8th October 2008

ADOPTED
WEST MONKTON PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 8th October 2008 at 7.30pm in the Committee Room, West Monkton Village Hall.
Present: Cllr Reeves (Chairman), Cllrs Haskins, Ellis, Besley, Gage, Cavill, Perris.
In attendance: Mrs P A Cavill, Clerk; Cllrs E Waymouth, D Webber and 8 members of the public, Cllrs D Durdan and K Durdan from Creech St Michael were welcomed.
128/08 Apologies
Apologies were accepted from Cllr R Tully (other matters to attend to), Cllr G Day (work).

129/08 Adoption of the Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 10th September 2008
The minutes, having been previously circulated, were adopted and signed as true records. Adoption was proposed by Cllr Gage, seconded by Cllr Ellis, all were in favour and it was resolved to adopt the minutes of the meeting held on 10th September.

130/08 Matters arising from the minutes; Clerk’s report
The Clerk explained the regulations governing the grant to be made to West Monkton Village Hall Management Committee of £50,000 subject to grants from TDBC and SCC Joint Funding being awarded in full: for full text of the resolution see Minute 17/08. The grant will be of 25% towards the total cost: the total cost indicated in papers issued by the Village Hall Management Committee entitled West Monkton New Annex is stated under item 2 ‘Potential Sources of funding’ to be £225,000. The grant is given under the Local Government Provisions Act 1976 Section 19 (2) (a). The relevant section was read aloud from Arnold Baker.
The Clerk’s report, having been previously circulated prior to the meeting, was taken as read. The Clerk will book a date for the SCC Driver Awareness Course in the new year.

The meeting was closed.

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
• Members of the public expressed their opinions regarding the recent application to fell TPO trees in Walford Park. It was noted that the trees are not in ’Walford House Field’ but ‘Walford Park’. Walford Park is the name of the field on the maps and truly reflects the ancient heritage of these trees. It is believed the Park was planted out when the first Walford House was built – sometime in the eighteenth Century. Given that the date of introduction of the turkey oak to UK is known, this might make the trees the oldest turkey oaks in the country. The trees are protected by TPO and the alleged reason to fell them is due to insurance considerations for the one day agricultural implement sale, held annually in Walford Park. The loss of the trees would represent severe loss of visual amenity. It is accepted that some pruning and removal of dead branches might be necessary. In the spirit of the TPO the trees should have been maintained over the years and not allowed to reach the condition they are currently in. Greenslades had acknowledged receipt of letters from local residents requesting that attention should be paid to the trees but no action appeared to have been taken, over at least a two year period.
• Mr Welch has taken to parking his labelled pick-up truck on the grass verge by the bus shelter on the A38, thereby passively advertising his business.
• Mrs Keyte reported boys playing football in he new car park at the Village Hall – when questioned they stated they had nowhere else to go.
• The hedge on the A38 adjacent to the Jaguar garage is growing very high.
• The ‘Village Hall’ directional sign at Prockters farm junction with the A3259 has gone missing.
• The death of a cyclist was reported on the A38 in the vicinity of Walford Cross

The meeting was reconvened.

131/08 Items raised by the Public in Open session
• The Parish Council is generally sympathetic to the views expressed about the trees in Walford Park. The comments that the Parish Council will make in response to TDBC on the Planning Application to fell them will be informed by information received at the meeting. Cllr Reeves proposed that the Parish Council support D Galley’s recommendations, seconded by Cllr Haskins and all agreed: accordingly it was resolved to support D Galley’s recommendations that the application to fell the trees should not be granted permission. The proper execution of the TPOs will be investigated, including B.S.(British Standard) for pruning. During this item Cllr Cavill declared an interest, signed the book, and did not speak.
• The parked vehicle allegedly illicitly advertising will be reported to SCC to ensure there is no distraction being caused to vehicles on the A38.
• Mrs Keyte’s comment served to highlight the fact that SCC is not maintaining the Play Area to the same standard as the Parish Council when they leased it. If the grass were short enough there is an area that is level enough for football games.
• Clerk will make enquiries to see if the directional sign to the Village Hall could be replaced and attached using anti-theft bolts.
• The matter of the speed camera will be further investigated in view of the recent fatality at Walford.

132/08 Annual Review of Documents
The Clerk went through proposed upgrades to the ‘List of Assets’ and ‘Risk Management’. After some discussion it was resolved to amend the documents in the way proposed, and issue the new documents for the year ahead at the next Parish Council meeting. Cllr Ellis proposed, Cllr Cavill seconded, all agreed.

133/08 Allotments
After some discussion it was agreed, that due to demand, the two parties having tenancies on two allotments each should be asked to relinquish one plot each at the end of the year. Clerk will draft a letter for Cllr Haskins consideration.
Mr Redlar had been approached with regard to land for more allotments: the other landowner who could be approached would be Mr Richards.

