BLACK NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY THE 22ND
JULY 2015 AT THE PAVILION MEETING ROOM, BLACK NOTLEY AT 7.30 PM.
IN THE CHAIR:
CLLR J. CLARKE
PRESENT:
CLLRS J. SMITH, T. MARTIN, S. PEDDER, D. SUTTON,
K. JIGGINS, M. OSBORN.
APOLOGIES:
-
237/15 DECLARATION OF INTERESTS.
Cllr Clarke declaration of interest in the item regarding White Notley school transport.
Cllr Smith declared a personal interest in the item under planning, Crest Nicholson.
238/15 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME.
Apologies received from County Councillor J Abbott, District Cllr’s T Cunningham and
F Ricci.
Two members of the public present District Cllr G Butland & Mr Alan Purdy (Chairman
John Ray Millennium Trust). Mr Purdy spoke on recent correspondence requesting a
joint meeting. This was a preliminary chat on the future of the Trust; legal advice is
being taken on this.
It was suggested that near the Bus shelter we install a rubbish bin. Action: Price to be
obtained for next month’s meeting.
Concerns had been raised on overgrown footpaths around the village, locations to be
confirmed for the Clerk to report.
The Clerk to contact Nick Day at BDC and ask if its possible to have 'cages' around
some of the trees on the open space on Hospital site.
A concerned resident has contacted the Clerk about the recent article in the Braintree
and Witham Times regarding the request for a parking layby on the greensward at the
Dewlands/Witham Road junction. This resident is opposed to any reduction of the
green areas in the village. This was noted.
239/15 REPORT FROM COUNTY COUNCILLOR AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS.
A brief report was read out in the absence of County Cllr Abbott. District Cllr Butland
read out a letter he wrote to Crest Nicholson. The Crest Nicholson agenda item was
discussed.
240/15 MINUTES OF THE MEETING ON THE 24TH JUNE 2015.
Proposed – Cllr Smith
Seconded - Cllr Jiggins Vote - Unanimous
241/15 THE POSSIBLE WITHDRAWAL OF THE WHITE NOTLEY PRIMARY
SCHOOL BUS.
The Chairman has spoken to the Head teacher and some parents who raised concerns
of the dangerous road which the children will be expected to walk along to school.
Action: It was agreed to support the parents who are not happy with decision, by writing
to Cllr Ray Gooding ECC Cabinet member and also copy in the MP.
242/15 CLERKS REPORT.
This report had been circulated.
243/15 CORRESPONDENCE.
Postal address change Young's End - Southernwood, London Road, Great Notley.
The Clerk to reply; we have no objection to this.
The annual subscription to the Rural Community Council of Essex £66.00 is due.
Proposed – Cllr Clarke
Seconded - Cllr Smith
Vote - Unanimous
Letter back from ECC regarding the Village Green application. The Clerk advised the
Council she visited the Solicitors to authorise each map as well as the application form.
Letter from the John Ray Millennium Green Trust. This was discussed in public
question time.
244/15 PLAYING FIELD UPDATE
A) Quotes for grass cutting within playing field boundary.
Two quotes had been received it was agreed to go with Mr R Body at £356.00.
Proposed – Cllr Clarke
Seconded - Cllr Smith
Vote - Unanimous
B) Oak tree in play area dropping of bark; report from Kieran McGrath BDC. The Clerk
confirmed this emergency work was carried out on Saturday morning the 18th July.
245/15 HIGHWAY ISSUES.
Concerns raised of war memorial junction and pulling out of two locations. This has
been raised previously with Essex County Council and the Police; at present we
believe this can’t be altered.
246/15 FINANCE.
A) ACTUAL TO BUDGET SPENDING SHEET: Circulated and noted.
B) FINANCE LIST:
E-on energy (lights supply) £181.75 Direct Debit
A & J Lighting Solutions Ltd £59.88 Direct Debit
EDF Energy £20.00 Direct Debit
CNG - £9.72 Direct Debit
BT for Pavilion Office £45.10 Direct Debit
3645 Helen Waterfield (salary)
£683.68
3646 Helen Waterfield (mileage £13.50 + elec £30.00 + ink
Cartridges £45.97)
£ 89.47
3647 Cash (postage)
£ 20.61
3648 Barry Smith (salary)
£296.73
3649 Hazel Ward (salary)
£217.00
3650 Acumen Wages Service (£20.00+ VAT)
£ 24.00
3651 Braintree Association of Local Councils (subs)
£ 24.00
3652 Ernest Doe & Sons (nylon line & motomix)
£ 33.00
3653 Zurich (addition of bus shelter insurance)
£ 53.00
3654 Braintree District Council (election cost)
£ 59.00
3655 Andrew Adair (grass cutting of play area and war memorial) £120.00
3656 Phipps Landscapes (cutting of Cokers Peace paths June)
£ 72.00
3657 Bob Cooper (clean and paint 1 changing room floor)
£130.00
3658 Colne Valley Tree Services (Oak tree reduction)
£672.00
Income
£304 from Exiles Men’s football team
Proposed – Cllr Martin
Seconded - Cllr Jiggins
Vote - Unanimous
247/15 PLANNING.
