30TH JUNE 2003

STOCK PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON
30TH JUNE 2003 MAY 2003 AT STOCK VILLAGE HALL AT 7.30PM.

Present:	Cllrs. Williams, Lusty, Elliott, Tully, Peacock, Easton & Otter
In The Chair	Cllr. Johnson
Minute Secretary	Lorraine Green
Also Present:	6 Members of the Public andChelmsford Borough Councillor Ian Grundy

762.

DEMOCRATIC TIME.

A parishioner, Virginia Henderson, reported that last week traffic was diverting through Smallgains Lane following an accident in the village. Mrs Henderson said that she had spoken to Chelmsford Borough Council as she was concerned that if the speed of traffic was slowed-up in the village then people would divert via Smallgains Lane. Cllr. Peacock advised her that the matter was in hand and that the matter would be discussed at the traffic meeting on the 1st July 2003.

A parishioner, Mrs Taffs, reported that the verges and hedgerows at the junction of Mill Road and Downham Road had still not been cut back and it was making it very dangerous to pull out. The Chairman advised that the matter had been reported to Chelmsford Borough Council and that the Clerk would report it again.

A parishioner, Mrs Hurrell, said that she was concerned that the hedges were not being cut in the village. She said that outside Farrows Farm and Crondon Park are very tidy and then as you go further down the road you come across stinging nettles and brambles and the area is looking very untidy. The Chairman said that she would contact the landowners.

A parishioner, Doug Taffs, reported that the grass is growing through the kerbs etc in Myln Meadow. Cllr. Elliott advised that she had organised for somebody to come and spray the area with weedkiller and that she had also spoken to ELS and the grass was now on the grass cutting schedule.

The Chairman advised that the village had reached the Best Kept Village finals.

763.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.

Cllr. Lewis sent her apologies.

764

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING.

Cllr. Williams asked for the word 'air' to be added after Essex in the last sentence of Minute 761. Date of the next meeting.

Cllr. Otter asked for the words 'and it is not a requirement to notify the public' to be added after the last sentence of Minute 746. Best Value Group Report.

Cllr. Otter asked for the second sentence in Minute 755. General Correspondence, item d, to be changed to read 'The Chairman recommended to Cllr. Otter, as a member of CPRE, that members of CPRE should not take part in the discussion. Cllr. Lusty declared he was a member and from that point neither took part in the discussion.'

The Minutes of the last Meeting, having been previously circulated, were then duly signed as a true record of events. All agreed.

765

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES.

The Clerk advised that the Summer Play Day would be taking place on the 12th August and that posters were being put up in the village advertising the event.

Minute 745,725 & 699. Matters Arising From The Minutes, Minute 699. and Minute 688. General Correspondence, Item a.

The Clerk advised that Chelmsford Borough Council were going to remove the recycling bins in due course. The Clerk read out a letter that had been received from Chelmsford Borough Council with regard to the rubbish collection. A copy of the schedule was given to all the Councillors.

Minute 745, & 725. Matters Arising From The Minutes and Minute 706. Open Spaces.

The Clerk advised that Lord Petre had given his permission for the dog bin to be installed on the opposite side of the Common outside Lush Hill. The Chairman said that the owners of The Nook were concerned at the siting of the bin and it was decided that the situation would be monitored. The Clerk advised that this dog bin and the one in Dakyn Drive had now been installed and that Chelmsford Borough Council had been informed of the locations.

Minute 745. Matters Arising From The Minutes and Minute 731. Maintenance.

The Clerk reported that Mr Clarke of Chelmsford Borough Council had informed her that the stinging nettles on the footpath behind the school were actually on the footpath owned by Chelmer Housing. The Clerk had therefore contacted Chelmer Housing who were going to send somebody out to look at the matter. As regards the clearing of the footpaths in the village, Mr Clarke had informed the Clerk that these would be cleared in due course but currently they were low on manpower.

