Author Archives: whowkins

held in Stert House on 1st May 2018

Present: 

• Clive Boyes (CB), Chairman
• Lucy Barker (LB),  Councillor/Treasurer
• William Howkins (WH), Councillor/Clerk

1. Apologies for absence 

Councillors Alick Edwards and Chris Lawrence sent their apologies.  Since the last meeting, Sam Deacon had resigned from the Council due to work commitments. The PC expressed their thanks to Sam for her work on the Council over the past 11 years, especially for her expertise in environmental matters, and hoped to be able to call on her professional advice in the future.

2. Declaration of Interest

None.

3. Minutes of previous meetings

The Minutes of the PC meeting held on 22nd February 2018 were approved (proposed by LB and seconded by WH) and signed by the Chairman.

4. Treasurer’s Report

4.1  FY2017/18

LB submitted a spreadsheet summarising the income and expenditure from account for the past year compared with the previous year. This will be posted on the PC’s website. She reported there had been one payment since the last meeting of £40 for use of the church on 19/2/18, and the balance on 31st March was £2253.99 (confirmed in the passbook by WH). 

Excluding the Christmas party, the budget for expenses had been set at £700 and the actual amount spent was £609,25. Including the Christmas party, the total spent during the year was £807.12.

4.2  FY 2018/19

We have received the precept for the current year of £915.05 and the balance now stands at £3169.04 (confirmed by WH in the passbook).

It was agreed to set the budget for the coming year at £1300 as follows:

• £650  for normal recurring expenses, 
• £200  for the Christmas party,
• £450  for phone box renovation.

It was agreed from FY2019/20 to earmark annually a reserve of £50 for phone box renovation, needed about every 10 years, and note the accumulated amount each year. The PC confirmed it could not see any other cases where similar reserves need to be established.             

It was a agreed to accept the quotation of £450 from Mr. Neville Moody for repainting the telephone box as this was in line with the previous bill for £403 in 2009.

4.3 Parish Audit 2017/18

4.3.1 The PC agreed to adopt the set of financial regulations previously circulated by LB. (Proposed by CB and seconded by WH.) These are to be posted on the PC’s website.

4.3.2 The certificate of exemption from external audit was agreed and signed by CB and LB.

4.3.3 It was agreed to reappoint Mr Neville Burrell as our Internal Auditor (proposed by WH and seconded by LB).

4.3.4 The Governance Statement, including a risk assessment of Parish assets, was discussed and approved by the PC and the statement signed by CB and WH as chairman and clerk respectively. 

4.3.5 The Parish account statement for FY2017/18 was approved and signed by CB and LB.

5. Neighbourhood Watch

It was noted that following notice by Wiltshire Council, the caravan beside the road above the Lion Monument had been removed.

WH had nothing special to report apart from a few general theft/scam warnings from the police passed onto residents by email. He reported that, in compliance with Government data protection regulations, he had sent a circular asking residents to confirm they were happy to be on the PC’s mailing list. He had received confirmation from most of Stert residents and CB said he would follow up on those who had not yet replied.

6. Tinkfield Recycling Centre.

It was noted that there had been no progress with the bund earthworks during the past months due to the very wet conditions. CB agreed to visit the site to get an update on the work schedule for the coming summer and the autumn planting on the bund.

7. Crookwood MotoX

Councillor Philip Whitehead briefed Stert residents in the church the previous evening on the issuing of an Article 4 directive by Wiltshire Council to remove permitted rights (14 days a year of non agricultural use of farmland) from Crookwood Farm, in order to prevent MotoX events being held at Crookwood Farm on the basis of inadequate safety and lack of proper access.

8. AOB

8.1 LB wished to table a vote of thanks to the snow wardens (AE and WH) who had been out spreading salt  with the PC’s salt spreader during last month’s snow storm.

8.2 WH had received notice that WC’s Parish Steward will visit Stert on 26th June, 24th July and 18th September. He will request the deterioration of the tarmac by Barn Cottage to be made good.

9. Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held in Stert House on 4th June 2018, at 7.30 pm.

