PC Minutes 2006

Extraordinary meeting on Tuesday 4th April at 7:30 in the Village Hall Present
Paul Featherstone (Chairman)
Mrs H Wickham
Mr R Wilson
Miss A Marshall
Mr M Payne (Clerk)

Apologies
Mrs K Kappler
Mr P King
Mr J Miller

Four members of the public were also present.As members of the public were present to discuss matters other than planning applications it was decided that the agenda would alter slightly and Any Other Business would be discussed first.

745 Any Other Business
The Parish have received two letters from two parishioners concerning footpath SC39 and a planning application which has been approved by South Northants District Council. Mr & Mrs Atkins of Highbridge have written with regard to their concerns that the metal kissing gate at the end of footpath SC39 on Brookside has been removed, and Mrs Callow has written on behalf of her parents, Mr & Mrs Lawrence, of Brookside concerning a recently approved planning application at No 13 Brookside.Mr & Mrs Atkins are concerned about the removal of the kissing gate which could lead to the current width of footpath SC39 being compromised. Mr & Mrs Atkins are also concerned about any possible misappropriation of land around that area. Miss Marshall, Footpath Warden for the Parish, informed the meeting that she has spoken to Colin Wicks at Northamptonshire County Council, who is responsible for rights of way in the County, who has confirmed that the footpath has been moved, however, it is now nearer to its legal line. Mr Wicks also confirmed that the work that is going on near the footpath is in keeping with what should be expected and exceeded what was required.Miss Marshall also informed the meeting that she has been assured that the kissing gate will be reinstated, however, it will need to be confirmed when it is put back that it is in the correct place.The Highways Department of the Council will be contacted by the Clerk to inform them of possible misappropriation of their land, it will then be for the Highways Department to determine whether any action should be taken.Mrs Callow has written concerning the recently approved planning application at 13 Brookside, and other concerns with work being undertaken by Mr Levers, the owner of No 13 Brookside. Mrs Callow expressed concern that although the Parish Council had objected to the extension, South Northants District Council had approved the planning application. The Parish Council stated that although they had misgivings about the proposed works, they were only consultees in the planning process and had no statutory authority in making the final decision.The Parish Council are aware that strict conditions have been applied to the consent, which would ensure that Mr & Mrs Lawrence had their privacy protected.The Parish Council were concerned that they were being asked to intervene in what appeared to be a neighbourly dispute, rather than being asked to comment issues which directly affected the village, and that the Parish Council can only get involved where there is likely to be an impact on the village.The Clerk will write to Mr & Mrs Atkins to thank them for raising their concerns with the Parish Council and informing them of the current position.The Clerk will also write to Mrs Callow to thank her for her letter and to inform her of the Parish Council’s role in the planning process.The Parish Clerk has received a letter from Atkins concerning the proposed road closures in the village.This letter will be put out on WIZ and a copy of the letter put on the village noticeboard.Mr & Mrs Cockerill introduced themselves to the meeting as owners of the field adjacent to the Village Hall.They asked the Parish Council if it would be acceptable for them to replace the chain link fence on the boundary.Mr Featherstone welcomed them to the meeting and confirmed that the Parish Council have no responsibility for this fence, but did not anticipate there would be a problem with their proposals.Mr Featherstone will speak to Mrs Szczerbwski to ask for the Village Hall Committees comments.

746 S/2006/0294 – Removal of farm buildings and replacement with stables/loose boxes – Land adjacent to Spring Hill Farm
This is a revised plan after an earlier application at Spring Hill Farm was refused.It was confirmed that the Parish Council had no concerns with the first application, and this revised version appeared to have taken the comments from South Northants District Council on board and been interpreted into the new application. Miss Marshall proposed that the Parish Council approved the application, seconded by Mr Wilson, carried unanimously.

747 S/2006/0309/P – Variation of condition 13 of planning application S/2005/1437/P, change of opening times – Elm Lodge Farm
The proposed alteration of condition 13 of the previous planning application concerns the working times, it is proposed that these are increased to include Saturday mornings and Friday afternoons.There were no objections as members of staff did not all turn up at the same time and didn’t all leave at the same time, and as such the flexibility of the working hours at Elm Lodge Farm should be maintained to reduce the impact of a possible ‘rush hour’ in the village.Proposed by Mrs Wickham, seconded by Miss Marshall, carried unanimously.

748 S/2006/0300/P – Change of use of office to domestic use, change of domestic use to office use and extension to office – Priesthay Farm
Mr Featherstone confirmed that the works carried out to date at Priesthay Wood Farm had been carried out tastefully and in keeping with the character of the original building.This major change in the form of the building was due to getting disabled access and ensuring that facilities were accessible.There were ample supporting documents with the application, and if the work is carried out to the usual high standard there should not be a problem with it.Miss Marshall proposed the Parish Council approved the application, this was seconded by Mr Wilson and carried unanimously.

749 Any Other Business (Part 2)
Mr Featherstone expressed his disappointment at the plans for the planning applications being discussed at the meeting not being available.The Clerk informed the meeting that he had not had them returned to him and was unaware which Councillor had them.Mr Featherstone asked the Clerk to send an email to all councillors asking for them to ensure that in future all planning applications are returned to the Clerk prior to a meeting in order to avoid this embarrassment.Mrs Wickham asked the Clerk if he could clear the village noticeboard the next time he puts a notice on it.There are some notices which are out of date now and should be removed.

Date of next meeting 18th April 2006

Tuesday 18th April 2006 at 7:30 in the Village Hall

Present

Paul Featherstone (Chairman)
Mr P King
Mr J Miller
Miss A Marshall
Mr M Payne (Clerk)

Apologies

Mrs K Kappler
Mrs H Wickham
Mr R Wilson

5 Members of the public were also present Ms Alice Arden and Ms Jo Harrison from the Housing Strategy Team at South Northants District Council were also present.

750 Minutes of the previous two meetings

held on 7th March and an extraordinary meeting held on 4th April were signed as a true record of the meetings.

As representative of the South Northants District Council were at the meeting to discuss strategic housing within the district, the agenda was changed and matters arising were agreed to be discussed later in the meeting.