The Clerk reported that she had written again to Chelmsford Borough Council with regard to the posts that had been erected in Birch Lane but to-date a reply had not been received.

Minute 745. Matters Arising From The Minutes. Minute 737. Planning Matters.

Cllr. Otter asked for a copy of the Clerk's delegated power in writing. The Clerk referred Cllr. Otter to Minute 564. Planning Meetings and read the minute to the Parish Council. The Clerk advised that the matter was discussed and approved for that year and that it would be reviewed again with the new Parish Council in May 2003. The Clerk advised that this had taken place at the first of the Parish Council meetings in May 2003 and was approved by all Councillors other than Cllr. Otter. Cllr. Otter had asked to be one of the nominated members that the Clerk discussed the plans with but the Chairman had said no as she felt that three members was enough and that all important planning matters are deferred to the next meeting. The Clerk advised that she had spoken to the EALC who advised her that the Clerk can have delegated power but it would be advisable to expand the wording in the Standing Orders. The Clerk therefore suggested adding 'The Clerk has delegated power to respond to planning applications after discussion with three nominated members of the Parish Council'. It was agreed therefore to temporarily suspend the Standing Orders until the next meeting.

Minute 751. Maintenance.

The Clerk reported that she had written to Lord Petre with regard to the broken branch on the tree on the green in the High Street. The Chairman had subsequently spoken to Lord Petre who gave his permission to the Parish Council to carry out any work of this kind that was on his land. The Chairman reported that there was something wrong with the Copper Beech by the Almshouses. Cllr. Elliott said that the willow trees in Mill Road also needed trimming. It was therefore agreed that a tree surgeon should be asked to look at these sites.

The Clerk advised that she had written to Chelmsford Borough Council with regard to the white lines that had worn away on the B1007 by the Paddocks entrance. To-date no reply had been received.

The Clerk advised that she had contacted Transco with regard to the loose manhole cover outside 29 Back Lane and they were sending somebody out to look at the site. The Clerk advised that she had written to Mr May with regard to the lorry that he was parking on the grass verge.

Minute 752. Open Spaces.

The Clerk advised that Cllr. Lusty had drafted a reply to Chelmsford Borough Council with regard to the Cock Inn advertisement boards. To-date a reply had not been received.

766

BEST VALUE GROUP REPORT.

Traffic Management - Cllr. Peacock advised that there would be a traffic meeting on the 1st July 2003 and that the Parish Council would find out the outcome of the public consultation.

Playground - Cllr. Peacock advised that Doug Taffs was still waiting to hear about the piece of land at the back of the car park. The Chairman advised that she would contact Lord Hanningfield to see if he could find out the ownership of the piece of land in Swan Lane.

Broadband -Nothing to report.

767

GRASS CUTTING.

The Chairman thanked Cllr. Elliott for following up the grass cutting. Cllr. Elliott advised that the bills should be stating cutting for 4 weeks rather than monthly. The Chairman advised that she had received a telephone call from Mrs Halliwell of Myln Meadow who was irritated by the state of the grass in the middle of the turning area in Myln Meadow. Mrs Halliwell had contacted Chelmsford Borough Council who had advised her that the Parish Council should be cutting it. Apparently there is a local man who normally cuts this area but he has had an accident and is currently unable to do the work. The Chairman said that Cllr. Elliott and herself had visited the site and had agreed that it would be added to the grass cutting schedule for one year.

768

STREET LIGHTING

Nothing to report.

769

WAR ON WASTE.

The Chairman said that all Parish Councillors now have a copy of the litter bin schedules for the village.

770

BUS SHELTERS.

The Chairman advised that Mrs Pepper has agreed to maintain the garden around the brick bus shelter.

771

MAINTENANCE

Cllr. Elliott reported that she felt a new bin was needed outside 122 Mill Road. The matter was discussed and it was decided that the bin would be taken away and the Parish Council would watch the situation.