15/00809/LBC Replacement windows. Wren Park Farm, Dagnets Lane, Black Notley.
The Parish Council has no objection, decision in line with listed buildings and heritage.
15/00190//FUL Erection of two storey side and rear extension. White Cottage, Denton
Crescent, Black Notley, CM77 8ZZ. Although still large the new plan has some added
character therefore Black Notley Parish Council has no objection.
15/00819/FUL Alteration and front extension to church building and alterations to
chapel building. Cornerstones Centre, 183 – 185 Witham Road, Black Notley, CM77
8NB. Objection to this proposal.
Although we have no objection to an extension of the church building, this plan would
give rise to several problems.
1. It would mean altering the fabric of the Chapel, which is a historic building, by
inserting a doorway into the side wall which is unacceptable, this old building should be
retained in its present form.
2. Car parking space would be lost at the side.
3. Extending and tarmacing the car park into the grassed/shrubbery area at the rear to
gain extra parking would further exacerbate the known flooding problem into the
gardens of the neighbours and bring traffic noise and pollution nearer to their properties,
which is unacceptable.
4. There are already parking issues in the area and people visit from outside to attend
this church.
Essex County Council and Southend on Sea Borough Council. Joint Replacement
Waste Local Plan – Revised Preferred Approach June 2015. The Parish Council
strongly objects to the application of the extension of the extraction at the gravel pit at
Blackley Lane Gt Leighs and endorses our previous letter of July 2014 objecting to the
concentration of gravel extraction. Sites planned for the Braintree Area stating the
gravel intended for further afield, in Essex and London and should be sourced more
locally, not only from local gravel extraction but from recycling crushed rubble and
dredging the sea bed. The impact on the local roads and countryside causes loss of
amenity for the local community for many years and is grossly unfair. The main impact
on Black Notley Village from the Gravel Pit at Great Leigh’s is the amount of heavy lorry
movements on unsuitable unclassified country lanes causing damage to the hedgerows,
because there isn't space for the vehicles to pass each other, therefore artificially
widening the roads and tearing up the surface which was never designed for heavy
transport. Many cottages and houses in Bakers Lane are very close to the road and are
having to tolerate noisy dirty lorries shaking their properties for years while the
extraction goes on and then the land is re landscaped. Heavy lorries through the village
of Black Notley are noisy dirty and dangerous to pedestrians. There are too many
Lorries using these roads. It is one thing to have the access from the site onto the A131
but there must be a commitment by haulers, who are not owned by the site owners, to
use the main road system and a condition must be imposed to implement this. The pit
has currently been operating for fifteen years and we don't feel this should be
extended.
Letter from Crest Nicholson.
Yesterday’s presentation (21st July) was discussed, Cllr Smith read out a statement she
suggests goes into the newsletter regarding the Crest Nicholson proposal is read as
follows:The Public Consultation/Exhibition by Crest Nicholson for the Proposal of New Homes
on London Road/Bakers Lane Great Notley. This proposed development is within the
Parish of Black Notley. It is a speculative proposal only, along with hundreds of others
presently being put before Braintree District Council who are in the process of putting
together the Local Plan for the future of the town and district, and the number of
applications far exceed the future housing needs of the District. This proposal is in the
Open Countryside and Outside the Village Envelope but Crest Nicholson have decided
to go public over their intentions to include it in Great Notley. Graham Butland District
Councillor, and Head of BDC has written to Crest Nicholson informing them that this
presentation will not sway the future views and decisions of Braintree District Council
Local Plan. It was agreed this statement to go into the next edition of the newsletter due
out this month.
248/15 WRITTEN OFFERS RECEIVED FOR THE MOWER, TRAILOR AND
CONTAINER.
Selling of assets no longer required 3 offers had been received on the trailer and
container and 1 offer received for the lawnmower. It was agreed to accept the one bid
for £120.00 for the lawnmower. It was agreed to accept the highest bid for the Trailer at
£900.00 and the highest bid for the Container at £500.00.
249/15 FORMAL VOTE ON THE PROPOSAL TO ADOPT THE NEW STANDING
ORDERS AND FINANCIAL REGULATIONS.
It was agreed to adopt the above.
Proposed – Cllr Clarke
Seconded - Cllr Smith
Vote – 6 for
1 abstained.
250/15 POST OF VICE CHAIRMAN.
Cllr Jiggins was nominated for the post by Cllr Smith and seconded by Cllr Pedder.
Proposed – Cllr Smith
Seconded - Cllr Pedder
Vote - Unanimous
251/15 UPDATE ON THE DUCK POND REGISTRATION.
The Clerk advised the Council that on her recent trip to the Solicitors she had taken the
opportunity to take advice from them. As the pond is not registered it does not prove
that it is not owed by someone, they said that the way forward to satisfy the land registry
would be to fence in the pond for a period of 12 years. It was agreed to put another
article in the magazine also a letter advising the neighbours that we are going to put up
a light weight fence around the area if this remains unclaimed after the time lapses it
will become the Parish Council’s.
252/15 DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING – WEDNESDAY 26th AUGUST 2015.
Meeting closed at 8.53 pm.
CHAIRMAN………………………………………….. DATE ……………………….