Minutes of No Mans Heath & DistrictParish CouncilMeeting

held at Edge Village Hall

12th July 2012

PRESENT

Chairman –Cllr. F. Hughes

Cllr. H. Ackerley / Cllr. J. Bailey / Cllr. H. Bolton / Cllr. P. Clutton
Cllr. L. Greenwood / Cllr. P. Guildford / Cllr. D. Hughes / Cllr. D. Lithgow-Smith [1]
Cllr. P. Roberts / Cllr. Robert Robertson / Cllr. M. Wise / Cllr. H. Wright

Members of Public & Parish5

APOLOGIES

Cllr. R. Dobson – Personal commitment.

Cllr. P. Done – Personal commitment.

Cllr. D. Lithgow-Smith – late due to collecting equipment for Jubilympics.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

Cllr. M. Wise declared a personal interest in item 3, Presentation on proposal to build 14 houses in No Mans Heath as he lives close to the proposed site.

PRESENTATION & DISCUSSION ON PROPOSAL TO BUILD 14 HOUSES IN NO MANS HEATH.

David Taylor gave the following presentation regarding a proposal to build 14 affordable houses on the former A41 beyond the junction with Back Lane. The following items were discussed:-

  • CW&C had to build approximately 1244 affordable homes per year, roughly 6000 of the next five years.
  • No Mans Heath area is likely to have small, piecemeal developments, with small plots of land being developed for local need.
  • CW&C planners are believed to broadly support this approach.
  • Village of No Mans Heath developed away from A41, with construction of the by-pass there is an opportunity to develop along the former A41.
  • It is proposed tobuild 14 affordable houses, these could be discounted sales, shared ownership or rented.
  • Proposing two four bedroom and twelve three bedroom houses.
  • Concerns were raised regarding lack of parking for visitors, it was noted that each property had two parking spaces which is the standard requirement.
  • It was noted the road is used by large vehicles.
  • Concerns were raised regarding the high density of the proposal and the lack of garages, it was stated that affordable or social housing rarely have garages.
  • It was noted that the main sewer drains do not have capacity for additional properties and that there have been a number of occasions when there has been flooding in the area. It was suggested this maybe overcome by the use of a treatment plant or sceptic tank.
  • It was explained this proposal has been developed by the Affordable Homes Consultancy and the land owner, it would be expected that a social landlord would be identified before the planning stage and that a joint application would be submitted with the landlord who would be someone like Chester and District Housing Trust, Muir or Arena who are social landlords.
  • Homes have to be for local people and are allocated using a cascade system with homes being allocated to people from a wider area over time.
  • The numbers of homes proposed has taken into account the results of the appraisal carried out by the Parish Council.
  • Expected to be level 3 on the code for sustainable homes.
  • The company is also developing a number of affordable homes in Cheshire East which included garages.
  • It would be possible to achieve level 4 on the code for sustainable homes which would include the use of solar panels which is was stated would be the norm by 2016 on all new builds.
  • Mr. Taylor suggested that discounted sales would be the best option for the properties as owners are more likely to look after the properties, it was suggested they would be 65% of market value for perpetuity.
  • Concerns were raised about getting power to new properties and the new homes built at the other end of the former A41 had been built for a number of years and still have no power, it was also confirmed that there is a lack of infrastructure mean existing power supplies can not by upgraded.
  • A neighbouring land owner emphasized the need for a substantial fence between the new properties and his own land which used by livestock.
  • It was asked if a traffic survey had taken place, it was noted that a traffic survey would be carried out if required by the planning authority.
  • It was suggested the application would be submitted in the next 6 weeks and Mr. Taylor agreed he would be happy to attend a future meeting when an application had been submitted.

The Chairman thanked Mr. Taylor and Mr. Miles for attending the meeting.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Included in previous agenda item.

MINUTES

12/140 RESOLVED - That the Chairman sign the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on

8thMay 2012 and the extraordinary meeting held on the 14th May 2102 as a true and proper record.

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANS

Trevor Parker, Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan gave the following report.

The neighbourhood plan working group had held two meeting; thirteen people had attended the first meeting excluding the chairman and three parish councillors, the second meeting had included six people and four parishes councillors.

The group had made a good start establishing a place profile which was still being worked on.

A second team had been established to look at communications on how to get residents involved and feed information back.

Everyone was welcome to attend meetings which will always included an update on where the group is up to.

