Minutes of Monthly Council Meeting held on Wednesday 30th September 2013 at Port Eynon Village Hall
The meeting commenced at 7:30 pm.
Present:
Mr. S. Heard, Mr. R. Fisher, Mrs. L. Newland, Mr. G. Jones and Mr. Tom Roderick.
Apologies for Absence:
Mr. G.Evans, Mrs. P. Pritchard.
In attendance:
Mr. B. Stubbings,
Chair person:
Cllr. Fisher chaired the meeting.
061/13. Declarations of Interest: None.
062/13 Minutes of Last Meeting (May 2013):
The minutes were proposed to be accepted as a true record by Cllr. Newland, the proposal was seconded by Cllr. Jones and agreed by all. The minutes were then signed by the chairperson.
063/13. Matters Arising:
Jubilee Commemoration Bench Seats – Present plans were to place one outside Vine Cottage in Port Eynon. One on Overton Green, one on Scurlage Green, (for which Cllr. Fisher had agreed to liaise with Sketty Housing Assn.) and one in the Knelston burial ground. Cllr. Fisher to follow up with the supplier, Alan Woodman.
Flooding at Scurlage.
Clerk reported that Cllrs Fisher and Heard together with himself had met with Carl Humphrey (C&CS) and walked the section of Burry Pill from Llandewi to Burry Head. Mr. Humphrey advised that they were looking to commission a consultancy study via the National River Authority to deteremine what improvements could be made to increase flow in storm periods.
Road signs. –
Port Eynon abnormal vehicles – clerk had raised with C&CS who would review the need.
Port Eynon pedestrians – again clerk had raised with C&CS who would review the need.
Port Eynon at Brook Stores – displaced signs had now been replaced.
Moor Corner directional sign – Clerk had raised with C&CS and sign would be included in budgets for 2014-15.
The Boarlands, Port Eynon – Clerk had raised with C&CS the problem of parking in the vision splays and again the need for control will be reviewed.
The Countryman (camping). Clerk had raised with C&CS Planning, both the advertised usage of the field for camping and the proliferation of advertising signs outside the Countryman.
064/13. Finance:
Clerk advised that the current bank balances were essentially unchanged, as follows:
Current Account £9,662
Savings Account £5,249
Knelston Burial Ground Account £840
There were at present the following financial commitments:
Bench seats (4 no.) – £1,200
Green Seas Project match funding – £1,000
Notice board at Knelston school – £1,000
Clerk advised that the Town and Community Councils auditor ahd queried the amount of cash reserves being held but accepted that there was substantial imminent planned expenditure.
Council agreed to make donations of £200 towards maintenance of each of the Port Eynon, Llandewi and Knelston churchyards. Proposed by Tom Roderick and seconded by Steve Heard.
065/13. Planning:
From previous applications:
2013/0072 Leslie Dale Farm, Port Eynon – Existing Static Caravan. Council considered the application and noted that this caravan had been used for residential purposes in connection with the farm for many years, and that this had led to a conglomeration of extensions with temporary structures. This proposal was to incorporate and convert an existing ‘barn’ into living accommodation and to ‘regularise’ the other temporary structures. After discussion it was agreed by majority that, whilst the situation was less than satisfactory, permission should be granted. Decision pending.
2013/0178 Burry Head Cottages, Burry – Side and Front Extensions. Council considered the application and noted that proposal included the addition of a front porch; the conversion of the existing garage to residential accommodation; and addition of a two storey rear extension. Council noted the unusual nature of the proposed rear elevation, being glazed over the full gable wall, but were of the opinion that as the rear of the building was not overlooked or visible from the Llandewi – Burry Road it was acceptable. Council also noted that the garage would remain detached from the main accommodation and therefore should only be approved on the basis that it would be used for family accommodation. Permission granted with conditions 20th August 2013.
2013/1649 The Old Rectory, Port Eynon – Removal of boundary wall and creation of new access. This was a re-application for creation of a new vehicular access off of Port Eynon Road. Councillors were sympathetic to the difficulties being experienced by the owner in making use of the existing access to the rear which was through the neighbouring caravan park, however, they were of a view that their original concerns over the new access still remained, i.e. congestion and conflict of vehicle and pedestrian movements in this narrow section of road; negative impact that removal of the stone boundary wall will have on the character of the village. Decision pending.
2013/0747 Meadows Farm, Overton Lane – Replacement Agricultural Building. Proposal to replace an existing agricultural building with a new one of demountable timber frame construction. All agreed that there was no objection. Permission granted 23rd July 2013.
2013/0085 No. 2, The Boarlands, Port Eynon – Front and Side Extensions and detached garage.
Council unanimously agreed that the application was acceptable. Permission granted 2nd Sept 2013.
New Applications:
2013/1195 Sunnyside, Llandewi Castle Farm – side and rear extensions. Council unanimously agreed that these exten9sions served to improve the existing dwelling house with no detriment to its appearance or neighbouring properties and should be accepted.
2013/1221 The Meadows, Knelston – Rear single storey extension to both house and garage. Council by majority considered that there were no objections to the rear extension to the house but were of the view that the rear extension to the garage, now converted to a bedroom should only be agreed to if the previous conditions that the building was only to be used as an extension to the owner’s occupation of the main house.
2013/1377 Burry Dairy Farm, Llandewi – New Agricultural Building. Council unanimously agreed the application should be accepted, noting that the applicant had recently purchased a substantially portion of the land previously forming Burry Dairy Farm but not any of the farm buildings.
066/13 Footpaths.
Nothing to report.
067/13 Correspondence:
Clerk advised that he had received the following items of general correspondence:
Letter from Mrs Davies of well Cottage, Port Eynon re parking and fly tipping in Orchard Close. It was noted that the situation had been improved following visits by staff of C&CS.
Gower Society Newsletter – noted.
Tidal lagoon Swansea – noted.
Community & Town Councils Forum re meeting dates – noted.
St David’s Church re grant for maintenance – see item 064 above.
South Wales Multiple Sclerosis Society, donation request – noted but declined.
One Voice Wales, requesting a named representative – noted, Clerk to respond.
Rural Swansea Action Group AGM Notice – noted.
Community & Town Councils Forum revised Charter – noted.
C&CS Local Development Plan preferred strategy – noted.
C&CS Grant for Web Site Development – agreed to continue cooperation with a joint Community Councils website.
Port Eynon Village Hall Committee minutes of meeting – noted.
068/13 Knelston Burial Ground.
There were no matters to be considered.
069/13 Notice Boards & Web Site
Clerk reported that he had placed an order for the notice board at Knelston School at a cost of approximately £1,000.
070/13 Any Other Business:
Countryman, Scurlage. Concerns were again expressed by Councillors over the situation of caravan and camping licenses at The Countryman. It was noted that existing site where a license had been granted for 12 or 15 touring caravans or campsites was now largely occupied by static caravans and tht this apparently generated the perceived need for an overflow facility to accommodate touring caravans and/or campers.
White Well Farm, Knelston. It was noted that boards had been displayed advertising the availability of caravan storage. Clerk was directed to query whether a license had been issued.
Scurlage Farm, Scurlage. It was reported that there had recently been excessive noise from construction activities in early hours of the morning. Complaints had been raised locally but it was now thought that these works had been completed.
Village Green – Clerk was requested to review the archived documents in relation to the status of the village green (and the Community Hall) with a view to pursuing formal registration as a Village Green.
Date of Next Meeting: Monday 21st October 2013 at 7:30 pm. at Port Eynon Village Hall. (unless advised otherwise).
Meeting closed at 9:00 pm.
Chairman
B. J. Stubbings, (Clerk)