751 Strategic/Affordable Housing

Ms Arden and Ms Harrison were welcomed to the meeting by Mr Featherstone and were invited to address the Parish Council and members of the public to explain their role at South Northants District Council. Ms Arden explained to the meeting that South Northants District Council had consulted with the public in the past and held an event at Silverstone in mid 2005, following on from this public event a housing strategy was developed and has been adopted by South Northants District Council as part of their overall housing strategy. There are six priorities for housing strategy, one of which is affordable housing. The Strategic Housing Team are now looking at working with parishes within the District to identify housing needs. SNDC have recognised that 500-600 affordable houses need to be built each year to keep up with demand, and therefore need to determine where the housing should be built to match where the demand is greatest. Affordable housing is low cost rent via a housing association, which relies on obtaining cheap land. Planning asks that planning policy and development control look at using infill space first when identifying possible development land, and only if this is not possible would building outside the village envelope be considered, and if land outside the village boundary was considered it could only be used for affordable housing through a housing association. If land outside the village boundary was to be used it would have to be demonstrated that it was attached to the village, had good access, identify what the land was like and that it was reasonably priced. Consideration for developing outside the village envelope could only be taken after there was a definite proof of need. When identifying needs the District Council initially send out housing needs surveys to households in the village, this assists with making the process clearer and more transparent, and identifies possible needs. If there is a need identified within the village a further questionnaire is sent out to clarify exactly what is needed by people. 5 pilot surveys have been carried out in the District and the Housing Strategy Team are now identifying where else to carry out surveys, looking at the wider issues such as house prices, current housing stock etc. The District Council confirmed that affordable housing should be targeted at local people with local connections, and sustainability is a major part of the decision making process. The Parish Council would like to see a survey carried out in Wappenham in order to confirm what need there is in the village for any affordable housing. The District Council confirmed that they would be happy to carry out the survey and asked the Parish Council if they would raise awareness first as this boosts response rates. The Parish Council confirmed that they will promote the survey and initially raise awareness through the village website. The District Council confirmed to the meeting that it will send a general booklet about affordable rural housing out to the Clerk in order for it to be further distributed in the village. The District Council will draft a questionnaire and send it to the Clerk for discussion at the next meeting.

752 Planning Application S/2005/1571/P

Beeches Cottage – Rectory Way. Extension to side of building. It was confirmed by the applicant that the footprint of the revised drawing was similar in size to the original. The Parish Council noted that the dormer window in the proposed extension straddles the roof and the eaves, which was an unfortunate choice. The applicant informed the meeting that South Northants District Council expect the roof ridge of proposed extensions are lower than the existing building, which has resulted in the design of the dormer window being like this. Mr Miller proposed that the Parish Council had no objections to the planning application, although comments should be made regarding the placing of the new window. This was seconded by Mr King and carried unanimously. This was also carried unanimously for the Listed Building Consent application for the same proposals.

753 Matters Arising

It was noted that the re-haunching work on the Wappenham-Helmdon Road has been completed. The Parish Council noted their appreciation of the work put in by the new work crew following the dismissal of the work force initially employed to undertake the work. Mr Miller stated that he will contact Atkins concerning the triangle of land near Astwell Farm and find out what further works are to be undertaken there. Mr Miller confirmed that once the road repairs have been completed in Helmdon the workforce will start work in Wappenham. The Parish Clerk has still heard nothing from South Northants District Council concerning the signpost by Highbridge or when the Village Design Statement will be adopted by the District Council. The Clerk will chase this up.

Mr King did not recollect receiving a link to the conditions of the building application for the red brick bungalow at the junction of Brookside and The Jetty. The Clerk will send the conditions to Mr King. The Clerk confirmed that letters have been sent to the two parishioners in response to their letters discussed at the Extraordinary Meeting on April 4th. Mr Featherstone confirmed that he has spoken to Mr Burrell concerning Mr and Mrs Cockerills offer to replace the chain link fence around the perimeter of the Village Hall, and he has no concerns with their offer.

754 Any Other Business

Mr King asked whether the Parish Council felt the red phone box can be painted and cleaned up. The Clerk will contact BT and ask whether this is likely to be undertaken. The Parish Council agreed to meet Mr Aiden Jones on Tuesday 25th to discuss his proposals. Mr Miller asked whether the Parish Council has any comments regarding the Clerks email (copy attached) and whether the Parish Council should be actively involved in pre-application discussions. The Parish Council felt that this should be down to the discretion of the Parish Council and that each request should be considered on its own merit. It would have to be made aware to possible applicants that any discussions would only be fact finding missions and Councillors would not be able to give views as they were not public meetings.

Date of next meeting: 16th MAY – A.G.M. & Annual Assembly

Mr Featherstone made a verbal report to the Assembly. The Village Newsletter and WIZ circulates most information, and as such it was felt that this was not the forum to repeat information previously disseminated. The road between Wappenham and Helmdon has been repaired. The roadworks in the village have started, and will take about 4 weeks to complete. The bridge between Wappenham and Weedon Lois will also be repaired in the next month or so, and this road will be closed whilst the work is being undertaken. The Parish Council have received a large number of planning applications over the last year, and although the Parish Council is a small cog in the planning process, the applications are taken very seriously and the Parish Council make comments regarding the applications with the best interest of the village in mind. The Village Action Plan has been submitted to South Northants Council, however, there is a backlog of work there, and as such it has not been adopted yet. The Chairman also made comments about dog excrement in the village, and made a plea for dog owners to clear up after their pets.

757 Village Action Plan

Representation was made by members of the public present at the meeting that there was a feeling that members of the village were not included in the consultation process when the Village Action Plan was drawn up. The Chairman at this point read out Mr Colin Bullocks’ comments regarding the VAP and offered his apologies for not being able to attend the meeting. This report will be able to be viewed at the village shop with these minutes. The report stated that the Village Design Statement guidelines have now changed and that Wappenham’s VDS is the first to attempt to meet these criteria, but SNC resources are not really available to help. The Chairman confirmed that the Village Action Plan and Village Design Statement were written after consultations with the village, and was written by a committee comprised of representatives in the village. The aim was to get a consensus and to build strict guidelines to ensure the protection of the village envelope. The Assembly was asked if it was possible for a future Parish Council to withdraw the VAP at any stage in the future, the meeting was told that this would in all likelihood be improbable, as this document will work alongside the Local Development Framework and will inform the local planning authority on issues to bear in mind when determining planning applications. The Chairman informed the meeting that the village had gone through a consultation period in 2004 and it was felt that due to the large number of replies to the questionnaire the views of the village had been reflected in the finished document. The Chairman stated that throughout this process the Parish Council had attempted to represent the views of the village, and followed the guidelines set by local and central Government. The VAP and VDS did not just attempt to draw guidelines for the village with regard to housing, but took a holistic view The Parish Council confirmed that it will look at putting the Village Action Plan on the agenda for a future Parish Council meeting and will ask members of the community to attend to make comments. The Parish Council will also look at the possibility to making the VAP available electronically on the village website, or by making a CD-ROM for all villagers.

