Minutes of the Ordinary Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 6th November 2024 at 7.00pm in Bradford Abbas Village Hall
Present: Cllrs Robin Legg (Chairman), Jenny Thomas, Dave Furby, Sally Jenkins, Peter Clark and Jo Barber, Diane Coffin
Others Present: Mrs S Hillier (Parish Clerk) and 42 members of the Public
1 Welcome and receive apologies: The Chairman welcomed Councillors and members of the public to the meeting. There were no apologies for absence. There were no declarations of interest.
2. To approve the minutes of meetings held on 3rd September 2024. They had been circulated to Councillors and agreed by those present. Proposed Cllr Furby Seconded Cllr Coffin and signed accordingly
3. Matters Arising from the Minutes - The Wriggle Valley Bus is now operational and calls at Bradford Abbas every other Friday for Yeovil. The round trip is £5. Leaflets were circulated to residents present. Tis bus service is for a 6month trial and if successful could be extended. Please Use it or Lose it!
4. Wyke Solar Farm Cllr Legg introduced this item noting that there has been no formal application as yet Bradford Abbas PC along with a consortium of other Parish Councils will respond then. The members of the public are encouraged to make their own comments at that time. Representatives from RWE then gave a feedback presentation on the consultations that had taken place in September. They said they had delivered 1218 leaflets, 2knocked on doors, conducted two Consultation afternoons attended by 78 and 156 people, attended 4 different Parish council meetings and received 112 individual items of feedback. Issues raised included the walk ways and cycle tracks, community facilities like the orchards how had this site been selected, comments on the visual impact, ecological issues, construction impact, the use of high grade agricultural land, would it go ahead or not. The main changes to the proposal as a consequence have been an improved walkway along the River Yeo, the removal of two fields close to Bradford Abbas, a larger area around Wyke Farm, in some areas planting would be of more nature trees to help resolve the concerns over the views, there had been a site visit with a heritage officer, the views of the ridge would be preserved, there would be site entrance off the A30 and following comments from Wyke Farm the name would be changed to Blackberry Solar Farm. Links would be developed from the old website to the new one. The meeting was then opened up for Councillors and members of the public to make comment (See Attached Sheet)
5. Public period for comments and issues. There were no further comments raised.
6. To consider any Planning Applications and Decisions.
- P/HOU/2024/06236 Removal of redundant projecting glazed shop front and replacement with flush traditional casement – The Old Post Office, Church Road DT9 6RF – Councillors had the opportunity to study the plans. Comments included that it was a well presented application and that the shop front was relatively modern. The door to the shop is not mentioned, nor retention of the George V Post box now painted black. It also seemed as if work had started prior to planning permission being granted. Comment was made that it is of heritage significance and of social and historic continuity. The application does not address the Conservation Area plan and if the Conservation appraisal is ignored then the Conservation Area has little significance. This building is central to the Conservation Area, the post box date from George V and is of historic significance. It was proposed By Cllr Coffin, seconded by Cllr Barber to recommend refusal – carried unanimously.
- P/TRC/2024/05982 – Fell Eucalyptus tree – 8 North Street DT9 6SP Agreed to Support.
- P/FUL/2024/04791 Station 3No. holiday lodges, install a package treatment plant & associated works – Saxon Maybank East Farm Grain Mills, DT9 6JN – Comments included that this was a reapplication and that little had changed. That previous comments on this application should be reiterated , stressing the impact on Right of Way T474 by Chalet 18. Agreed Unanimously to Oppose
- P/TR/2024/05197 T1 Crab Apple – fell. The Lanterns, North Street, DT9 6SA – no objection
- P/CLE/2024/05604 Certificate of lawfulness to continue as a residential dwelling without compliance with agricultural occupancy condition -Toll Bridge Farm House, Compton Road, BA21 5BZ No comments.
- P/CLE/2024/05812 Certificate of lawfulness to provide confirmation that the dwelling have been continuously occupied for a period in excess of 10 years in breach of the agricultural occupancy condition – The Dairy House, Compton Road, BA21 5BZ Bo comments
7.Financial Accounts. The list of payments due had been circulated.
