MINUTES OF WEST DEREHAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

HELD AT WEST DEREHAM VILLAGE HALL

THURSDAY APRIL 4TH 2013

Present:  Mrs Claire Cann – Chairman, Mrs Pam Bullas, Mr Mark Dawson, Mrs Claire Page, Mrs Pam Walker.

8 members of the public

Papers presented to Councillors: Expenditure spreadsheet, Glazewing Report.

The owners of Glazewing are invited to attend a Parish Council meeting each six months; on this occasion owners Jon and Simon Miles were present before the start of the Parish Council meeting to give a report and answer questions.

A request was made by Jon Miles for a copy of the minutes of Parish Council meetings to be sent to Glazewing. It was agreed the Clerk will send a copy of the draft minutes for information only to Paul Norris Glazewing Health, Safety & Environment Manager, at the same time as a copy is forwarded to Stoke Ferry Pump. The draft minutes are, of course, publicly available once the Pump is published and the agreed minutes are published on the Parish Council website.

Provision of access road

A map of the area surrounding the Glazewing Station Road site was displayed on the screen to ascertain who owns land between the Glazewing Yard and College Road. Glazewing claim that the company is attempting to purchase land which would enable the creation of an alternative access road to the Station Road site so vehicles would not need to travel through the village.

It was confirmed that Glazewing currently own land south of the river which includes the yard and an area to the rear of the yard. The vehicle park previously owned by the former Glazewing owner has been recently purchased by Glazewing but no land to the east of the yard is owned by Glazewing. This leaves a strip of land (approximately 600 feet) between that owned by Glazewing and College Road. Glazewing said that the owner of the field is not known but a narrow strip of hedging which is where the railway once ran could possibly be purchased by Glazewing to provide a route for a new road.

Glazewing owners agree in principal that a new access road to the Station Road site at West Dereham, which would eliminate the need for traffic to the site to travel through the village, is the right course of action to pursue. However before any road can be constructed there are planning and financial issues that would need to be addressed even if Glazewing manage to obtain a passage through to College Road.

It was suggested the Parish Council could mobilise local resources to assist with overcoming issues that could hamper the progress of any new access road. The Parish Council would be willing to liaise with Elizabeth Truss MP, the CountyCouncillor for the area and Highways and it is hoped all parties would pull in the same direction towards provision of a new road.

Glazewing owners were asked what they would be willing to pay towards a new road. It was noted by the Chairman that what is important to the village is perhaps not important to Glazewing. Moreover, when considering the cost of building a new road it should not be assumed that the standard of construction need be superior to the obviously inadequate road which the company is currently content to use.

Jon Miles replied that it has taken 5 years of negotiation to purchase the land Glazewing has recently bought heading toward College Road and the first obstacle towards a new road is the need to purchase further land. If this can be achieved consideration can then be given to what else may be necessary for provision of a new access road to the Station Road site to occur.

Parish Council request for vehicle statistics

On numerous occasions the Parish Council has requested that Glazewing provide information from the tacographs in their vehicles to quantify traffic movement along Station Road during unsocial hours. Residents feel the company is growing and more vehicles are operating at unsocial hours.

At past Parish Council meetings representatives from Glazewing have claimed that the company endeavour to keep traffic movement down along Station Road during unsocial hours (between 2 and 5am) but residents feel that, not only is there no diminution in traffic movement but that it is increasing. Although it is accepted that Glazewing do not have to provide this information the Parish Council would like hard facts to support Glazewings claims.  Reality rather than perception would be preferable. The owners of Glazewing are not prepared to give such information as they feel it would be used against the company. Parish Councillors said that if the statistics showed the traffic decrease that Glazewing claimed, it would not be possible for the Parish Council to present such information negatively. Jon Miles stated that regulators of their industry are happy with the way Glazewing operates but the Chairman said it did not follow that because something had legal authority it was right.

It was suggested Glazewing could show the village that it is taking action to reduce the amount of vehicles along Station Road, as is claimed, by producing figures to quantify the claims.