758 Observations of the County Councillor and District Councillor

Cllr B Smith made a verbal report to the Annual Assembly. Cllr Smith stated that the past months have been tough, and that unpopular measures have been taken, but that governing is difficult and making difficult choices has been necessary. Cllr Smith is a member of the West Northants Development Corporation and has raised concerns about the number of housing being built in the area, and the lack of guarantees about the infrastructure necessary for these new houses. The core strategy of the Local Development Frameworks will be coming out which will inform local planning authorities of issues in the area. The Police Authority is currently undergoing a period of change, and resources are likely to be stretched. Cllr Smith informed the Assembly that he will attempt to do all he can to ensure the area does not suffer as a result of this restructuring. Cllr Smith informed the meting that central Government were holding the increase to Northamptonshire County Council to 2.1%, and as a result the County Council will have to look at alternative ways to raise funds. Cllr Smith was asked by the Parish Council whether there were any means by which the village shop could claim compensation for loss of income during the road closures. Cllr Smith informed the meeting that the Highways Act does not allow for compensation and does not allow for legal recourse. Cllr Smith confirmed that Atkins are trying their best to minimise impact and that the works should take 18 days to complete and should be completed by June 9th, the date of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Councillor James Garnett.

In the absence of Cllr Garnett, Mr Featherstone read his report. The main points of Cllr Garnetts report are Council Tax, Key Performance Indicators, Planning, Roads and IT. His full report will be available at the village shop and on file.

759 To receive the un-audited statement of the Parish Councils Accounts

for the year to 31 March 2006 and the Councils observations on finance for the year to 31 March 2007 The Clerk to the Council informed the meeting of the balance of the Parish Council’s accounts at 31st March 2006, and informed them of the expenditure incurred during the financial year 2005/06. The balance at 31st March 2006 was £1,700.00. There are no expected large increases in expenditure for the forthcoming financial year, although the cost of providing all households in the village with a CD-ROM of the Village Action Plan.

760 To received the Accounts of the Parochial Charities

together with the comments of the Trustees, the Parochial Church Council and Canon John Roberts. In the absence of Mr Corbishley, Mr Featherstone read his report. During the year 2005 £1,1200 was paid out in St Thomastide Grants, there were a total of 16 grants paid out. His full report will be available in the village shop and on file. There was no report from Reverend Adams.

761 Reports from the Parish Council Officers and village organisations

Neighbourhood Watch

There is currently no Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator in the village. As no representative from the Police attended the meeting no crime figures were available.

The Parish Council recommended that villagers need to note that at present there is no Neighbourhood Watch, as this may affect insurance policies.

Volunteers were asked to come forward to fill the role of Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator.

Footpath Warden

Miss Marshall gave her report to the Annual Assembly.

There has been some work on SC9, however more work needs to be done, the meeting was asked by a member of the parish if stiles can be opened up a bit more to allow dogs through. Miss Marshall confirmed that she will ask the land owner if this is possible.

There is a note on a stile on SC29/30, where the stile has been left in isolation due to new planting, asking people to use the stile and not walk round it. Miss Marshall will contact the land owner and ask if the stile can be removed and a gap left. It is understood that the kissing gate will be reinstated on footpath SC38. Miss Marshall will check that it has been reinstated in due course, and will confirm with Northants County Council that all the work near the Brookside end of footpath SC38 are correctly undertaken. Miss Marshall was asked if she was aware of electric fences across footpaths towards Helmdon being installed. Miss Marshall confirmed that she was unaware of this and would check into it. Miss Marshall confirmed that the work to the footpath near the village hall, and the use of electric fences on the new fences, complied with the legal requirements.

Atkins Representative

Mr Miller has continued as representative for the village in discussions with Atkins. It has been 3 years of roadworks in the area. Atkins have had a change of company undertaking the work on the Helmdon Road, which has resulted in the work being completed much more quickly, and in a much more organised way. The bridge on the Weedon Lois Road is to be repaired fairly shortly, when this is done the road to Weedon Lois will be closed. This work will take around 6-8 weeks. It was confirmed that no red asphalt will be used on the road into Wappenham to try to get people to slow down when they come into the village. It would be the financial responsibility of the Parish Council to install warning signs if thought necessary. The Parish does not have this sort of money at present and as such no signs will be installed for the foreseeable future. The Parish Council thanked Mr Miller for all his hard work during the past few years as the contact point for the village.

Transport Liaison with Northants County Council – No report

Tree Warden – Mr Elcoat gave his apologies. Mr Featherstone read his report.

There is a review of the trees in the churchyard, and steps are being taken regarding the fig tree outside the chapel. EON are not involved, they pruned the tree but only to clear their lines, and are not responsible for the tree. It was confirmed that the tree has not been adopted by the Parish Council and it was thought that as it sits on the line of the footpath it is the responsibility of the Highways division of the County Council. Mr Payne will write to the County Council to seek clarification.

Newsletter Editor - In the absence of Jane Harries, Mr Featherstone read her report.

The newsletter has had several bumper issues which is excellent – thanks to those who contributed. There has been a bit more work to find advertisers and create ads to cover the increased costs (I can’t raise fees, as competition have not). Any ideas for future advertisers would be welcome. I have now found a printer who is cheaper than the copying people and produces a better quality newsletter. This means the copy date is earlier as the print process takes longer. Photos and pictures can now be printed legibly, so artistic contributions can now be accepted. Thanks to all who distribute the newsletter especially Hilary Wickham, Penny Gill and David Gill and to Wappenham Shop for keeping copies for those in outlying houses and farms. The Parish Council thanked Jane Harries for all her hard work in producing the Newsletter

Village Hall Committee – No report

Recreation Association

In the absence of Mr Ayres, Mr Featherstone read his report. His full report will be available in the village shop and on file.

Bowls Club – No report

Sunday School – No report

Parish email information service (WIZ)

Mr Clive Watt gave a verbal report to the meeting. There are now about 75 people subscribing to WIZ. There are approximately 2 items sent out by WIZ each week. Mr Watt asked the Parish Council if the names of applicants for Planning Applications can also be included on the agenda for Parish Council meetings in the future. The Parish Council confirmed that as this information was freely available at SNDC there would not be a problem in providing this information.