MINUTES OF
MEETING OF STERT PARISH COUNCIL  
held in Stert House on 22nd February 2018

Present:
Clive Boyes (CB) Chairman
Alick Edwards (AE) Dty Chairman
Lucy Barker (LB)  Councillor/Treasurer
William Howkins (WH) Councillor/Clerk
1. Apologies for absence 
Councillors Sam Deacon and Chris Lawrence sent their apologies.
2. Declaration of Interest
None.
3. Minutes of previous meeting
The Minutes of the PC meeting held on 11th December 2017 were approved (proposed by AE and seconded by LB) and signed by the Chairman.
4. Treasurer’s Report
LB reported there had been one payment of £197.87 to CB as reimbursement for the cost of the Christmas party that had been budgeted for £220.  The balance in the PC account now stood tab £2293.99, confirmed in the pass book by WH.

LB did not anticipate any further major spending for this financial year. Our total spending for the current year comes to £767.12, well within our budget and well below the precept. Excluding the Christmas party, total expenditures for 2017/18 has been £569.25. I therefore suggest we budget £600 for regular expenses for 2018/19 plus the cost of parties. This was unanimously agreed.

LB proposed that a donation of £40 be made to the PCC for use of the church for Monday’s special PC meeting. This was proposed by AE and seconded by WH. CB reported that one quote had been received for painting the telephone box. Two more will be sought before awarding the work.
5. Neighbourhood Watch
Nothing special to report apart from a few general theft/scam warnings from the police passed on by email.
6. Tinkfield Recycling Centre.
CB reported he had visited Tinkfield and had met Mr. Nigel Grist and Mr Jonathan Taylor. He reported that the second weigh bridge was being installed and work will soon start on concreting the internal roads within the site. In the meantime, the wheels of lorries are being pressure washed before leaving the site. CB was satisfied that everything possible was being done to reduce the mud being brought onto the main road. A great improvement should be seen when the concreting work is finished by the summer.

Work is continuing on construction of the bund and the sorting shed siding should also be completed by summer.
7. Claironailes
The house agents, Humberts, have advised that the sale of the property to a private owner is proceeding. The buyers have indicated that they plan to build an extension on the house subject to planning consent.
8. Speed Limits.
Requests have been sent by the PC to WC for a 40 mph speed limit on A342 between the Lydeway and Stert junctions and for a 20 mph speed limit in Stert Lane. No response has yet been received.
9. Crookwood MotoX
A retroactive planning application to allow agricultural land on Crookwood Farm to be used for Motocross meetings has been sent to WC. The deadline for public comments on this application is 7th March 2018. At a recent meeting of Urchfont Parish Council, Councillor Philip Whitehead stated that if permission was granted for one such meeting, then WC could not set a limit on the number of such meetings in one year. Urchfont PC strongly objected to the application on the basis of noise, traffic safety and environmental impacts. It was agreed that while Stert PC could not comment on traffic and environmental aspects, it should register its objections to the application due to noise disturbance to Stert residents. LB will post this objection on the WC website.

10. Devizes parkway Station
Separate minutes have been prepared of the briefing on a proposal for a new railway station, held on19th February by two members of the Devizes Development Partnership working group. It was agreed to circulated these to Stert residents as well as posting them on the PC’s website. CB reported that he had already registered on behalf of Stert PC the following objection with the GWR Franchise public consultation:

“Stert residents have always welcomed the possibility of a train station for Devizes. However Stert village now has strong reservations about the funding of this particular scheme. We learnt that half the funding for the station will come from residential development adjacent to the station. We calculate this will involve building a considerable number of houses in open countryside and in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Furthermore, we understand the plan is to build the houses first, followed by the station but without any guarantees that the station is eventually built. There is no planned development at the proposed location in the Devizes or Wiltshire Council housing strategies.”

11. AOB
11.1 AE reported that he had received a supply of salt and that the salt spreader was ready in case of snow during the coming week. He and WH would keep an eye on the forecast.

11.2 WH had noticed that there were some potholes and surface deterioration down the village lane that he would bring to the attention of the Parish Steward.
12. Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held in Stert House on Monday 30th April 2018, at 7.30 pm.

MINUTES OF
SPECIAL MEETING OF STERT PARISH COUNCIL 
held in St. James Church on 19th February 2018

Present:   Stert PC:
Clive Boyes (CB) Chairman
Alick Edwards (AE) Dty Chairman
Sam Deacon (SD) Councillor
Lucy Barker (LB)  Councillor/Treasurer
William Howkins (WH) Councillor/Clerk
Councillor Chris Lawrence sent his apologies.

Devizes Development Partnership:
Peter Lay (PL), Working Group Chairman
Simon Fisher (SF), deputy clerk Devizes Town Council

Also present were 42 Stert residents and other members of the public.