Cllr. Peacock asked the Clerk to chase Chelmsford Borough Council with regard to 4 The Vintners.

Cllr. Peacock reported that the contractors had not done a very good job of resurfacing Downham Road, Mill Road, Mill Lane and Lower Stock Lane and that the matter would be brought up at the traffic meeting on the 1st July 2003.

772

OPEN SPACES.

Nothing to report.

773

ROAD SIGNS AND FOOTPATHS

The Chairman reported that the Swan Lane signpost had now been repaired. Cllr. Lusty said it was proving to be very effective.

The Chairman thanked Cllr. Elliott for cleaning various signposts in the village.

774

VILLAGE HALL REPORT.

Cllr. Williams said that there had not been a meeting.

775

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE

The Clerk read out an invitation to the Rural Community Council of Essex AGM on the 14th July. The Parish Council decided to wait to see whether they had gained a place in the Best Kept Village Awards before replying.

The Clerk read out a letter that had been received from Rod Northwood with regard to the drainage problem on the common. Mr Northwood had received a quotation to rectify the ditch problem. It was agreed that the Parish Council should contact other contractors. The Chairman asked the Councillors to try and find other contractors to approach. Cllr. Peacock said that a contractor was currently working at the school and he would speak to them. The Chairman said that the Clerk would also look up the address of the firm used on the common last year

The Clerk read out a request for a voluntary contribution from Chelmsford Council for Voluntary Services. The Parish Council agreed that they did not wish to send a donation.

The Clerk read out a letter that had been received from the Standards Board for England enclosing The Code in Practice Video and workbook. It was decided that both items would be circulated to all Councillors.

776

REPORT BY CHELMSFORD BOROUGH COUNCILLOR IAN GRUNDY.

Chelmsford Borough Cllr. Ian Grundy said that locally not an awful lot had happened. He reported that there had been a minor scare when gypsies had arrived in Swan Lane and were knocking on doors selling DVD's and offering to sharpen knifes. The Chairman said that they come every year and stay a couple of nights. Cllr. Grundy had spoken to P.C. Gilchrist about the matter. Cllr. Peacock said that the gypsies had left the area tidy. Cllr. Grundy said that he was interested to hear people's comments on the waste collection. He said that people appeared to be pleased with the way it was going at the moment but some people would like weekly collections reintroduced. Cllr. Otter said that the bin men were trying really hard. Cllr. Grundy said he would be interested to see how the weedkiller goes in Myln Meadow. Cllr. Grundy said that a big issue at Chelmsford Borough Council at the moment is the Local Plan and this was featured in the latest edition of Life. He said that the current plan was going to be withdrawn later in July and a new plan was proposed for the Autumn with a life until 2021. Cllr. Grundy suggested nearer the time asking some of Chelmsford Borough Councillors to give a presentation to the Parish Council. It was decided that this would be a good idea. Cllr. Grundy reported that Chelmsford Borough Council were intending to provide training to make people more educated on planning matters. Cllr. Grundy said that he would contact the Chairman with the details as soon as they were available. Cllr. Grundy said that the housing problem was also an issue.

777

PLANNING MATTERS.

The Clerk reported that she had received a Notification of Appeal for Mericot, Marigold Lane and that she had written to the Planning Inspectorate for a copy of the decision.

The Clerk read out a letter that had been received from Maggie Stanton, Legal Services Officer, of Chelmsford Borough Council advising of a Tree Preservation Order No. (2003/71) at Foxborough Chase.

Applications:

Application No. 03/01091/FUL. Conservatory and canopy to form covered walkway.
Location: Beehive House, 9 Swan Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Mr Gaze.
Comments by 26th June 2003, under the Clerk's delegated power this had been passed to Cllrs. Johnson, Elliott & Williams who said that they had no objections as long as the materials used are in keeping with the rest of the house as it is in a conservation area.