Village Action Plan and Village Design Statement
See item

762 Any Other Business

The Parish Council was asked if there were aware of any potential planning developments in open countryside. The Councillors confirmed that they had been involved in pre-application discussions with a potential applicant. The Councillors confirmed that at the pre-application meeting they attended as observers, but did not make specific comments about the proposals. It was confirmed that any planning application for development in open countryside would need to follow the guidelines in PPS (Planning Policy Statement) 7, and would need to be of a contemporary design. The Parish Council also confirmed that the potential applicants had also agreed that they would be able to give a presentation of their proposals to the village should planning permission be sought. The Parish Council confirmed that they had been in discussions with the local authority at an earlier Parish Council meeting concerning affordable housing in the village. SNDC will have to raise awareness of need within the village. The approach will be more holistic that just houses and will look at services and the infrastructure of the village. There will be a rigorous approach to justify any needs for affordable housing within the village. A sheep shelter has been put on a field near the village hall, it was confirmed that the use of a mobile shelter does not need planning permission. The Parish Council will keep an eye on developments.

The meeting finished at 20:20

Minutes of Annual General Meeting of Wappenham Parish Council

Tuesday 16th May at 20:30 in the Village Hall

Present
Paul Featherstone (Chairman)
Mrs H Wickham
Mr J Miller
Miss A Marshall
Mrs K Kappler
Mr M Payne (Clerk)

Apologies
Mr R Wilson
Mr P King

1 Following on from the Annual Assembly the minutes fo the Annual General Meeting held on 18th May 2005 were signed off.

2 Appoint Officers for

Tuesday 23rd May at 7:30 in the Village Hall

Present

Paul Featherstone (Chairman)
Mr P King
Miss A Marshall
Mrs Kappler
Mr M Payne (Clerk)

Apologies

Mr J Miller
Mrs H Wickham
Mr R Wilson

2 Members of the public were also present

760May. Planning Application S/2006/0572

Elm Lodge Farmhouse – Installation of outdoor swimming pool. The Parish Council discussed the planning application after consultation with the applicants who were present at the meeting. The meeting was informed that the proposals were likely to be refused in the current format, but were being recommended to make alterations to the vehicular access to the property in order for the proposals to be acceptable. The applicants informed the Parish Council that they were minded to withdraw the application in its current form, and will be making a fresh application in view of the advice given by South Northants District Council. The Parish Council noted that they had no concerns about the proposals, and await the revised application in due course. Miss Marshall proposed that the Parish Council should have no objection to the current application in its current form, this was seconded by Mrs Kappler and carried unanimously.

761May. Planning Application S/2006/0618/P

Pittams Farm, Pittams Lane – Conversion of existing outbuilding to ancillary living accommodation. It was noted that the Parish Council discussed this application on 18th October 2005. The Parish Council had the same reservations as the first time this proposal was discussed regarding access into and exiting Pittams Lane onto the High Street was awkward and potentially dangerous. Miss Marshall proposed that the Parish Council approved the planning with the comments that the Parish Council had concerns about a potential increase in traffic in the lane. This was seconded by Mrs Kappler and was carried unanimously.

762May. Planning Application S/2006/0575/P

Park Hill House, Weedon Lois Road – Double garage and workshop. The Parish Council had concerns about this application and the potential adverse impact it would have on the surrounding area. The hip roof appeared to be of an inappropriate design for the vernacular architecture in the area. The proposed structure would also be in a prominent position and would be visible from a large distance, the materials to be used also appear to be out of keeping with other structures in the vicinity. It appears from the original planning application for the houses being constructed that the area that the proposed double garage and workshop would be built on land which is currently for agricultural use. The Parish Council were concerned that they had not received a planning application to turn this parcel of land into domestic use rather than agricultural use, the plot size also appears to have increased on both its western and eastern boundaries from the original approved parcel of land.The Parish Council recommended that the proposals should be refused on the grounds that there appears to have been no planning application for change of use of land, the size of the building is unjustifiably large due to the additional office space above the garage, the design of the double garage and workshop are out of keeping with the area, and that they would be detrimental to the visual amenity of the environs.
This was proposed by Mrs Kappler, seconded by Miss Marshall and carried unanimously.

763 Date of Next Meeting – 4th July 2006 Meeting finished at 20:20

Tuesday 11th July at 7:30 in the Village Hall

Present

Paul Featherstone (Chairman)
Mrs H Wickham
Mr J Miller
Mr R Wilson
Mrs K Kappler
Mr P King
Mr M Payne (Clerk)

Apologies

Miss A Marshall

13 Members of the public were also present.
Cheryl Arnold from Northamptonshire County Council – Rural Regeneration Team was also present.

764 Minutes of the Previous meeting held on 23rd May were signed off as a true record of the meeting

765 Matters Arising

Affordable Housing – Correspondence has been circulated amongst the Parish Councillors explaining what needs to be undertaken to determine whether there is a need for affordable housing within the village. A housing needs survey will need to be conducted throughout the village which will determine whether there is a need or not, which will then feed into the Village Action Plan to look at the infrastructure necessary if a need is identified. Mr Featherstone will liaise with the affordable housing team at South Northants District Council to initiate the survey.

It was noted that the works undertaken by Atkins went very well, particularly the repairs to the bridge on the Wappenham-Weedon Lois Road which was finished much earlier than anticipated.

The Parish Council were reminded of a discussion at the Annual Assembly concerning a possible grant Mr & Mrs Rist may be able to apply for to help with the shop, particularly as they are unable to apply for compensation for loss of earnings whilst the repairs to the roads through the village were being undertaken. The Parish Clerk will contact Councillor Ben Smith to see if he can send details of this particular grant scheme to pass onto Mr & Mrs Rist.

The footpath SC39 was noted to have had a fence erected alongside the edge of the footpath near Brookside. The Parish Council requests that Miss Marshall, as Footpath Warden, contacts the relevant department at the council to see if this fence has made the footpath too narrow as a headland footpath. The Parish Council also asked if Miss Marshall could get a response in writing from the County Council with a definitive answer over this piece of land on Brookside.

