NOTICE AND AGENDA FOR MEETING OF STERT PC
St James Church Stert, Monday 6.30pm
4th December 2023
Members of the public are welcome to attend.
Posted in Meeting Agenda
MINUTES OF MEETING OF STERT PARISH COUNCIL
held in St. James’ Church on 21st August 2023
Present:
Alick Edwards sent his apologies.
There were no declarations of interest.
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.
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:
– £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.
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).
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.
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..
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.
The next meeting was scheduled for 4th December.
Posted in Minutes of meetings
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MINUTES OF MEETING OF STERT PARISH COUNCIL
held in St. James’ Church on 22nd May 2023
Present:
There were no members of the public present.
There were no apologies.
There were no declarations of interest.
The minutes of the previous PC meetings held on 13th February and 20th March 2023 were approved, proposed by LC and AH respectively and seconded by AE and LB respectively and both signed by the Chairman.
LB reported the balance of the PC account stood at £4,978.44, and this was verified by WH on the bank statement. She also reported that the precept for 2023/24 of £1,800 had been received. Since the last meeting there had been the following expenses: £20 to Stert PCC for use of the church, £43.90 for a plaque for the apple tree, £40 to Clock Inn as a contribution to their Coronation Party, and £43.20 to WH as reimbursement for the cost of the website.
LB requested authority to renew the parish insurance with Zurich via Community First. If we commit to another 3 years with Zurich, the cost will be £164.53, a significant reduction on last year’s rate as it excluded certain optional add-ons such as coverage for bouncy castles which are not needed. This was agreed.
LB also requested authority to continue membership of WALC expected to cost £77.88 as last year. They had been most helpful with advice to the PC on freedom of information regulations. This was agreed. Finally she sought agreement to buy our auditor a gift in lieu of his fee, and suggested £100. This was also agreed.
CL invited a discussion of the management of the village marquee. The village owns two marquees, one in fair condition, and the other somewhat damaged. It was decided, given the age of the marquees, that the PC could not guarantee that it was loaned out with all the required parts and nothing broken. The PC did not want to be responsible for a potential event bing ruined by a marquee mishap. LB noted that the marquees had been bought a number of years ago, and the purchase price had been more than repaid by donations for their use since. It was therefore decided to try and sell the marquee. LC to draft a suitable notice to be put in the Redhorn Parish Magazine.
There was representation from some residents over the ease of passage to the right of way at the cattle grid by Saddleback Farm. There were also other representations about ease of passage over the rights of way at the stream at the bottom of Stert. It is clear that both these rights of way are easily accessible by walkers. It is only those walking certain dogs (Saddlepack) and those with bikes/prams (stream) that have less easy access. As the PC is unsure of the rules concerning dogs/bikes/prams, and could find no definitive ruling on the matter, it was decided to seek guidance from the WC Rights of Way Officer.
CL reported on a stakeholder breakfast meeting he had attended in March given by Wiltshire Council.
He reported that plans for Devizes Gateway (nee Parkway) Station are on hold for a year pending further studies. This is because there is insufficient justification for incorporating a Devizes station into the rail network as a stand alone project. Time is needed for a new plan which is being proposed by Network Rail involving expanding Westbury station into a larger rail hub to accommodate freight traffic from the quarries in Cornwall as well as passenger services. An expansion of Westbury Station should make it possible for there to be an hourly service from Westbury to London Paddington calling at Devizes, Pewsey and Bedwyn.
The earliest that Devizes Gateway could open would be 2029. More detailed information on this proposal can be found on the Network Rail Website.
The tree that LB had planted to acknowledge Clive Boyes long service to the parish had unfortunately died. LB said she would buy another tree but said the bank where the previous tree had been planted was unsuitable due to weeds and roots. It was agreed to find an alternative place to plant the replacement.
The next meeting is scheduled for 4th September 2023.
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MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STERT PARISH COUNCIL
held in St. James’ Church on 22nd May 2023
Present:
There were no members of the public present.
There were no apologies.
CL read his Chairman’s report as follows:
The purpose of the Chairman’s report is I understand to let residents know what we have been doing for the last year and more specifically what we have been doing with their money.
The main expenditure has been on the village parties. Last year we had the Queen’s Jubilee hosted by the Parish and Lucy Barker at Farlingaye and the Christmas Party hosted by Alex Cooper and Lewis Cowen at their house. This year we had a Coronation party hosted by Daphne Moody, Alex Cooper, Lewis Cowen, Nete Howkins, Sue Bromhead, Hilary and Keith Hawkins and others. All three were very successful and enjoyable occasions. I am extremely grateful for the work done by these volunteers. I think these get togethers are an essential component of village life for many and very much hope that, as a village, we can keep them going.
Other matters that have occupied the council time and resources include the lobbying to reduce the speed limit on the A342 which has now been implemented. This was largely led by Ann Harris in order to make it safer for both the residents of the Clock Inn and rest of the village to pull out onto the main road.
The on-going potential Devizes Gateway station, due possibly to be in or right by the Parish, has been a recurring theme and Bill Howkins has been keeping a watching brief on developments.
Other Parish business has been the routine dealing of planning applications, village maintenance and general domestic issues.
I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all the Parish Councillors for their valuable contributions and time over the year. Particular thanks to the Clerk (WH) and Treasurer (LB) for doing their jobs impeccably.
LB distributed a copy of the annual accounts to each councillor. These showed the receipts and expenditure for FY 2022/23 compared to 2021/22.
