West Dereham Parish Council

MINUTES OF WEST DEREHAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD AT ST. ANDREWS CHURCH THURSDAY MARCH 3RD 2011

Present: Mrs Claire Cann - Chairman, Mrs Doreen Berry, Mr Russell Drew, Mrs Ruth Marsters, Mr Paddy Murfitt.

Mr Trevor Manley - Borough Councillor

Mr Richard Rockcliffe - County Councillor

8 members of the public

Papers presented to Councillors: Second draft allotment agreements, planning application 11/00175/F, Clerks timesheet, expenditure spreadsheet.

1. Apologies for Absence accepted from:

Mr Barry Glover

2. Declarations of Interest:

Mr Paddy Murfitt acknowledged an interest in planning application 11/00174/F as he is a neighbour.

3. Approval of Minutes

The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 03/02/11 were agreed as a true record.

4. Matters arising from previous meetings

4.1 Highway maintenance work has been undertaken along Station Road in the past week and it was reported that Highways also looked at drainage problems along Basil Road.

4.2 Norfolk County Council Rights of Way Officer has reported that some footpath signs that were missing in the parish have been replaced and others will be done when an officer is next in the area. However, Norfolk County Council is unlikely to see this sort of work as a priority in the future.

4.3 Household rubbish dumped in the ditch along Station Road appears to have been cleared by the Borough Council. The passing place sign which was in the ditch has been re-erected.

5. Reports:

5.1 Chairman's Report:

Library Service

Two stops in West Dereham are listed on the new timetable for the Library van. At present the library van stops at Station Road, by Pear Tree Farm and at The Row. The driver of the library van will be asked whether the van is to continue to stop in The Row and dates when the van visits the village will be communicated in the monthly leaflet drop.

Police report

PCSO Sophie Watson rang the Chairman to give apologies for non-attendance at the meeting; The Chairman made clear the Parish Council's disappointment at the polices' failure to arrange monthly village surgeries or to attend Parish Council meetings. The PCSO was unaware that the Parish Council had complained in writing to the Chief Constable.

Crime statistics were e-mailed to the Parish Council:

1. 06/02/11 - Theft of Moped

2. 06/02/11 - 3 seen on above stolen moped, 3 arrested and moped recovered.

3. 06/02/11 - Criminal Damage to fence

4. 11/02/11 - Speeding car

5. 21/02/11 - Police Generated incident

6. 28/02/11 - Alarms at Glazewings, visited, all ok.

The meeting was briefly suspended to allow a member of the public to report that the telephone box in Church Road has been vandalised. This will be reported to the Police and BT.

The Parish Council has purchased graffiti remover to clean the road direction sign by the Old School.

Frimstone

It was noted that the group of companies of which Frimstone is a part were sold in September 2010. From January 1st 2010 the Frimstone business merged and the workshop at Crimplesham was transferred into a new company, Alboro Engineering Company Ltd (AEC). The company aims to provide a wide ranging engineering service for both commercial vehicles and mobile and static plant to Frimstone and any external businesses who wish to take advantage of the facilities and expertise that AEC can offer.

The Parish Council is concerned this may result in more heavy traffic to the site and Norfolk County Council will be asked whether planning permission was needed for this change of use of the site.

Norfolk County Council Big Conversation update

The Parish Council has received no official feedback from the Big Conversation although NCC Highways has replied to Councils who have expressed an interest in exploring the scope for taking on some highways activities.

5.2 Clerk's Report:

* Road repairs have been undertaken along Station Road.

* An e-mail has been received regarding possible cuts to bus services. Further information will be sought as to whether West Dereham will be affected.

5.3 Village Hall Report:

* The outcomes of the last two grant applications are awaited. If these are both unsuccessful the Village Trust will fund the completion of the hall, probably by means of a loan to the Village Hall. Alternative funding will be sought for the amenity/car park area.

* The Village Hall Committee is meeting at least monthly to discuss ongoing matters with the rebuild/renovation of the Hall.

* Ruth Marsters has been inside the Village Hall and work is being undertaken to create a storage room and a Heritage room at the back of the hall. Mr Paddy Murfitt is hoping to fit a mock window inside the hall made of stone from St. Andrews Church. Stone from the Abbey is also to be incorporated outside.

The builder is willing to show around anyone who is interested in the work.

The Heritage Group is to put money towards a projector and screen to be used in the main hall.

5.4 Broadband Update:

On February 25th the first Long Range Wi-Fi transmitters were installed on top of Hilgay School and they are now active.

The system and its range will now be tested.

A survey of the areas surrounding Hilgay including West Dereham will be undertaken to see how far the transmission reaches and at what speed. The transmitters are only mounted 6.5m high on the school, which is less than the anticipated 20m of the full proposal, but this will allow the technology to be tested.

When an idea of what is realistically achievable has been obtained volunteers to test the service will be sought. West Dereham Parish Council will be asked to nominate one or two individuals in the area to test the service (the Parish Council was originally told around 20 individuals would be asked to test the service).

Hilgay School Governors have also been approached about the prospect of putting a full height mast near the school.

Norfolk County Council is due to discuss this project and any further development would be pre-emptive of decisions coming out of that meeting. Councillor Rockcliffe stated that money has already been allocated for this project.

