Present: Cllr D Hayward (Chairman), Cllr L Bennett, Cllr A Hodgson, Cllr I Houston, Cllr T Hunt and Cllr S
Longdon.
In Attendance: Mrs T Chapman (Clerk), District Cllrs M Lawrence and R Legg.
- Apologies for Absence
Cllr D Coffin and County Cllr M Bevan. - Minutes of the Meeting 06.10.15
A minor change was made to the minutes of the meeting held on 6th October, they were then approved by the Councillors in attendance and signed by the Chairman, Cllr D Hayward, as a true record of the meeting. - Declarations of Interest
None. - Report from the Planning Committee
- Planning Applications
WD/D/15/001178 – The Grange, Church Road, Bradford Abbas. The Change of use to wedding venue, including erection of a marquee & associated car parking
Cllr R Legg noted highways refused the application and it has been clarified Mr I Madgwick referred to Church Road access but it is the gate/ field access by the river that is his objection.
Cllr D Hayward stated there is also confusion whether or not 6 events could be held without planning permission as mentioned at the last meeting. Cllr R Legg noted no formal pre-application advice was given to indicate any events could be held without planning permission as permitted development rights cannot be used for residential properties.
Cllr D Hayward informed the Parish Council some correspondences were taken off the Dorsetforyou website while and then put back with bits redacted, others seem to appear after the deadline.
WD/D/15/001557 – Mill Farm, Bradford Abbas. Conversion of barns into two holiday lets, a home office, a triple garage and storage. Demolition of lean to extension to accommodate the triple garage. No objection.
Cllr I Houston requested to look at the application, specifically the environmental / bat survey.
WD/D/15/002275 – Goodlands, Grants Hill, Bradford Abbas. Erection of a timber garage. No objection.
Cllr R Legg noted a few more applications, possibly controversial, will be online soon. He has received information concerning the history of the previous application to build on the land across from the pub. The Clerk will forward this information to all the Councillors.
Action: Clerk - Tree Applications
WD/CA/15/00312 – Highcroft, Westbury, Bradford Abbas. T1 Walnut Tree, 2m crown and thin. No objection.
The Clerk received an email from a resident concerned the Walnut Tree at Walnut House, Bishops Lane was felled. The Clerk assured the resident the felling of the tree was approved by West Dorset District Council with the condition a tree will be put in its place the following planting season. - Affordable Housing
The Clerk has the leaflets promoting the affordable housing for the school and Pennant. Cllr I Houston and Cllr R Legg discussed the SAP meeting they attended concerning right to buy. They both agreed there is not much support, the scheme is has not been thought through carefully and at this stage is a poor business model. MP Letwin has postponed his meeting in November to January with SAP.
Cllr R Legg and Cllr D Hayward stated there is some concern with the checks made to links in the village when new houses become available in Pettitts Close.
Cllr I Houston noted it was suggested when attending the opening of the Yetminster Affordable Housing to get the builders involved as soon as possible as they will have ideas on how to keep the costs down.
- Design Statement
Noting to report. Cllr M Lawrence queried what the Parish Council’s intention is for the Design Statement. Cllr D Hayward stated the intent is to let WDDC know what the Parish finds acceptable when reviewing future planning applications.
- Planning Applications
- Matters Arising from these Minutes
- Website
Cllr I Houston reported the Clerk has purchased the domain name bradford-abbas.uk. He has begun experimenting with the softward Dupal 8 prototype. His intent is to use the open source software and share it for other parish councils to use (for free). - Feedback from the Working Together Pilot Projects
The Clerk distributed this document in October in order to provide feedback to DAPTC. The documents purpose is for councils to suggest ways to improve communications. The document was put together by several Town Clerks voluntarily.
The Clerk noted although it is produced by Town Clerks and perhaps does not reflect some of the issues that smaller Parish Councils face it should not restrict any comments the Parish wish to put forward. The Clerk suggested a DCC representative could meet with Parishes in order to discuss and understand their issues. Another suggestion is to provide a workforce for the parish council to use similar to that of the Somerset Parish Ranger Scheme. The parishes pay hourly for a ranger but he is qualified to do all work needed including hedge trimming on highways, repairs to playground equipments etc, as they have use of District or County Council equipment and full health and safety training. It was agreed the Clerk will submit the suggestions.
Action: Clerk
- Website
- County Councillor, District Councillor and Officer Reports
Footpaths: Cllr S Longdon reported they are ok at the moment.
Trees: Cllr L Bennett did not have anything to report.
Village Hall: Cllr T Hunt reported he was unable to attend the Village Hall AGM. Cllr D Hayward attended on behalf of the History Society and reported the Cerne Abbas Post Office Services will continue to be provided in the village hall. The Village Hall Committee continues to review the constitution. The next meeting is 7th December to finalise the constitution with a view to hold an open meeting for the residents of Bradford Abbas and Clifton Maybank to attend and review the constitution.
