had been completed during the Rangers visit in October as the Rangers did not make contact prior to their visit, as had been indicated.

20. Visit by Highways Department
Issues regarding speeding and the lack of footpaths in the village are ongoing issues. It was suggested that a visit by a representative of the Highways Department to explore any solutions to these issues may be beneficial. The Clerk would try to arrange this.

21. Road Closure
Church Lane will be closed to through traffic from 30 November to 2 December. The closure is for work on a water main, and affects the northernmost 40 metres of Church Lane at the junction with Docking Road. The Clerk had arranged for this to be published on Stanhoe. org and in Saints Alive.

22. Speedwatch
DB advised that the Community Speedwatch Co-ordinator was looking for additional volunteers. DL would discuss with the Coordinator to establish who would advertise the requirement.

23. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 12th January 2017:
Co-option of a new Councillor (DL)
Stanhoe.org website – support for Webmaster (DL)
Grit Bin & Supplies for Reading Room (RB)
Retirement of Bill Punter (RB)
Cross Lane Cross (RB)
White Lines (RB)
No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 9.30pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 8th September 2016 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council: Wayne Leighton – Tel 01485 518570

Present:
Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Mr D. Bridge (DB)
Miss. R. Brown (RB)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies:
Mr M. Roche (MR)

In Attendance:
Mr A. Upton (AU)

1. To consider apologies for absence
The Clerk had received verbal apologies from MR.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held on 14th July 2016 and the Planning Meeting held on 4th August 2016
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 made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation
AU attended the meeting and informed the Council that a new goose had been ‘placed’ on the village pond. RB would confirm whether or not a known local resident had placed the goose on the pond prior to any further action being taken.

AU asked about the possibility of the Council obtaining a defibrillator, to be located on the wall of the Village Hall, indicating that one may be available free of charge from the British Heart Foundation. DL and the Clerk would look into this.

AU advised the Council that the diary entries relating to the Parish Council on Stanhoe.org still reflected the previous Clerk. The Clerk would contact the webmaster.

AU suggested an entry be placed in Saints Alive and on the Stanhoe.org website to ask for a volunteer working party to undertake a ‘tidy up’ around the village pond. DB advised that he had previously undertaken this and would do so again. AU agreed to assist.

5. Co-option of a new Councillor
To be carried forward to the November meeting.

6. Stanhoe Broadband Upgrade
DL had contacted the Programme Director for Better Broadband for Norfolk (BBfN) and established that broadband for Stanhoe was scheduled to be upgraded in the first half of 2018. Notwithstanding, no mention of Stanhoe could be found on the BBfN website. DL would follow this up and also try to establish why there was such a delay in Stanhoe being upgraded.

7. Devolution for Norfolk and Suffolk
Following receipt of a letter from Sir Henry Bellingham MP, and following consultation with Councillors, DL had confirmed on the ‘Have your say’ website that the Council were against the proposals. DL would ensure that Sir Henry was aware of the Council’s views.

8. Rangers Visit
The Rangers, a working party linked to the Highways Department, would visit Stanhoe sometime during the week commencing 3rd October 2016. The Rangers would undertake a number of tasks to include hedge cutting and clearing around and cleaning of signs. More complex tasks, such as the repainting of road markings (Bircham Road/Docking Road junction scheduled for April 2017), clearing storm drains and soakaways and the clearance of gravel on roads would be added to the Highways Department schedule.

9. SNAP
DL may be unable to attend the next SNAP meeting scheduled for 20th September. DV would check whether he would be available to attend. RB understood that Stanhoe had a new PCSO – this would be confirmed by DV at the SNAP meeting should he be able to attend.

10. Compostable food waste bags
These had now been purchased by RB and were available for sale in the Village Hall.

11. Playground
DV had noticed some slight damage to one of the items of play equipment but would be able to repair it and make it safe. The Council agreed to pay DV £16.00 to undertake the repair. The Clerk would establish whether there was any legal/insurance requirement to have the play equipment formally inspected and certified. MR had recently emptied the waste bin on the play area but had yet to come up with a long term solution. Councillors agreed that the contact details on the playground sign required updating. MR knew a local company who should be able to undertake this.

12. Circulation Comment Sheets
DL thanked Councillors for the helpful comments appended to the circulation folder. To ensure comments made were not overlooked, DL would now not see the circulation folder until all other Councillors had seen it. The Clerk would amend the cover sheet accordingly. To ensure information received by Councillors was still ‘current’, the Clerk would email Councillors anything of a ‘short notice’ nature but also still include in the circulation folder. The Clerk agreed to e-mail Councillor’s the weekly NALC newsletter.

13. Councillor Responsibilities
DL was keen that Councillor’s took on personal responsibility for areas/topics where they had a keen interest or idea. DV was already looking after the play equipment and DB had agreed earlier in the meeting to ‘look after’ the village pond. DL would, if necessary, allocate future responsibilities.

