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Minutes of the meeting of the WICKHAM MARKET PARISH COUNCIL held on Tuesday 15 September 2009 at 7.00pm
PRESENT: Mr M Argent (Chairman), Mr G Plater (Vice Chairman),Mrs P Bell, Mrs J Breese, Mrs J Evans, Miss P Johnson, Miss V Pizzey,Mr M Roseveare,
- 1. APOLOGIES were received from Mrs S Lewis, Mr M Manning, Mr P Revett, Mr J Ridd and Mr C Tucker
- 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Mrs P Bell declared a personal interest as a nearby resident and Mrs J Evans declared a personal interest as a shopkeeper within the village. Both members remained in the meeting to speak and vote.
- 3. 14-18 HIGH STREET, WICKHAM MARKET, IP13 0HE
Planning application for mixed use development comprising of retail store and 13 dwellings with associated car parking and landscaping.
The Parish Council considered the above planning application and agreed that the proposed development would have a large effect on the way Wickham Market operated. It felt that it was essential that the new store dovetailed in with the rest of the commercial sector of the village. Something that the Parish Council were sure that the Co-op did not want either.
. RESOLVED
That the Parish Council have no objection to the concept of the development but wish to raise the following issues:
- that the disabled and mother and baby car parking spaces are too close to the access/egress point and require these shoppers to cross the vehicular access to get to the shop. These reserved spaces should be moved to spaces 14 to 18 on the plan on the western edge of the store. From this area neither the disabled or mothers and babies would have to cross the vehicular access although the Parish Council accept that the walk to the shop entrance is slightly longer.
- the opening hours of the shop should remain from 8am to 8pm as they are at the moment as the shop will be surrounded by residential properties and later opening will inevitably lead to later traffic movements.
- the design of the 7 terraced properties should be turned round so that the living room overlooks the open vista of playing field and countryside to the west of the development, rather than looking at the store.
- there should be 1 or 2 more low cost residential units so that the development complies with Policy AP38A of the Second Alteration of the Local Plan. There is always a need for low cost units in the area and to settle for anything less would send out the wrong message to any future developer in the village.
- good pedestrian access from the store to the centre of the village, the Hill, is vital to maintain the health and viability of the commercial sector of the village. The safest pedestrian route is through the village hall site and the Percy Mason car park out on to the Hill. However the Parish Council feels that it is appropriate that the Co-operative Stores contributes financially to the creation of a safe pedestrian access along this route by meeting the cost of appropriate signing, lighting etc. This is a matter that the Parish Council would wish to discuss with the Co-operative Society before any final decision is made on the application. The Parish Council does not have the finances to meet the cost of creating this pathway the need for which has only come about because of the proposed development.
- The Parish Council would also like to discuss with the Co-operative society its plans for the existing shop although they realise that this is nothing to do with this planning application.
The meeting closed at 8.15pm
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Minutes of the meeting of the WICKHAM MARKET PARISH COUNCIL held on Monday 16 November 2009 at 7.30pm
PRESENT: Mr M Argent (Chairman), Mrs J Breese, Mrs J Evans, Miss P Johnson, Mrs S Lewis, Mr M Manning, Miss V Pizzey, Mr J Ridd, Mr M Roseveare, Mr C Tucker
Also present: Mr M Bond (County Councillor), Mr B Hall (District Councillor)
- APOLOGIES were received from Mrs P Bell, Mr G Plater and Mr P Revett,
- DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Mrs Lewis declared a personal interest in Item 15.1 as a trustee of the Wickham Market Partnership.
- MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2009 were signed as a true record.
- VICE CHAIRMAN
The Chairman reported that Mrs Plater had been taken ill on a holiday in Gloucestershire and would be away for some time. The Council asked the Chairman to pass on their best wishes for a speedy recovery to Mr and Mrs Plater
- COUNTY COUNCILLOR
Mr Bond reported that the cost of improving safety and car parking at Campsea Ashe was likely to cost £10,000. Funds would be made available from Suffolk Coastal District Council to provide some improvements to these areas.
With regard to the out of hours surgery at the Resource Centre this had been discussed at the last meeting of the Suffolk Health Scrutiny Committee. Since that meeting he had suggested to the Suffolk Primary Care Trust (PCT) that they should consider further the specifications within the contract to provide this service which was about to be awarded. It was in the interests of the residents of Wickham Market and the surrounding villages to get the Resource Centre written into the contract as one of the bases for the provision of an out of hours surgery. He personally felt it was time to put the clocks back and get the local doctors to provide the service, but he accepted that this was unlikely.
He would continue to bring pressure on the Suffolk PCT to get and out of hours surgery at Wickham Market.