Financial Information for Council meeting 5th November 2024
Current Account
£4698.81 Account Balance as at 31st August 2024
Payments made since
Direct Debits Paid
£219.60 Salary Month 5 0.29 AWS EMEA September
£375.00 Savills (allotments) 0.28 AWS EMEA October
£595.40 Clear Councils Insurance 0.29 AWS EMEA November
£164.80 HMRC PAYE
£24.49 Royal British Legion
£176/17 KM Dike Inv 1943 (uncashed)
£176.17 KM Dike Inv 2049 (uncashed)
£155.00 Life Education agreed 03/09/24
Receipts
£500.00 Rent for field
£8310.92 Dorset Council Precept
£12,129.87 Balance in Current Account as at 31st October 3034
Proposed payments from Current Account Future Payments – Prior to January meeting
£219.80 Salary Month 6 £219.60 Salary Month 8
£219.60 Salary Month 7 £164.80 HMRC PAYE
£29.00 DAPTC Conference – Clerk (half cost) £35.00 Training – Cllr Barber
£176.17 KM Dike Invoice 2078 £60.00 Training – Cllr Barber £176.17 KM Dike Invoice 2104 £60.00 Training – Cllr Furby
Neighbourhood Plan Group
£76.80 Parish on Line (NP)
Total Proposed Payments £915.74 + £384.40
Deposit Account
£31124.20 Balance reported at meeting on 31st August 2024
£26.43 Interest September
£25.60 Interest October
£31176.23 in Deposit Account as at 30th October 2024
NP denotes Neighbourhood Plan expenditure monies held in Deposit account and transferred out as required
Total in accounts as at 30th October 2024 £43,306.10 includes £8729.00 NP Grant
Acceptance of payment proposed by Cllr Legg, seconded Cllr Coffin – Agreed unanimously
b) Draft Budget Councillors were asked to consider and submit items for the Draft Budget 2025/2026
c) Pay Award A Pay Award for 2024/25 backdated to April 2024 paper had been circulated. That this award be accepted was Proposed by Cllr Legg, seconded Cllr Clark – agreed unanimously
8. Wyke Farm (Blackberry) Solar Panel Proposal – Cllr Hillier from Thornhackett PC addressed the meeting and explained that he had invited the 4 Parish Councils to consider meeting to the planning application when it had been received with a view to a possible joint response. Councillors discussed the idea and thought the concept a good one perhaps there could be a general response but they would like to reserve the right for Bradford Abbas to also submit its own response.
9 Mobile Phone Connectivity – Dorset Council was talking with a supplier - Atlas Tower Group to identify areas that could benefit from Improved mobile coverage. Councillors agreed that mobile phone coverage was very patchy in the village and often depended on the supplier, the area around Cross Road was particularly poor. Cllr Legg to confirm that Bradford Abbas should be included in discussions.
10. Defibrillator Contract. The defibrillators have now been gifted to the Parish Council. They need to now be reconnected to the network. Clerk has identified a company who will check the defibrillators, but any expenditure relating to new pads, batteries etc. will be at Parish council expense. Councillors agreed to request that the company check our machines. Contact Community Heartbeat to see if they will accept our defibrillators, or whether we need to purchase new ones. Cllr Furby agreed to be secondary contact and to check machines.
11 Remembrance Day - 10th November. Cllr Furby agreed to lay wreath on behalf of the Parish Council as the Chairman was attending the service in Sherborne
12. Hedges and Verges – Veres are very overgrown with brambles and nettles, Need to build in provision to increase area of cut. It was suggested that an article be placed in the Pennant reminding property owners of their responsibility to maintain their hedges and verges.
13. Reports from Representatives to outside bodies. Tree Officer – Local authority has given permission for trees in churchyard to be cu but still waiting permission from the Diocese. Pennant Councilors invited to a public meeting on 14th November in Village Hall to discuss Wyke Solar Farm proposal. Councillors were reminded not to make comments for or against the proposal as it could be construed as a ‘conflict of interest’ when the item comes to Planning.
