Milverton Parish Council
June 2015 Meeting report
The main topic of
debate at Milverton's June Parish Council meeting was the
long-standing planning application at Creedwell Orchard. The Chairman
reported that there is still no date for the TDBC Planning Committee
to consider it and that the next possible date was 24th
June.
(TDBC has now said
that the application will be presented to the Committee on 24th
June. The Parish Council will therefore hold an extra meeting to
discuss its final submissions on 18th
June at 7.45pm in the Victoria Rooms.)
The Chairman also reported
a meeting that he and Councillor Wren had had with SCC Highways about
its response to the application, which was seen as inadequate. SCC
officers explained that they had provided their response in
accordance with current guidance and had no plans to expand on those
comments.
Under Planning
Applications Councillors supported an application to change a storage
shed into a holiday let at Goldcleeve, Preston Bowyer.
The Planning site visit
had offered Councillors the chance to visit the public toilets that
the Parish Council was proposing to take on. Unfortunately not many
Councillors had been able to attend so they will be visited again at
the next meeting. On the same subject the Clerk reported no further
progress on agreeing the heads of Terms.
The Clerk reported a
meeting with SCC and the local Speedwatch chairman to discuss taking
up an offer of a Community Speed Indicator Device (SID). Various
issues were discussed including training requirements and software
costs for recording and analysing information. These costs were
higher than Councillors had anticipated and the Clerk has been asked
to investigate whether any reductions can be made.
A resident who lives along
the Wiveliscombe road asked the Parish Council if it could formally
request a bus stop nearby. At present the bus will not stop on
request and his wife has to walk about 500m into the village along a
narrow road without a pavement to the nearest stop. Councillors were
happy to agree. The same resident also asked whether the 30mph limit
could be extended because the Wiveliscombe Road with a 60mph limit
was prone to accidents. The Parish Council agreed to pursue this with
SCC.
Mr Hendy reported that he
is hoping to arrange the removal of the Preston Bowyer phone box
later this month. It will be taken to Wiveliscombe for refurbishment
and hopefully re-located to the school in August.
The new Allotment
Committee has agreed to hold its annual visit on 27th
July at 10am. It is hoped that this can be combined with an Open Day
to show the Allotments at their best.
The Clerk has been asked
to a training session in the new village website with a view to
transferring the Parish Council site to this new platform.
Mrs Hoyle reported that
Vodaphone had carried out a survey in the village to find locations
for signal boosters. Several sites had been visited and further
detailed analysis was awaited. She thanked Mr Baldry for his help in
showing the surveyors around.
Councillors received a
letter asking that the litter bin on St Michaels Hill be replaced.
Having failed to get any help from TDBC Councillors reluctantly
concluded that the Parish would have to pay to get a new one. The
Clerk was asked to do this and also get the nearby dog bin repaired.
Under Finance the
Clerk reported a delay in getting the audit signed off. It will now
be brought to the next meeting on July 6th.
The Parish Council spent £1334 in May on salaries and the box to
house the Community Defibrillator.
Under Matters to Report
Mrs Hoyle reported that the Community Payback team was looking for
projects to become involved in. Councillors were invited to bring
suggestions to the next meeting.
Finally the Chairman
reported that he as yet been unsuccessful in his attempts to fill the
vacancy on the Council.
Gwilym Wren
Clerk to Milverton Parish
Council