766 Rural Regeneration – Village Action Plan

The Chairman welcomed Cheryl Arnold to the meeting and introduced her to members of the village. Mrs Arnold works for Northamptonshire County Council as part of the Rural Regeneration Team and was present at the meeting to discuss ways in which the village could work with the County Council to bring the governments advice and policy in line with the Village Action Plan and to help to ensure that it can be used when working on the village’s development.

Northamptonshire County Council, under the Rural Regeneration Team, is working in partnership with rural areas to meet the requirements expected from a Village Action Plan. Wappenham has shown up as a centre that could benefit from South Northamptonshire District Council, Northamptonshire County Council and the Parish Council all working together to attempt to get the possibility of getting the right services to the right people. The Village Action Plan should identify any need in the village, and also what it would want with issues such as affordable housing, conservation areas, open spaces etc. Working with these partnerships might lead to funding being available to get initiatives up and running. Mrs Arnold underlined the commitment being shown by the County Council as they are appointing 3.5 posts, and Acre appointing a further 2.5 posts.

After these introductions the meeting was opened up for a question and answer session.

The village completed the Village Action Plan over a year ago, yet it still hasn’t been adopted by South Northants District Council, what are the reasons behind the delay?

South Northamptonshire have been waiting for the various relevant agencies to feed into the final document. South Northamptonshire Rural Partnership will be working in line with Northants Rural Partnership to get the document signed off.

Targets set in the Village Action Plan are slipping as a result of the delay in getting the Plan adopted.

This has been recognised as an unfortunate consequence of the delays. It has been recognised that the Village Action Plan when adopted will only be relevant for about 5-10 years, after which time it will need to be re-assessed and new targets set.

Concerns were raised about the lack of communication between the Parish and County and District County Councils.

Mrs Arnold stated that this initiative is at a very early stage and effective communication is something that will need to be developed.

What is the structure of the partnerships?

The partnership is made up from representatives from various bodies including housing, the health service, police and planning. There is a community representative from Brackley involved, and as the process is developed Parish Council’s will be asked to sign up to work with the partnership.

Are there any quick wins for the village?

There may be opportunities for funding for communication, developing a village website (it was stated to Mrs Arnold that the village already has an effective website, and the use of WIZ), extending the scope to set up an internet access point. Mrs Arnold’s job is to introduce a networking process which will attempt to reach those members of the community who are currently being reached.

Is the funding newly available money?

Mrs Arnold was unable to answer this, in terms of any funding for the village Mrs Arnold and ACRE will be working together to bring funding in.

Some of the people who worked on the Village Action Plan at the beginning have now left the village, and the impetus to take things forward may have slipped, it would help if we could have a list of what funding is available to help re-ignite the impetus.

Mrs Arnold stated that the village can have a list of the available funds and a list of what types of projects could be eligible for funding.

Can you let us know why the initiative came about?

This initiative – Rural Renewal Strategy – is part of the governments renewal strategy, which is introducing a method and approach of attempting to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to have an input via consultation or other means of communication. The Village Design Statement has set the ball rolling by looking at items which have already been set up, however there will be further opportunities to have an input into other services such as transport, housing etc. There is currently a strategy for market towns being developed which will impinge on the village.

The initiative is working with the national programme and came about as a development of rural depravation research, which has let to working towards rural communities working to make changes themselves after consultations with other partners. South Northamptonshire District Council have struggled to find individual communities in need, therefore they looked at working with clusters of villages, and have identified Syresham, Helmdon and Wappenham as a small cluster of villages who may identify certain needs. The Rural Regeneration Team do not, however, expect to work hands-on with the Parish Council as there would need to be the scope for people to help themselves to a large degree.

What powers do the Rural Regeneration Team have to bring in any measures which have been identified by the village?

The Partnership will have powers to introduce measures as they will be the decision makers, the Parish Council will need to build a relationship with the Partnership to take things forward.

Will it be possible to work with Syresham and Helmdon?

This will be possible in the future, as access to housing, transport and other services may be improved by all the communities working together. Only these three villages are being looked at in South Northamptonshire District Council, initially market towns were looked at, moving to isolated rural communities as the initiative developed. This cluster approach was taken as there were common threads between the villages in terms of population, access to services, issues affecting both the elderly and the younger members of the villages. Transport is high on the agenda.

What is the relationship with Defra? There are issues the farming community have with Defra.

Mrs Arnold stated that she did not have enough experience of the issues to feel able to comment, however the point has been taken on board and ACRE are aware of the problems. Mrs Arnold confirmed that the Rural Regeneration Team will look seriously at the relationship with Defra.

Will new staff being employed by ACRE and Northamptonshire County Council live near the village?

It will not be necessary for someone to live in the village. People with knowledge of rural issues do not necessarily have to live in a rural community, it is more important that they are able to bring things onto the agenda and be able to work to bring things forward.

Is there a common theme?

The Rural Regeneration Team are concerned about the growth agenda in the Milton Keynes South Midlands Area and the impact that will have on rural communities. There is concern about ensuring young people can stay in the villages, the demise of some local services. There needs to be a change of attitude with County Councils, a need to improve communication. Villages are showing a strong desire to remain independent, but there has also been identified a strong desire to link up with other communities to address common issues.

How was the clustering decided upon?

Northamptonshire Observatory fed into the information, give date on health statistics, transport etc, and identified the three villages as having similar issues. In some instances there are tensions between villages, which could create difficulties. There is a need for communities to retain their identity and independence, joint funding could improve relationships between communities where there is tension.

What happens next?

The launch date for the initiative is September. The village should act independently from Syresham and Helmdon for the time being and identify issues which need to addressed. Before the meeting in September the Parish Council will need to draw up some questions to put before the Partnership who will be driving the initiative forward, and identify any needs.

Mr Featherstone thanked Mrs Arnold for her time in coming to the meeting and looked forward to receiving further information and the list of funding possibilities.

767 Correspondence

ACRE have sent correspondence regarding rural housing needs. The next step is to undertake a housing needs survey in the village. South Northamptonshire District Council have confirmed that they will pay for printing costs. In view of the information coming out from the meeting, it was considered whether further information should be asked for as well as housing needs. It was felt that the focus should be on housing needs in this instance, and that a further survey will need to be undertaken to determine other needs within the village.

768 Finance

The invoice for insurance needed to be paid. This was for £315.01, a rise of £1 from the previous year. Approval to pay the invoice was proposed by Mrs Wickham and seconded by Mrs Kappler.

