MINUTES OF
CLAVERING PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
HELD IN THE VILLAGE HALL ON MONDAY 6 AUGUST 2007
(Key to votes: P: Proposed S: Seconded F: For the proposal A: Against Ab:
Abstained D.Int: Declared an interest).
1 PRESENT: The Chairman, Edward Oliver, Vice Chairman Richard Carter,
Nigel Cook, Brian Barrow, Mike Patmore, Rebecca Stanford, Edgar Abrahams,
Ron Couchman, Des Abrahams and Jon Cooke, together with 3 members of the
public. Apologies received from Philip Smith.
2 DECLARATION OF INTERESTS:
Edgar Abrahams: Prejudicial interest in Item 8 (P3 Scheme) as receiving
funds.
Edward Oliver: Prejudicial interest as adjacent neighbour re Appeal lodged
against refusal of planning permission for Wingham, Allington House.
CODE OF CONDUCT The Clerk updated the Council on one investigation
where the report had been finalised and was awaiting Standards Committee
decision; the second matter was ongoing and councillors were being
interviewed.
3 PUBLIC QUESTIONS
Mr Whyman requested to put some more wild flowers on Hill Green opposite his
house. Agreed.
Mrs Weston asked for an update on the state of the Bridleways.
4 MINUTES: The Minutes of the meeting of 2 July 2007 were approved
and signed.
5 MATTERS ARISING:
1 Enforcements:
a. Caravans opposite Curles: Awaiting Appeal decision.
b. Barn and lake at Starlings Gn.: UDC deciding if it complies with
agricultural or hobby farming.
c. Structure/items at Starlings Gn: See Planning Applications.
d. Parking at The Druce: being monitored by Enforcement Officers.
e .Sign at Jojacks Farm: UDC progressing as sales goods appeared to be
imported. Agreed to write again.
f. TPO Tree in Sidestream Woodland: Awaiting confirmation from Tree Officers
that the ground had been reinstated.
g. UTT 1708/05, The Wheelhouse; being checked by Planning Dept.
h. There had been queries about the new signage at the shop and whether this
complied with size rules etc.
2 Highways & Byways:
a. Speed Limits : VMS unit not working properly. The Clerk to write and
request the units be repaired and reset.
b. Byway 50: Temporary closure expired. Byway 63, Parsonage Farm; being
investigated for resurfacing.
c. Coley Lane rubbish - Removed. Agreed to put a notice asking people not to
dump in the gravel pit gateway.
The hedges to be cut each side by the adjacent owners and the Council;
quotes to be obtained.
d. Roadworks lists: The list of roadworks sent in by parishioners to be
passed to Highways.
e. Verges extra cut: Proposals for verges which would benefit from an extra
early cut in 2008 to be submitted.
f. Butts Green overhanging hedges: Edgar Abrahams had cut these and was
thanked by the Council.
g Jon Cooke and Ron Couchman asked if they could set themselves up as a
Committee to investigate Highways problems and draw up a future plan; this
was agreed.
h Mirror outside CVH: Turned down by Highways; they did offer better Village
Hall warning signs instead.
3 Other items:
a. Village Hall: CVH had not proposed any way of resolving the acoustics
problem. Nigel Cook reported the School was available at no cost (possibly
with a voluntary donation); it was agreed to meet with the school in
September and that October would be a realistic date to move.
b. Bulbs on land adj Cricketers – The land still needs clearing.
c Druce Footbridge: The Environment Agency officer had been sent to Oxford
on flood work; meeting rescheduled.
d No Smoking sign – Richard Carter agreed to put this in the Bus Shelter as
required under the new legislation.
e The Vice Chairman queried checking the status of TPO’s on the replacement
trees adj. Hill Green Cottage.
f Village History Information Board – Highways specified their requirements
for siting this at Blacksmiths Corner, and the Council voted unanimously to
confirm acceptance of all conditions.
