WPC Minutes March 2017

Weybourne Parish Council
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting on Wednesday, 1st March, 2017 at the Village Hall, Weybourne. – 7.30pm.

Present: Pat Floyd (Chair), Walter Wood, Andy Crawford, Penny Taylor and the Clerk. Also present were D.Young (NNDC), and eleven members of the public.

*** In the absence of Janice Rose it was agreed that Pat Floyd chairs the meeting.

1a. To receive and consider apologies
Apologies were received and accepted from J.Rose, P.Gallally, R.Gallally, and
R.Woodhouse. Apologies were also received from M.Baker (NCC).

1b. To receive Declarations of Interest on Agenda items
No declarations made.

1c. To receive update and consider vacancy
The Clerk had been informed by NNDC Electoral Services that there had been no claim for an election and therefore the PC could co-opt. It was agreed that an advertisement be placed on the notice board as part of the approved procedure.

2. To approve the minutes of the meeting held 1/2/17.
The minutes, which had already been circulated, were agreed as a true record.

3a. Public Participation (requests to speak on agenda items)
Parishioners requested to speak on items 5d, 5e, and 5f.

3b. To receive reports from County & District Councillors.
*** D.Young (NNDC) reported on the following :- (a) Cabinet was looking to develop its assets to offset a shortfall in the budget from 2020/21 (b) NNDC had been awarded £2.4m under the Community Housing Programme (c) the Maltings Hotel had been added to the Local List (d) the storm surge had been well handled and the cost to NNDC could be £300k – £500k depending on insurance and grants (e) Full Council confirmed the calculation of the council tax for 2017/18 – band D in Weybourne rises by £60 and will be £1650.94 (f) clearance of the NNDC car park should be done by Easter (g) reminder re consultation day by Dong Energy on 3/3/17 – options for the cable appear to be on both the east and west side of the car park.

3c. To receive Police Report.
The Clerk reported that Weybourne now comes under the jurisdiction of the Holt SNT. Crime statistics will be sent which cover the whole of the area concerned and therefore Weybourne’s statistics on crime will not be identified. The Clerk will try and get the figures broken down. The Holt SNT currently only has one PCSO and its unlikely that an officer will attend the PC meetings. – Noted.

4. Finance:
(a) To approve invoices for payment:-
P.Bullimore £276.08 (clerks salary), HMRC £68.80 (tax on clerks salary)
Weybourne V.Hall £15.00 (hire of hall), P.Bullimore £33.65 (clerks expenses)
E-on £48.54 (electricity – lights), Butcher Andrews Solicitors £304.00 (legal fee)
*** The payments, as scheduled on the agenda, were approved.
The Clerk asked members to note that there was no increase in grass cutting charges this year.

