ARLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL

A QUALITY COUNCIL

(QC-12-06-00359)

Tel: 01323 811870

www.arlington-parish-council.org.uk

 

Minutes of Arlington Parish Council Meeting held in Upper Dicker Village Hall at 7.30 pm on Thursday 8th January 2009. (Paragraphs 09.1 – 09.14)

 

PRESENT: Councillors John Turton (Chairman), Paula Ertl (para 09.  onwards), Doreen Goodchild, Carolyn McCutchan, Helen Proctor and Mark Yeoman.

 

In attendance:  Katrina Larkin (Clerk).

 

09.01 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE. Cllr Mike Garner – another meeting. Accepted.

 

09.02 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST. Cllr Proctor declared a personal interest in planning application WD/2008/3010/F2 as a former colleague of the applicant.

 

09.03 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING. The Minutes of the meeting held on 13th November 2008 were accepted and signed as an accurate record subject to amendment of para 08.111 to begin ‘Details of planning approvals from WDC’.

 

The Minutes of the Planning Meeting held on 27th November 2008 were also accepted and signed.

 

09.04 MATTERS OUTSTANDING. 08.114 Cuckmere Community Bus. It was agreed that Cllr Goodchild should liaise between APC and the Community Bus forum.

08.117 Eastbourne - Hailsham Triangle. It was noted  that Cllrs Goodchild, McCutchan, Proctor and Turton could attend the consultation meeting to be held with the Leader of WDC at Polegate Town Council Offices on 27 January 2009.

Planning Meeting 27 November 2008: St Bede’s Appeal. Concerns were raised about the safety of the new road crossing proposed for Park Mead School. It was agreed that Cllr Goodchild should contact Colin Clark of ESCC Highways to request a meeting.

 

09.05 PLANNING

WD/2008/2918/F Knockhatch Adventure Park, Hempstead Lane, Hailsham BN27 3PY. Proposed livestock and storage building. APC noted some confusion in sections 25 and 26 of the application as to whether or not an Agricultural Holdings certificate was supplied. Previously, agricultural buildings on this site had been transferred to other uses. Councillors queried how many animals would use the proposed facility and whether its size was justifiable. APC would  question the justification for the proposed building. Proposed by Cllr Goodchild, seconded by Cllr Yeoman, and carried.

WD/2008/3010/F2 The Nurseries, Coldharbour Road, Upper Dicker, Hailsham BN27 3PY. Proposed rear extension. APC noted that the applicant had experienced procedural difficulties in complying with building regulations, but should have obtained an amendment to his original planning permission before proceeding to build an extension that was taller than permitted, right on the boundary of No 1 The Nurseries and blocking the southern light. Agreed unanimously that the terms of the original permission should be complied with.

APP/C1435/A/08/2075633 Robin Post Stables, Arlington Road West, Hailsham BN27 3RA. Erection of chalet bungalow for occupation and running of equestrian business. It was noted that the Appeal had been dismissed.

APP/C1435/A/08/2066062 St Bede’s School,  Upper Dicker, Hailsham, BN27 3QH. Provision of four multi-function sports pitches. Decision awaited.

Enforcement action: WDC should be requested to look at a new unauthorised Astroturf pitch opposite Stud House, and at the playing of football and cricket across the line of the Weald Way east of Upper Dicker village shop.  Proposed by Cllr Goodchild, seconded by Cllr McCutchan and carried.

The Clerk should check whether planning permission had been granted for Forest Enterprise’s deer storage unit in Abbots Wood opposite the Old Oak public house.

 

09.06 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

APC agreed unanimously to formally adopt the model scheme of publication circulated on 13 December 2008. The completed template listing information available from APC under the scheme was also formally approved for publication, subject to minor amendments to delete items not held, and to set the charge for supplying paper copies at 10p per sheet.

 

It was also agreed unanimously that if the information requested by a member of the public was not supplied, a Refusal Notice should be issued setting out the grounds for not supplying the information, with an explanation (normally that the information was not held), and advice that an appeal could be made in the first instance to the Chairman of the Council, the final arbiter being the Information Commissioner.

 

09.07 PRECEPT. The APC unanimously approved a precept of £15,690 for 2009/2010. This equates to £52.42 per band D property, which is an increase of £7.83 over the figure for 2008/2009.

 

09.08 CLERK’S REPORT

ESCC review of supported local bus services. Agreed to request that levels of local services should be maintained and that more services to Berwick station should if possible connect with trains. Proposed by Cllr Yeoman and approved.

WDC Draft Corporate Plan 2009-2012. Now available on WDC website with comments requested by 1 February. Noted.