6 FINANCE:
Budget figures had been received just before the meeting; some discrepancies
needed correcting. The Clerk asked for copies of the Internal Auditors
report to circulate.
Invoices: It was agreed to pay the following:
CVH Hire of Hall, May, June, July
56.00 No vat
000875
Harts & Post Office Deeds copying, printing, copy )
(via Clerk) Paper, No smoking sign, stamps )
83.68 TBA
000876
Heckford Norton Certified copies for Hill Gn track
9.00 1.34
000877
G W Balaam & Son P3 Payments 2006
2410.40 359.00 000878
C W Abrahams & Ptns P3 Payments 2006
1264.00 No vat 000879
V H Rowe & Son P3 Payments 2006
383.70 No vat
000880
Receipts:
Essex County Council P3 Scheme, first payment 3
065.44
Essex County Council P3 Scheme, second payment
633.56
Newsletter donation: Cosytop Insulations Ltd; UDC Grant scheme
20.00
7 PLANNING:
FP 22 & 26: Thurrocks Farm: Footpath Diversion applications. No information.
UTT 0827 Holder, 8 Pelham Rd. Change of use at Britannia Works from retail
to office. Approved.
UTT 1045 Moore, Copt Hall, Hill Green. Front Door, Windows, internal
alternations. Approved..
UTT 0750 Hoy, The Cottage Stickling Green. Rebuilding works. Approved.
UTT 1040 Noble & Tee: Clavering Hall barns. Change of use to 4 dwellings. No
decision yet.
UTT 1231 Fowler, Greengages, Sheepcote Green. Garage. No objections.
UTT 1116 Hoy, The Cottage, Stickling Green. Revised plans. No objections.
UTT 1182 Keeble Bradford, Camlea, Arkesden Rd. Raise roof height etc. No
objections.
PE 1427 Downham, The Views, Hill Green. Fenestration amendments. Approved.
Agric. & Forestry Determination: P.A/2/12/267 Talks, Ash Tree Market
Gardens. Agricultural Storage Barn.
Decision made on 25.07.07 to approve.
Tree Applications:
UTT 1304 Clavering Parish Council: dead cherry on Hill Green. Awaiting
decision.
UTT 1326 B.Stansfield, Saville Close: 1 Ash and 2 Horse Chestnut. Approved.
APPEALS:
UTT 1481 BF Contracts, 8 houses in Barlee Close: Awaiting result.
UTT 1564 Loveridge, The Patch. House to replace caravan. Awaiting result.
UTT 1111 BF Contracts, 8 houses in Barlee Close: Awaiting result.
NEW APPEAL: Site adj. Allington House, Arkesden Rd. Under Outline Planning
Permission. (Edward Oliver left the
meeting). The Vice Chairman took the chair and it was confirmed that the
original objections stood.
8 P3 Scheme & Footpaths: Rebecca Stanford confirmed that payments to
landowners could not be made unless all work was approved in advance
by ECC. Byway 50 in The Druce and Byway 63 at Parsonage Farm were added to
be checked for resurfacing work. The Payments under the P3 Scheme for 2006
were approved under Finance.
9 LAND REGISTRATION:
Track from Chipperfield House to Hyaway: It was reported that this land
would be registered by Mr Davey to three adjacent owners only (Hyway, The
Laurels and Sunnyside); Chipperfield House and Wakefares had declined.
Starlings Green: Dated photographs of the land with the new gateway had been
taken and Brian Barrow agreed to hold these on file.
10 ACCESSES & GREENS:
a. The Cricketers – Awaiting the outcome of the meeting with the District
Valuer.
b Earth on the Bridges: Most stones and earth now levelled; some temporary
boards erected. Grassing satisfactory but the machinery tracks still to be
filled in and checked.
c. SHOVELLERS, STICKLING GREEN: The Land Registry had entered on the Title
Deeds of Shovellers the Deed of Grant issued by the former Clerk, with those
rights specified. Dated photographs of the status quo were taken.
