MINUTES OF CLAVERING PARISH
COUNCIL MEETING
HELD IN THE VILLAGE HALL ON MONDAY 5 MARCH 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; Nigel Cook, Vice Chairman Richard Carter,
Brian Barrow, Mike Patmore, Edgar Abrahams, Des Abrahams, Edward Oliver,
Rebecca Stanford, Elaine Tomlinson, together with 7 members of the public.
Apologies received from David Laing and Simon Cooke.
2 DECLARATION OF INTERESTS:
Edgar Abrahams: Prejudicial interest in Item 8 (P3) as receiving funds. Also
prejudicial interest in item UTT/0178 and UTT/0270/07/FUL, Barlee Close as
related to neighbours to the site, and withdrew from the meeting.
Edgar Abrahams and Des Abrahams: Prejudicial Interest for Item 5
Grasscutting quotes, as related to one contractor, and withdrew.
Edward Oliver & Des Abrahams: Prejudicial interest in Item 5, PCC donation
application, as Church Treasurer and Member; and withdrew.
3 MINUTES: The Minutes of the previous meeting were approved with 2
amendments; relating to Accesses decisions, and to the horse chestnut
adjacent to the cricket pavilion: ‘the Council’ instead of ‘the Club’.
4 MATTERS ARISING:
1 Enforcements:
a. Portakabin: Awaiting removal by 31 March.
b. Caravans opposite Curles: Awaiting removal.
c. Barn and lake at Starlings Gn.: Being processed at UDC.
d. Structure and caravan at Starlings Gn: Enforcement for removal
proceeding.
e. Parking land at The Druce, f. Canvas Tent - both being monitored.
g. Yew Tree Farm, UTT 1074: Awaiting retrospective application.
h. Sign at Jojacks Farm: in excess of permitted size and awaiting inspection
by the Enforcement Officer.
i. Business in Pelham Road: The Planning Dept. were checking the position.
2 Highways & Byways:
a. Speed Limits : VMS unit, again not working properly.
b. Hill Green yellow lines: Being processed through the ECC funding system.
c. Byway 50: A temporary Closure Order from 27 March to 10 May was advised
for repairs to the surface.
d. Coley Lane rubbish - still too wet for clearance.
e. Fallen signpost at Butts Green – reported.
f. Blocked drains; reported, some cleared.
g. Gate lights – Highways to be asked for the rules on this.
h. Potholes - reported. i. Grass verge eroded, The Grange to Ponds.
3 Other items:
a. Community Awards – awarded to John Hosford for his voluntary work, and to
thank him in the Newsletter.
b. Skeins Way lights: Edgar Abrahams to progress as District councillor.
c. Tree lopping at Mill End; the Officer had confirmed he was happy with
this. To be passed to Mr Couchman.
d. Village sign: to be revarnished in the spring.
e. Village Hall heating: Further complaints from the public at the AGM about
the unacceptable noise level.
f. UDC Core Strategy Consultation: Only 2 brief comments from councillors to
be sent in.
g. Trees: Mike Patmore and Richard Carter to meet Mrs Evans and look at
locations.
h. Logs on Hill Green: Agreed to write to the nearby resident and ask if he
or his neighbours could remove them
as they could constitute a safety hazard and the Council would be liable.
5 FINANCE:
Invoices: It was agreed to pay the following:
CPRE Subscription
£27.00 000851
Tim Gingell Grasscutting 2006
235.00 35.00 000852
Postage Stamps (2nd), printer supplies and paper for Election
information leaflets,
Costs to be covered by grant from ECC. 162.80
9.65
000853
Website Subscription via Peter Upson
69.50 10.32 000854
Receipts:
Allotment rent:
13.00
Essex County Council via EALC: Grant for Information Evening
250.00
Request for donation: Edward Oliver as Treasurer of Clavering PCC handed
their accounts to councillors before the meeting started, requesting the
usual donation towards grasscutting costs, and withdrew during this item.
(This was not on the Agenda nor the accounts checked). His covering letter
requested £300 for the Parish Church, £125 for the URC Church grass
(Christian Centre) and £60 towards maintenance of the church clock. Elaine
Tomlinson proposed an increase of a further £65 to make a total of £550;
this was carried. (P: ET, S:RWC ,F:All).
Edgar Abrahams pointed out that the URC Christian Centre is now a
commercially hired venue, not a church.
Grasscutting quotes: 3 Tenders were opened and it was agreed to award the
contract for cutting the Green areas at £95 per cut to MG Maintenance (P: EO,
S:L RWC, F: All), to award the contract for cutting the Blue areas at £100
per cut to NS Landscapes (P:RWC, S:EO; F:All) , and to award the contract
for cutting the Red areas and removing the cuttings at £400 per cut to Paul
Abrahams Landscaping (P:NC, S:EO, F:All).
P3 Payments: Invoices totalling £4203.33 from 3 contractors received; passed
to ECC for payment to the Council.
6 PLANNING:
UTT 2019 Affordable Housing: No further news on the remaining house.
FP 22 & 26: Thurrocks Farm: Footpath Diversion applications. No progress.
UTT 1721 Boreham, 21 Pelham Rd. New roof, windows etc. No news.