Department for Communities and Local Government – Consultation on Code of Recommended Practice  on local authority publicity. Circulating for comments by 1 March.

Maintenance of street lighting – noted that Hailsham Town Council’s maintenance scheme would not be applicable to Arlington.

National Trust – agreed to invite Georgia Conolly, the newly appointed Coastal Officer, to address the Annual Parish Meeting, and to contribute an article to Arlington Scene. The Clerk to publicise the new post in the Newsletter.

WDC Community Payback Scheme – agreed that the Clerk should ask the WDC Cleansing Team Manager whether picking up litter from the wide verges on Coldharbour Road, or cleaning road signs, would be acceptable activities under the scheme.

Environment Agency – APC noted the final withdrawal of maintenance from the Cuckmere Estuary.

WDC Open Space Study – APC noted the availability of the new Study. The Clerk to obtain a copy in case relevant to proposals for the Upper Dicker Recreation Ground.

 

09.09 FINANCE. The following accounts were approved for payment:

 

27.11.08

101104

SALC

Recruitment assistance

£293.75

27.11.08

101105

SE Water

Allotment supply

£83.83

08.01.09

101106

Polegate Town Council

Photocopying Newsletter

£31.76

08.01.09

101107

SLCC

Annual Subscription

£72.00

08.01.09

101108

Action in Rural Sussex

Annual Subscription

£40.00

08.01.09

101109

RP Taylor Ltd

Lawn Mowing at Upper Dicker

£160.00

08.01.09

101110

Damara Fencing

Work at UD Recreation Area

£1171.00

08.01.09

101111

Mrs K Larkin

Clerk’s salary

Dec 08/Jan 09

£411.90

08.01.09

101112

Mrs K Larkin

Clerk’s expenses

Nov/Dec 08, Jan 09

£211.45

 

The Clerk reported that the grants approved for Park Mead School, Hailsham CAB, the Cuckmere Community Bus, and the Cuckmere Flood Forum would be brought to the February or March meeting of APC for payment.

 

09.10 RECREATION GROUND. The Chairman reported that the derelict shed which had partially collapsed had become dangerous and must be demolished, and any asbestos used in its construction must be disposed of securely. The shed had foundations and appeared to be the property of the APC. However, the Clerk should write to the Chairman of the Cricket Club to establish whether the Club laid claim to the shed, before organising its disposal. Agreed.

 

The Clerk reported that the APC was awaiting information and an application form for the Play Pathfinder funding programme 2009/10. The total budget was £90,000 and fourteen other parishes were known to be applying for grants. LARAC would deal with the application as soon as the papers were available.

 

09.11 REPORTS.

Leisure, Allotments and Recreation Advisory Committee – APC received the Minutes of the meeting of LARAC held on 8 December 2008. It was agreed that the Clerk should write to Mrs MacKellar who currently held the tenancies of plots 12 and 14 to advise her that the future of these tenancies would be decided at the next APC meeting, on 12 February 2009.

Liaison with St Bede’s School – the Clerk reported on the setting up of the new liaison arrangement between Mr Newton and herself. It was agreed that the Clerk should write to Mr Newton raising the issue of light pollution. However, residents having individual issues with St Bede’s should normally expect to raise them directly with the school.

Cllr Proctor proposed that the Clerk should contact the estate agents marketing Malvern House for St Bede’s to advise them that the side gate from the property onto the recreation ground was not a legal access. This was agreed unanimously.

APC also took note of the consultation document  recently circulated to residents concerning a draft scheme for the school to provide two replacement boarding houses in the area of Stud House. Concerns were expressed about the proposed opening onto the main road. The Clerk should check this against the s.106 Agreement as this was thought to be in an area not approved for building.

 

09.12 PARISH PLAN. The request made in the Parish Plan for APC to employ a ‘length man’ (Parish Plan pp.26-30) was considered. This had been debated at the Parish Meeting in 2008 and refused. It was agreed that the debate should not be reopened.

 

09.13 ITEMS OF INFORMATION.

Cllr Proctor would cost the new signs required for the village green.

ESCC Highways would pay 50% of the cost of repairing the Milton Hide fingerpost if this could be carried out by Mr Phil Anderson.

Safer Wealden Partnership – the Clerk would find out about the next meeting.

 

09.14 Date of next meeting: Planning Meeting – 22nd January 2009 (venue tba);

                          Parish Council meeting –12th February 2009in Arlington VH.

 

The meeting closed at 10.30 pm.

 

Katrina Larkin, Clerk, 15th January 2009

 

                                                                         Signed………………………..Chairman

                        Dated…………………………..