134/08 TDBC RSS Forward Planning
The exchange of correspondence with Mark Leeman TDBC was explained. It was agreed to put together a group of 10 people to work through the ‘Toolkit’, presented and facilitated by external consultants. The list was put together with contributions from Cllr D Durdan and Cllr K Durdan. The object is to identify vision, infrastructure and priorities for future development which will span and merge both communities. It was noted that SCC proposals for infrastructure for the 4000 houses will involve taking down the footbridge part of ‘Safe Routes to School’ and returning the traffic lights back to a roundabout, this time with fly over. It was resolved to refer the list of people to Mark Leeman and get dates fixed. Further, it was resolved to write to A Coombs the ‘Safe Routes to School’ Officer at SCC to ask for his comments on the proposal to take down the footbridge.

135/08 Precept Working Party
It was agreed to have a precept working party that would report to Full Council as per previous years. Members of the Precept Working Party will be as previous years – Cllr Perris, Ellis, Reeves, Tully and Gage. The meeting will be at Hill Farm 4th Nov at 7.00pm.

136/08 Official Reports
Cllr Reeves reported on the meeting to establish the site of the dog bin at the bottom of Yallands Hill. It was attended by Cllr Chinn from CFPC, Cllr Reeves, the Clerk and the Dog Warden from TDBC. Several options were discussed, and a site agreed. The Clerk will contact P Saturley TDBC to order the dog bin and then meet with him to indicate the location of the bin.
SCC report – in the absence of Cllr Tully there was no report.
Cllr Waymouth/Webber and Cavill reported form TDBC. The decision on the developer partner for Firepool will be decided soon, although work won’t start until the appropriate planning permission has been obtained – possibly up to 18 months. The Castle Green car park is due to come before Planning in November – all part of the renovations for Somerset Museum.
It was reported that the West Monkton and Creech St Michael LAT had folded.

137/08 Planning Applications registered at TDBC
48/2008/054 Mrs J Moore Modifications to Gothic Alcove at Hestercombe Gardens Taunton. Likely issues – none listed. Comment – The Parish Council supports this application.
48/2008/055A Mrs F Wadsley Display of illuminated and non-illuminated signs at Sainsbury’s filling station Hankridge Farm Heron Gate Taunton. Likely issues – none listed. Comment: the Parish Council would wish shields to be in place to stop illumination of the night sky by the illuminated signs.
48/2008/057 Mr G Clifford Erection of a chalet bungalow at 154 Bridgwater Road. Likely issues – none listed. This would appear to be a fresh application and not amended from the earlier version which was refused planning permission. Comment: the Parish Council objects to this proposal. The Parish Council does not agree with the letter sent by RJ Beecham to accompany the application – the position regarding the proximity of this application and its overlooking of the site of the proposed new primary school and its play areas remains a concern, and the matter has not been addressed. The distances quoted in the letter refer to the existing primary school not the one in the mixed use urban development of 1000 houses and employment land that already has planning permission. The application continues to represent overdevelopment of the site, which would result in three properties requiring access onto the A38 rather than the one original semi-detached property, which then had the chalet bungalow built in its back garden. This may provide greater understanding of the terms ‘private shared driveway’ and ‘neighbouring chalet bungalow’ used in the letter, and in the Design and Access statement.
48/2008/058 Mrs S Melhuish Replacement of conservatory with single storey rear extension at 13 Brittons Ash Bathpool West Monkton. Likely issues – none listed. The Parish Council has no comment to make on this application.
48/2008/059T Mr D Galley Application to fell 4 Oak Trees, (T1 T4 T6 and T10) included in Taunton Deane Borough (West Monkton No2) Tree Preservation Order 2001 at Walford Cross Field* Walford House near Taunton. *Name on map is Walford Park. Likely issues- the proposal has been discussed on site. The application is likely to be refused unless further more convincing evidence can be provided in support. Comment: The Parish Council strongly object to this application; contrary to the name used in the application, (Walford House Field) the area is designated on the map as ‘Walford Park’ and it has been reported that there is some evidence to suggest that the Turkey Oaks were planted as a park to the original 18th Century Walford House (burned down and replaced by the present structure). This would put the trees as very old indeed. The date of the introduction of the turkey oak to the British Isles is known and these trees may not only be the oldest Turkey Oaks in the county but possibly the country. The Parish Council believes the TPOs should be enforced in full, which means that proper maintenance of the trees should be undertaken, which seems to have been neglected for a number of years. It is understood that letters apparently having been written to Greenslade Taylor Hunt over the past two years requesting maintenance have been acknowledged but no action ensued. Other trees in the parkland with TPOs on them should be inspected for proper maintenance. The Parish Council would accept that some limbs may need to be removed from the trees on safety grounds, but this would come within the proper maintenance of the trees under the terms of the TPOs on them. Felling the trees would represent serious and significant loss of heritage and visual amenity, as well as loss of important ecosystems supported by the trees.
48/2008/060A Mrs F Wadsley Erection of 43 non-illuminated signs in the car park at Sainsbury’s supermarket, Hankridge Retail Park, West Monkton. Likely issues – none listed.
The Parish Council has no comment to make on this application.