Jon Miles stated that the vehicle movement from the Station Road site is presently lower than during the past 5 years.

Times of operation

It was clarified that the Glazewing yard to the north of the river is the Transport Operating Yard to which the Operator’s Licence applies allowing traffic movement 24 hours a day seven days a week.

The Waste Management Licence held by Glazewing limits operation of the recycling site to the hours listed on the gates – 7am to 5pm plus Saturday mornings.

Jon Miles reiterated that the Glazewing site at Station Road will not be expanded. However, the company will continue to grow.

Monthly Glazewing Report

The Parish Council would prefer to see effective reports. If Glazewing has positive news such as land purchase and reduction in vehicle movements it would be of more immediate interest to the village than job vacancies and recycling rates. Nor do the monthly reports accurately record incidents passed to Glazewing and it was stated residents should report all concerns to Paul Norris rather than other members of Glazewing staff. Councillors said that Paul Norris was frequently not available to report matters to.

Note was made that reports regarding vehicles slipping along Station Road in the icy weather were not mentioned in the monthly report. Highways have been approached regarding future gritting of Station Road.

It was also noted that Glazewing employees driving to and from the site in their own vehicles treat Station Road as a race track and a request was made that Glazewing ask their workers to travel more slowly along the road in an attempt to be less noisy.

The Parish Council has asked Glazewing if numbers can be placed on both sides of the cabs of their vehicles so making identification of vehicles easier.

Glazewing were also asked to provide an update regarding planting of screening around the Station Road site. There was confusion concerning where the screening was to be. The Parish Council clearly understood from the 1/4/2011 meeting with their MP that it referred to screening the numerous skips in clear view of Basil and Station Road. The Clerk would clarify this with Norfolk County Council. Jon Miles objected to the Parish Council criticising the company when it was acting lawfully. The Chairman said the Parish Council acknowledged that the current owners appeared to operate within the law; they in turn should extend the same criteria to the Parish Council who were also fulfilling the purpose of their existence by representing the views of their electorate.

In summary:

• Jon and Simon Miles were thanked for attending the Parish Council meeting.
• It was felt Glazewing should be encouraged to report progress the firm is making in the monthly reports to the Parish Council.
• In principle all at the meeting believed a new access road to the Station Road site is the right thing to aim for.
• The Parish Council asked the company once again to provide figures of traffic movement.
• There is a desire to work constructively with Glazewing.
• Glazewing is committed to getting vehicles out of the village. This will not happen quickly but it is heartening for residents to hear land has been purchased that may eventually help to establish a new site access.

1. 1.    Apologies for Absence accepted from:

Tom Foy who is deployed in Afghanistan. Paula Kellingray

2.    No Declarations of Interest made.

3. Approval of the Minutes.

The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 07/03/13 were agreed as a true record of the meeting.

4. Matters arising from previous meetings.

Highways has been contacted regarding the problems of water drainage along Bath Road and asked to visit the site and advise the Parish Council. No response had yet been received. The Clerk will approach them again. Pot holes are appearing and urgent remedial work is needed.

5. Reports

5.1 Chairman’s Report:

• Mrs Mandy Maguire will take over as Clerk to West Dereham Parish Council following the meeting. Mandy lives in East Harling and is also clerk to Methwold, Northwold, Gooderstone and Garboldisham Parish Council.
• The rubbish bin has been removed from the Cemetery by the Borough Council and rubbish is piling up. Enquiries will be made with the Borough Council regarding obtaining a replacement bin.
• The dog waste bin installed along Church Road is in need of emptying. The Clerk will pursue the implementation of its contract with the Borough Council.
• It was noted Highways have left temporary road signs from January in Bath and Lime Kiln Roads. A request will be made for them to be collected.

5.2 Clerk’s Report

• The Clerk had nothing to report but did recommend that the Parish Council should consider registration with the Information Commissioner as a data controller. This will be considered at a future meeting.