5.5 Glazewing Report:

Copies of the Glazewing Reports for March were given to those attending the meeting. Glazewing's report states that the company is in discussions with landscape contractors to look at the options available for screening the bin store along the cut-off channel.

On January 20th a rollon vehicle drove over the edge of the village grass triangle along Station Road as it was manoeuvring around a parked vehicle. Drivers have been spoken to and instructed to avoid the grass verges whenever possible.

The Council has asked Glazewing if food waste is accepted at the Station Road site. The site licence permits this type of waste to be accepted but Glazewing has stated that clean food matter is delivered directly to a composting facility and only food waste mixed within loads of canteen/office waste enters the Station Road site.

The meeting was briefly suspended to allow members of the public to contribute to the meeting:

* It was reported that for the last six months dust carts seem to enter the Station Road site and residents along the road are subjected to the aroma of rubbish.

* Whilst emergency road repairs were undertaken along Station Road on 24th and 25th February traffic was diverted via Basil Road. Verges were churned up as a result of the diversion and rubbish seems to have appeared along Basil Road during this period. The diversion was not monitored and chaos was reported as lorries went backwards and forwards to the Glazewing site.

* It was reported that when the road was blocked off a Glazewing lorry ignored the road closed sign driving onto the grass along Station Road. Having been challenged by a resident the driver had to retrack and follow the diversion. This caused damage to the area and the Glazewing driver was reported for his behaviour towards the villager.

6. Accounts

Financial position update:

The Parish Council current account bank balance stood at £5843.96 on February 18th with the reserve figure being £1611.25.

6.1 Payments agreed in accordance with the budget:

Clerk's salary (February) £228.00

CGM (hedge trimming at allotments) £87.60

CGM £119.30

ESPO £7.86

7. Review of allotment agreements:

Copies of a second draft of the new agreement for the allotments, based on the National Association of Local Councils model agreement, had previously been presented to Councillors. Further comments had been received from the Allotment Liaison Officer and the agreement was accepted with further agreed amendments.

The 2011 allotment inspection will take place on April 9th at 9.00am.

8. Norfolk Minerals and Waste Development Framework

Norfolk County Council has formally submitted its Core Strategy & Minerals and Waste Development Management Policies DPD to the Secretary of State. The Core Strategy contains policies which will be used for making decisions on minerals extraction and associated development and waste management planning applications and in the selection of the site specific allocations in Norfolk until 2026.

A CD has been produced containing the main submission documents including a Schedule of proposed Minor Modifications to the Core Strategy.

The Parish Council has concerns regarding the changes to the Core Strategy which relate to mineral extraction in the parish and is undertaking further research.

9. Preparation for 2011 Parish Council elections

Councillors present who wish to stand for election were given election packs.

The Chairman asked those who are standing for election to consider providing a small biographical note within two weeks for distribution in the April household leaflet drop.

Dates for future Parish Council meetings were confirmed:

* Next Parish Council monthly meeting Thursday April 7th

* West Dereham Annual Parish meeting Thursday April 28th

* (village meeting where reports are received from the Parish Council, the Village Hall Committee, the Village Trust, the Heritage Group, the Parochial Church Council and the Allotments Liaison Officer)

* Elections for Parish Council, Borough Council and Referendum on the voting system for United Kingdom parliamentary elections Thursday May 5th

* Annual Parish Council meeting Tuesday May 10th

(First meeting of the newly elected Parish Council where the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and all other Officers of the Council are elected)

10. Correspondence:

10.1 Norfolk Link etc.

10.2 Notification of amendment to definitive map regarding Bridleway 11 and 11a at Hilgay. The Bridleway has been split and extended to create Bridleways 24, 25 and 26.

10.3 BCKLWN Council meeting agenda 24/02/11

10.4 The Playing field - Norfolk Playing Fields Association newsletter

10.5 West Norfolk Inter Village games entry form

10.6 Norfolk Age UK - Campaign for later life in Norfolk

11. Planning applications received for consideration

11.1 Proposed conversion and extension of domestic outbuilding to residential dwelling at Orchard House, The Row, West Dereham 11/00175/F

The Parish Council strongly object to this application because if permitted the development would set a precedent as it would start a second row of housing in what is a single linear row of dwellings. Back garden development is out of keeping for West Dereham which is a village of ribbon development and such developments would alter the dynamics of the settlement

Previous planning applications were modest and envisaged the barn development as an integral part of the Orchard House property not to be sold separately, whereas this proposal is for a second dwelling considerately more substantial than Orchard House itself. The dwelling would be completely altered and would no longer be in keeping with its surroundings.

Neighbours are against the development as they will be overlooked and all are concerned with access/egress as visibility from the site is poor.

The proposed development shows lack of understanding of the village and the design and access statement is misleading in parts. Members of the Parish Council were concerned that it is stated that "The main part of the village lies just south of the A134 road and runs from the Church to the village hall".

This actually comprises only half of the village of West Dereham, all of which is linear development.

12. No Further Reports were made.

OPEN SESSION

* Concern was raised regarding difficulty traversing the footpath from Chestnut Cottage.

Chairman's Signature............................................. Date...............

Can it please be noted that the minutes for West Dereham Parish Council published in the March edition of the Pump were from the meeting held on February 3rd 2011 not December 2010 as headed.

Parish Clerk