138/08 Planning decisions made by TDBC
PC/4/08/08/017/TB Installation of portable cabin for use as office, fuel storage tank and documents etc storage containers, and layout of car and lorry parking areas and skip storage area at Priorswood Household Waste Recycling Centre and Depot, Crown Industrial Estate, Venture Way, Taunton. Conditional Planning permission granted: begin w/in 3 years; adhere to plans and flood mitigation measures approved; check for landfill gas and contaminated soils; storage of oils chemicals fuels to be on impervious bases; finished floor levels such that the development is protected from flooding; flood resilience to be included in construction; arrangements made for surface water storage; landscape scheme to be implemented in first planting season.
48/2008/046 Erection of single storey and two storey extension, balcony and car port at New Dawn, Gotton, West Monkton as amended by plans 612.02B and 612.03A received 5th August 2008. Permission granted: begin w/in 3 years; external surfaces shall be of materials shown on approved plan; prior to commencement of works, details of existing and proposed site levels of the parking area and carport shall be submitted and approved.
48/2008/048 Erection of double garage and store at Oak House, Monkton Heights, West Monkton. Permission granted: begin w/in 3 years; external surfaces of materials as indicated in application form; no windows/dormer windows on south east elevations.
48/2008/049 Loft conversion including installation of dormer windows on north and south elevations and insertion of glazing in west facing gable at 29 Meadway Monkton Heathfield. Permission refused: dormer windows and glazing out of keeping, would harm visual amenity and would cause loss of privacy to adjacent properties.
48/2008/050 Erection of single storey extension to link dwelling to garage and formation of front garden/wall at Pennystone, Monkton Heathfield. Permission granted: begin w/in 3 years; external surfaces to be of materials as indicated in application form.
48/2008/052 Erection of rear and first floor extension including raising the roofline and double garage at St Elmo Yallands Hill Monkton Heathfield (revised submission of 48/2008/018) as amended by letter and plan 7A received 26th August 2008. Permission granted: begin w/in 3 years; external surfaces shall be of materials shown on the plan; garage in perpetuity only for parking of motor vehicles and domestic use; no windows/dormer windows hall b constructed.
48/2008/053 Change of use from Post Office Stores to domestic living accommodation at 5 The Street, West Monkton. Permission granted: begin w/in 3 years.

Appeal
48/2008/034 Application for the erection of an ATM pod at Sainsbury’s Hankridge. Sainsburys have lodged an appeal. Three copies of any representations to The Planning Inspectorate 3/19a Temple Quay House 2 The Square Temple Quay Bristol BS1 6PN before 5th November 2008.

The planning decisions were noted.

139/08 Communications
The Clerk was authorised to complete the questionnaire on Pioneer Somerset on behalf of the Parish Council.
The SCC service improvement questionnaire will be completed by Cllr Besley, Highways Coordinator on behalf of the Parish Council.

140/08 To receive and approve the Receipts and Payments and the Financial Sheet
Subscriptions o he web site Business Listings were coming in – 9 have come in so far and they will be banked shortly.
The Receipts and Payments were noted, it was resolved to make the payments as listed, proposed by Cllr Ellis and seconded by Clly Haskins and all agreed. The Financial sheet was explained, showing receipts, payments, balances at the bank, budget position, and a bank reconciliation. It was resolved to adopt the Financial Sheet, proposed by Cllr Besley and seconded by Cllr Gage.

Receipts
8 x subscriptions for Business Listings £80.00
Payments
Mr S Rolls for Spital bus shelter painting £186.00
Bus shelter cleaning for September
Mrs David £20.00
Bus shelter cleaning & litter picking for September
Ms M Newland £30.00
Miss A Kimber £20.00
Clerks salary for September £478.31
Clerks expenses June to Oct £134.32

141/08 Dates of forthcoming Parish Council meetings
Dates of forthcoming Parish Council meetings – 12th November 2008, 14th January, 11th February, 11th March, 8th April 2009. Planning Committee meeting: 7.00pm in the Church Room on 10th December.

142/08 Outstanding items
Currently there are no items on this list

There being no further business, the meeting ended at 10.02pm

Signed Chairman........................................................................ Date...........................