Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 29.07.21
In the Village Hall, Castle Combe.
Present:
Cllr’s: F. Winup (Chairman).
- Mackelden.
- Blair
- Mrs. J Halliday
- Prior.
- Littler – Clegg.
- Ryall (Clerk)
Members of the public – 14
- Apologies for absence
Unitary Cllr. N. Botterill, Cllr. S. Bettles.
- Declarations of interest:
Cllr Clegg- Littler – item 7. Upper Manor House – fell 3 Ash trees.
- Minutes of the meeting held 20.05.21
It was proposed by Cllr Prior and seconded by Cllr Mackelden that these were accepted as a true record. This was unanimously agreed by the meeting and duly signed by the Chairman.
- Matters Arising:
4A. Area Board Meeting and Parish Forum.
Area Board.
The next meeting will be held on 27.09.21. The Chairman said a decision on attending will be decided when the agenda is published.
Parish Forum.
All meetings cancelled until further notice.
4B. Parking Review.
- i) Road Markings.
This is complete and will be deleted from future agendas.
- ii) Parking statistics
Cllr Winup said as requested there was a significant presence of wardens over the May holiday period with 17 bookings on the bank holiday and 21 in June.
4C Footpaths
Cllr Winup asked Cllr Blair if he would please assist Cllr Betttles to spread the scalpings already heaped at the ends of the Golf Couse footpath. Cllr Blair said he would liaise with Cllr Bettles and that the hedge on the School Lane /Whitegates foot path was overgrown. It was agreed that a working party would be arranged. Cllr Halliday said scalpings are available but Wilts Council cannot deliver.
The Chairman said the Cotswold Wardens have agreed to replace the metal barrier on the Trim.Tram footpath with a kissing gate. The barrier is a safety hazard and has been marked with hi-vis tape.
4F. Market Cross
Cllr Winup said the estimated final cost remains at £87370 of which £4062 (retentions etc) is not yet payable and that the one year defect period expired in February. He said David Newton (project designer) had reviewed the repairs with Minerva Stone, prepared a defect report and has now to provide a maintenance plan.
4N. Chapel Car Park
The Chairman said there was no progress on first registration due to a missing 1938 Wilts Council document for which an indemnity may be required.
4O. Financial Standing Orders.
To be reviewed by the chairman & clerk before the next meeting.
4R. Second Homes and Holiday Lets.
The Chairman said the leader of the Unitary Council has confirmed that no action can be taken to prevent the purchase of secondary homes. He said some councils, (eg. Camden) will not agree to any planning applications for holiday let change of use due to the impact on the local community which required an Act of Parliament. Wiltshire Council does not intend to follow suit.
The Parish Council approach to planning applications for change of use to holiday accommodation is to object unless they involve potentially redundant buildings. It was proposed by Cllr Mackelden & seconded by Cllr.Prior that this is confirmed as the Council’s Policy which was unanimously agreed by the meeting.
- Gigaclear
The Chairman said no firm timescales have yet been provided nor clear proposals on methodology. The Council have requested they investigate the previous Fujitsu work of 1995/6 which could avoid excavating the village centre. The experience of some other local councils has not been favourable and
if problems occur then Wilts Council will be involved through Nick Botterill our Unitary Councillor.
Gigaclear have been informed of the October filming dates.
- Finance. £
Income
Dubarry – donation 281.00 Dubarry – donation 175.61
Expenditure
The Councillors checked and reviewed and approved the following invoices:
Cllr Winup – bench repairs 17.72
Wilts search & Rescue – donation 30.00
Liz. Taylor – plants. 80.06
Cllr. Winup – newsletter printing 42.75
Cllr Winup – auditors gratuity 31.50
HMRC – tax 239.20
- Ryall – salary 410.80
Cllr Winup – paint bus shelter. 20.25
Lloyds Bank current account @ 25.06.21 33854.45
Shawbrook Bank deposit account. £1000.00
5A. Reserve Accounts.
The Chairman said that now the final village cross figures are confirmed and with the future donation from the filming company he and the clerk have been checking the best investment terms and rates for the capital contingency reserve. The Council is not allowed to have assets of more than twice the precept without valid explanations for the external auditors as per the submission in the 2021-22 audit return. It is recommended that £24000 from the Lloyds current account and the £1000 in the Shawbrook account are transferred to an appropriate investment account. A further £16000 to be transferred when the film monies have been received.
6.Correspondence
6A. Citizens Advice Bureau – request for donation
The Council agreed to donate £50.00
6B. CPRE membership renewal.
The meeting agreed to renew the membership.
6C. Yatton Keynell & Grittleton Parish Councils-
The Clerk reported he has been asked the Council’s position on the following:
1.The Leigh Delamare Solar Farm which affects both Parishes.
The Chairman said more detail was required before comments can be made.
- Wilts Council policy regarding minimum roadside grass cutting which both Councils oppose on Health & Safety grounds.
The Council agree also opposes the policy.
- Parish boundary at the Gib.
The Council supported the Clerk’s response that as previously agreed no change is necessary.
- Planning applications
P.C. Approved:
Manor House Hotel – replace 4 external signs.