- POLICE MATTERS
PC Rebecca O'Neil attended with PC David Burrell and PCSO Sally Anna Chatten- Berry. It was reported that from 1 July to the end of September 2009 there were 7 burglaries (0 in 2008), 2 vehicle thefts (0 in 2008), 7 violent crimes (0 in 2008) and 22 anti social crimes (34 in 2008). There had been some minor arson to litter bins and there was still a problem with youths on the Hill. Sally Chatten-Berry was trying to start a youth club to give the young people a focus. She felt the bus was not ideal for this. The big problem facing her was finding suitable premises in which to run the club. Various premises were being considered such as The George, the Beehive Centre, possibly the village hall.
The police wanted to get things started in a controlled fashion and anyone misbehaving would be shown the “red card”. The local youths attached to the bus had already drawn up their own rules for the club.
The Parish Council agreed that they supported the efforts of the police and would do what they could if the venture was feasible. However experience had shown that enthusiasm for such a venture was short lived. They asked the police representatives to come back to the Council when more information and detail was available and the Parish Council would determine how they could help.
Finally the police thanked the residents of Wickham Market for an increased willingness to report offences. This made catching the culprits a lot easier and gave a truer picture of the problems in the village.
- MATTERS ARISING
7.1 The railings around the war memorial had been painted.
7.2 The Wickham Market Partnership (WMP) was applying for grant aid from the Economic Development Support Fund run by Suffolk Coastal DC for facilities signing to Wickham Market from the A12 which would indicate things like toilets, shops, places to eat, car parks etc. The representative of the WMP displayed a mock up of the proposed sign but stressed that changes could be made.
It was reported that the total cost of providing and erecting the signs was £15,245. The WMP was applying, through the Parish Council, for 70% of this cost from SCDC but 30% had to be found by the community.
The Parish Council was keen to see the signs erected at either end of the village on the A12 and asked that the symbol for shops be included on the sign or that appropriate wording be used to indicate shops. Additionally they asked for the disabled symbol to be replaced by the historic church symbol.
RESOLVED
- That a maximum grant of £5,000 be contributed towards the cost of providing these signs
- That Councillor Bond be asked to contribute from his locality budget.
- CAR PARKS
8.1 Mrs Evans reported that the Italian Market on 14 November 2009 had been a great success despite the weather. The owners of the market had been delighted with the organisation on the Hill and the number of customers. Mrs Evans would be pursuing the possibility of bringing French or German markets to the village in the future. A maximum of 4 markets over one year was felt to be the maximum number that was viable.
She reported that for the future the availability of car parking needed to be better signed.
The Clerk was asked to write to the Headteacher of the primary school thanking her for the use of the schools parking area.
8.2 The Clerk reported that Mr Alan Hammond of the Orchard Camp Site, Spring Lane, had very kindly offered to be the main sponsor for the hanging baskets in 2010. Most importantly he had indicated that his staff would water the baskets once in situ (a saving of about £1800). In the New Year, the local shopkeepers would be asked, in the normal way, to contribute towards the cost of the baskets and if the response was enthusiastic then any shortfall would be minimal. The nursery at Hacheston had indicated that the cost of filling the hanging baskets was similar to the cost in 2008, approximately £700.
8.3 Two litter bins had been set alight and destroyed in the play area at the rear of the village hall. Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) has indicated that to replace these bins would cost £185 including fixing. In addition Cllr Hall had asked for the bin on the car park on the playing field to be replaced and a new one be installed adjacent to the skatepark/basketball court (this would be paid for by SCDC which had said that if the Parish Council ordered three bins they could get the fourth free).
RESOLVED
That the 2 litter bins at the play area and 1 at the playing field be replaced and that SCDC be asked to provide one free in accordance with their offer even though the fourth was being paid for by SCDC.
- OPEN SESSION - COMMENCED AT 8.44pm
9.1 The Clerk was asked to contact Suffolk Coastal District Council about the standing water in front of the recycling bins and contact Mr Walker regarding renovations to the pump and horse trough.
9.2 A member of the public asked if a dogbin could be provided at the bottom end of George Lane by King Edward Avenue. The Clerk agreed to look into the cost of the purchase and fitting of a bin by Suffolk Coastal District Council.
9.3 Mr Hall reported on the progress of the Local Development Framework, particularly with regard to housing provision. There was no news on the reorganisation of local government within Suffolk. Finally the basketball coaching had gone extremely well and the primary school was hoping to put a team together.
9.4 The Parish Council expressed concern that as Any Other Business had been removed from the agenda it sometimes made it difficult to consider matters in a reasonable time. They agreed that from January 2010 agendas should include an item “Suggestions for next agenda”
10. POLICE MATTERS
10.1 They received the normal report from Mr John Hoe.
10.2 Further to the Parish Council's decision at its last meeting the Chairman had written to Suffolk Police requesting increased police cover for the village in view of recent problems.
A letter has been received from Suffolk Police indicating “...we are also examining the possibility of having “detached youth workers” in the area, but at the moment there does not appear to be any funding for this. Perhaps this is something which could be discussed within the parish council ”
In the absence of an estimate of the level of funding and the proposals put forward earlier in the meeting the Parish Council agreed that this matter, and a number of other possible initiatives, could be considered further when clearer details were available as part of a more concerted plan related to the well being of young people.
