WEST CREWKERNE PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Tuesday 10th November 2020 via Zoom Conferencing

 

Members Present

Mrs Julia Borland (Chairman)

Mr D Yeomans

Mr Frank Freeman

Mr R Franklin

Mr B Carter

Mr Mike Best (Somerset County Councillor)

Mrs Sue Osborne (South Somerset District Councillor)

Also present

2 Members of the Public

Miss Jackie Parsons (Parish Clerk)

 

 

1.         Apologies for Absence.

            No apologies were received.

 

2.         Public Open Forum

            Two members of the public asked about the speeding through Clapton as it was an item on the agenda.  The Chairman stated that to purchase a speed indicator device would cost in the region of £2500 - £3000, so the Clerk had contacted Somerset County Council to ask whether they had any devices that they contracted out.  Somerset County Council do have such devices that they can place around the Parish at a cost of £260 per week.  There is no point in monitoring during lockdown but will be something the Parish Council will be looking at.

 

3.         Declarations of Interest in items on the agenda (Pecuniary or non-statutory interests).

            The Chairman Mrs J Borland declared an interest in item 6 F.  No other councillors declared any interests.

 

4.         To approve the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on the 8th September 2020.

            The minutes were approved by the meeting and proposed for approval by Mrs J Borland and seconded by Mr R Franklin.

 

5.         Matters arising from the minutes not covered elsewhere on the Agenda.

            No matters were brought up for discussion.

 

6.          6.  Planning Matters.

             West Crewkerne Parish Council is a Statutory Consultee for Planning Applications

and as such does not make the final decision on any application.  Any decisions        and comments made by the Parish Council will be fed into the planning process and added to the report by the Planning Officer.  South Somerset District Council is the Planning Authority and will issue the final decision notice (Planning Determination) once their investigations into the application, consultation period and decision making process has been completed.

 

A). Fuzzy Ground and concerns raised. 

The Chairman stated that she had been contacted by a Heather Nesbitt who had been drafted in to help with the enforcement cases of which the above is one of them.  Councillor Mike Best also stated she had been in touch with him and is now looking in detail at the case with a view to visiting the property and reporting back to the Parish Council by the next meeting.

B): 20/02394/PAMB Agricultural Building at Henley Manor Henley Crewkerne Somerset TA18 8PQ.  Notification for prior approval for the change of use of agricultural building to 5 no. dwelling houses.

Awaiting Decision

C): 20/02291/FUL Little Shabby Farm, Axe Road Drimpton, Beaminster, Dorset DT8 3RJ.   The erection of two agricultural buildings for hay/feed/straw and machinery store.

Application permitted with conditions

D): 20/02195/FUL 9 Lily Court Clapton Road West Crewkerne Somerset TA18 8RA.  Proposed change of use of agricultural land to residential and proposed first floor balcony with associated French doors.

Awaiting decision

E): 20/02189/LBC Axe Farm Axe Road Drimpton Crewkerne Somerset DT8 3RJ.  The carrying out of minor internal and external alterations to the rear for the installation of new boiler.

Application permitted with conditions

F): 20/02741/FUL 1 Axe View Axe Road Drimpton Crewkerne DT8 3RU.

Change of use of the single storey separate annexe from ancilliary accommodation to short term holiday let.

Awaiting Decision

 

8.  Highway Matters

Progress report on Small Improvements made to Roundham

The Clerk stated that Somerset County Council had completed the Roundham Scheme and would monitor the effectiveness of the scheme post lockdown.  Mr B Carter aired his views again on the inefficiency of the County Council and the Police and was asked by the Chairman to desist from making personal comments which he did not comply with, so the Clerk was duly asked to mute Mr Carter.

 

Speeding through Clapton

This has been answered at Public Open Forum and will be looked at Post Lockdown.

 

9. Reports from Councillors, including District and County Councillors.

Mr M Best (Somerset County Councillor)

There is a climate fund that you can make applications to if you are proposing to undertake a project that is related to climate change and the minimum bid is £5000 and the maximum £75000.

The consultation process goes on in Crewkerne regarding the proposal to reorganise the schools in Crewkerne and that process finishes in the next two weeks

The proposals for the Unitary Authority for Somerset have to be put forward to the Government Department by the 9th December.

 

Mrs S Osborne (South Somerset District Councillor)

There is a new Enforcement Officer been seconded to the District Council

The Kithill development, the Parish Council of West Crewkerne need to be informed if they decide to re-route the footpath.

The new guidelines from the Government to streamline the planning process.

Somerset has high levels of Phosphates that is flowing into the Somerset Levels and Moors from new developments.  This has to be considered when approving planning applications and also whether Wessex Water Board has the ability to bring these levels of phosphates down.

There have been discussions about the District Council Budget and this will now be going before full council for approval and also for the Council Tax base figure.

Mrs S Osborne is trying to ascertain from where the costs for the advertising and promotions for the Unitary authority is being paid.

Mrs S Osborne has endorsed an application from the Wayford and Clapton village hall to the Somerset Community Foundation to enable them to upgrade the heating system.

Mrs S Osborne also stated that South Somerset District Council is also giving emergency funding to businesses again for the 28 days of the second lockdown.

Mrs S Osborne also stated that the Parish Council should consider a Zoom subscription which was endorsed by the Parish Councillors.

No reports from Mrs J Borland, Mr D Yeomans, Mr B Carter or Mr F Freeman.

Mr R Franklin asked what was happening on the Kithill development.  Mr M Best stated that Crewkerne Town Council had sought the advice of a barrister.  The barrister had advised that all the procedures had been followed correctly and there were no grounds for appeal at this stage.  However, there were other avenues to pursue when a developer puts in a full planning application.  Mr M Best also stated that South Somerset District Council now has a five-year land supply and a developer cannot now use the District Council lack of land supply as an excuse.

 

10. Finance

                   A) To pay: -

                        1. Clerk Salary £153.40 Cheque No. 339

2. HMRC £38.20 Cheque No. 338

3. Invoice of £50.00 to SALC for how to Budget Effectively training which Mrs J Borland & Miss J A Parsons attended.  Cheque No. 340

4. Agreement of the half yearly Income and Expenditure accounts for the period ended 30th September 2020.

All the Parish Councillors agreed the half yearly accounts.

     

      

11. Correspondence;

A): Various e-mails. Coronavirus updates from various sources, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Somerset Waste Partnership and Rural Bulletin.

B): Broadband coverage in West Crewkerne.   Reply from Connecting Devon and Somerset.  The Clerk read out a reply she had received from Connecting Devon and Somerset but unfortunately the microphone on her computer was playing up and Councillors could not hear her.  The clerk agreed to send the memo out to Councillors.

C): A query has been made regarding the siting of a mobile home and the erection of a sign within the parish.

The Clerk wrote a second letter to the gentleman on 23rd October 2020 on whose land the mobile home is sited requesting him to submit a planning application for the mobile home.

Reply received from the gentleman concerned together with copies of letters written to the planning office.  The gentleman is awaiting on an architect to draw up plans to submit to the planning office of South Somerset District Council.

D): Badger Culling on land owned by West Crewkerne Parish Council.  As the Parish owns no land there is no further action to take on this memo from South Somerset District Council.

 

12.   To confirm that the next meeting of the West Crewkerne Parish Council will be 

held on Tuesday 12th January 2021 probably via Zoom at 7.00pm The Chairman wished everyone a pleasant Christmas and apologized for the technical difficulties.