The group has begun to identify the skills and expertise it can access and a couple of volunteers are being approached to help develop the website and graphics which will form a recognisable image for the working group.

The group had received an invitation from the Malpas Neighbourhood plan group to go and observe their meetings.

The plan group and the area it covers has to be confirmed by Cheshire West and Chester Council. The Group will give more consideration to the geographical area to be included and make a recommendation to the Council taking into account the boundary issues in the village of No Mans Heath which includes properties from the parishes of Malpas and Macefen. It was suggested Tushingham, Macefen and Bradley Parish Meeting be invited to join the plan process.

It was noted that there is a need for geographical areas to be represented on the working group.

The Group also needs to develop a terms of reference to be agreed with the Council.

Mr. Parker requested funding for the working group for basic administrative purposes.

Cllr’s Guildford, Roberts, Robertson and Wright declared a personal interest in the following item as members of the working group.

12/141 RESOLVED – That the working group be allocated £500 which will be retained in the Parish

Council’s account.

The next working group meeting is on Thursday 6th September from 7pm at the Wheat Sheaf Inn, No Mans Heath.

Mr. Parker was thanked by the Council for all his hard work on the Neighbourhood Plan.

WEBSITE

The clerk reported she had met with Antony Spennati and discussed the possibilities of updating the Council’s website. He had suggested a site based on word press which would include all the council’s existing information, an extended gallery to included more images from the area and a calendar of events which organisations could update themselves if given a password etc.

It was agreed the neighbourhood plan would have a section on the council’s website the look and content of which should be agreed by the working group.

The Clerk and members will also be trained on used the website and receive manual for its operation.

It was agreed the clerk should obtain the web addresses of sites already developed by Mr. Spennati plus possible references and obtain prices from future maintenance of the site.

12/142 RESOLVED – that the Council set a budget of up to £300 to develop the new website

subject to maintenance and references.

JUBUILEE & OLYMPICS

It was agreed a final decision as to whether to go ahead with event on Saturday 14th July would be made at 10am on Saturday depending on the weather, it was noted that some activities could go ahead including the garden games even if the field was too wet for the running races.

GRANT APPLICATION

The Council considered a grant application by the No Mans Heath football club for up to £1000, it was agreed the council did not have enough information about the team to decide the application and that representatives of the team be invited to attend the Council’s September meeting to provide more information including a breakdown of how the £1000 would be spent and answer questions.

DATA PROTECTION

12/143 RESOLVED – that the council register as a data controller at a cost of £35 to £40.

CODE OF CONDUCT

12/144 RESOLVED – that the council adopts with draft CW&C code of conduct with the inclusion of

the right for members to have the same rights to speak as a member of the public when

declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest as set out in Appendix A of the code. (pages 216 to 222 of the minutes book.)

ACCOUNTS & PAYMENTS

The clerk reported that the Council had received a clear Audit for the 2011-2012 accounts.

12/145RESOLVED – the council accept the accounts as circulated on page 62 of the cash book

12/146 RESOLVED – That the council make the following paymentClerk’s Salary for period week

commencing 14thMay to 9th July (inc.) £401.40, and reimbursement for postage to date £36.86.

12/147 RESOLVED – to pay Cllr. Guildford £29.97 to reimbursements for Jubilee plants and prizes.

12/148 RESOLVED – to pay £40 for Cllr. Greenwood to attend a workshop for Parish Councillors

organised by CHALC.

PLANNING

12/149RESOLVED- Thatthe council accept pages 7475 of the planning register.

STANDING ORDERS

12/150 RESOLVED- That the following words be included in the Council’s standing orders:-

In addition to the annual meeting of the Council, at least three other ordinary meetings shall be held in each year on such dates and times as the Council directs.(Resolved May 2012 that the Council meet on the second Thursday of May, July, September, November, January and March.)

WORK PROGRAMME

The council noted the work programme as circulated noting the need to obtain land for allotments as soon as is possible. It was agreed that clerk should contact the landowner of the proposed affordable housing development to ask whether they had land which could be used as allotments.

The meeting closed at 8.36pm.

Signed ……………………….. Dated ………………………..

NEXT SCHEDULED PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

Thursday 13th September 2012 at Cholmondeley Coronation Hall, Bickley.

Ann Wright

15 07 12

1

[1] From 7.45.