Summary report of the Extra Ordinary Parish Council meeting held on held on 27 August 2020 held by Skype Video Conference
A number of matters / actions arose from previous meetings:
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, but that further work was needed to agree the scope of refurbishment needed for the parking bay.
Mackenzie Place Bus Shelter Action: Cllr Brinkley to obtain quotations from a local contractor to refurbish the Bus Shelter at Mackenzie Place.
New Adventure Playground: Action Play & Leisure have provided alternative quotations for replacing the existing woodchip with new. District Cllr Arthey has offered to contribute £1,000 towards this work from his locality budget. The contractor has been advised that he cannot commence work until 21/09/20, due to the extent of tree improvement works needed at and around the playground area.
New Notice Board: An order has been placed with AJ Joinery to manufacture a new notice board and 2 No. support posts. Cllr Williams confirmed that it has been manufactured but is awaiting delivery of the safety glass and lock.
Cutting Grass on Verges: Suffolk County Cllr to pursue the need for SCC Highways to cut the verges on all designated cycling safety routes throughout the village to reduce the safety risk to cyclists. Cllr Lindsay will write to SCC Highways again requesting urgent action on grass cutting the verges of C & U roads throughout the village, which was scheduled for early June, as SCC Highways maintain that the verges were cut. Cllr Lindsay has also taken photos of the overgrown pavement from the Old Windmill to Mill Corner and has written to SCC Highways.
Village Survey Questionnaire: The Chairman of Elmsett Parish Council has provided an editable version of their questionnaire. However, Cllrs decided to defer preparation of a new Village Development Survey Questionnaire until they have more clarity over the direction of Government’s new Planning Policies.
Safe Walking Route from Mill Corner to the School: The Clerk is awaiting details of the appropriate contact at SCC, before arranging a site meeting to determine the viability of this.
Earls Meadow: Cllr Morley has walked around the greens with the Tree Surgeon and agreed a scope of work this year’s tree management requirements.
Pavilion Action: The Pavilion Working Group will take a decision on behalf of the Parish Council, once the scope of remediation work and pricing has been agreed with the Loss Adjuster and the Contractor.
Noticeboards :Cllr Levett has refurbished the noticeboards at MacKenzie Place and the Abbey.
Cllr Williams confirmed that he had asked C Limmer to quote for replacing the support posts on the noticeboard at the Three Horseshoes, whilst Cllr Levett will refurbish the noticeboard. Cllr Williams also confirmed that he had asked AJ Joinery to quote for manufacturing a new Notice Board at Cross Green.
Quiet Lanes Cllr Southgate confirmed that he had submitted to SCC a proposal for designated quiet lanes in Cockfield (principally Perrydown Lane).
Public Participation Session:
County Cllr Lindsay circulated his report prior to the meeting, but was unable to access the meeting, so was not in attendance to highlight any issues.
District Cllrs Arthey & Maybury were not requested to provide reports for the Extraordinary Meeting, however Cllr Arthey confirmed that the Parish Council’s complaint about the lack of visibility splays to the entrance of the development at land to the west of the Plough & Fleece had been investigated, enforcement action taken, and the visibility splays installed.
Seven members of the public articulated their objections to Planning Application DC/20/03216, which included but were not limited to: inappropriate location/rural location, overbearing scale of development, too extensive operating hours, industrial appearance out of keeping close to the conservation area, light/noise pollution, whether this heavy engineering operation should be classified as B1 or B2 development, potential expansion, increased traffic/potential accident risk, the adverse impact to neighbours and errors of fact contained in the application.
District Cllrs Arthey and Maybury agreed that they would request that this Application be referred to BMSDC’s Planning Committee for determination.
Planning Applications Received for Parish Council consultation:
DC/20/03116: Planning Application. Erection of new workshop building with the existing access to the site from the A1141 upgraded. Land to The East Of, Sudbury Road, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 0LN (Consultation Submission Deadline Extended until 31st August 2020). The Parish Council objects to the current application. (Full details of the Parish Council’s response can be seen on the BMSDC Website).
DC/20/03216: Application for removal or variation of a condition following grant of planning permission B/16/01157 dated 13/01/2017 and subsequent appeal APP/D3505/W/17/3170002 Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 – To vary condition 5 (Plans & Drawings) to include additional single storey extension. Condition Number(s): 5 – listing of refused plans and documents
Conditions(s) Removal: Condition 5 – New drawings attached and renamed. Approved plans changed following client requirements: Roundwood House, Windsor Green, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 0LY. (Consultation Submission Deadline Extended until 31st August 2020). The Parish Council objects to this application. (Full details of the Parish Council’s response can be seen on the BMSDC Website).
DC/20/03315: Full Planning Application – Erection No1 dwelling and garaging (following demolition of existing barn). Earls Hall Farmhouse, Earls Hall Road, Cockfield, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP30 0JD. (Consultation Submission Deadline 3rd September 2020). The Parish Council supports this application. (Full details of the Parish Council’s response can be seen on the BMSDC Website).
Finance matters:
It was agreed to accept the quotation from S Bradnam for tree maintenance work to around the pond and trim back trees around the Great Green.
In order to facilitate the new play equipment it was agreed to accept the quotation from S Bradnam to cut down a small Lime Tree and Bush at the Playground, Great Green and grind out the stump and to raise the branch curtain of a 2nd Lime Tree at the Great Green
It was agreed to accept the quotation from Leon Brown to reduce the crown of the Poplar tree on the Great Green. The work to be undertaken as soon as possible due to the detection of weakness in the tree and ongoing safety concerns about sizeable branches falling off during high winds. .
It was agreed that the quotation from Action Play and Leisure Ltd to replace the existing wood chippings in the playground with new for £2,370.00 + £474.00 VAT be accepted.
Pavilion Update: The Clerk advised that the final measurement of settlement cracks have been conducted and that discussions are continuing with the Loss Adjusters over the scope of repair and decoration required. The Contractor has been instructed to submit a revised quotation for the reduced scope of work. The Pavilion Working Group will take the decision on behalf of the Parish Council as to whether to accept the quotation and report back to the September meeting.
Re-opening Pavilion: Cllr Williams and the Clerk produced a Covid 19 cleaning regime checklist for the Cleaner’s use and the Cleaner has undertaken 2 No. Covid 19 cleans in August.
Neighbourhood CIL: Cllr Morley confirmed that Jonathan Presley had completed the original scope of refurbishment of the culvert at Bruffs Line however further damage had been identified. Cllr Morley and the Clerk will meet with the Contractor to agree the extent of further repairs, which will be funded by the Provisional Sum allowance contained in the Parish Council’s approved CIL 123 Bid B14-18.
Correspondence: A letter of complaint about Parking had been received from a Cross Green resident. The council would respond to the matters raised. The Clerk was asked to check the Parish Council’s legal position on parking enforcement.
The Council noted a letter and donation had been received from a temporary resident of Cockfield, by way of thanks for the friendship shown by the village and as thanks for the village facilities (Earls Green, Bruffs Line & Jeffreys Green) available to visitors.
