Minutes 2019 - 2020

Minutes of the meeting of Amber Hill Parish Council held on 16th  September 2019

Present:             Cllr Chris Stephenson, Cllr Elizabeth Gadd, Cllr Jane Webb, Cllr Ros Bowler, Cllr Rachel Hunn, Cllr Nigel Hardy, Cllr Sheryl Fraser

Also Present:  

Public Forum: None

Meeting started 7.05 pm

19/044 Chairman’s remarks

None

19/045 Apologies for absence and reasons given.

Cllr GC, CS, Neil Williams gave apologies.

It was resolved to accept the apologies

19/046 To receive any declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011.

Cllr EG declared an interest in planning application B/19/316.

9/047 Police report.

PCSO Neil Williams gave apologies but sent in a report.

Good news there have been no reported crimes within the Parish since the last meeting.

Hare Coursing incidents are beginning to be reported again following harvest time, two incidents have been reported at Amber Hill in the last few weeks.

Action: None

19/048 Draft minutes of the meeting held on 15-07-19 to be confirmed and signed as minutes.

It was resolved to accept the above notes as minutes.They were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

19/0049 Financial matters: Accounts for payment and budget figures, including report, up to 06.09.19.

The Clerk reported that she has spoken to Boston Borough Council regarding the Light replacement bill being offset against the Precept and it is not the case for repairs and replacements. It was resolved to accept the accounts for payment. 

Action: Clerk to make outstanding payments.

19/050 Planning:

B/19/0279 – Erection of summer house, carport & garage buildings at Bluebell House, Lineside – remote consultation

Consultation carried out as per delegation 3w of the standing orders.No comments or concerns were reported by either Councillors or residents and this was reported to the Planning department

B/19/0316 – Erection of single storey extension to the existing outrigger including the installation of a replacement flat roof, new folding door and attachment of timber cladding and render to the exterior at Amber Hill House, Sutterton Drove

No comments or concerns

Planning Decisions

B/19/0158 – Extension of existing garage to form workshop, staple and pole barn at Maryland Farm, Sutterton Drove

Decision received on 27/8/19 planning granted with restrictions for residential use only and not commercial.

Action: Clerk to pass comments onto the planning dept

19/051 Correspondence

Call Connect        Email – 2 for 1 offer for the summer – posted on website and facebook 15/7/19

LALC       Email – LALC weekly news 16/7/19 – nothing of interest

Environment Agency         Email – Boston Haven Bank Improvements drop in sessions – Emailed to Cllrs 19/7/19

LALC       Email – LALC weekly news 22/7/19 – nothing of interest

Matt Warman MP              Email – Response to letter sent regarding Wind Farm – Emailed to Cllrs 23/7/19

Keith Welford      Email – Reply to letter sent regarding Wind Farm – Emailed to Cllrs 25/7/19

Lincs Fire              Email – New date for resilience conference – Emailed to Cllrs 26/7/19

LALC       Email – weekly newsletter for 29/7/19 – Nothing of Interest

Boston Borough Council    Email – Parish newsletter July 19 – Emailed to Cllrs, posted on facebook & website 1/8/19

PHD Student        Email – Asking for Councillors to complete a questionnaire – Emailed to Cllrs 5/8/19

Michelle Sacks     Email – Regarding Ethical Standards and requesting this be put on the next Agenda.

Citizens Advice    Email – Invite for a representative of the Parish Council to attend 80th celebrations. Emailed to Cllrs 5/8/19

LALC       Email – weekly newsletter for 5/8/19 – Nothing of Interest

LALC       Email – weekly newsletter for 12/8/19 – Nothing of Interest

LALC       Email – weekly newsletter for 19/8/19 – Emailed to Cllrs 20/8/19

Matt Warman MP              Email – Response regarding outcome of Wind farm enquiry – Emailed to Cllrs 22/8/19

LALC       Email – invitation to join committee – Emailed to Cllrs 22/8/19789

Tritton Knoll        Email – Summer 19 Newsletter

LALC       Email – Weekly newsletter for 26/8/19 – Nothing of interest

BBC        Email – Estimated costs of elections – Emailed to Cllrs & copy placed in Budget file 3/9/19

LALC       Email – Weekly newsletter for 2/9/19 – Nothing of interest

BBC        Email – August newsletter – Emailed to Cllrs, posted on facebook & Website 3/9/19

East Midlands Airspace     Email – Consultation of airspace management – Emailed to Cllrs 6/9/19

Action: None.

19/052 Clerks report.

