Pakenham Parish Council : Minutes - 17th September 2001

PAKENHAM PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting held 7.30pm 17th SEPTEMBER 2001
Pakenham Village Hall

Present: Cllr. D. Dorling, Chairman; Cllr. J. Mangnall; Cllr. L. Couper; Cllr. P. Smith; Mrs. P. Griffiths, Clerk.

1. APOLOGIES: Apologies were received from Councillors B. Chester, A. Cox and H. Painter and from Mrs. V. White, Borough/County Councillor..

2. MINUTES:-
The minutes of the meeting held on 6th August 2001 were approved and signed as a true record.

3. MATTERS ARISING:-
A letter had been sent to St Edmundsbury Borough Council pointing out that the access to Church Green Conservation Area was being blocked by vehicles belonging to a nearby resident. No reply had been received to the letter and the Clerk said she would follow up on this.

4. POLICE MATTERS:- 
(i) PC Kidd had written to say that he had been seconded to The Princes Trust Millennium Volunteers Programme and would be away from his beat until March 2002. His area would be covered by another officer.
(ii) An open Police Forum was scheduled to be held at Horringer Community Centre on 19th November, to which everyone was invited.

5. BOROUGH/COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT:-
On behalf of Mrs White, Councillor Mangnall reported that St Edmundsbury Planning Committee would be holding a site inspection meeting at Pakenham Water Mill on 27th September. Members of the parish council were invited to attend but not allowed to speak. Planning permission had not yet been applied for at the proposed IKEA site at Stanton. It was hoped that it might be possible to link the development with raising some money for the improvement of the Bunbury Arms crossroads.

6. OPEN SESSION:-
Mr. J. Culley, a village resident, mentioned that a street light in The Owell, near the Dell, was shrouded by trees and the light was barely visible. Councillor Dorling added that there were others in the village in a similar condition. The Clerk was asked to write and request that the trees be cut back.

7. VILLAGE HOUSING SETTLEMENT BOUNDARIES:-
This topic was discussed at length and it was agreed that the boundaries remain as at present constituted.

8. PLANNING APPLICATIONS:-

Past Applications:-

The application to erect two detached houses with garaging adjacent to Barfield, The Street, Pakenham (following the demolition of Willowdene) had been withdrawn.

New Applications:-

(a) Whits Cottage, Uppertown, Pakenham - application to remove window and install electricity meter box and install window to kitchen. The parish council had no objection. 

(b) Building to rear of West View, Brand Road, Great Barton - application to change use of former agricultural building to storage or distribution. The council had no objection to the application but were concerned that there might be increased traffic at Bunbury Arms cross roads. 

(c) Half Acre, Fen Road, Pakenham - application to erect conservatory on side/south elevation. There was a query as to whether the plan supplied with the application was accurate.

(d) Barfield, The Street, Pakenham - revised application for demolition of bungalow and garage to allow residential re-development. This application was reviewed at length and the council decided not to object.

9. FINANCE:-
(i) Letters of thanks had been received from Pyramids Playbus, St Edmundsbury Newstalk and Pakenham Bowls Club for donations made to them.
(ii) The sum of £23.72 had been received from St Edmundsbury Borough Council for recycling credits for the year ended 31st March 2001. Councillor Dorling suggested that £20 of this be donated to Mr. Bacon for the use of his land for glass recycling. This was unanimously agreed by the parish council.

10. QUEEN’S GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS:-
Various ideas were put forward and discussed, including the suggestion that the playing field might be used for a fair and marquee dance. As a band had already been booked for the barn dance on 6th July 2002 it was thought that it might be possible to develop this event and combine it with the jubilee celebrations. Councillor Mangnall said that she would look into the cost of hiring a marquee and extra toilets.

11. CORRESPONDENCE:-
Notification had been received that the Suffolk ACRE Annual General Meeting was to be held on 20th September. Councillor Smith said that he would endeavour to attend.

12. ANY OTHER BUSINESS:- 
(i) Mrs Griffiths said that she was moving to Norfolk and would therefore have to resign her position as Parish Clerk with effect from the end of October. 
(ii)Councillor Dorling said that the gulley opposite the Methodist cemetery at Grimstone End was blocked and needed clearing; also, the stretch of Fen Road between the Agri-Centre and Post Office stores had flooded after recent heavy rains and needed attention. The Clerk was asked to write to Mr Nunn of Suffolk County Council about these matters.

13. DATE OF NEXT MEETINGS:-
It was agreed that the next meetings be held on 29th October and 10th December 2001 at The Pavilion, Pakenham.