14. Speeding in the Village
DV advised, and all Councillors agreed, that speeding in the village remained a concern. DV had been approached by a number of local residents who also expressed concern. The issue would be brought up at the next SNAP meeting. DL would invite Terry Austin, the Speed Watch Coordinator, to brief the Council at a forthcoming meeting.

15. Parish Council Meeting Dates for 2017
These would continue to be on the 2nd Thursday of alternate months. The Clerk would publish the dates for 2017 accordingly.

16. Planning applications and information
No new applications had been received.

17. Financial Report 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 and agreed for the payment of the charity donation to the Burnham Market Community Car Scheme, the purchase, for resale, of compostable food waste bags, stationery, and salary due to the Clerk from 1st July 2016 to 31st August 2016. The Clerk took the opportunity to advise Councillors that issues with Barclays Bank regarding the change in Clerk were ongoing but would hopefully be resolved in the near future.

Any Other Business:
18. Village Sign Surround and front of pond
RB asked whether the tidying around the village sign and the front of the pond could be added to the duties of Bill Punter. The Clerk would contact Bill to ascertain his availability/capacity to undertake this additional duty.

19. Stanhoe.org Website
RB asked if any progress had been made with supporting the webmaster. DL had one person in mind, but initially DL would discuss with the webmaster.

20. Hedges along footpaths
RB advised that some parts of hedging towards the Duck Inn were encroaching onto the footpath and asked if this could be added to the Rangers list. The Clerk agreed to e-mail the Rangers engineer requesting this.

21. Sedgeford Poultry Farm
An e-mail from a Sedgeford resident had been received advising that the application regarding the Sedgeford Poultry Farm had been approved. Whilst the Council wished to provide what support it could to the residents and Council of Sedgeford, it was felt it had done as much as it could already.

22. Letter from Sir Henry Bellingham
DL had received a letter from Sir Henry Bellingham, following a letter he had received from a Stanhoe resident, Mrs Austin. Mrs Austin had asked Sir Henry whether the Parish Council could consider obtaining a grant from the Jack’s Lane Community Benefit Fund for the purchase of a speed awareness sign. DL would draft a response and pass to Councillors for consideration.

23. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 10th November 2016:
Co-option of a new Councillor (DL)
Closer liaison with other Parish Councils (All)
Geese on the pond (DL)
Stanhoe.org website (DL/WL)
Defibrillator (DL/WL)
War Memorials Trust (DL/WL/RB)
Playground waste bin
No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 8.55pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Planning Meeting
Held on Thursday, 4th August 2016 at 5.30pm
at the Coach House, Stanhoe
Clerk to the Council – W. Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:
Mr. D. Lord (DL)
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Miss R. Brown (RB)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)
Mr D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)

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

2. To record declarations of interest from members in the item to be discussed
N/A.

3. To consider the following planning application:
Station Farm Cottage, Station Road, Stanhoe 16/01226/F

Plans were presented to Councillors detailing the latest proposed plans. In addition, DL updated Councillors on the meeting held between himself, DB and JL and some of the residents living in the immediate vicinity of Station Farm Cottage.

After some discussion, a majority decision was reached and it was agreed that the following comments would be sent to the Borough:

The Council supports the referenced application with several provisos including:

that following completion, the hedges and other vegetation are reinstated to maintain the rural nature of the site
that the development is strictly confined to the ‘non agricultural’ land as specified
that it is clear that no further development of any of the site either on or off the agricultural land will be permitted
that all efforts are made to minimise disruption to the area and the other residents of the ‘hamlet’.
4. Any other business:
DL had been made aware, and wanted it noted, that an act of vandalism had occurred recently outside the front of No 10 Station Road.

No other matters were discussed and the meeting closed at 6.40 pm.

Minutes of Parish Council Meeting
Held on Thursday, 14th July 2016 at 7.00pm
in the village Reading Room
Clerk to the Council – Wayne Leighton, tel 01485 518570

Present:
Mr. D. Lord (DL) Chairman
Miss R. Brown (RB)
Mrs. J. Lord (JL)
Mr. D. Vincent (DV)

Apologies:
Mr. D. Bridge (DB)
Mr. M. Roche (MR)

In Attendance:
Mr C. Butcher (CB)
Mr J. Laflin (JL, Mr)

1. To consider apologies for absence
The clerk had received verbal apologies from both DB and MR.

2. To consider approval of the Minutes of the last meeting held
on 12th May 2016
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 made.

4. To adjourn the meeting to allow for public participation
CB is the current webmaster for the stanhoe.org website. CB explained that he is due to move out of the village in the near future and, whilst content to continue in his role as webmaster, would appreciate having as assistant to undertake some of the workload. The Chairman thanked CB for the excellent work he had done in establishing and maintaining a very useful website and endeavoured to find a suitable individual as soon as possible to provide the required assistance.