The invoice for external audit needed to be paid. This was for £70.50, the same amount as the previous year. Approval to pay the invoice was proposed by Mr Miller and seconded by Mr Wilson

769 Any Other Business

The Parish Clerk was asked whether there could be a procedure established for villagers to notify each other if there was a water leak and the village was cut off for any length of time. The Parish Councillors felt that there was enough information on the utility services telephone messages, however, as a help to people it would be handy to have these phone numbers printed in the village newsletter. The Parish Clerk to contact Jane Harries to see whether this could be possible.

The Chairman stated that he had been in talks with representative from the Methodist Chapel regarding the fig tree on the High Street. The tree has now pushed the wall over into the Methodist Chapel’s ground and has caused damage. At the Annual Assembly Councillor Ben Smith stated that he felt the responsibility for the fig tree rested with the Highways Department at the County Council. The Methodist Chapel have informed the Chairman that they would be willing to re-build the wall as long as the fig tree was removed, they also confirmed that they would be willing to bear the cost of both the rebuild of the wall but not the cost of removing the tree. Before the next meeting the Chairman will seek clarification whether the Methodist Chapel are still willing to fund the repairs and check with Mr Elcoat whether the tree has a TPO or is likely to be eligible to have a TPO put on it. A decision on the future of the tree will be made at the next meeting.

Concerns were raised over the grass cutting in the village by South Northamptonshire District Council. Eileen White’s crab apple tree has been cut down by contractors and needs replacing. There were concerns about the general workmanship. The Clerk will contact the District Council asking for them to replace the tree and take more care in future.

Towcester Door to Door service have informed the Parish Council that last year they had two drives in the village and took 28 journeys. The information needs to go in the village newsletter and included in the Village Action Plan to inform people that there are services available.

Date of Next Meeting 25th July 2006

Tuesday 25th July at 7:30 in the Village Hall

Present
Miss A Marshall (Vice-Chairman)
Mrs H Wickham
Mr J Miller
Mr R Wilson
Mrs K Kappler
Mr P King
Mr M Payne (Clerk)

Apologies
Mr P Featherstone

770 Planning Application Number: S/2006/0904/P
Elm Lodge Farmhouse. Change of use of barn to provide antique sales and storage (amendment of planning permission S/2004/0439/P to provide alternative access

The Parish Council agree that this was an improvement on the previously submitted plans for the access. Mrs Wickham proposed the Council approved the application, seconded by Mr King and carried unanimously.

771 Planning Application Number: S/2006/0901/P
Elm Lodge Farmhouse. Outdoor swimming pool inset into yard with associated landscaping works. Conversion of barns of the perimeter of the yard to provide amenities for swimming pool.

The Parish Council agreed that the proposed changes did not affect, to any great level, the external appearance of the buildings being developed to provide the amenities for the swimming pool.
There were concerns, however, about the amount of development being proposed. There were concerns raised that the number of changes to the ancillary rooms were excessive.

Mr King proposed that the Parish Council should have no objections to the application, but should make comments to South Northants District Council that the ancillary amenities appeared inappropriate and excessive, this was seconded by Mrs Wickham and carried unanimously.

772 Planning Application Numnber: S/2006/0899/LB
Beeches House. Alterations to kitchen including removal of internal wall, the creation of a new opening between existing kitchen and utility, modifications to some exisiting windows/doors to proposed kitchen area.

The Parish Council recognised the work that had been undertaken by the applicants in preparing the justification statement for the proposed works. The Parish Council observed that the drawings did not detail where the flue was to be located when the aga was moved, although the Parish Council felt that the Conservation Officers at South Northants District Council will be examining the details of the plans prior to a decision being made. Mr Miller proposed that the Parish Council accepted the application, thsi was seconded by Mr Wilson and carried unanimously.

773 Fig Tree - High Street
Miss Marshall read out Mr Featherstone’s email he sent to Miss Marshall and Mr Payne as he could not attend the meeting. (extract below)

"As agreed at the last full meeting I have spoken with the representative from the Chapel and Paul Elcoat our tree warden.

The Chapels representative confirmed the Chapel's position which was they would pay for the re-instatement of their wall and the planting of a new fig tree in a position agreed by the village.

Paul Elcoat has spoken with Ian Lorman of SNC who confirms that there is no preservation order on the fig tree and that it is not within a conservation area the result being that form an SNC point of view there would be no legal repercussions if the tree was removed. Whether or not the tree was suitable for a TPO is another question and one that could only be answered once a Preservation request was logged and the supporting evidence reviewed and the reasons why it should be preserved investigated and agreed upon. However - this is not typically the type of tree that usually has a TPO placed upon it."

The Parish Council recommended that Mr Featherstone should contact the utility company again to confirm that they are in agreement for the tree to be removed, this approval should be in writing.

A member of the community brought photos to the Parish COuncil showing that the fig tree was not growing in the 1980's, as certain developments could be identified in the photos to determine with a degree of accuracy the age of the photos.

The Parish Council agreed that quotes should be obtained from Mr Elcoat to determine the overall cost of removing the tree, it was also suggested that the Parish Councillors could work to remove some of the tree to reduce costs.
Mr King proposed that the Parish Council should vote to approve the removal of the tree, this was seconded by Mr Wilson, 4 Councillors voted to approve the proposals, with 1 Councillor abstaining. The Parish Council need to be informed of the costs of removing the tree by the next meeting ordinary meeting. The Parish Clerk was asked to contact Mr Elcoat to obtain a quote.

774 Any Other Business

Date of Next Meeting: 8th August - 7:00pm

Minutes of an Extraordinary meeting of
Wappenham Parish Council

Tuesday 8th August 2006, at 7:00 in the Village Hall

Present
Miss A Marshall (Vice Chairman)
Mrs H Wickham
Mrs K Kappler
Mr J Miller

Apologies
Mr P Featherstone (Chairman)
Mr M Payne (Clerk)
Mr R Wilson
Mr P King

One member of the public was present.

775 Planning application no S/2006/0967/P:
Change of use and conversion of former agricultural buildings to Class B1 use, Elm Lodge Farm Buildings
Mr Miller proposed supporting the application. This was seconded by Mrs Kappler and carried.

776 Planning application no S/2006/0965/P:
Change of use and conversion of former agricultural buildings to Class B1 use, Elm Lodge Farm Buildings
Mr Miller proposed supporting the application. This was seconded by Mrs Wickham and carried.