Congregational Chapel – revised scheme to provide residential accommodation.
2, School Lane – extend utility room, new w/c, garden room.
Woodbury House UCC – retrospective application to build chicken house.
P.C. Under Consideration.
Woodbury House UCC – convert WW2 RAF buildings to tourist accommodation
The Chairman summarized the main points within the planning regulations which are applicable to this application and said that there appear to be three options to consider,
- To support the application in line with core policy 39 subject to a number of conditions including that work must not commence prior to a full Ecology report being available and the Highways issues resolved.
- To object to the application pending a further review that all of the above (conditions identified in 1) have been clarified.
- To request that the application is deferred with a full resubmission when all of the above (conditions identified in 1) have been clarified.
After discussion the Council unanimously voted to object to the application as per item 2.
Woodbury House – retrospective application to build Chicken House.
The Council noted that this building has already been built and the application is as a result of Wilts Council enforcement action.
The Council unanimously agreed to support the application with the proviso that it must remain an agricultural building & can never be converted to residential accommodation.
PC Objected
Woodbury House UCC – convert WW2 RAF buildings to tourist accommodation
Unitary Council under Consideration.
Congregational Chapel – revised scheme for residential accommodation.
2, School Lane – extend utility room, new w/c, garden room.
Woodbury House – convert WW2 RAF buildings to tourist accommodation.
Woodbury House – retrospective application for chicken house.
Unitary Council – Granted
Upper Come Lodge – fell 3 Ash trees.
Barnetta Dark Lane – fell 1 conifer.
Upper Manor House – fell 3 Ash trees.
The Stables UCC – listed building consent.
Middle Dean UCC – reduce height of 6 Maple trees.
Manor House Hotel – replace 4 signs.
With drawn
Manor House Hotel – install hot tubs at 4 cottages.
- Unitary Councillor
No comments received.
- CC Circuit & Playing Field
CC Circuit – Cllr Mackelden reported that no liaison meeting is arranged and that a planning application moving the main entrance from Westway Lane to the B4039 is still being prepared. He said the Circuit were aware of the recent Ford Action Day problems of traffic chaos & boy racers.
Playing Fields – he said the new lease will be available for discussion at the next Council meeting.
- Play Areas
The Chairman said the ROSPA audit will take place in September. Cllr Mackelden said that the lower area needs additional chippings laying and that he would arrange for this and the weeds to be tidied up.
Cllr Prior said gaps are appearing on the Whitegates play area surface and he would arrange for a quotation for repairing them. He agreed to obtain the leaf blower from Mrs Reeves.
- 1 Highways
Cllr Halliday reported the Village steward was doing his usual excellent job and concentrating on gullies/drains during the heavy rain. Weed killer has been applied to the Whitegates pavements and the hedge needs cutting on the golf course side. The salt boxes continue to be used as litter bins by visitors.
The 50mph sign on the B4039 is still missing and ‘slow children signs’ have been requested for Westway Close and told that a CATG is required. Quarry Corner lay by resurfacing and removal of bank is outstanding and will be done when they are in the area. The Chairman asked for the Whitegates turning circle to be also considered.
- Village Environment.
Cllr Littler – Clegg said he was concerned how to prevent visitors dropping litter. The Chairman said it has become worse due to the requirement to use paper cups plates etc, and more waste bins have been provided. He asked Cllr Littler Clegg if he would please liaise with Mrs Reeves and arrange for a village tidy to take place. He confirmed all of the sanitisers & defibrillators (new reporting system) are working satisfactorily and that the bus shelter has been painted and the Whitegates shelter repaired. The war memorial wall needs repairing and he has asked Minerva to examine. Drones have again become a problem and the regulations are on the notice board.
- Whitegates
Cllr Prior said the turning circle was badly rutted and scalpings were required to repair it when they become available and that the grass on the estate was getting very long.
The Chairman said he has contacted Wessex Water about the recent sewage problem.
- TV. Committee.
The Chairman reported that Cllr. Littler – Clegg has taken over from him as treasurer. He said the Nationwide are withdrawing the ‘association’ bank account and an alternative will be sought to avoid the change of signatory hassle.
The amplifier mast repairs have been delayed by Covid restrictions and there are no system problems.
- Village Hall
The Chairman said the hall is now open under Covid restrictions. The August car boot has been offered to the Colts due to the short notice with the village hall still on the list for 2022. Mr Halliwell has kindly removed the roof vegetation and quotes for the repairs will now be sought.
- Village Filming
The Chairman reported that this is a Spy programme for Apple TV and will take place on 28.07.21 and 11 – 13.10.21 with some night filming. A donation of £21000 has been negotiated.
- Dufaycolor slides.
The Clerk recommended that digitised copies be given to the Cotswold Wardens and St Andrews Church with the original slides being deposited in the Wiltshire Heritage Centre. The meeting agreed.
- Coronavirus update
The Chairman said the latest Wiltshire stats were 1460 tested positive in the last 7 days (down 31%) and 377000 people have received one jab and 296000 received two.
- Date of next meeting.
This was confirmed as Thursday 16.09.21 at 7.30 p.m. in Castle Combe village hall.