Minutes Castle Combe Parish Council Meeting
On 21st September 2023 at The Village Hall.
Present: Cllrs: F. Winup (Chairman)
J. Prior, J Mackleden, Mrs. J Halliday, & S. Bettles
Mrs S. Parker (Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer)
Unitary Councillor N. Botterill
6 members of the public.
1. Apologies for absences. Cllr. G Clegg-Littler, B. Blair (both due to the change of date).
2. Declarations of Interest. Cllr Bettles re item 7.
3. To Approve Minutes of the meeting on 20th July 2023. Cllr. Halliday proposed them as a true record, seconded by Cllr Prior. All agreed.
4. Matters arising.
i) Area Board the next meeting is 25th September. Nothing critical for CCPC on agenda.
The following meeting is 11th December 18.30 at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre. FPW will attend.
(ii) Parish Forum
Next meeting 18th October 19.00 Kingston St Michael. FPW will attend.
4B. Parking Review (FW)
July and August statistics is as follows, 20 cars were booked in July and 34 in August. CCTV on hill patchy (as expected) and no evidence available that it is of any value.
We continue to press for a proper review including the impact of the changes on the B4039 and Whitegates, and waiting for a response from Caroline Thomas and Sam Howell.
Cllr. Winup met with Jamie Mundy to discuss area outside and near the toilets. It was suggested to have posts installed so clamping signs can be attached, but the council need to decide whether to have yellow lines in front of toilets or white hatching enabling continued parking. The road is wide enough at this point for safe parking which is why currently unlined. All councillors agreed to leave parking spaces outside of the toilets.
Cllrs discussed the suggestion of wooden posts (similar to those by the Bybrook) to prevent parking on the green areas on the B4039 at the top of the hill. It was agreed to leave it for now and reconsider it next spring.
4C. Footpaths. Footpath 19 has been expunged.
The work on footpath 5 by Cotswold wardens deferred pending the return of the footpath warden.
Cllr. Bettles has some scalpings and Cllr Winup will arrange dates for a working party to put them down.
4N. Congregational Chapel Car Park
Karen Lysley has agreed to release the 70 year old restriction on the car park re recreational use only. It is now with the solicitors to arrange the documentation. The council agreed to underwrite the costs for the latter, which should be fairly nominal as the matter should be straightforward.
Once the restriction is removed, we can consider the best way in which to place the site on the market for sale.
5. Finance
A. As per agenda. The clerk will check the September bank statement re £500 for the recent fashion shoot and chase it if it has not been received.
The first quarterly reconciliations are complete. Cllr Prior will review again at the end of October.
B. Discuss and adopt the new NALC Financial Regulations. It was agreed to defer this until the next meeting, it was agreed that Cllrs Winup, Prior and the clerk will go through it and have a recommendation for the next meeting.
6. Correspondence. Membership renewal for CPRE. This was approved by all councillors.
7. Planning Applications Determined.
PL/2023/ 04062. 4 The Old Dairy. Castle Combe. Approved.
The owners of the land adjoining 51 Whitegates have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate against the planner’s rejection of the conversion of a garage into a dwelling. We have repeated our objection based on the fact that previous planning specifically stated that this would not occur.
7.a Planning Applications Under Consideration:
7b. PL/2023/07760. White Hart Inn. To fell Western Red Cedar tree in conservation area. P.C. Approve
7c. PL/2023/07498. Castle Combe Circuit. Replacement of an existing portable toilet block with a new purpose built toilet and showering building with external catering unit Respond By 06-10-2023 PC comments. Approve.
7d. PL/2023/03703 CASTLE COMBE CIRCUIT, CASTLE COMBE, Revisions to the Main Entrance PC. Comments Approve.
7f. PL/2023/03708 Revisions to the Quarry Corner Entrance CASTLE COMBE CIRCUIT, PC comments Approve with comment:- to ensure appropriate replanting of native trees, hedges on the new entrance, or nearby, and the proposed old entrance on the B4039 in both directions. Not only will this aid the visual and audible effects, but also the potential of the weather, essentially wind and heavy snow occurrence.
We still await sight of a planning application from Cllr Bettles and Stonewood regarding the site opposite Westway Close. When received, a site visit will be arranged. A number of concerns were raised by an attending parishioner regarding the preparatory clearance works on the yard owned by Cllr Bettles opposite Westway Close. Cllr Bettles regretted that the works had taken much longer than expected and confirmed that pre-application advice had been received from the planners in respect of a formal planning application currently in the course of submission. Once that application is received councillors will undertake a site visit to review the proposal in depth. Cllr Bettles also advised that all villagers are very welcome to do likewise.
8. Unitary Councillor. Cllr Botterill reported that the WC finances are 99.94% on budget, this is a result of being tough on expenditure. They are putting £10 million into highways for resurfacing and repair road edges. He asked the PC to give him a list of 3 roads that need doing. Cllr Halliday said the B4039 in places, Grittleton Lane, and Woodbury Hill to Ford. Cllr Botterill said that the Area Boards are collecting the list for each parish to be submitted for work to start next year.
9. Playing Fields and Circuit Cllr Mackleden reported that all the Ash trees with dieback have been done, there are a few in the hedges for WC to remove.
There is a lot of dog mess on the football pitch and they are trying to find out whose dog it is as it is a health hazard.
10. Play Areas Lower. Cllr. Mackleden reported that it has been tidied up and the tree roots that are coming up will need treating. We are waiting for the ROSPA report following their inspection in September.
Upper. Cllr. Prior reported that it is very mossy and will need to be treated to remove it, otherwise it is looking alright. He is also waiting for the Rospa report. Cllr. Winup has replaced the sanitizer again.
Circuit Liaison meeting Unitary Cllr Botterill and Cllr Bettles, together with councillors from Yatton Keynell, will attend a liaison meeting with the Circuit management to discuss a number of concerns raised by residents, including traffic control and policing measures. The Unitary Council has confirmed that there are no apparent breaches of planning regulations and has re-commenced noise tests, which remain within permitted levels.
11. Highways. Cllr. Halliday presented her report listing the work that the Parish Steward has done on his visits to the parish. The gully lorry has been booked to clear the blocked gullies, and metro counts for the B4039 and The Hill have been submitted. WC officer Kirsty Rose is pricing signs for Westway Close and a slow sign. The cones on the way to Ford are still there.
12. Village Environment. Cllr. Winup presented the report on behalf of Cllr CleggLittler. The recent contamination of the Bybrook appears to have been only temporary.
Some residents recently drew attention to the excessive noise levels created by the Castle Combe bike night event. In the past the planning enforcement officer took the view that there had not been any breaches of planning caused by the noise of participants arriving and leaving such events at the Circuit. However, it has been standard practice by Wiltshire Council to conduct noise readings periodically.
Wiltshire Council have circulated a request that those using their recycling centres sort their waste before bringing it to the recycling centre.
The telephone box was cleaned up and repainted by BT.
13. Whitegates. Cllr. Prior said it is looking good, but the grass could do with a last cut of the year.
14. TV Committee. Cllr. Winup presented the report on behalf of Cllr CleggLittler. The committee will be circulating a memorandum which will record our agreement to arrange a further survey of the mast after Barry Senneck has cleared the ground at the base. Gareth Hare proposes to investigate the possibility of improving mobile reception in the village by means of an attachment to the mast. There are now only two outstanding subscriptions.
15. Village Hall New lights have been installed. Grant sought from Area Board
16. Next Meeting 23rd November 2023 19.30 in the village hall.