777 Correspondence
Mr Miller agreed to complete the Highways Engineering Contract Customer Survey sent by Atkins.

SNC has written to inform the Parish Council that the subject of affordable housing will be discussed later in the year.

778 Any Other Business
Village Action Plan and Design Statement,
The Clerk is to be asked to chase SNC regarding progress on the Village Action Plan and Design Statement, as the document was lodged with them some time ago.

Footpath – Highbridge Road
Jane Harries has written to the Parish Council regarding the need to clear and possibly undertake some reconstruction of the footpath which extends part way along Highbridge Road, following Atkins work on the road. Miss Marshall raised the issue of there being no footpath for pedestrians walking from the Bull corner into Helmdon Road, or to the playground, meaning that they are forced to walk in the road for a short way on the corner. The Clerk is to be asked to acknowledge the Email. Mr Miller will contact Atkins and report to the next meeting.

Fig Tree
Mrs Kappler and Miss Marshall reported a conversation they had with Mr Peter Lawrence, in which he stated that the previously reported (and minuted) offer that the Chapel would undertake reconstruction of the wall if the Parish Council removed the tree, was made by someone without authority. Mr David Lawrence is to be asked to the next PC meeting to try and achieve a final resolution of this issue.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 19th September 2006 at 7.30 in the Village Hall

The meeting closed at 7.50 PM

Minutes of an Extraordinary meeting of
Wappenham Parish Council

Tuesday 22nd August 2006, at 7:30 in the Village Hall

Present
Mr P Featherstone (Chairman)
Miss A Marshall (Vice Chairman)
Mrs H Wickham
Mr R Wilson
Mr P King
Mr J Miller

Apologies
Mrs K Kappler
Mr M Payne (Clerk)

Councillor Ben Smith was in attendance.
One member of the public was present.

779 Fig Tree
Following receipt of a letter from Mr David Lawrence, representing the Wappenham Independent Evangelical Church, the Chairman gave a synopsis of the history of and issues pertaining to the fig tree by the Chapel. Councillor Smith was invited to bring the meeting up to date with a very recent development: today he received an Email from the County Council indicating that they accept ownership of the tree as it grows from the footpath.

Whilst it may follow that the Council will take responsibility for the wall which has been severely damaged by the tree, this has not been established and must await confirmation.

Councillor Smith will send a letter / Email to Sue Flack – the officer responsible for such matters, asking that action be taken as quickly as possible as falling leaves can cause a hazard.

780 Planning application no S/2006/1080/P
Raise roof and insert 2 dormer windows
23 High Street. Applicants Mr and Mrs Portlock

Miss Marshall proposed rejection of the application on the grounds that the VDS (Village Design Statement) highlights that ….” Dormer windows can adversely affect the visual impact of the simple geometrical shape of the roof and distort the character of the house. This is especially the case on the front of a prominent house……..”
The proposal was seconded by Mr King and carried unanimously

781 Correspondence
Planning application S/2006/0904 P
Change of use of barn to provide antique slaes and storage, Elm Lodge Farmhouse.
Permission has been granted.

782 Planning application S/2006/0899/LB
Alterations to kitchen, Beeches Farm House
Permission has been granted.

783 Finance
The auditors have checked and agreed the finances of the Parish Council.

784 Eileen White’s crab apple tree
This was destroyed by the last contract mowing activity. SNC will be contacted and asked to provide a suitable replacement.

785 AOB
Pathfinder: Mr P King will represent the Parish Council at a meeting on 12th October. Mrs Wickham agreed to attend also.

Clerk’s resignation: With regret, the Chairman announced that the Clerk, Mr Michael Payne, has decided to resign. Pressure of work and study prevent him from continuing in the post. His resignation is effective from 12th September. In the time that he has held the position, Mr Payne has made a significant contribution to the smooth running of the Parish Council and has been a very effective internal and external communicator.

The meeting closed at 20.35.
The next meeting will be held on 12th September at 7.30PM

Thursday 14th September at 7:30 in the Village Hall

Present
Mr P Featherstone (Chairman)
Miss A Marshall (Vice-Chairman)
Mr J Miller
Mr M Payne (Clerk)

Apologies
Mrs H Wickham
Mr R Wilson
Mrs K Kappler
Mr P King

786 Minutes of the previous two Parish Council Meetings dated 8th and 25th July were signed off.

787 Matters Arising
A copy letter has been received from Councillor Ben Smith which acknowledges that Northampton County Council are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the fig tree on High Street, and has asked for confirmation from the Highways Department to inform him when action will be taken.

SNC need to be approached to either replace the crabtree which was cut down whilst mowing was being undertaken in the summer.

Mr Miller will contact Atkins concerning the footpath on Highbridge. It was noted that, according to Councillor Ben Smith’s letter copied to the Parish Council, Atkins should walk the footpaths each year and recommend which works need to be undertaken. It was the opinion of the meeting that Atkins should have noted the state of this footpath when they walked round the village during their annual inspection.

Alice Townsend has been in contact via telephone and email with the Clerk requesting a meeting prior to the next meeting concerning the Pathfinder Project. The Clerk was asked to contact Mrs Wickham and Mr King and ask that they liaise directly with Ms Townsend.

788 Planning Application S/2006/1141/P
2 The Jetty. Create parking area.

The Parish Council had no objections concerning the planning application, and were of the opinion that these works would tidy up the area around The Jetty. Ms Marshall proposed the Parish Council supported the application, this was seconded by Mr Miller and carried unanimously

789 Correspondence
All correspondence was dealt with under Matters Arising.

790 Finance
Two invoices have been received. The invoice for the use of the Village Hall has been received for £80. The Parish Council felt that this amount of money was insufficient and did not reflect the true cost for the use of the Hall. The Parish Council felt that as the price for the hire of the Hall had not gone up in recent years, and that the Hall was being used more frequently than in previous years due to the increase in planning applications, the cost of the use of the Hall should increase to £120 per annum. The Parish Council felt this was a true reflection of the price.

The Clerk submitted his invoice for the first six months of the year, this was approved by Mr Miller and seconded by Ms Marshall

The Clerk informed the meeting that Northamptonshire Association for Local Councils had conducted an internal audit of the Parish Council’s accounts. There were two actions which needed to be acted on in the next financial year, the Parish Council need to adopt financial regulations and a risk management assessment needs to be carried out for the next financial year.

The Parish Council approved the Statement of Assurance and approved the internal audit report be submitted to the external auditors.