UTT 1631 Bloss, The Mill House, Mill Lane, conversion of outbuilding to
residential. No news.
UTT 1747 Rouse, Clavering Gate; Detached barn / garage / store. No news.
UTT 1669 Merrick, Ford end House. Conversion of garage to playroom etc. No
news.
UTT 2089 Kinmonth: Danceys: larger house to replace that already approved.
Refused..
UTT 2117 Wingham, Allingham House: Refused.
UTT 0101 Downham, The Views: Garage/cartlodge. Approved.
UTT 0115 Webb Investments, Clavering Mill. No news.
UTT 0134 Shaw, The Wheelhouse. Conversion of medieval barn to residential.
Agreed to object on the grounds of only being a few centimetres from the
adjacent property and would cause loss of amenities to neighbours, and
over-development of the garden area with virtually another house sharing one
driveway, parking etc.
UTT 0236 Keeble-Bradford, Camlea, Arkesden Rd. Agreed to object on grounds
of causing loss of privacy to Hope Cottage, as being set back it would look
into all their rear windows, and considered too large a house in this
setting.
UTT 0317 Saville, 4 Colehills Close, 2 storey extension. No objections.
UTT 0178 & UTT 0270 BF Contracts, 8 houses in Barlee Close. Agreed to object
on the same grounds as previous applications for this site; that 8 houses is
too many and too cramped, it would cause traffic and parking problems,
overdevelopment of the site and the design inappropriate, with terracing
being too ‘urban’ in style. Mike Patmore pointed out that a previous
application for more village-style design had also been voted against, which
would now appear preferable.
APPEAL UTT 1481 BF Contracts, 8 houses in Barlee Close: Agreed to confirm
earlier objections.
7 P3 Scheme & Footpaths: Byway 50 was to be closed from 27 March to
10 May for repairs to the surface.
Footpaths 42, 44, 49, and Bridleway 71 were to be closed for the Balfour
Beatty works to the pylon network.
8 LAND REGISTRATION:
Track from Chipperfield House to Hyaway: No information from residents
regarding registration.
9 ACCESSES & GREENS:
a. The Cricketers – awaiting information from NALC to confirm the
arrangement would be legal. No reply from
Hewitsons; the Cricketers solicitor had confirmed that Trevor Oliver had
kindly agreed to pay the Council’s costs b. Easements: It was agreed to go
into Committee to discuss a parishioner’s stage payments claim.
c. Earth on the Bridges: Awaiting clearance by the adjacent resident.
10 CORRESPONDENCE:
All correspondence was available in the file and had been circulated and
listed to councillors.
UDC – Conservation Area Appraisal proposals. 3 comments received to be sent
in.
Mrs Downham, mirrors outside CVH: Edgar Abrahams said they would create more
danger. For further discussion.
Mr Blomley, removal of poles along Stortford Road. For discussion next
month.
Mrs Davis, signs around the village for dog poo problems; no comments.
EALC Grant schemes – no response.
11 ALLOTMENTS:
Mr & Mrs Donker asked permission to put a shed and a greenhouse on their
allotments; agreed.
Mike Patmore confirmed that no deposits were being taken for the 10 new
allotments.
12 REVIEW OF JUBILEE FIELD TRUST DEED: No report this month due to
holidays of Sub-Committee members.
Edgar Abrahams produced letters from the Jubilee Field Committee which he
said concerned the matters being reviewed, and tried to read and discuss
those matters. He was reminded that as Chairman of the Jubilee Field
Committee he had declared an interest at several previous meetings, and to
continue would be in breach of the Code of Conduct. A councillor suggested
he passed the letters to the Chairman.
13 VILLAGE ORGANISATIONS: No reports.
14 PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS: The Information Evening was on 15 March;
the grant had been received.
15 BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION: Rebecca Stanford agreed to look at
the documentation, but it was agreed that otherwise the village would not
enter this year. A plea for general tidying up to be put in the Newsletter.
16 ANY OTHER BUSINESS:
Elaine Tomlinson said she would not be standing for office again, and was
thanked for serving on the Council.
It was proposed to go into Committee to discuss possible breaches of the
Code of Conduct (P:RS, S:MP, F:All)
17 NEXT MEETING: Monday, 2 April 2007. There being no other business,
the meeting adjourned.
CHAIRMAN
MEETING IN COMMITTEE FOLLOWING THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING TO DISCUSS
EASEMENTS IN STAGE PAYMENTS
NALC solicitors had given further advice regarding whether previous
documentation constituted a binding contract or not, and the clerk reported
that the documents had been set up using their Chief Solicitor’s wording, as
also had the Stage Payments arrangement, using their advised Schedule. It
was agreed to point this out and get further advice to clarify this before
proceeding. The parishioners concerned had written with their views; to be
acknowledged.
CHAIRMAN
MEETING IN COMMITTEE FOLLOWING THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING TO REPORT ON
POSSIBLE BREACHES OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT
The Chairman informed the Council that several individual councillors had
written to the Standards Board regarding possible breaches of the Code of
Conduct by one councillor, and had requested their advice. It had been
decided to hold the matter in abeyance for the time being as the councillor
concerned had suggested he was not intending to stand for office again at
the May elections.