Update From Sutton Benger Parish Council Meeting on 12 October 2016

Planning

Consideration was given to 3 planning applications:

• 16/08652/FUL – 10 Heath Avenue, SN15 4TH – Single storey extension – No Objections
• 16/09616/TCA – 7 Manor Farm Drive, SN15 4RW – Re-pollard 2 Goat Willows, 0% Crown Reduction to Maple Tree, Fell 3 Apple Trees and 1 Cherry Tree – No Objections
• 16/09047/LBC – 22 High Street, SN15 4RF – Replacement timber doors and windows to match existing for single dwelling house – Support

Arms Farm

Following a discussion on the recent Arms Farm planning applications it was agreed to put out a statement on the planning process – available here.

Cllr E Pope clarified her position with regards to the Arms Farm planning agenda items and the Parish Council is satisfied that she has acted in accordance with the PC’s procedures and the advice from the Monitoring Officer.

A brief presentation was received from Stonewater Developers on their proposals for development on land adjacent to Sharplands, Sutton Lane.

Highways Matters

B4069 – The PC were disappointed that the re-surfacing of the High Street was no longer on the schedule for this year. It is on the schedule for next year, if Wiltshire Council have enough money in the budget.

The “Parish Steward” Scheme

What is The Parish Steward Scheme? In its simplest form it is a person (our guy is called Adrian) who will visit once a month to help keep our village looking great (and it is funded by Wiltshire Council). This means we, as a Parish, can request specific tasks to be carried out and this is where we need your help.

The steward is set some tasks by the Parish Council, below is a list of some typical tasks. However, we need you to let us know if you have seen something that needs attending to. If you do all, you need to do is report it back to the Parish Clerk (parishclerk@suttonbengerparishcouncil.gov.uk), it will get added to the list and hopefully done on the next visit. This is a great scheme, and if we don’t use it we will lose it, so please send those requests in.

Possible tasks

• Repairing, straightening and cleaning road signs
• Weed treatment
• Repair minor road defects (for larger ones please us the Wiltshire App)
• Hand cutting hedges where there is a visibility problem.
• Unblocking Grips, pipes, gullies etc

Finally, Adrian is a friend to the village so please say hello or give him a wave. You can’t miss him as he drives a big yellow truck!

High Street Crossing

Cllr M Bines is to liaise with the Primary School to arrange another pedestrian count to see if a crossing on the High Street is viable.

Footpath on Sutton Lane

The Clerk has contacted Wiltshire Council Highways to discuss the possibility of a new footpath and/or clearing overgrown hedging along Sutton Lane at Sharplands to improve pedestrian safety.

Rights of Way

Cllr Leigh Varnham will be organising a meeting of the volunteer group to make a start on inspecting the pathways. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Clerk.

Neighbourhood Development Plan

A public meeting is scheduled for the last week in November. It was agreed that the Clerk would liaise with the NDP Group to prepare a housing design statement.
Village Hall – Cllr N Hayward was appointed as the lead Cllr to liaise with the Village Hall Committee.

Next Parish Council Meeting

The date of the next Parish Council Meeting is Wednesday 9th November 2016 in the Village Hall, starting at 7.45 pm.

Councillor Vacancies

There is currently 1 vacancy for Parish Councillor. Please contact Linda Bragg, Parish Clerk on 07757 351584 / email: parishclerk@suttonbengerparishcouncil.gov.uk for further details and an Application Form if you would like to join our team.