School Governors: Cllr A Hodgson reported the headteacher has attended meetings discussing the primary school becoming an academy. At this time it is not the preferred option.
County Councillor: Cllr M Bevan was not present.
District Councillor(s) Cllr M Lawrence noted a resident phoned her concerned a new sign on Back Lane stating the road is now Old Compton Lane. Cllr D Hayward noted the Parish Council, at the request of a resident named, the road between Underdown and the A30 Old Compton Lane, perhaps the sign is on the wrong side of the road. It will be looked into by the Chairman and Clerk. Cllr M Lawrence reported a possibility of more councils combining in 2019, although this has not been formalised they are currently informal discussions. She will keep the Parish Council updated. It was noted Cllr M Lawrence’s item is still running in the pennant, the Clerk will request it is withdrawn as she is no longer a new District Cllr for the area. - Highways
- Fingerposts
Cllr D Hayward collected the lettering for the future refurbishment of the fingerposts from Dorchester provided by DCC free of charge. Some of the hedges have been cut near the fingerposts. The Clerk will email R Skeats DCC to request the hedges at fingerpost at the junction of Church Road and Grants Hill is cut back for the volunteers.
Action: Clerk
Cllr D Hayward noted most likely it will be up to Bradford Abbas Parish Council to repair the fingerpost over Smiths Bridge as Clifton Maybank Parish Meeting does not have a precept and cannot organise volunteers.
- Babylon Hill Roundabout
It was reported new plants have been seen on the roundabout and it is looking better. Cllr A Hodgson was curious to the scheduled maintenance to the new planting. The Parish Council will bring this up at the next meeting when, hopefully, Cllr M Bevan is in attendance.
- Other Highway Matters
The Clerk reported many potholes along North Street and Higher Westbury. Cllr D Hayward asked the Clerk to report the sign for Churchwell Lane damaged from the railway underpass is at his house and to email R. Skeats again.
Action: Clerk
Cllr D Hayward is in contact with Dorset Waste Partnership concerning the grit bin on Higher Westbury that was damaged by one of their vans.
Action: Cllr D Hayard
- Fingerposts
- Report from Playing Fields Committee
- Playing Field Inspection Report
The annual playing field inspection is scheduled for January 2016. Cllr D Hayward will accompany the inspector and raise the basket swing as the new ground surface is higher than the woodchips.
Action: Cllr D Hayward - Re-Surfacing and Repairs
The Clerk and Cllr D Hayward moved the rubber chippings delivered into the seesaw area. The Clerk and Cllr D Hayward met with Mr Lewis Cole to discuss a revised estimate for the entrance gate and fixing the goalposts nearest to the railroad tracks. - Playing Fields Boundary to include a new gate
The estimate will be available for the January Meeting.
- Playing Field Inspection Report
- Grants & Donations
None. - Financial Accounts to include accounts for payment
Summary of transactions for the period 07.10.2015 to 06.12.2015
Resolved: To approve the accounts for payment.Date Chq No. Payee Item Current a/c Deposit a/c 03.11.15 000754 Bradford Abbas Village Hall
Mtg room (July to Nov) £36.00 06.11.15 000755 P Chapman Wages £170.66
06.12.15 000756 P Chapman Wages £170.66
The following was circulated by the Clerk prior to the meeting via email:
£8,882.94 - Current Account Balance
£8,115 - Deposit Account Balance is approx as we receive quarterly statements
Approximate committed costs upcoming until end of March 2016:
£ 990 grass cutting x 11 cuts (average cuts per year)
£ 105 playing field inspection
£ 515 wage
£ 25 mtg room
£ 750 Churchwell Close (only) boundary work provided by R. Green awaiting revised estimate as the original included the churchyard border
£ 250 Churchwell Street entrance gate
£2,200 Toddler area grass matts the cost estimated = £1615 but does not include VAT or removing the fence
£4,835 - Correspondences
- Cllr M Bevan emailed the Clerk a planting schedule for the Babylon Hill Roundabout. This has already been completed by DCC
- Youth Provision in Sherborne – a community future? Meeting scheduled for 4th & 5th November
- Letter from Mrs J Winter concerning “Life in Tandem: tale of cycling travels”
- Southwest trains launch on Friday 13th November Yeovil Junction Station
- Cllr D Hayward spoke to Kelly (shop) and noted the shop has not been doing well recently. Perhaps after all the work the Kelly & Alex have put into making it an award winning shop the Parish Council should note in the pennant the village would risk losing the shop if it is not used more often.
- Pennant
Affordable Housing, grit bins, playing fields future refurbishment, shop usage. - Any Other Information/ Items for January Agenda
Shop and Budget.
Cllr I Houston requested a design statement example and photos for the website. - Date of the Next Meeting
Tuesday 5th January 2016 at 7:30pm in the Bradford Abbas Village Hall Committee Room.
There being no further business, the meeting finished at 9:50pm.
_____________________________________ Chairman ______________ Date