Planning Applications

• B/19/0018 – 2 Storey development May Cottage, Chapel Lane  Mobile Home permission

19/7/19 Email sent to Alan Watts, Enforcement office regarding temporary mobile home

• B/19/0158 – Maryland Farm – Extension of existing garage to form workshop, stable and pole barn

27/8/19 – Decision notice received – Agreed with conditions

Meeting dates

• 18/7/19 Meeting dates for Borough and County Council meetings obtained and there is no clashes after the September meeting -  Dates sent out to all Councillors and Loraine at Boston Borough Council and uploaded on the website

Speeding in the Village

• 18/7/19 Details send to PCSO Williams
• 19/7/19 - Letters sent to Pilgrim School and Lincs County Council

Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership

• 19/7/19 - Details of scheme sent out to Councillors
• 19/7/19 - Advert to gauge interest in the scheme from residents –
• 1 reply received

Dog Poo Bins

• 19/7/19 – email send to Cllr GC & CS
• 19/7/19 – Cllr CS confirmed she had made contact with council regarding this

Heckington Wind Farm

• 18/7/19 letters submitted to Matt Warman and Keith Welford
• 23/7/19 – Email received from Matt Warman
• 25/7/19 – Email received from Keith Welford

Lamp Post No5 leaning and loose at the base

• 18/7/19 – reported to Nigel Hall at Boston Borough Council
• 23/7/19 – Reply to say it has been fixed but may be a charge as it had been hit by a car.

Donation

• 19/7/19 Donation sent to Lives

Cutting of parish Footpaths

• 19/7/19 Emailed reply to resident
• Email sent to Malc Firth to identify cost

It was resolved that the Clerk would chase for a response on Planning Application B/19/0018

Action: Clerk to email Alan Watts, the Enforcement Officer. Follow up on requests for quotes for footway cutting.

19/053 Speeding in the Village and Road Safety Partnership

The Cllrs confirmed they are still experiencing some issues and the clerk confirmed no response had been received from the PCSO.  It is currently a different car but the same driver and reports of someone nearly being knocked off their bike has been reported.  In addition, the issue is causing ill feeling in the Parish and the Councillors do not want this to escalate. There have been comments reported about the treatment of children in the playground and this raises a safeguarding concern.  It was resolved that the clerk would report the speeding vehicle to PCSO Williams and inform him of the Councillors Safeguarding concerns.

In addition, the no of accidents that are happening on Boardsides following another accident at the crossroads.  It was resolved that the Clerk would write to the Road Safety Partnership and ask what measures can be taken to improve the Safety at this junction.

Action: Clerk to email PCSO Williams.  Clerk to write to Road Safety Partnership Highways.

19/054 Feedback from BBC Liaison meeting (RH)

Cllr RH gave feedback on the meeting she had attended at Boston Borough Council.

Transformation Programme.  The initial 4 years have ended and they are now looking at other areas which includes the emptying of Parish litter bins/poo bins (not residents).  This will take place between 2020 & 2022.

• Parish employ their own contractor
• Volunteers - however, they will not be able to place the rubbish in their own domestic bins as the waste will be classed as commercial
• Boston Borough continuing to make collection at an estimated charge of £1 per bin per collection.

New Set of Ethical Standards are being developed and there will be proposed sanctions for breach of code of conduct. Complaints will be passed to the Monitoring officer and Standards Committee who will make a decision, which can if necessary be appealed.   They are looking for volunteer Parish Councillors to be part of the Standards Committee.  There will be training available and each Parish will need a complaints procedure.

New Regeneration plans for West Street were shown and a survey which shows how the life expectancy of males varies dependant on the Parish they live, and by up to 7 years

Action:  Clerk to check emails and send out the application form for the Standards Committee.

19/055 Cutting Trees & Shrubs in the village

The Councillors have received complaints regarding overgrown hedges/trees which are now overhanging the roads and causing a potential hazard.  Cllr CS confirmed he has spoken to 1 resident who is going to cut theirs back and it was resolved that the Clerk would write to additional residents asking them to cut them back from the highway.

In addition, reports have been received of flytipping in the village and it was resolved that the Clerk would report these to Lincs County Council

Action:  Clerk to write to residents regarding overhanging hedges/trees and report flytipping.

19/056 Newsletter (JW)

Cllr JW asked if someone else would be willing to take over the yearly Newsletter.  Cllr SF volunteered for this as it was only a yearly task.  It was felt this was sufficient especially now that we have the facebook site to publish information as well as the website.  Cllr JW agreed to promote the Parish Facebook site on the Amber Hill general facebook site.

Action:  Cllr JW to promote the new facebook site for the Parish Council.

19/057 Items for inclusion at next meeting.

Roads & Highways (NH)

Meeting Closed 8.33 pm

Date of next meeting:  18th November 2019 7.00 pm