Draft Minutes of Council Meeting 15th May 2017

DRAFT – UNCONFIRMED

 

Minutes of Monthly Council Meeting held on

 Monday 15th May 2017 at the Village Hall, Port Eynon.

 

The meeting commenced at 8:00 pm, following the Annual General Meeting

Present:                                   Cllr. G. Evans, Cllr. R. Fisher, Cllr. Mrs. S. Fisher, ,Cllr. S Young

 

 

Apologies for Absence:         Cllr. G. Jones

 

In attendance:                       Mr B Stubbings (Clerk);

 

 

Chair person:                          Cllr. R. Fisher took the Chair.

Declarations of Interest:         None

029/17 Minutes of Last Meeting (April 2017):

Minute 015/17 Planning – 2017/0725 decision should read ‘application be deferred’. The minutes, as corrected, were proposed to be accepted as a true record by Mrs S Fisher, the proposal was seconded by Cllr. G Evans and agreed by all.  The minutes were signed by the chairperson.

030/17.  Matters Arising from previous Meeting:

Village Greens – Port Eynon. Council agreed to proceed with quotation provided by Eaton Fencing in the amount of £1200.

War Memorial – pending source of suitable stone.

Monksland Road – Cllr R Fisher advised that Muddy Gap lane had been surfaced which was contrary to the approved plans, he understood that revised plans would be submitted. Cllr S Fisher commented on the street lighting which would appear to be excessive given the rural location and contrary to current policies to reduce external lighting and preserve night skies. Cllr R Fisher expressed the opinion that Monksland Road should now be resurfaced to make good deterioration and damage which had occurred during the construction works.

Parking in Salisbury Close –. Cllr R Fisher advised that with the construction works drawing to a close the pressure on kerbside parking had reduced. Council agreed to keep the matter under review.

Bus Bay, Scurlage –Cllr S Young queried why Scurlage was designated by NAT busses as a ‘Terminus’. He noted that bus drivers were now making an effort not to overrun the bus bay, but this has resulted in busses parking on the carriageway. The soil at each end of the bus bay now requires to be reinstated.

Wildflower Planting, Scurlage – In progress.

Casual Signs at A4118 Junction, Scurlage – Cllr R Fisher advised that casual signs had been removed from the Milestone Court side of the junction and now placed on the Village Green side.

014/17.  Finance:

Clerk tabled updated Cash Book Summary and advised that there had been no significant transactions in the past month.

  1. Cash reserve approx.. £10,400. Savings reserve approx.. £5,300.

The following funding commitments are carried forward:

Bench seat at Orchard Close – £500

Scurlage Green Improvements – £2,000

Port Eynon Village Green improvements – £2,000.

015/17 Planning

Clerk provided an update on pending applications as follows

Pending Applications

2017/0350 Orchard Green, Knelston – Demolition of existing bungalow and erection of new detached dwelling house and garage. Council noted that the present bungalow was thought to be of precast construction dating back to post war period. It was agreed that the proposal should be recommended for approval. Decision pending.

2017/0470 The Tors, Knelston – Erection of new detached dwelling house and garage. Council noted that the proposed house was within the curtilage of the existing gardens to ‘The Tors’ and would share the access to ‘The Tors’ and Knelston Hall Farm. Scale of development was appropriate and consistent with adjacent existing properties. Council unanimously recommended application be approved. (Proposed by Cllr G. Jones and seconded by Cllr S. Fisher.)

2017/0485 Bank Farm, Knelston – Erection of Marquee and maximum of 125 units of tents for period 9th June 2017 to 11th June 2017. Council note that this was an annual event and that no complaints or negative comments had been generated in previous years. Council unanimously recommended application be approved. (Proposed by Cllr G. Evans and seconded by Cllr S. Fisher.)

2017/0725 Gower Holiday Village, Scurlage – temporary use of field adjoining ‘The Monksland’ for use to site up to 64 touring caravans for the period 1st June to 5th September 2017. Council noted that this was a further application essentially the same as 2015/1657 which was refused on 2nd October 2015. That decision was appealed and confirmed on 25th July 2016. Council noted that this further application only differed from that made previously in that the layout of the pitches was restricted to approximately half of the field furthest from the road. Also, that reference is no longer made to this being an ‘Overspill Facility’. Council noted that although outline discussions had taken place with the applicant following the previous refusals, no communication had been received with respect to this new application. Council considered that the previous grounds made for recommending refusal still held, in that all necessary facilities and requirements of a self contained semi permanent caravan site must be met, and that no indications were given in this application. Council also noted the findings of the Planning Inspector in July 2016, and that these had not been addressed in this application. Council recommended by majority that the application be deferred pending clarification of the above issues.

New Applications

2017/0889 The Leys, Port Eynon – construction of detached garage. Council considered the application to be acceptable on the proviso that use is strictly limited to a garage.

016/17 Highways & Footpaths.

Cllr R. Fisher requested Clerk to write to C&CS to ensure that on completion of the new housing development in Scurlage the footpath near houses 20 and 21 be properly reinstated.

017/17 Correspondence:

Nothing to report

009/17 Communication- Notice Boards etc.

There was nothing  to report.

018/17 Village Halls

Port Eynon Hall – Clerk advised receipt of letter from Charity Commission advising that Port eynon village Hall had been included in a bulk vesting order to transfer the role of Custodian trustee from PECC to the Charity Commission.

Cllr R Fisher informed Council that he had attended the meeting of the Village Hall management committee on 8th May where a very heated discussion had taken place concerning the above action. RF had expressed his concern that the VHMC had seen fit to take such actions without consultation with PECC.

After considerable discussion Council agreed to refer these matters to solicitors.

Llandewi Hall – Clerk reported that he had written to trustees requesting a meeting/discussions, but had received no response to date.

General – discussion took place over the need for modern community facilities, the location of which reflected the changing demographic of the community. Clerk was requested to produce a short policy note for further discussion.

019/17 Any Other Business:

Cllr Gareth Evans reported on meetings he had attended concerning ‘Local Seascape Character Assessment’  – of particular interest was management of possible rising sea levels and the effect that this could have on the sae front area of Port Eynon and the public car park.

Cllr Fisher expressed concern over further excavation in the hillside above Carreglwyd camp site.

Date of Next Meeting:

Monday 19th June 2017 at 8:00 pm  in the  Port Eynon Village Hall.

 

Meeting closed at 9.40pm.                                                         Chairman