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Combe St. Nicholas Parish Council > Documents > Minutes > Minutes of PC Meeting 22/07/2024.

Minutes of PC Meeting 22/07/2024.

Minutes Uploaded on August 19, 2024

 Public time   –

 

MINUTES of the COMBE ST. NICHOLAS PARISH COUNCIL Meeting

Held in the Village Hall on Monday 22nd July 2024 at 7.30pm

 

PARISH COUNCILLORS        Mr. Ed Cockburn, Chairman

Mrs Di Hine, Miss Sue Pargeter, Mrs. Cressida Govier-Drake,

Mrs. Louise Simmons,

Dr. Colin Ryall, Messrs. Ian Croucher, Ian Stonex, Ian Whitehead

 

Also    3 members of the public, – Mr. Martin Wale (County Councillors)

       and Mrs. A. Hunt – Parish Clerk

 

Apologies – Mr. John Gilbert, Mrs. Jenny Kenton, Somerset Councillor

 

21/2024                 APOLOGIES AND DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None

 

22/2024                 COUNTY COUNCILLORS REPORT

 

Martin Wale (County Councillor) – Somerset County are selling off various assets to help towards the major deficit of funds. There is still £110million budget overspend for next year.   Boden Mill and the Library are both up for sale – others selling at `not for profit` rate.  The contract with Suez Waste collectors was in jeopardy and S.C. have had to pay extra to keep the service running.

Some planning applications decisions have been outstanding for a long time and still may not be dealt with for the foreseeable future.

 

23/2024                 MINUTES

 

The Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 24th June 2024 were approved as a true record and signed

 

24/2024                 COMBE WOOD REC. FIELD/LAWNS PLAY AREA  

 

  1. Query raised at the School Governors meeting – Could they grow wheat in a small area on the Field for children to experience. Councillors agreed and long straw wheat and corncockle was also suggested.  Need to know size of area.   Using wheat can be returned to original surface of field when necessary.
  2. Request for Mud humps to be re-installed for children with bikes to use. The original ones are still there at the bottom of the field but very overgrown.  When cleared more top soil will be needed.

Agreed in principle.  Meeting to be arranged with those requesting them to help clear the vegetation first.

 

The Lawns Play area – One of the football goals needs a new bar, and one slat on the seat near the wall is broken     A query as to whether bikes are allowed on The Lawns as a `near-miss` occurred recently.  Mention in next Cloverleaf magazine to leave them at the gate.

 

25/2024                 HIGHWAYS 

 

  1. The report regarding the state of the drains within the Parish has been circulated to Councillors and Highways Manager.  Greg and Robin were thanked for all their work carrying out the survey.  A discussion followed as to whether the Parish Council should hire a `Gully cleaner` if Highways Dept. are unable to clear this number of drains (gullies).  Various other suggestions/lines of enquiry will be taken and reported back.

The answer is awaited from Highways regarding the report

Further investigations will be made re possibility of getting a drainage grip into the fields in Whiteway to help alleviate the large puddle that can build up there.

 

 26/2024                 PLANNING

 

  • App. 24/00992 Five Acres, Barley Hill. Demolition of existing garden buildings and erection of an equine barn. No objections (unanimous)
  • App.24/01261/COL Annexe at Bramleys, Street Ash. Certificate of Lawful Use or Development. Notification only.

 

27/2024                 FLOODING MITIGATION AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

 

A meeting was held, starting at Pudleigh Mill and walking down Court Mill Lane to the Old Woollen  Mill just off the Wadeford Bends  with representatives of Flood Risk Management Consultants on 26th June to look at potential flood areas, and they (Government supported) will give advice about tidying up our Resilience Plan,

A member of the County Group came to the last Resilience meeting to talk to the group and a trial is being arranged to test the suggested Plan.

 

27/2024                 FINANCE

 

The following payments were approved and will be paid via Internet Banking

 

Mrs A. Hunt (broadband costs +postage)                                                  £37.95

Village Hall (July PC mtg)                                                                             £18.00

SLCC (Society of Local Council Clerks annual subscription)                £101.00

Play Safety (Annual playground inspections)                                          £216.00

Mrs.A.Hunt (Salary July)   + HMRC quarterly income tax due (Bankers Order)

 

28/2024                 GENERAL MATTERS  

 

  1. A roadside hedge along the Chard main, near The Haymaker, is growing out into the road, but the owners are now in a home. Add to hedges to be cut by local farmer, as agreed in Minute 12/2024 c)
  2. As it is now 5 years since the Fingerposts were all refurbished and they will now be re-checked.
  3. Investigate the cost of providing a bus shelter in the village centre, especially for school children waiting for the transport to Holyrood school.
  4. Plans are being looked into for the School Field to see if a small building for toilets/outdoor classroom, etc. could be re-introduced for use during School times
Combe St. Nicholas Parish Council