Table of Contents
14th September 2009
Minutes
Minutes of a meeting of the Parish Council, which took place on Monday 14 September 2009.
PRESENT Cllrs Humphreys (Chair), Cripps, England, Hallett, Hawkins, Rowswell, Sarker, Wakely, Messrs P Robathan & K Ronaldson (District Councillors) and three members of the Police Force.
APOLOGIES
Cllr Walshe
POLICING
Following concerns about a lack of Police presence in the village, three members of the Force were welcomed to the meeting. Sergeant Alan Bell and Beat Manager, Iain Selly, spoke of the work carried out in the villages. Mr Robathan felt that time is wasted by PCSOs having to start and end each day in Somerton and he hopes they will be able to report to the Police Post in South Petherton, which will be combined with a Community Centre and Tourist Office.
MINUTES
The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed and signed.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr Hawkins declared an interest, due to a shared water supply, in an application to convert barn into annexe at Shells Farm.
DC REPORT
Mr Robathan spoke of a recent accident, when a lorry fell onto a house at the Love Lane junction, and Colin Fletcher of the Highway Authority will be meeting the owners of Bobbins to look at the problems at this junction. On 26 September, the National Trust and the District Council are holding a Food Fair at Montacute House.
Funding is not going to be available for Pioneer Somerset, but some services will probably be shared by the District and County Councils. The Tour of Britain Cycle Race will be going through Somerset on 17 and 18 September.
ALLOTMENTS
Cllrs Cripps and Walshe met with Allotment Holders at the Village Hall to discus future plans. It was agreed to leave a 15 ft wide track across the top to allow access to the remainder of the field. It is hoped the rest of the field will continue to be cultivated by the neighbouring farmer.
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ACCOUNTS
Cheques were drawn for:
S Petherton Parish Council | Lengthman’s salary | £500.00 |
Moore Stephens | External audit of 2008/09 Accounts | 155.25 |
Allianz Insurance | Additional premium for Fun Run | 63.00 |
M T Brown | Stone for Lethbridge Memorial | 57.50 |
Hyder Consulting | Cowleaze Site Surveys | 1,500.00 |
PLANNING
No objections were raised to applications to:
- Demolish conservatory & erect two storey extension to Mulberry, 14 Brimgrove Lane
- Erect single storey rear extension to Stone Masons Cottage, Shells Lane.
- Convert barn into annexe at Shells Farm.
Permission has been granted for:
- Conversion and extension of pair of cottages to form single dwelling, erection of dwelling and two garages at Ferndale, Buttle Lane.
- Erection of general purpose agricultural store at Home Farm, Lambrook Road.
The next stage of the South Somerset Local Development Framework is to cluster parishes together for further consultation and Shepton Beauchamp has been grouped with Ilminster and surrounding villages.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION EVENING
This is being arranged by the District Council at Long Sutton Golf Club on 22 October, covering topics such as dogs and litter and will be attended by Cllrs Cripps and England.
PARISH PLAN
Cllr Humphreys reported a very successful Fun Run, with fine weather, and said the next event will be Firework Night.
Cllr Hawkins reported that a further meeting is to take place with Charlotte Jones in October on the subject of housing needs and it was agreed to proceed with a survey.
The Lottery application for Cowleaze has now been submitted. Soil tests revealed high levels of cadmium and arsenic from one test hole, where it is proposed to plant the orchard. The other test areas did not reveal anything and further tests will be carried out.
LENGTHMAN
Cllr England wondered if the Lengthman could trim the tree which is overhanging the telephone kiosk. There are also weeds in the street and on the pavements.
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HIGHWAYS
Colin Fletcher agrees that parking near the Buttle Lane junction is particularly hazardous and he will arrange white lining either side of the junction.
It was noted that the gullies have not yet been cleared.
Robins Lane is often missed by the street cleaners.
Potholes in Great Lane are getting bigger and the edge of the pavement outside Salisbury House is very loose.
FOOTPATHS
The County Council Rights of Way Department has received an application to add to the Definitive Map a path from Lambrook Road to Footpath CH23/13 along Piece Lane. The Parish Council has been asked for factual evidence relating to this route from 1900 to 1960 and the Clerk will check the Minutes for this period.
VILLAGE HALL
Cllr England said how nice the Village Hall looked following its redecoration.
The meeting closed at 9.45 pm.