Pakenham Parish Council : Minutes 15th February 2024

PAKENHAM PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 15th February 2024
7.30pm in the Martin Room

Present: Cllr Dorling Vice-Chair, Cllr Bagnell, Cllr Palfrey, Cllr Sargent, Cllr Sidebotham and Cllr Berry.
Ten Members of the public were in attendance. Mrs S Brown (clerk) took the minutes.
Cllr Dorling Chaired and welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1 - Record Councillors' apologies for absence: Apologies received and accepted from Cllr Davies.

2 - Declarations of interest: No declarations of interest received.

3:-
County Councillor's Report: Cllr Hopfensperger sent her apologies due to her attendance at the SCC budget meeting.
District Councillor's Report: Cllr Speed attended and gave a report which included: The condition of the highways and grass cutting Cllr Speed was pushing for these to be improved with Council recruiting more contractors for grass cutting. The budget setting meeting will be held next Tuesday. Stanley Lodge update the Delegation Panel had opted not to send the application to the full planning committee but opted instead to accept the Officers decision to refuse the application. This matter will go to the Inspectorate in the next few weeks and Cllr Speed will try to support the resident, this was briefly discussed. Most of Cllr Speeds locality budget had been spent with some monies being used to support the play area and watermill in Pakenham. Cllr Speed will receive a new locality budget in May which is to be used to benefit the community.
Public Forum: A resident highlighted the Water Mill had signed a memorandum of understanding between themselves and EDF and asked the parish council if this could be viewed to ascertain whether it may restrict or totally block the flow of water along the Low Side Channel under the small Fulmer Road Bridge and on to the Steel Pipe under the Mill Pond, Cllr Dorling to ask the Water Mill.
Public Forum: A number of residents from the Greenwoods attended highlighting they objected to the planning application on the agenda which was now invalid. They were also very concerned in regards the newly built house at The Dell which had not met the pre-conditions issued by Planning before construction and these breaches needed to be dealt with. As well as other conditions including the widening of the access drive, runoff, and area for bins. The covenant on the land was also highlighted. Concern was also made in regards the oak tree and its roots. These issues were discussed including the cutting down of hedging, the need to make the district council more accountable also if the house was sold whilst these issues remained, it was advised the Parish Council had previously asked for an enforcement site visit. Cllr Speed stated the District Council would not want to be involved in the covenant as this is a legal issue between the beneficiaries and the Dell. Cllr Speed agreed to arrange a site visit between himself, hopefully, the senior planning officer, the enforcement officer, residents of Greenwood and the developer as well as a member of the parish council to try and resolve the issues. Cllr Speed was thanked for his help in this matter.
Cllr Dorling also highlighted the continuing enforcement issues in the village including the unofficial gateway at Pelambech which had still not been dealt with as well as the Kebab van problems. Cllr Dorling also highlighted the site next to the Ixworth Bypass someone has installed gate posts creating an entrance which St Edmundsbury Borough Council had spent monies on an Appeal to prove this gateway did not exist. Cllr Speed hoped to also make a site visit after visiting the Dell.

4 - To consider the approval of the minutes of the last meetings:-
The minutes of the meeting held on 18th January 2024 were approved to be signed as a true record.

5 - Reports arising from the previous meeting:-
i. Highways: Cllr Hopfensperger has advised the Church Hill footpath extension to the driveway, highways have now quoted with the official specification, it works out a little more expensive, it will be sent through to the Clerk. A resident highlighted the number of lorries going through the village because of the weak bridge, it was advised the works on the bridge are due to be carried out as soon as the A14 works were completed.
ii. Clerks Report: The thermal imagining camera was used quite successfully with a number of residents asking for it to be used on their homes. It has now been collected by the next Council to use.

6 - To consider West Suffolk Council Local Plan Consultation:-
The clerk had circulated this to Councillors. Cllr Speed thought the new plan will be more flexible and have more regard to local communities. There was a need for 13,500 houses and district hoped to have several large developments. The consultation is the opportunity to give your opinion, particularly to reinforce district council to have due regard to both parish and local opinion as well as properties should be appropriate to need.

7 - To consider donation to PVH/PFA & Pakenham Post Office:-
The Chair of the village hall had confirmed PVH & PFA would be matching the grant to support the village shop/post office due to the rise in electricity costs and this would be back dated to April 2023. The grant would continue for the next year. Cllr Sidebotham highlighted the delay in response received from PVH & PFA on this matter. Cllr Berry proposed making the annual grant of £2000 to PVH & PFA seconded by Cllr Sargent all in agreement to make the annual donation of £2000 to PVH & PFA.

8 - To consider the cutting back of trees at the allotment:-
Cllr Thomas had attended the PVH & PFA committee meeting where an allotment holder had asked if these trees could be cut back. Cllr Dorling had made a site visit and was not sure what work the allotment holder wanted carried out. Cllr Berry to try and find out which allotment holder wanted the work carried out and if they could contact the parish clerk to clarify what works they felt was needed.

9 - Correspondence circulated:-
i. Regular information from SALC ebulletins, West Suffolk Community News and Suffolk County Council updates – Noted.
ii. West Suffolk District Council: Voter registration visits maybe carried out between 7 February and 8 March to encourage voter registration - Noted.
iii. West Suffolk District Council: Housing, Homelessness Reduction & Rough Sleeping Strategy Consultation – Noted
iv. SALC: Member survey - Noted.
v. Residents Emails: Two residents had sent in objections to Plan Application DC/24/0095/FUL which is currently an invalid application – Noted.
vi. Further email had been received in regards possible breaches of conditions at The Dell, The Street: The Clerk advised the planning officer had also been sent the emails and referred it to the enforcement officer. The Clerk had asked the enforcement officer to keep the Parish Council informed on the matter. Discussed above in item 3 public forum.

10 - Planning Applications to comment:-
DC/24/0095/FUL : Land at the Dell, The Street
One Dwelling (following demolition of existing bungalow) – Currently an invalid application.
The clerk advised the Planning Officer had informed the Council they were unable to consider this application at the moment and have gone back to the agent for further information and until this is received the application is unable to progress. Council noted two residents had sent letters of objection to this application.

11 - Finance Report:-
Bank balances: the deposit account on 1 May 2023 £16,690.87,
the current account had a cleared balance on 31 January 2024 of £2720.80.
The Chair had visited Santander with a letter confirming Pakenham's instructions to transfer monies between accounts, the Clerk was still waiting for Santander to confirm this had taken place. Cllr Sidebotham checked and initialled the bank statements.
To consider any payments to be made: All in agreement for the payment of invoices:

12 - Councillors' reports and items for future agenda:-
Cllr Berry had attended the PVH & PFA committee meeting with the committee unsure whether they pay for the cutting of the playing field, the Clerk confirmed the parish council paid for the playing field to be cut however Cllr Dorling advised he thought the playing field committee paid for some grass cutting at the play area.
Cllr Dorling advised he had been made aware of improper access at Church Green Wood, the fence had been re-instated, and the hedge has been extended in front of the fence. The resident had been informed and a letter to be sent to the resident stating No Right of Access Exist or have been granted through Church Green Wood to confirm this.
Cllr Dorling advised the site next to the Ixworth Bypass someone had installed gate posts creating an entrance, the clerk to inform the enforcement department.

14 - Date of next meeting:-
The date of the next scheduled meeting was confirmed as Thursday, 21 March 2024 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

There being no further business the meeting was closed at 8.50pm

(Ref: 474-477)