791 Any Other Business

There was no other business.
The meeting closed at 20:10
Date of next meeting 24th October

Minutes of an Extraordinary meeting of
Wappenham Parish Council

Wednesday 11 October 2006 at 7.30 in the Village Hall

Present

Mr P Featherstone (Chairman)
Mr J Miller
Mrs K Kappler
Mrs H Wickham

Apologies

Miss A Marshall
Mr R Wilson
Mr P King

781Oct Planning Application S/2006/0572/P
Parkhill House, Weedon Lois Road. Revised plans for double garage and workshop.

The Parish Council discussed these plans at great length. It was proposed by Mr Miller that the plans be objected to for the following reasons, seconded by Mrs Kappler and carried unanimously.

The footprint of the garage/office is over 50% of the house and therefore disproportionate. Existing development plus garage/office is in prominent position and visible from all point of compass. Current Parish Plan and VDS detail this site as being an “important open space and view” and should be preserved. First floor head space is insufficient for office working. Concern over differing pitches between main house and proposed garage. Discrepancies over western boundary and change of
use from agricultural to domestic. Also apparent domestic access over agricultural land. Reference to a New Barn on one drawing was discussed.

782Oct Correspondence

Mrs Wickham to obtain further copy of Parish Council Review -
Numbers of Seats for completion and return to Lauris Berruto, SNC

County Council map of land at Brookside and Pittams Lane was
discussed.

783Oct Any Other Business

There was no other business
The meeting closed at 20.25
Date of next meeting 24 October 2006

Tuesday 24th October 2006, at 7:30 in the Village Hall

Present
Mr P Featherstone (Chairman)
Miss A Marshall (Vice Chairman)
Mrs H Wickham
Mr R Wilson
Mr P King
Mr J Miller

Apologies
Mrs K Kappler

No members of the public were present.

784Oct Minutes of the previous meetings, held on 14th September and 11th October were signed off.

785Oct Matters Arising:
Appointment of new Clerk: Mrs S King has indicated she may be interested in the post. Mr Featherstone will speak to her and report to the next meeting.

786Oct Pathfinder in South Northants
Following a meeting at SNC with Mr Calvin Bell (Executive Director) at which representatives from Wappenham, Syresham and Helmdon were present, Mr Featherstone and Mr King, who had represented Wappenham, appraised the meeting of the current state of this initiative.

787Oct Correspondence
Nil discussed.

788Oct Finance
The accounts have been audited. There is a minor anomaly which Mr Featherstone will discuss with the auditor.

789Oct Any other business
It was agreed that the chairman would formally write and thank Mr Michael Payne for his work as Clerk.

The date for the next meeting will be Tuesday 5th December 2006 at 7.30 in the Village Hall.

The meeting closed at 8.30 PM

Tuesday 5th December 2006, at 7:30 in the Village Hall

Present
Mr P Featherstone (Chairman)
Miss A Marshall (Vice Chairman)
Mrs H Wickham
Mr P King
Mr J Miller
Mrs K Kappler

Apologies
Mr R Wilson

One member of the public was present.

790Dec Minutes of the previous meeting were signed.

791Dec Matters Arising
The Chairman will contact Clive Watt to place details of the vacancy for Clerk on neighbouring village websites (Lois Weedon/Weston, Syresham, Abthorpe, Slapton, Helmdon)

The pay on offer for the position is £550 per annum. It is recognised that this may need to be increased but kept within the guidelines laid down for Clerk's remuneration.

792 Pathfinder
Copies of Helmdon and Syresham Parish Plans have been received. Next steps: A discussion will be planned between representatives of all three villages in an effort to establish common areas of interest and future action. A copy of the Wappenham Parish Plan will be circulated.

793 Finance
A discrepancy of £6.09 was identified as petty cash. Auditors now satisfied.

794 Planning application no S/2006/1545/P
Mr A Swan, 6 High Street.
Mrs Kappler stood down from this discussion as her property adjoins that of the applicant. The meeting was closed for the applicant to explain the plans.
Mrs Wickham proposed that there were no objections to the plans but that comments should be made. This was seconded by Mr Miller and carried unanimously.
Comments: a) Windows on west facing gable proposed as four pane. The only existing original window is of eight pane design which should be retained and form pattern for other windows on same wall.
b) The proposed alterations to barn are not mentioned in application.
c) Proposed skylights in rear roof section are likely to be visible from neighbouring property. Privacy of applicant and neighbour should be considered.
d) Proposed wall to garden at front of property is very close to road. There is no precedent for a wall of this type on the main road through the village. Also, construction and coping materials not specified in detail.

795 Planning application no S/2006/1546/LB
Details as above
Miss Marshall proposed that the application be supported.
Seconded by Mr Miller and carried unanimously.

The Chairman thanked the applicant for the level of detail and quality of the plans presented to the meeting.

796 Playground
Mr Miller, as a member of the Wappenham Recreation Association, outlined their plans to own a village playground and asked if the Parish Council would be prepared to support this aim. One significant benefit, if the WRA is successful, may be for the PC to include the insurance of the playground (currently £460 per year) in its annual insurance cover.

There followed a discussion on the implications of such a move. It was felt that a more detailed discussion should be tabled at a future meeting. In the meantime, Mr Miller undertook to speak to representatives of Syresham playground to find how it is structured and to what extent their PC is involved.

Mr Miller will Email members of the PC with findings to take the matter forward. Mrs Wickham agreed to research the matter with ACRE.

Whilst the Parish Council is supportive of the objectives of the WRA in principle, no specific proposals will be discussed until a future meeting when more information is available.

797 Correspondence
Housing Needs Assessment: A holding letter has been received, indicating this matter will be taken up again in the New Year.

Jane Harries has written to the PC detailing the poor finishing of the pavement in Highbridge Road. Mr Miller will respond to her.

Thanks are extended to Jane Harries for the Wappenham Handbook of useful information.

The Chairman circulated an Email from Jane Harries, in her capacity of editor of the Wappenham Newsletter. Her computer needs an upgrade if she is to work most effectively. This will be discussed under Finance at the next meeting, as all funding requests must be given appropriate prior notice.

798 Finance
No issues

799 Any Other Business
Eileen White's crab apple (destruction by SNC mowing contractor). Mr Featherstone will ask the previous Clerk for copies of the correspondence relating to this matter.

Next meeting Tuesday 9th January at 19.30

The meeting closed at 21.45