11. SPORT AND LEISURE
11.1 It was reported that the construction of the Wickham Market Youth FC pavilion continued and it was likely that installation of the water and foulwater pipes to the pavilion would take place in the not too distant future. The trench would go across the Simons Cross allotments.
With regard to the easement for drainage this could either be granted to Suffolk County Council as freehold owners of the recreation ground, or granted to the Parish Council by way of Lease easement which would terminate at the same time as the Lease. In the event that the Parish Council renewed the Lease of the playing field on the expiry of the existing Lease then the easement would need to be incorporated within the new Lease.
RESOLVED
That the easement be granted to the Parish Council by way of an attachment to the lease.
12. PLANNING MATTERS
12.1 Applications dealt with since the last meeting were 1 Broad Road, Wickham Market, IP13 0RJ - application for the erection of a single storey extension to the side/rear of the house and Hill House, 52 High Street, Wickham Market IP13 0QT - application for the insertion of replacement windows to rear elevation. No objection was lodged to either application.
13. ALLOTMENT MATTERS
13.1 95% of rents had been collected on the evening of 19 October 2009. Reminders were being sent out this month.
14. CEMETERY MATTERS
14.1 It was reported that three shrubs had now been purchased and planted to mark the area of the Garden of Rest in the cemetery.
15. FINANCIAL AND LEGAL MATTERS
15.1 Bi-monthly accounts September/October 2006- these were noted and accepted.
16. CORRESPONDENCE
16.1 Take Care Now - Wickham Market Resource Centre - there had been growing concern at the increasing absence of an out of hours doctors surgery in Wickham Market. The Parish Council received a report from the Wickham Market Partnership (WMP) which explained the current situation in detail and some proposed future action to try to get the facility back into the village.
Over 90% of the parishes surrounding Wickham Market that would use the out of hours facility had been contacted and so far support for the action proposed by WMP had been unanimous.
The Parish Council expressed its concern that this facility appeared to have deliberately been taken out of Wickham Market despite purpose built facilities being provided. This could only be to the detriment of the local populations. It supported the view of the WMP that the new contract due to be awarded in December 2009 must rectify this position. Consequently it:
RESOLVED
1.That the new contract should take proper account of the rural nature of the area as the existing guidance does not appear to do this sufficiently, as recognised in the draft specification
2.That the new out of hours contract must specify that an out of hours service is provided from the Wickham Market resource Centre. The Centre has facilities which are purpose built and is convenient to access from a wide surrounding area
3.That the Centre must provide a service every evening and weekend rather than the intermittent (or non-existent) service that is happening at the moment
4.That these provisions be written into the contract with the service provider to remove the current unsatisfactory situation of there being no obligation on TCN to provide a service from any specific location.
16.2 Co-operative Stores - concern had been expressed that the pedestrian footpath alongside the road from the Hill to the new stores was unsatisfactory due to its narrowness in part and the proximity of passing vehicles. There was also some concern at residents from the Chapel Lane area having to cross the busy road.
The Parish Council, in these circumstances, felt that it was vital that a safer pedestrian access was created from the rear of the store (a pedestrian gate was shown on the plans in the boundary fence), across the village hall, football club and Percy Mason car parks and out on to the Hill. Whilst it accepted that walking through car parking areas was not ideal, it felt that this would create the safest route bearing in mind the current situation.
The Parish Council hoped to see a financial contribution from the East of England Co-operative Society towards the cost of creating this pedestrian path, not only within its own boundaries, but across the car parking areas. It noted that this issue was under discussion between Suffolk Coastal District Council and the agents acting for the Co-op. Any financial contribution would go towards the cost of such things as lighting and signage. This would demonstrate the Co-operative Society's commitment to Wickham Market and could be achieved through the mechanism of a Section 106 Agreement.
RESOLVED
That the points made above be sent to Suffolk Coastal District Council.
16.3 Suffolk Waste Partnership - had awarded the Suffolk Councils a grant of £10,000 for a waste reductions scheme in Suffolk. Each Council would select a street in which to carry out a number of waste reduction initiatives to reduce waste by up to 50%.
On this occasion the Parish Council decided that Wickham Market should not act as a “guinea pig”
16.4 Suffolk County Council Transport was asking if the Parish Council would assist in the carrying out of a survey into the travel needs of the parish population. Forms would be made available at various outlets in the village.
16.5 Campsea Ashe Parish Council had written asking this Council to indicate that it had no objection to the station being renamed “Campsea Ashe” to remove the confusion has arisen over the years for travellers believing that they had arrived in Wickham Market.
RESOLVED
That Campsea Ashe Parish Council be advised that the station should be renamed “Campsea Ashe for Wickham Market”
The meeting closed at 9.40pm