Amendments to Planning Application No. 03/01044/FUL. Pitched roof to existing garage and new carport and conservatory.
Location: Orchard Cottage, 1 Birch Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Mr Paul Wharram.
Comments by 23rd June 2003, under the Clerk's delegated power this had been passed to Cllrs. Johnson, Elliott & Williams who said that the Parish Councils' previous comments still apply.

Application No. 03/01118/FUL. Conservatory.
Location: 2 Cambridge Close, Stock.
Applicant: Mr P.B. & Mrs F.E. Tillett.
Comments by 1st July 2003, under the Clerk's delegated power this had been passed to Cllrs. Johnson, Elliott & Williams who said that they had no comments to make.

Application No. 03/01073/REM. Erection of three detached dwellings (reserved matters for design, external appearance and landscaping).
Location: Former Smithkline Beecham Research Complex, Honeypot Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Countryside Residential (North Thames) Ltd.
The Parish Council said that their previous comments still applied for plots 19,20 & 21.

Amendments to Planning Application No. 03/01073/REM. Erection of three detached dwellings (reserved matters for design, external appearance and landscaping).
Location: Former Smithkline Beecham Research Complex, Honeypot Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Countryside Residential (North Thames) Ltd.
The Parish Council said that their previous comments still applied for plots 19,20 & 21.

Application No. 03/01072/FUL. Erection of one detached dwelling.
Location: Former Smithkline Beecham Research Complex, Honeypot Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Countryside Residential (North Thames) Ltd.
The Parish Council said that they wanted to ensure that the house that is being dug into the ground is no higher than the adjacent properties.

Amendments to Planning Application No. 03/01072/FUL. Erection of one detached dwelling.
Location: Former Smithkline Beecham Research Complex, Honeypot Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Countryside Residential (North Thames) Ltd.
The Parish Council said that their concern was that the height of this house is no higher than the adjacent properties.

Application No. 03/01265/ADV. Temporary advertisement relating to the proposed residential development of the land.
Location: Former Smithkline Beecham Research Complex, Honeypot Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Countryside Residential (North Thames) Ltd.
The Parish Council said that they felt the boards were too obtrusive and too large.

Application No. 03/01168/FUL. Construction of access to grain store.
Location: White Tyrrells, Stock Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Mr F. Wolton.
The Parish Council objected strongly to this application as they felt that an access onto Ingatestone Road would be extremely dangerous. It was pointed out that access was already agreed in the original planning application and it appears that development has been carried out without a scheme of landscaping as required by the original planning permission.

Application No. 03/01182/FUL. Erection of 2 bedroom dwelling.
Location: Land Adjacent to 20 The Square, Stock.
Applicant: Brite Technologies Ltd.
The Parish Council said that they felt the apexes are higher than the existing and that they were concerned about the additional access and the loss of the wall which is a prominent feature in the conservation area.

Application No. 03/01183/FUL. Change of use of part ground floor living accommodation to tearooms and ancillary kitchen. First floor living accommodation to remain.
Location: 20 The Square, Stock.
Applicant: Brite Technologies Ltd.
The Parish Council said that they had no objections to the change of use but were concerned about the additional access and the loss of the wall, which is a prominent feature in the conservation area.

Application No. 03/00472/FUL. Retention of storage shed and car parking area.
Location: Bellmans, Stock Road, Stock.
Applicant: P. Fenwick.
The Parish Council objected to this application as it is in the green belt, in a conservation area and it is urbanisation in a rural area. The applicant had also failed to show any need for this development.