1.  Devizes Parkway Station
At the request of Mr Fisher, he and Mr Peter Lay came to brief Stert PC on the proposal for a new railway station to be located on the main line to the east of Clock Inn Park. Stert residents had been invited to attend the meeting.

CB opened the meeting by introducing SF and PL.

SF:
In 2022, a new franchise for the GW network is to be put out for bidding. This proposal, by Devizes Development Partnership (DDP), is being put together as part of the forward planning for improved services to mid Wiltshire to be included in the new Great Western Rail franchise. This meeting is part of a public consultation to determine the support for a new station at Devizes. Devizes is the largest town in Wiltshire without a train station. The town council has conducted an ‘assessment of need’ and concluded the need exists, specially since nationally. train travel is growing rapidly.

PL:
The present franchise provides inadequate service for the mid-Wilts region. It does not realise the potential of Westbury as a hub with connections to the north, south and west. Making Westbury a rail hub should be a key part of the future services to the SW region, requiring the provision of a fourth platform.

Current plans for the main line comprise electrification of the Berks-Hants main line only from Reading to Newbury beyond which the main line to the west will be served by diesel trains. The fast long distance service with limited stops will be provided by bi-modal trains.

DDP has submitted (subsequent to meeting) a Response to Public Consultation on the GW Franchise justifying the building of a new station for Devizes. The reopening of the branch line to Devizes was no longer feasible due to property encroachment on the old line.

PL showed a plan of the proposed station, access road and parking for 400 cars (see below). The station is proposed to be located ¾ mile east of the railway bridge at Clock Inn and would consist of two full length platforms connected by a footbridge. The access road is to branch off from the A342 just east of the Etchilhampton turning and traverse the field south of Wabi Farm. From the eastern end of Clock Inn Park, it is to run along the northern side of the existing railway line to the far end of the existing airstrip.

Stert residents were surprised and concerned to hear that, between the access road and Clock Inn Park, a 6.5 hectare area is to be designated as a site for residential development. This development will be used to generate funds to help pay for the station development.

PL said that a certain amount of land would need to be acquired for the access road, housing development and station facilities. He said he had already spoken to the 4 land owners affected and had had positive conversations about acquiring this land. He plans to establish an option to buy the relevant land at a pre-agreed pricing formula.

When asked about the funding for the scheme, PL said that 50 percent of the costs would be derived from profit from the housing development. The remainder would be met from public sources. When asked about the costs, he said that he had no estimates at present, but hopes to have them by the end of March. Members of the public stressed the need for a proper business case for the station.

Replying to a question about the implementation programme, he explained the first stage, GRIP1 – project scope, had been submitted on 20th February. The next steps, GRIP2, GRIP3, (project feasibility and assessment of project options) would follow. He said the whole project would have to be completed by March 2022. An impact study would be needed for the housing project addressing infrastructure needs, such as schools, health centres etc. Members of the public were assured that a full time-line, showing each step of the project, would be published.

When asked about the number of houses to be built as part of the project, PL said it depended on the type of houses, (high end or low cost), but this had not yet been decided. He said the houses would need to be built before the railway station so that the funds derived would be available for the construction of the station and roadworks. Concern was expressed that the housing might go ahead and then the station construction be cancelled after the houses had been built. PL assured the meeting this would not happen. Members of the village stressed they would want to see written guarantees that no houses would be built without full written approval and commitment to building the station.

Concern was raised about the junction between the proposed new station access road and A342 as it already carries a lot of traffic and the present Etchilhampton junction was on a blind bend and traffic passed at high speed. PL said that this would be studied as part of the scheme and could result in a combined junction to Etchilhampton, Stert and the new access road. SF pointed out that a highway consultant had recently reported that by national standards, this section of the A342 is ‘lightly used’. PL said he also hoped to incorporate into the project a safe cycle route between Devizes town and the station.

PL hopes soon to discuss the project with the Wiltshire Council. So far, the 3 county councillors involved in the project are: Richard Gamble, Simon Jacobs and Peter Evans.

As there were no further questions, CB closed by thanking PL and SF for a very interesting briefing.
Further information and drawings can be seen at http://www.devizes.org.uk, and follow the link to Devizes Parkway station.
2. Next meeting
The PC meeting scheduled to be held after the above briefing was postponed until 5 pm on 22nd February.

Plan of proposed new Parkway Station prepared by DDP.