5.3 Police Report

No report given as Paula Kellingray was not present at the meeting. It was noted that there has been a spate of burglaries in neighbouring villages and thus residents are advised to be vigilant.

5.4 Village Hall Report

No report given as Paula Kellingray was not present at the meeting.

5.5 Broadband Update

Phase 1 roll out of the Better Broadband Project is expected to be announced in the Summer, with Phase 2 in the Autumn and Phase 3 in the Winter. It is hoped West Dereham will be included in Phase 1 and that some action will be evident by September 2013.

6. Farm Business Tenancy

NALC’s advice is that the Parish Council ought not to enter into a Farm Business Tenancy which is any longer than 729 days as allotment land should not be tied up in case there is a demand to provide further allotments. However informal legal advice from a specialist Local Government Solicitor was that if the Parish Council had advertised spare allotments and no take up, it was perfectly reasonable to lease the extra spare land to a farmer. At present there have been two enquiries but no follow up regarding use of the spare allotments and if necessary 7 quarter size allotments could be offered.

Discussion took place regarding whether protecting the allotments and neighbouring gardens should be incorporated into the tenancy, and if so whether the tenant would be responsible for maintaining the buffer zone. It was agreed a buffer zone should be incorporated into a new contract, the tenancy should remain as three years and the new tenant should be responsible for maintenance of the buffer zone as already with the hedges.

Professional advice will be sought regarding amendment of the contract and prospective tenants will be required to produce a statement as to how they will mitigate any possible detrimental impacts on the neighbouring gardens and allotments.

7. Accounts

The Parish Council will hold £5391.79 once the following payments have been made:

Payments agreed in accordance with the budget:

Clerk’s salary (March)                                                                                         £152.00

Country Grounds Maintenance (grounds maintenance)                                                           £107.90

Country Grounds Maintenance (hedge at allotments)                                               £228.00

IR PAYE                                                                                                            £149.87

Anglian Water                                                                                                                                                   £27.71

Norfolk Association of Local Council subs                                                                          £111.58

Norfolk Association of Local Council (training)                                                         £40.00

7.1 Revision of West Dereham Cemetery Fees

At the March meeting of the Parish Council all fees for burial of a still born infant or a child under 12 were abolished.

It was agreed by all that a fee for non parishioner still born infants and children under 12 would be set at £150.

7.2 It was agreed the allotment gates will be fitted by the village Handyman with Bonnetts to weld the fixtures at a cost of £33.60 plus VAT.

7.3 Mrs Mandy Maguire has been appointed as Clerk to West Dereham Parish Council.

The Clerk will be employed for 10 hours per week on pay scale point 19. The Parish Council will also contribute a share towards the Clerk’s pension and Cilca qualification fees.

A probation period of six months has been agreed.

7.4 Planting of the Cemetery Extension

A quote has been received for proposed planting work at the Cemetery Extension.

It was agreed to accept the quote without item 6, which would be replaced with a request for 2000 bulbs to be provided at a later date.

8.  Correspondence

8.1 Request for payment of Norfolk Rural Community Council subs – to be considered at future meeting.

8.2 Annual Return notification

9.  No Planning applications received for consultation.

The Chairman updated Councillors on the situation regarding a planning application made in 2011 for Orchard House in the Row. She reminded Councillors that the Parish Council had objected to the re development of the Barn attached to Orchard House, not in itself, but because the then owner appeared to wish to sell the Barn separately which would contravene the ribbon development nature of West Dereham village. The Borough Council decided to grant the application after a nearby property (Close View) had been purchased by the Orchard House Oblique Barn owner to provide access to the Barn by taking a slice off Close Views drive. Orchard House was sold last year and Close View and the Barn are currently on the market. The Clerk was asked to confirm with the Borough Council proposed vehicle access to and from Close View.

10. No Further reports/items for the next agenda.

MATTERS RAISED IN OPEN SESSION

• Large pot hole at St. Andrews Close – to be reported to Highways.

Chairman’s Signature………………………………………             Date……………