- Present
- Cllr M Gillett (Chair), Cllr D Turner, Cllr H Glasse, Cllr M Mann, Cllr S Budd, Cllr S Baker, Cllr A Stevens
- In Attendance
- J Blackburn – Clerk, County Cllr Hicks, District Cllr S Morley
ES91/21/22 – Public Forum
There were seven members of the public present.
ES92/21/22 – To Receive Apologies of Absence
Apologies had been received from Cllr Wilkinson and Cllr Stanford.
ES93/21/22 – To Receive Declarations of Interest
None had been received.
ES94/21/22 – To Receive Applications for Dispensation
None had been received.
ES95/21/22 – To Approve the Minutes of the Meeting Held on 1st November 2021
It was AGREED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 1st November 2021 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.
ES96/21/22 – To Receive the Police Report
The Police were not present at the meeting and a report had not been received.
ES97/21/22 – To Receive the District Councillor’s Report – Cllr Morley
Cllr Morley reported on the following items:
- The Local Plan had been paused due to a couple of planning areas that needed to be revisited - the provision of Gypsy Traveller sites and also employment sites within the county.
- The provision of solar car ports were being looked into to introduce 70 bays.
- Gateway 14 was moving onto the next stage of development.
- Eight new homes had been opened in Needham Market at the previous District Council site.
Cllr Turner asked Cllr Morley about the Magpie Sign at Stonham Parva and would it be reinstated to which Cllr Morley confirmed that it hoped to be, following talks with the pub owners.
Cllr Morley’s full report would be circulated and published on the village website.
ES98/21/22 – To Receive the County Councillor’s Report – Cllr Hicks
Cllr Hicks’ full report had been circulated prior to the meeting and would be published on the village website.
Cllr Hicks reported the following:
- The Budget would be approved in February with the main areas of expenditure and provision going to Children’s Services and Adult Care. To achieve the budget the Council Tax would be increased to 1.99% and Social Care 1%.
- Drainage - to ensure all poor drainage be improved thus ensuring water would not appear at the side of roads which in turn could cause roads to break up. £10 million was being put into the project.
- Road Signs - £1 million was being put towards road signs. In the past road signs had been a low priority with many fading, breaking and collapsing. A project had now been approved to ensure all road signs in the County that needed attention would receive it.
- Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) - £1 million pounds was being put into SEND to ensure the county’s provision was appropriate.
- Street Lights – 10,000 street lights had currently been replaced with LED lighting. It was part of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and in time would save money.
ES99/21/22 – Blacksmiths Lane
Cllr Hicks explained to members of the public present, residents of Blacksmiths Lane, that he wanted to work with them to ensure all the issues that had occurred following the recent closure of Saxham Street which had caused extra traffic to use the Lane.
He explained that whilst Anglian Water (AW) had no obligation to repair the Lane, as Blacksmiths Lane had not been part of the official diversion route, they had agreed as a gesture of goodwill to repair the road and Cllr Hicks confirmed that he would push for those works to be carried out.
He stated that he had received an email from AW who said they would be happy to work with the community. Cllr Hicks suggested a meeting with himself, AW, a representative from the Parish Council and a resident from the Lane.
In relation to the Lane having a 30 mph speed limit it would be very difficult to obtain as there was a strict criteria that needed to be met. The procedure would cost between £8,000 and £10,000 and as part of that, would need to be taken to Court.
Residents confirmed the main issues that had resulted in the Lane being used instead of the official diversion result were:
- Entrances to driveways had since flooded due to ruts in the highway
- BT fibre cables under parts of the verges, now eroded, were visible
- BT Junction boxes and manhole covers had been driven over causing them to dislodge and break
- Potholes
- Verges in a very poor state
- Erosion of the highway’s edges
Cllr Hicks stated that he would liaise with Openreach straight away to ensure the problems with the BT boxes, cables and covers would be resolved at the earliest opportunity. He asked residents to provide him with a map of the lane pinpointing the exact location of the BT equipment.
It was agreed that a meeting with all parties would be a good way forward and a representative from the residents would let the Clerk and/or Chair of the Parish Council know so their name could be passed onto Cllr Hicks.
ES100/21/22 – To Receive the Clerk’s Report and Financial Matters
a) To Receive the Clerk’s Report
The Clerk had nothing to report other than what was already on the Agenda.
b) To Receive the Clerk’s Financial Report
The Clerk reported on the Council’s current financial position and movements since the last meeting. It was reported that the balance in the accounts on 5th January 2022 was £10,440.82.
c) To Authorise Payments and Note Receipts
The Clerk reported the following payments be authorised:
- Jennie Blackburn - Clerk's Pay (Jan) - £124.12
- Jennie Blackburn - Clerk's Office Allowance/Exp (Jan) - £28.48
- ES Cricket Club - Donation (Grass Cutting 2021) - £375.00
- D Turner - Recorder Printing Reimbursement - £180.00
- Rougham Estate - Christmas Tree - £143.75
- Porch Builders - Event Toilet - £132.00
- Suffolk Cloud - Website Domain Name (annual fee) - £15.00
- Forward Africa - Donation - £100.00
- Homestart - Donation - £50.00
- Livability - Donation - £50.00
- Stowmarket Foodbank - Donation - £100.00
- Citizens Advice Bureau - Donation - £125.00
- ES Village Hall - Donation - £500.00
It was AGREED: That payments totaling £1,923.35 be authorised and actioned by the Clerk.