5. Planning:
(a) To note information/decisions received from NNDC since last meeting
The following were noted :-
PF/16/1566; Change of use of outbuilding to holiday accom; Highfields; refused.
PF/16/1683; Formation of access in wall etc; Jericho House; refused.
PF/16/1732; Conversion of Cart Shed at Abbey Farm; permission given.
(b) To consider planning applications received since agenda was printed.
PF/17/0185; Demolition of Bungalow & erection of two storey dwelling; Beach Lane
It was agreed “no objections” to this application.
PF/17/0194; Formation of new access & retention of 2m high wall; 25, Pine Walk.
Members agreed, after a lengthy discussion, that the Clerk informs the Planning Officer that this application should be deferred until the current enforcement action has been resolved. – The meeting was adjourned briefly for members of the public to speak who again were extremely concerned and thought that NNDC had handled the whole matter very badly.
(c) To receive update re listing buildings.
A letter had been sent to the owners of the Maltings Hotel informing them that the building had been placed on NNDC’s Local List. The Clerk had received a verbal complaint from them stating that they thought that they should have been consulted.
(d) To receive & consider update re 25 & 25a Pine Walk.
D.Young (NNDC) updated members on the actions being taken by the NNDC Planning/Legal Department.
(e) PF/17/0146; Installation of 5 rooflights at 25, Pine Walk
Members were concerned that yet another application was being considered whilst many other matters were unresolved. It was agreed that the rooflights were out of keeping with the surrounding area and would impact on the residential amenities of the occupants of neighbouring properties if lighting was used.
(f) LA/17/0188; Alterations & Conversion of Cart Shed at Abbey Farm.
This was purely a listed buildings application and there were no changes to the application already supported at the last meeting (see minute 5f – February 2017)
The meeting was adjourned briefly for a parishioner to express her concerns regarding her business in the village apparently being penalised as a result of what had been said at the February meeting during discussion of the planning application.
(g) To consider way forward re “paperless planning system”, w.e.f. 1/4/17.
The Clerk informed members that the paperless planning system would start on 1/4/17 and members would need to go online to look at planning applications. The possibility of having a lap-top, projector, and screen at meetings was considered. The deadline of allowing 21 days for parish councils to reply to NNDC would be strictly observed and therefore a policy/procedure needed to be agreed to cover the applications that did not fall into the normal parish council meetings schedule. The policy presented by the Clerk was agreed and adopted whereby members would look online at the application and convey their decision to the Clerk who would inform the NNDC Planning Dept., based on a simple majority, of the parish councils decision. This would be recorded at the next scheduled PC meeting.
6. Highways & Footpath matters:
(a) To further consider neglected gardens in the village.
D.Young (NNDC) informed members that he was still waiting for a reply from NNDC.
(b) To consider request for a window in the bus shelter.
It was agreed to purchase a suitable mirror from Blyth &Wright that would enable bus users to see oncoming vehicles.
(c) To receive update re footpath on W’Bourne Hol.Park (north of Temple Drive)
The Clerk informed members that this footpath was not on the NCC Definitive Map nor on any OS maps. A Norfolk CC Footpaths Officer had stated that it was private with no recorded rights and therefore the owners could do as they wished. It was also noted that it did not appear on any old Tighe Maps.

7. Meetings & Conferences.
Members noted the consultation day on 3/3/17 at Weybourne Village Hall regarding the Dong Energy Windfarm Project.

8. Allotments:
(a) To receive report re allotments (RW)
RW had offered his apologies. The Clerk had no further news re the outstanding allotment rent that RW was to collect.

9. Village Hall:
(a) To receive report re Village Hall (PF)
PF reported that her committee was trying to get prices for the village hall floor and that hopefully LED lighting was going ahead. Having replacement doors was still being considered. – Noted.
(b) To receive update re registration of village hall and land.
The Clerk reported that the Village Hall and the land at the front adjacent to Beach Lane had now been registered – the letter from Butcher Andrews, with accompanying documents, dated 13/2/17 confirmed this. – Noted.

10. Cemetery & Churchyard:
(a) To receive update re repair to step at eastern gate of churchyard (JR)
In the absence of JR it was agreed to carry this matter forward to the next agenda.

11. Harry Dawson Playing Field:
(a) To receive report re HDPF (PT).
PT had nothing to report.
(b) To receive update/ consider letter received re land adjacent to 36, Beck Close.
This item, being of a confidential nature, was taken at the end of the meeting with the public excluded. It was agreed that the Chair, PT, and the Clerk meet with the NNDC Solicitors.

12. Weybourne Community Fund: To receive report re WCF (RW)
No Report.
13. To receive General Correspondence (not included in agenda items above)
The following was noted :-
Letter from Norfolk ALC regarding organisational/staffing restructuring.
Hornsea Project Three Windfarm Brochures; Consultation day on 3/3/17 (V.Hall)

14. Public Participation (comments/other matters)
A parishioner spoke of the real need for affordable housing and referred to a recent TV documentary regarding St.Ives, Cornwall where it had been agreed that all new builds would be affordable housing.

15. To confirm date of next meeting – future agenda items.
This was confirmed for Wednesday, 5th April, 2017. (7.30pm)

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