PARISH OF STOKENCHURCH
Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 20th March 2013
at Longburrow Hall at 7.30pm.
Attendees: Mrs Baker (acting Chairman), Mr Conran, Mr Jones, Mr Elliott, Mr Saunders, Mr Thomas,
Mr Randall, Mr Parkinson, Mr Hawkins (Clerk), and 12 members of the public.
1. Apologies. Apologies were received from Mr Penny, Mrs Cripps, Mr Davis and Cllrs Downes and Neudecker.
2. Declarations of Interest. None.
3. Minutes. It was agreed by all present at that meeting that the Minutes of 6th March 2013 be approved. (Mr Jones enquired why his request to minute his objection to the de-registration of common land for access to the Four Horseshoes site was not included. In fact, this actually related to the Finance Committee meeting of 26th February 2013, and this oversight is now rectified).
4. Matters Arising. Mr Elliott had spoken to Mr Curtis who said he had not been responsible for the soil and debris along the A40 Oxford Road. This has now been passed to Transport for Bucks for attention. Re the church renovation, it has emerged that the church and their contractors have joint public liability cover, and the Council has no extra responsibilities in regards to contractors’ vehicles parking at Longburrow.
5. Reports and Actions: The M40 Chiltern Environment Group held their latest meeting here yesterday and a healthy turnout heard an update on the plan to provide dual purpose sound barriers. Full details in CEG minutes to follow shortly.
6. Notification of Parish Matters: Posts on Cricket Ground Lane. Mudds Bank lay-by.
7. Presentation from Angle Property Limited regarding development at Stockwells timberyard site.
Mr Tony Williamson came to give a short update on the planning situation here and to answer questions posed by some of the residents of Mill Road who attended the meeting. WDC had given planning consent last month, but had attached a number of conditions which Mr Williamson saw as sufficiently onerous as to render the permission unworkable in terms of marketing the site to light industry and distribution companies and their financiers. The main problems related to permitted hours of traffic movements being limited to 7.00am to 7.00pm, and the same applying to the opening of loading doors. In his view the options were-
a) negotiate a longer permitted working time with WDC, or b) seek to change use to residential. It was pointed out that the site had long been earmarked for light industrial use, and Mr Williamson agreed that WDC would be unlikely to agree to change of use to residential development. Many of the residents expressed their opposition to the scheme going ahead in its present format, and would strenuous oppose any move to extend working times earlier in the morning or later at night. They reminded the meeting that they had experienced difficulties this last year with contactors’ heavy vehicles involved in the construction of the care home causing parking and other traffic issues, mud on the road, etc. Mr Williamson replied that as this was a much larger site, a great deal of this sort of disruption would be absorbed. Additionally, distribution and light industry units involved fewer employees than an office park, so parking concerns should be lessened. One of the residents commented that this exchange of views had been less than productive, and that the Council had little or no regard for their concerns and the majority left the meeting at this point.
8. Planning 05326 Extension to residential care home comprising part two/part single storey side & rear extension creating a further 9 bedrooms (15 in all) at Penley Grange, Marlow Road, Stokenchurch (Akhtar). No objection, subject to development complying with usual regulations for AONB. Unanimous.
05533 Householder application for insertion of new front dormer window and roof light, and 1 No. roof light to existing rear extension (alternative scheme to pp 12/07753/FUL) at Longacre, Horsleys Green (Butwell). No objection, unanimous.
9. District and County Councillors: None present.
10. Finance: Bills Payable to the amount of £21,502.26 were approved for payment unanimously. The Clerk presented the February accounts and projected year-end figures. The dishwasher from Nisbets is on order, and the lighting for the small hall to be surveyed next week.
11. Correspondence: A further letter from Mr Payne in Queensland, and an email from Loraine Osborne, 19 Mill Road re ownership of strip of land outside her garden wall. Clerk to contact WDC to research.
12. Four Horseshoes Mr Kazim Caglar, the kebab stall holder, was present and addressed the meeting. A trader in Stokenchurch for 16 years, he spoke passionately of his love for the village and for the people he knew here, not simply customers but friends. Whilst admitting he acted wrongly in siting his electricity supply on common land without permission, he thought the advice and guidance offered by WDC as issuer of his traders licence, and SSE had been inadequate and even misleading. (SSE letter suggests they would obtain any necessary legal permissions). He wants to remain here, on the same pitch, but claims a generator is unsuitable as too noisy. Mr Elliott suggested that the Council will have to take time to consider its position.
13. Travellers sites: Nothing to report.
14. Vantage Land: Mr Saunders said that more land was being made available for sale.
15. The Commons: Work has begun on the levelling of the Fair Common.
16. Cemetery: Mr Randall asked whose responsibility it is to post the required 30 day notice prior to extracting the tree growing in the wrong place in the cemetery. Clerk to investigate. Also to review the guidelines and instructions sent to bereaved families about grave markers, etc. We await formal Petition to Consecrate Land from the Oxford Diocesan Registry. A larger notice board for the cemetery was thought advisable. Clerk to research.
17. Other Parish Matters Mr Parkinson asked if the damaged posts by the Cricket field could be claimed under insurance. In fact Calor Gas admitted responsibility and have already covered the cost of repair (£60) Mr Saunders asked who takes care of the area at Mudds Bank by the recycling units. It is Waste and Cleansing-Clerk to ask for a clean-up. Mr Elliott has now procured the scalpings for the allotments car park-volunteers to spread them now required. Mr Chadwick gave a report from the Wycombe Partnership meeting about refreshing the Sustainable Community Strategy and the new Local Plan. Community “conversations” will be held in May to gauge local responses . He also attended the LAF workshop where three budget priorities were identified; Access to transport; Leisure for younger people; Volunteering. Finally a decision was made on a contractor to complete the concrete base for the new bus stop in Marlow Road, and this was awarded to Jim Butler.
There being no further business, the meeting concluded at 9.20 pm.