3.1 She also presented the Certificate of Exemption from External Audit since the income and expenditure was below £25,000. This was agreed.
3.2 The Annual Governance Statement was read out by CL and each item was approved and signed by him.
3.3 The accounting statement was also presented and signed by CL and WH. The accounts showed that on 31/3/23, the PC held a reserve of £3,262, this figure includes £200 set aside for future decoration of the phone box.
The previous Chairman and Vice Chairman, being willing to stand again for a further year, were duly elected, as proposed by AH and seconded by LC.
There were no questions from the public..
Posted in Minutes of meetings
MINUTES OF MEETING OF STERT PARISH COUNCIL
held in St. James’ Church on 20th March 2023
Present:
There were also several members of the public.
There were no apologies.
There were no declarations of interest.
The meeting was called by the Chairman to discuss the application to Wiltshire Council by Mr. & Mrs. Elderfield for the construction of a large barn to accommodate up to 150 cattle on the land opposite to the entrance to Saddleback Farm. The Chairman had circulated a draft text of the objection to PC members prior to the meeting and he now sought the PC’s approval for submitting it to WC. There was little discussion before the text was unanimously approved by the PC and WH was asked to post it on WC’s website.
The Chairman also sought the PC’s agreement to request Councillor Philip Whitehead to “call in” the application should WC’s Planning Committee approve the application. This proposal was also unanimously agreed by the PC.
LB raised several finance matters. She reminded the PC that the audit was due at the end of June following the annual meeting of the PC scheduled for.the end of May.
Since the last meeting, she recorded the expenditure of £20 to Stert PCC for use of the church for the last meeting as well as a further £20 for this meeting. She had also paid out £191.76 for the purchase of Prosecco wine for the Coronation party. She requested approval to give a donation of £40 to the Clock Inn Park as a contribution to their Coronation Party. This was unanimously agreed.
She also sought approval of £44 to buy an A5 sized brass plaque for the apple tree planted in recognition of the past chairman’s long service. This was also unanimously agreed.
The next meeting is scheduled for 22nd May 2023.
Posted in Minutes of meetings
STERT PC Meeting
St James Church Stert, Monday 6.30pm
20th March 2023
Posted in Meeting Agenda
MINUTES OF MEETING OF STERT PARISH COUNCIL
held in St. James’ Church on 13th February 2023
Present:
Alick Edwards and Ann Harris sent their apologies.
There were no declarations of interest.
The minutes of the previous meeting of the PC was agreed, proposed by LC and seconded by LB, and signed by the Chairman.
LB reported that since the meeting on 5th December 2022, there had been the following payments;
The account’s balance currently stands at £3,537.30, confirmed by WH on LB’s phone.
The wording to be engraved on the plaque by the apple tree planted in acknowledgement of Clive Boyes’s long service as chairman of Stert PC was agreed as follows:
Planted in 2022 to mark 16 years of service by Clive Boyes, as chairman of Stert PC, ably assisted by his wife Georgie’.
It was unanimously agreed that the PC should hold a party to celebrate the coronation of HM King Charles on the day set by the Government for public celebrations, Sunday 7th May. It was suggested that a marquee could be set up in the church yard the residents asked to provide food. The PC would supply drinks up to a cost of £250. It is hoped that volunteers can be found to organise the party.
LB suggested that the PC should have its own email address so as to separate the PC’s official correspondence from the clerk’s private mail. This would also facilitate future hand over of the PC’s correspondence to the Clerk’s successor in due course. WH agreed that this was a good idea and LB suggested that he ask Philip Normington if he could help in setting this up.
The participation of the public at PC meetings was discussed. LB said that according to her understanding of government regulations, members of the public were only allowed to listen to the business being discussed at PC meetings, and were not entitled to speak unless specifically invited to do so by the Chairman. She suggested that the following clarification should be minuted:
‘Members of the public are welcome to observe at any PC meetings. They may raise questions by invitation of the Chairman during the time set aside at each meeting for public participation, but are otherwise not entitled to speak and should remain silent throughout the meeting. The public do not have a legal right to speak at parish council meetings.’
WH reported that he and LB had attended the AGM of the Devizes Development Partnership on 8th February at which Catherine Symington (CS), WC’s consultant for the Gateway Station studies, made a presentation of the progress to date. As a result of the submission of the Outline Business Case study last November, it was concluded that there was a good strategic argument for the station. Network Rail had therefore been appointed by the Department for Transport to undertake an Interim Feasibility Study to supplement these findings. The study will be submitted to DfT at the end of March 2023. At this stage, WC/DDP will present the findings of the study to stakeholders, including the parishes most affected by the proposed station.
CS showed a tentative layout plan with access to the station from the A342 midway between the railway bridge and the Lydeway junction, and the station carpark to the south of the line. Further details of CS’s briefing are given on the Stert parish website, http://www.stertparish.com.
LB raised the question of the administration of the village marquees, tables and chairs. Quite a number of chairs had been broken over time and the marquees should be checked to see if all the components are complete. At present there are 37 chairs and 6 tables kept in the shed at Manor Farm. It was subsequently agreed that, in future, a deposit of £20 should be made to cover damage costs on top of a £20 donation to the PC for loan of the tables and chairs. LC offered to administrate the loan of the PC equipment and check it was returned clean and in good condition.
The next meeting was scheduled for 22nd May.
Posted in Minutes of meetings, Uncategorized
Stert Parish 