Results:

Application No. 03/05048/TPO. Work to T4 -Oak (TPO 2000/27)
Location: The Bower, Downham Road, Stock. Applicant: Mr. J. Northwood.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00575/FUL. New Disabled Access Ramp.
Location: Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church, Mill Road, Stock.
Applicant: The Parish Council of Our Lady and St. Joseph Church.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00583/FUL. First floor side extension.
Location: 34 Well Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Mr. P. Cameron.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00760/FUL. Amendment to the approved scheme (ref. 02/02653/FUL) for the relocation of existing conservatory.
Location: 118 Mill Road, Stock.
Applicant: Mr & Mrs G. Evans.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00795/CAC. Demolition of existing garage. Replacement garage (same size) constructed in weatherboarding and brown pantiles.
Location: The Nook, 18 Common Road, Stock.
Applicant: Mr & Mrs S. Silvester.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00872/FUL. Conservatory at rear.
Location: 41 Myln Meadow, Stock.
Applicant: Mr & Mrs Dakin.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00710/FUL. Installation of security safety lighting to car park area (dusk to midnight only) 4 columns and 9 lamps.
Location: New Village Hall, Common Road, Stock.
Applicant: John E. Stratford, Stock Village Hall Management Committee.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00794/FUL. Single storey utility at rear and replacement garage.
Location: The Nook, 18 Common Road, Stock.
Applicant: Mr & Mrs S. Silvester.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00860/ADV. Double sided V board.
Location: Former Smithkline Beecham Research Complex, Honeypot Lane, Stock.
Applicant: Countryside Residential (North Thames) Ltd.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00880/FUL. Two storey side extension to south. Single storey side extension to north. Conversion of garage to habitable room.
Location: 29 Myln Meadow, Stock.
Applicant: Mr McCulloch.
Approved.

Application No. 03/00705/FUL. Detached double garage to front.
Location: 132 Mill Road, Stock.
Applicant: Mr & Mrs J. Arber.
Refused.

Cllr. Easton asked the Clerk and Chelmsford Borough Cllr. Ian Grundy to speak to the Planning Department at Chelmsford Borough Council asking for amendments to be made clearer on amended plans as there are no guidelines as to what is being changed.

778

FINANCE.

Insurance - The Clerk advised that the quotation from Allianz Cornhill had arrived too late as the premium had already been sent to Zurich Insurance. It was agreed that the Clerk should approach Allianz Cornhill again next year for a quotation, as their premium was slightly cheaper. The Clerk advised that Zurich had agreed to remove the engineering inspection report premium and that the insurance cover would not be affected as long as a yearly inspection report was carried out by somebody else. The Clerk had spoken to Essex Playing Fields and Children's Play Association who had agreed to carry out the inspection. It was therefore agreed that the Clerk should send the annual subscription of £25.00 to the Association and request an annual inspection.

Cheques to be Signed - The following cheques were approved for payment and signed:

100877	£455.47	Mrs L.J.Green Salary	1.6.03 - 30.6.03
100878	£123.91	Inland Revenue Only	PAYE and N.I.
100879	£70.52	Mrs L.J. Green	Expenses
100880	£693.26	ELS Grass	Cutting May
100881	£3.97	EALC	Good Councillor Guide Books
100882	£25.00	Essex Playing Fields and Children's Play Association	Annual Subscription
100883	£55.00	Chelmsford Borough Council	Fees for Uncontested Election
100884	£76.96	Ingatestone Forge	Drill sign post and bolt through
100885	£50.00	Rural Community Council of Essex	Annual Subscription

Transfer of Funds - The Clerk advised that she had put on notice to transfer £2,000.00 from the Business Reserve Account to the Current Account which was due to take place on the 1st July 2003.

The Clerk advised that Barclays Bank were now charging £2.00 per statement when sent to the Parish Council with the accompanying banked cheques. The Clerk advised that the Auditors normally request to see the banked cheques when they carry out the audit. It was agreed that the Clerk should find out whether this is still an audit requirement.

779

ESSEX RURAL HOUSING TRUST

Nothing to report

DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING.

The next meeting of the Parish Council is on the 28th July 2003.
The Chairman sent her apologies for the next meeting.

The Chairman thanked everyone for coming; the meeting closed at 9.42pm.

Stock Index

Council