MINUTES OF MEETING OF STERT PARISH COUNCIL
held in St. James’ Church on 21st August 2023
Present:
- Chris Lawrence (CL), Chairman
- Lewis Cowen (LC), Councillor
- Ann Harris (AH) Councillor
- Lucy Barker (LB) Councillor/Treasurer
- William Howkins (WH) Councillor/Clerk
- Apologies for absence
Alick Edwards sent his apologies.
- Declarations of interest
There were no declarations of interest.
- Minutes of previous meetings
The minutes of the annual meeting and the previous meeting of the PC were agreed, proposed by LC and seconded by AH, and signed by the Chairman.
- Treasurer’s Report
LB reported the PC’s account balance stands at £4,675.49 and confirmed by WH.
Since the last meeting we have received £30 for the use of the PC tables and chairs and £50 to purchase the marquee.
There have been the following expenses:
- £164.53 to renew the PC insurance,
- £78.42 to renew membership of WALC,
– £40 to Stert PCC for the use of the church.
– £100 for a M&S voucher as a gift to our auditor.
These amounts have all been previously been agreed and are in line with our budget.
LB requested authority to pay Alick Edwards for his work maintaining the village verges etc. £400 was budgeted for this.
This was unanimously approved.
- Planning application PL/2023/06350 Orchard Cottage
CL opened the discussion of of the planning application for building works at Orchard Cottage by inviting Mrs. Letitia Boyd-Thomas to explain the rationale behind the application. She started by apologising for not having discussed the plans with the PC before sending in the application to WC. She said that she and her husband were very happy to have found their cottage in Stert and intended to make it their permanent family home. However, with two young children and a third on the way, they needed the extra space as the children grew up. However, they had decided not to go ahead with building the new 2.5 storey dwelling.
LC commented that he would have opposed the application if the new dwelling was included in the proposal due to the development being too great an expansion of the existing cottage and annex. WH was also of the same view and he too would support the application if the new dwelling was not included. LB expressed concerns about the overhang of the new thatched roof on the annex restricting access for wide vehicles down the driveway to Mill Cottage. She also stressed the need for proper traffic management of delivery lorries through the village during construction. CL said he was opposed to the nearly 50% extension to the existing building, it being in a conservation area. He then called for a vote on whether to support the application with the proviso that the new dwelling would not be included in the application. This was carried (3 for, 1 against and 1 abstention).
- Rights of Way
LB reported she had arranged for Alison Rasey, the WC countryside access officer to visit the footbridge by Mill Cottage, with a view to making it more user friendly for push chairs and bicycles. She read out the 2 emails sent by Ms Rasey following the meeting:
It was nice to meet you today, I’ll investigate with our contractor the changes to the steps we identified at the footbridge crossing, and also a fix to try to prevent further erosion of the path near the footbridge, the stoning, and the post replacement.
You will be pleased to know that there is a gate with a ‘fencing funnel’ at the first cattle grid now, newly installed, on the right hand side of the grid which enables one to get past the grid. I called at Crookwood Mill Farm and they are happy with the current solution. We’ll see how the unconventional stiles with the lift-up bar are received, they are not of a usual design, but one could argue that they are more accessible than climbing onto and over a conventional stile. If the fence becomes permanent then we will ask for gates to be installed there.
So hopefully the rights of way issues there are resolved for the time being; I’ll get back to you with news on the ford/footbridge crossing for an estimated time of works, hopefully this side of Christmas.
Just another quick thought, the cattle grids didn’t have hedgehog ramps that I could see, so they are very effective mammal traps as they are. We recently persuaded a farmer to put steps into his, as a hog fell into his cattle grid and couldn’t get out, by the time it was found it was very thin. Could the PC persuade the landowner that hedgehog ramps/steps would be a good thing, and could he install that? I attach images of the steps (cheap breeze blocks and bricks), but a ramp could simply be of soil mounded up to the edge on the non-cattle side in each of the sections. It could be a good news story for the village website too?
LB added that Ms Rasey had pointed out that some of the trees along the track leading down to the stream needed cutting back. It was agreed to ask Alick Edwards to do this.
- Christmas Party
CL said he thought the Christmas party was an important event in bringing the village residents together and noted the success of last year’s party. He thought that winter temperatures made holding the party in-doors preferable although the church had obvious drawbacks with the pews constricting the space. A provisional date 22nd December was suggested. This would be discussed in greater detail at the next PC meeting.
Since the meeting, WH has offered to hold the party at his house, but at an earlier date, say the weekend of the 15th..
- AOB
8.1 LB reported that she had received a free replacement apple tree to be planted in recognition of Clive Boyes tenure as PC chairman. Frank and Alick Edwards had agreed that it could be planted on their land beside the lay-by the old railway bridge. It was agreed that this would be a more suitable place than the bank opposite the churchyard where the previous tree had been planted and subsequently died..
8.2 The Bromheads had put in an application with WC to have a poplar tree ,for which there was a protection order, felled due to rot. LB and WH had looked at the tree but were not able to see where the rot was as it was above eye level. It was agreed that, as WC’s tree officer was well aware of the condition of the tree, it should be left to his decision as to whether the application should be approved.
8.3. WH reported that he had received a notification from WC of an application to upgrade the footpath, Stert 11, to a bridleway. The footpath runs along the western boundary of the field south of Old Mill Cottage and connects two bridleways. The PC agreed that there was no objection to this application.
8.4. WH had received an email from John Foster of Crockwood Mill asking whether the PC could request the owner of Sleight Farm to relocate his electric fence away from the hedge in the field opposite his farmhouse so as to allow access along the footpath next to the hedgerow. The PC did not feel it appropriate for it to request this of the farmer as it was a matter for WC’s countryside access officer.
- Next meeting
The next meeting was scheduled for 4th December.
Stert Parish 