The Parish Council held another successful online virtual meeting via Skype.
Outstanding Actions were noted from previous meetings:
Pavilion Agreement: Cllr Webster, to draft a letter for Cllr Southgate to sign on behalf of the Parish Council, acknowledging the Football Club’s letter.
Telephone Kiosk: Cllr Brinkley to investigate the feasibility and cost of re-siting the Parish Council owned telephone kiosk from outside the Post Office to the corner of the Great Green.
Parking at Great Green: Cllr Brinkley confirmed he had sourced 3.5 telegraph poles to create a physical boundary around the three-car parking bay at the corner of Great Green.
Mackenzie Place Bus Shelter: quotations to be sought from a local contractor to refurbish the Bus Shelter.
New Adventure Playground: Action Play & Leisure to be contacted to establish their work status following lockdown in order to progress the project.
Refurbishment of Bandstand: Refurbishment of the bandstand has been completed. Action Closed
Gate at Earls Meadow: Cllr Williams has raised safety concerns with John Warne over the condition of sleeper bridge. John Warne confirmed that there was no Public Right of Way over the bridge or across his land, however he was happy to allow continued public access, but won’t repair the bridge as it is a SCC asset. The Clerk to draft Safety Warning Notices to be placed either side of the bridge.
Hedge Trimming in Howe Lane adjacent to ex-Railway Bridge & Pavilion Flag Pole:
The Parish Council would like to extend its thanks to Phillip Bowcher (David Hodge Farms) for his assistance in trimming the hedge and fixing the flagpole. Action Complete.
Public Participation Session: County Cllr Lindsay circulated his report prior to the meeting, but highlighted the Suffolk County Council cycling initiative to prioritise a list of costed cycle routes around the County and for Highways to engage with District Councils to develop a 5-year rolling plan for cycling.
Cllr Morley highlighted the need for SCC to cut the verges on all the designated cycling routes throughout the village to reduce the safety risk to cyclists. SC Cllr Lindsay agreed to pursue this issue with Highways on behalf of the Parish Council.
District Cllr Maybury circulated her report prior to the meeting, but highlighted the restrictions imposed by BMSDC on bonfires. Cllr Maybury offered to provide details of these restrictions to Cllr Cutting-Keyton to publish in Green Links and on the village website.
District Cllr Arthey advised that BMSDC had paid out 90% of the available funding for Business Support Grants, but majority of the Discretionary Grants funding is still available to applicants. Leisure centres should open at approximately 30% capacity from July.
CCTV coverage was being upgraded in Hadleigh and Sudbury and parking restrictions had been put in place to support social distancing.
Risk Register: The updated / amended risk register was adopted.
Planning Applications Received:
APP/D3505/W/20/3247251: Planning Appeal Reference AP/20/00028 – Application for Outline Planning Permission (all matters reserved) – Erection of 1 No. detached dwelling: 2 Abbey Cottages, Bury Road, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 0LB. Appeal Start Date 18/06/20.
The Parish Council is not able to support the Appeal. (Full details of the Parish Council’s response can be viewed on the Babergh Planning website).
Planning Applications Decisions Received:
DC/20/01379: Planning Application – Discharge of Conditions Application for DC/18/00474. Land at Bury Road, Cross Green, Cockfield,
Suffolk. Decision: Conditions Determined
DC/20/01016: Planning Application – Discharge of Conditions Application for DC/17/05332.- Land To The North West Of, Mackenzie Place, Cockfield, Suffolk. Decision: Conditions Determined
DC/20/01177: Planning Application – Erection of Grain Store and extension to existing access. Colchester Green Farm, Colchester Green, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 0HG. Decision: Planning Permission has been Granted.
DC/20/01217: Outline Planning Permission for 4 No. Detached Dwellings & revised car parking for the Three Horseshoes – Three Horseshoes, Stows Hill, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 0JB. Decision: Outline Planning Permission has been Refused
DC/20/01352: Outline Planning Permission for 2 No. detached Dwellings & associated garages -Land North Of, Howe Lane, Cockfield, Suffolk. Decision: Outline Planning Permission has been Refused.
Finance: It was agreed to accept the quotation to manufacture a new Oak, Glazed, Lockable Notice Board and support posts to replace the old notice board in the existing location at the Great Green. It was agreed that a Cordless Sander be purchased for use on Parish Council Assets.
Pavilion Update: Investigative and monitoring visits by 3no contractor have continued in order to inform the remediation works.
Future Meeting Structure: It was agreed to implement a revised meeting Agenda structure.
Maintenance Calendar: the 5-Year Maintenance Calendar was adopted and to be reviewed every 4 months and updated annually.
Local Housing Needs: District Cllr Arthey explained the respective benefits of a Housing Survey and an adopted Neighbourhood Plan.
Following much discussion on a possible survey format Cllrs agreed to form a working group headed by Cllr Southgate, Cllrs Cutting-Keyton, Morley and Turner volunteered to join the group.
District Cllr Arthey recommended that the Parish Council should consult Paul Bryant (BMSDC Neighbourhood Plan representative) for advice on timescales, stages, costs and help that would be available to produce a Neighbourhood Plan. Although Cllrs decided not to pursue the development of a Neighbourhood Plan at this point in time.
Parish Councillor Vacancy: Councillors agreed to attempt to seek interest from the village and fill the existing vacancy on the council. Advertisements would feature in Green Links and the website.
Earl’s Meadow: Cllr Williams expressed his thanks to the extensive efforts of volunteers to refurbish benches in Earls Meadow, Bruffs Line and Jeffreys Green although 3no further tins of preservative were required to complete the picnic tables and benches in Earls Meadow.
Cemetery: Cllr Turner requested that an advert be placed in Green Links for Working Party volunteers to undertake work on the unattended graves in the Cemetery as these need tidying up.
Parish Paths: Cllr Webster confirmed that he had reported damage to the bridge near the ‘Stone’, to SCC. Cllr Brinkley confirmed that he had spoken to Phillip Bowcher, who had agreed to cut the verges along the footpaths in Howe Lane between the War Memorial and Maltravers (next to the Post Office) and between Dorling Cottage and Clovell
Police: Cllr Cutting-Keyton advised that the police were operating speed checks in the area.
Play Equipment: The Parish Council concluded that at this time we are not able to reopen the Children’s playground because of Covid-19 restrictions and guidance.
The Parish Council may be contacted through the Clerk, Steve Ball by email at parish.council@cockfield.org.uk or 01284 8258987
Next Meeting – The next Ordinary Meetings of the Council will be held on Thursday 30th July 2020 at 7.30pm there is no scheduled meeting in August
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING ARRANGEMENTS
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
In line with Government advice, the Parish Council are no longer holding physical Ordinary or Extraordinary Parish Council meetings, in public at the Village Hall. The Parish Council meetings at the Village Hall scheduled for the 30th July have therefore been cancelled and will instead be held via Skype Video Conferencing. Details of how to Access the meetings can be found on the Village web site. A decision relating to Parish Council Meetings beyond 30 July, will be taken nearer the time.