11 CORRESPONDENCE:
All correspondence was available in the file and the list had been
circulated to all councillors.
Code: Guidance on the revised Code and prejudicial interests from the
Monitoring Officer.
UDC – Review of polling places.
Jacky Cooper: Lack of general notice boards for events in the village. The
Chairman agreed to meet the shop
owners to discuss options, and to investigate if there were any other
possible sites available.
UDC: Dog Control Orders – given to Jubilee Field Chairman.
UDC: Flooding problems information – sandbags or other options, future
plans.
Mr Murdoch – dead cherry outside his house replaced.
Mr Knowles – information on the question of raising the Druce footbridge.
National Flood Forum Blue Pages.
Other general brochures and letters as per list.
12 STANDING ORDERS The Chairman went through the proposals for the
new Standing Orders, and it was agreed to accept the the new Model Standing
Orders with few modifications or deletions. These included: That the number
of missed meetings before suspension should be 3 and not 6, as this would
impact too much on a small Council. On Agenda, notice for acceptance of
items by the Clerk prior to meetings were agreed as: 7 clear working days
(in order to get these on the Notice Board and circulated to councillors),
and 7 clear days for correspondence. Precept: That this should be discussed
initially in December, and that written estimates should be received by the
Clerk before December’s meeting; that the precept should be finalised in
January for the coming year. Tenders shall be obtained for any items likely
to be over £250; tenders shall be opened by the Clerk at meetings.
Following representations by Ron Couchman, it was agreed to defer finalising
matters until the next meeting in order that he could obtain clarification
of certain points from the UDC Monitoring Officer.
13 VILLAGE ORGANISATIONS
CVH and JF: Lists of their Committee members received; both confirmed that
these members are their current Trustees. The Chairman reported that
Trustees cannot properly represent the Parish Council’s wishes, as their
status barrs them and they must legally put their organisations first. Also
that as they have to declare their interest at Council meetings, they will
have to report back in writing to the Clerk for discussion.
CVH: PC Representative Philip Smith was away; to be discussed next month.
Brian Barrow kindly agreed to be the other PC representative to the Village
Hall Committee.
JF: The Chairman reported that Mrs Alex Weston had kindly volunteered to act
as the PC representative. This was welcomed unanimously. The mandate from
the Council was agreed as being to put the Council’s wishes and requests to
the JF Committee, and to report back to the Parish Council, and to receive
copies of correspondence with the JF Committee for reference.
14 VILLAGE SEATS AND DICK BALL MEADOW
Mike Patmore had drawn up a list of defects; it was agreed to obtain
estimates for the repairs. Ron Couchman offered to take on the maintenance
of two seats at the Mills, and to remove one on the Bridges. The Dick Ball
Meadow needs renovating; tenders to be obtained. Nigel Cook agreed to set up
a working party to look at the remaining problems and Richard Carter agreed
to remove the sycamore.
15 ALLOTMENTS: Thames Water due to repair the roadway in August. The
clerk to check their ownership up to the road.
16 RISK ASSESSMENT - to be finalised formally.
17 SPEED LIMITS - see Highways.
System for letters: Ron Couchman proposed councillors see certain letters
before they are sent out. This was rejected.
Pole at Church End: BT had put up a new pole on the triangle but
parishioners had objected strongly and it was
promptly moved.
18 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Three new planning matters were reported: The regular helicopter landings
opposite the Cricketers, and a possible extension to a barn at Hill Green
(Edward Oliver declared an interest on both as related to the landowner).
Also the Enforcement Officers are investigating the retail use as a
restaurant of the fishing lodge at Clavering Farm.
It was reported that ragwort had appeared on Hill Green.
Horse Pond clearance: Edgar Abrahams agreed to provide the definitive ruling
on his query about removing the spoil.
(Arnold Hitchcock had agreed it could be put on his land next to the pond).
19 DATE OF NEXT MEETING Monday, 3 September 2007. There being no
other business, the meeting adjourned