Rights Of Way Officer –Cllr Furby in contact with Dorset Council over Mill Lane footpath where thy ae waiting for quotations and Mill Lane where the ruts are getting deeper.
Village Hall – Looking for a new Chairman and Vice Chairman
DAPTC Rep Annual Meeting to be held 23rd November Rates for next year likely to increase as DAPTC has lost grant from NHS and grant from Dorset Council reduced. Motion for DAPTC to become a company limited by guarantee as indicated last year.
14. Reports from Working Groups. Neighbourhood Plan - Monthly meetings continue consultants to examine and review work to date, reviewing justifying statements and looking to include more on the railway, dangerous traffic and flooding
Telephone Box Group – Still being used a lot, request to purchase Christmas Tree - agreed unanimously .
Recreation Field Rota to be circulated. Council being asked about a new waste bin and emptying of same.
Web Site Tree proposals had been circulated Aubergine, Parish on Line and Hugo Fox as well as site we have at present. A number of other local Councils use Hugo Fox. Councillors agreed to investigate this option further.
15. Items for Pennant Cllr Barber to produce an article including matters discussed re hedges and verges.
Communications – Saxon Maybank hearing re T474 10th December in Dorchester. Contact police re dangerous state of roads due to mud. Gollops Ground consideration 15th November.
16. Date of Next Ordinary Parish Council Meeting – Tuesday 7th January 2025 at 7.00pm in Bradford Abbas Village Hall
Notes compiled and not verbatim from RWE Consultation Feedback
- Grading of the land, who undertook this as at the moment the quality is not what it was 5 years ago when Ilchester Estates took it over de to the same crop being planted each year. Mainly climate factors affect the grading which will take more than 5 years.
- Compared to the original proposal what is the acreage covered by panels now? It was 400 acres panels now cover approximately 250 acres.
- Is it your own ecologist studying the area or a consultancy? A bit of both, employing a company from the Institute of Ecology.
- How much woodland and hedgerow will be lost? Not losing any ancient hedgerows which are categorized as being over 150 years old. No woodland is being lost. A survey of species has already been undertaken. Only low grade non-ancient hedgerows will be removed, but, mainly using gaps that are already there. Some new hedgerows are to be planted.
- Is an Environmental Impact Assessment being undertaken for the District Council? It is not established yet whether this will be part of the application.
- With regards to environmental impact will the site be fenced and with what? The paneled areas will be fenced with post and rail fencing to deter deer. It will not be palisade fencing.
- We did not want the site named after our house, so thank you for the renaming, not sure whether deer fencing will be robust enough, some other sites have been replaced with steel and cctv, what about problems with insurance. Only deer fencing on our other sites and we have not had a problem with insurance.
- Have you consulted with Historic England and Highways? We are in consultation with Historic England and County highways.
- RWE have invested so far will you appeal if refused? That will depend on the reason of the refusal
- Will the ecology report be made public? Yes, it will be part of the application. Bird life has found to improve on these sites.
- What mature evergreens will be planted, what about the ridge line and the area was good for nesting skylarks? Yew, pines, match to native species. The panels have been offset by 20m on Part of the site to maintain views of the ridge line. Two fields have also been removed from the plan. As the area is not ploughed it would not be good for nesting skylarks.
- Walking along the River Yeo we will have a view of 3m high solar panels. We are putting in a 4km walk along the R. Yeo, there is 20m between the river and the panels, there will be a hedge of deciduous planting which has been changed to wet land meadow planting. Evergreen planting has been targeted around properties where requested.
- Where will the power generated go? It will go to the National Grid at Pen Mill sub-station underground along the A39
- What will happen to the removed fields? They will revert to whatever the landowner wishes to use the for.
- Will there be direct benefit to those affected by the site? There is the benefit fund. We will do the same as on other sites, legal decisions to be made.
- How long will construction take? Approximately 6 months, RWE will continue to own and operate he site.