The following receipts were also noted:
- Mr Becket - Allotment Rent - £151.00
- Ms Seaman - Allotment Rent - £15.32
- Stonham Interiors - Recorder Advert - £30.00
- Perfect Perennials - Recorder Advert - £30.00
- My Care at Home - Recorder Advert - £30.00
- J Perkins - Allotment Rent - £7.65
- P Birchnall - Recorder Advert - £30.00
- Mrs Arnold - Allotment Rent - £202.15
- A & RL Porch - Allotment Rent - £379.06
- Mr Nunn - Allotment Rent - £1,355.27
d) Final Budget 2022/23
It was AGREED: That the Final Budget for 2022/23 be approved.
e) Precept 2022/23
It was AGREED: That the Precept of £6,808 for 2022/23 be approved. Clerk to action.
ES101/21/22 – Donations
It was AGREED: That the following donations be made this year (Clerk to action):
- Forward Africa - £100
- Homestart - £50
- Livability - £50
- Stowmarket Foodbank - £100
- Citizens Advice Bureau - £125
- Churchyard Maintenance - £350
- Village Hall - £500
ES102/21/22 - Publication of Planning Applications
Cllr Turner asked whether planning applications should be more widely publicised once received. In relation to specific applications such as the recent application DC/21/06153 - The Retreat, Stowmarket Road, Earl Stonham, which Cllr Turner considered might affect more people in the village and therefore should be made aware of.
The Clerk, whilst understanding the suggestions made by Cllr Turner, explained that the Parish Council’s obligation was to publicise the application, as with any application, on the Agenda which was put onto the village website and noticeboards. She stated that if applications were to be publicised in additional ways then all applications should be treated the same.
A general discussion took place.
It was AGREED: That a link to Mid Suffolk District council’s Planning Application Portal should be added to the village website where people could easily access information on all applications received by the parish.
ES103/21/22 - Planning Applications
Ref: DC/22/00131 - Householder Application - Erection of single storey side/rear extensions to "Pipers Hall" (renovating existing orangery), minor alterations to first floor fenestration. Construction of new roof to existing annexe "Carriage House" for elderly relatives, including alterations to fenestration and solar panels, conversion of former stable block to form office/ studio/ gym/storage rooms. - Pipers Hall, Forward Green, Earl Stonham
As this application had only just been received, some members had not had a chance to look at all the documentation and so felt they were not in a position to comment.
It was AGREED: That the application would be commented on via email following the meeting once all members had looked through the paperwork. Clerk to action.
ES104/21/22 - Planning Decisions
None had been received.
ES105/21/22 – Street Lighting / Survey
Following a decision made at the previous Parish Council meeting, a survey had been circulated to all households in the parish in relation to the street lighting and whether, if anything, should be done to change the lighting options.
The Clerk reported that 33 completed surveys had been received, the comments and results of which had been summarised and circulated prior to the meeting.
Members agreed that the results had proved inconclusive and therefore it was felt the lighting should be left as it was. With the Parish Council not having sufficient funds to improve the lighting at this time the only option would be to consider having the lighting on a timer.
It was AGREED: That the Clerk liaise with Suffolk County Council as to what options were available in relation to the lights being on timers.
ES106/21/22 – Lorry Route Consultation
Comments had been submitted on behalf of the Parish Council.
ES107/21/22 – Highways Traffic Survey Application
Cllr Gillett had researched information and costs in relation to Highways Traffic Surveys. The information he found stated that a survey could be undertaken for a fee of £500 and reports would be received on the data collected.
Following a general discussion it was felt that spending that amount of money could not be justified at that time and for now a survey should be put on hold.
ES108/21/22 – Tap Junction
Members had noted that whilst the area at the junction of A140 with A1120 had been clear for a period of time, vehicles had started to re-appear on the site.
They felt that Planning Enforcement should be made aware of the situation. Clerk to action.
ES109/21/22 – ANPR Application and Signage for Wheelie Bins
There was nothing further to report.
ES110/21/22 – Community Speedwatch
The Clerk reported that she had received interest from eight residents to volunteer for the setting up of a Community Speedwatch Team.
The Clerk would email all volunteers informing them of the need for a Coordinator.
ES111/21/22 – Multicourt Signage
It was AGREED: That this item be deferred to the next meeting.
ES112/21/22 – Wildflower Area
Cllr Turner reported that a resident had approached her to ask whether there was a piece of land in the parish which could be used as a wildflower area.
During a brief discussion, two triangular pieces of land were mentioned but as these were at junctions it would affect the visual splays for motorists. Also, permission would be needed from the land owners.
Members felt that the Parish Council did not own any land which could be used therefore it was not a project that could be taken forward.
A suggestion of daffodils and bluebells on the Green, or along parts of the village could be considered as an alternative.
ES113/21/22 - Footpaths
Cllr Turner asked whether there was any update on the issues with FP136 to which the Clerk confirmed she would chase with the Rights of Way Officer.
ES114/21/22 – Allotments
There was nothing to report.
ES115/21/22 – Village Hall
Cllr Turner asked about whether there was any funding for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations to which Cllr Gillett stated that he had not heard of any.
ES116/21/22 – Matters to be Brought to the Attention of the Council
There were no matters to report.
ES117/21/22 – Date of Next Meeting
Monday, 7th March 2022 at 7.30pm
The meeting finished at 9.16pm.
Chairman: …………………………………………… Dated: …………………………………………