5. Village walkabout
The village walkabout was undertaken over 2 dates – 15th June 2016 and 14th July 2016. The Chairman took notes and photographs during the walkabout and would prepare a report of the findings, the majority of which were of a general tidying nature – i.e. hedges and overgrown undergrowth. The Chairman would consider whether some of the items raised could be addressed by the Highway and Community Ranger visit to Stanhoe week commencing 22nd August 2016.

6. Dog fouling around Cross Lane pond
A ‘No Fouling’ notice had now been purchased and would be placed beside Cross Lane pond.

7. Charitable donations
Various requests had been received. It was agreed donations made would be limited to those charities which had a direct impact on the residents of Stanhoe. It was further agreed therefore that a donation of £100.00 would be made to the Burnham Market Area Community Car Scheme. Future requests for donations would be considered as and when received.

8. Vacancy for a Councillor
There had been no response to the notice regarding holding an election for the Parish Council vacancy. The Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk had granted authority for the Parish Council to co-opt to fill the vacancy. JL, Mr, was in attendance at today’s meeting and expressed an interest in filling the vacancy. JL, Mr, met with Councillors present and had previously met with MR. The Chairman would arrange for JL, Mr, to meet with DB and, subject to there being no objections, it was likely that JL, Mr, would be co-opted onto the Parish Council to fill the current vacancy.

9. Waste bins belonging to holiday homes
Councillors had previously expressed concern regarding waste bins being left out for prolonged periods. In advance of the winter months, the clerk would arrange for a notice to be placed in Saints Alive reminding all Stanhoe residents to take in their waste bins once they had been emptied. This would help to prevent bins being blown into the road and becoming a traffic hazard.

10. Village pond and footpath
Trees and vegetation/weeds around the village pond were beginning to look untidy and made walking the footpath around the rear of the pond difficult to manoeuvre. In addition, the seating areas were not welcoming. In the first instance, the Highway and Community Rangers would be requested to undertake this work; failing that the Clerk would approach local ‘handymen’ to have the work undertaken.

11. Roadside hedge cutting
This had now been undertaken in the areas where concerns had been raised.

12. Record filing and archiving
The clerk had now made provision for the storage of archive files belonging to the Parish Council.

13. Jack’s Lane Wind Farm Community Fund
On behalf of MR, the clerk informed councillors that MR had attended the last meeting of the Jack’s Lane Wind Farm Community Fund and had been successful in obtaining a grant of £5000 for the refurbishment of the Village Hall. In the coming weeks details of the refurbishment plans would be displayed in the Village Hall and comments on the plans would be welcome.

14. Compostable food waste bags
Compostable food waste bags had previously been made available to purchase by Stanhoe residents and it had been requested whether the facility could be reinstated. The clerk would check with his predecessor what provision had been in place and the Chairman would ask the Chairman of the MEHM Trust whether he would object to the bags being sold in the Village Hall at the Tuesday coffee morning.

15. Essential items – postage, stationery etc.
The clerk requested the authority of Councillors to enable the purchase of stamps and stationery (printer cartridges, paper, envelopes, folders etc) as and when necessary. This was agreed subject to the clerk making a contribution to Parish Council funds should any items purchased with Parish Council funds be used personally.

16. Planning applications and information:
Previous applications:

Scrap yard, Fakenham Road, Stanhoe – Construction of two dwellings (revised design) – application withdrawn on 13th May 2016.
Petersfield, Cross Lane, Stanhoe – Brick and flint cladding to front elevation and regularisation of use of part existing garage to bedroom and bathroom accommodation – application permitted on 18th May 2016.
New/revised applications:

Reserved Matters Application: Construction of a house and garage at Land Adjoining Old Rectory, Church Lane, Stanhoe – comments by no later than 20th July 2016.
Orangery style single storey extension on rear elevations at Meadow View, Docking Road, Stanhoe – comments by no later than 27th July 2016.
Demolition of existing dwelling and replacement with a new dwelling at Station Farm Cottage, Station Road, Stanhoe – comments by no later than 29th July 2016.
Supporting papers for the 3 new/revised applications were passed to Councillors for consideration. Any comments should be forwarded to the clerk, through the Chairman, to meet the deadlines indicated above.

17. Financial Report 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 and agreed for the payment of MEHM Village Hall hire, refreshments for the Annual Meeting, salary due to the Clerk from 13th May 2016 to 30th June 2016, the no fouling sign for Cross Lane pond, tax on the clerk’s salary due to HMRC and village maintenance undertaken by Bill Punter.

Any Other Business:
18. Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board
The Chairman briefly outlined the new campaign of the Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board. It was agreed that posters would be put up on notice boards and in appropriate local businesses and a note would be posted in Saints Alive. It was not felt that the Council had the resources to take further specific action, but the Council is very keen to be notified of any potential concerns within the community regarding this issue

19. Items for the next Agenda – meeting of 8th September 2016:
Councillor responsibilities (DL)
Speeding in the village (DV)
Playground sign (DL/WL)
No other items were discussed and the meeting closed at 8.55pm.