Present: Cllrs. R. Nichol (in the chair), R. Macdonald, H. Lynam-Smith, M. Woodward, D. Belcher, E. Bennett and D. Graham

In Attendance: District Cllr. T. Ward, Pat Romans (Clerk) and 3 members of the public

1. CHAIR’S COMMENTS
Cllr. Nichol opened the meeting and welcomed Duncan Graham who has expressed an interest in serving as a Parish Councillor. Cllr. Nichol said that he intended to bring Planning forward on the agenda for the convenience of the members of the public who were attending specifically for this item.

2. QUESTIONS & COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
a) appreciation was voiced for the work undertaken by the editor of the Sunningwell Scene. It was felt that the latest edition was particularly commendable and the art work for the front sheet deserved a special mention. Cllr. Woodward said that he has been pleased with the number of contributors to the magazine of late and members agreed that residents are using the publication as a vehicle for expressing their views on issues relevant to the community.

b) concern was expressed over the number and size of pot holes in the roads which are a hazard to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. Cllr. Lynam-Smith said that a map detailing the problem sites throughout the Parish has been sent to OCC Highways and she intends to arrange a meeting with Mr. Chris Softley, Highways Engineer, shortly.

3. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from District Cllr. C. Wise..

4. DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL OR PERSONAL & PREJUDICIAL
INTERESTS
Cllr. Woodward expressed an interest in planning application SUN/19821
Cllr. Lynam-Smith expressed an interest in planning application SUN/11109/2
Mr. D. Graham requested that his position as a serving police officer and member of Sunningwell Cricket Club should be noted as this item was on the agenda for discussion at a later stage in the meeting.

5. MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 25^th OCTOBER 2006
It was proposed by Cllr. Lynam-Smith and seconded by Cllr. Bennett that with
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one correction on Page 213 2(ii) PRN altered to URN (unique reference number), the Minutes should be accepted as a correct record of the meeting. This was agreed unanimously and the Chairman signed accordingly.

6. UPDATE ON ACTION POINTS/ANY OTHER MATTERS ARISING
Page 212 Flood Prevention Measures
The Clerk reported that the letter of thanks had been greatly appreciated by Vale DC Officers. Cllr. Lynam-Smith said that she is arranging a further site meeting with Mr. Peter Dela in early December.

Page 213 Card/Flowers to retiring Cllr.
Cllr. Lynam-Smith to arrange this shortly.

Page 214 Registration of Cricket Field
Cllr. Lynam-Smith has discussed this issue with Janet McNamara, solicitor, and will be delivering the relevant papers to her within the next few days. The subsequent costs are likely to be approximately Ł165.

Page 215 Clearance of Builder’s Rubbish
The Vale DC Waste Management Officer has visited the site and has confirmed that as this rubbish is not on the public highway, she is not able to arrange for its collection. However she did say that she will contact the landowner and request that he has it removed.

Page 216 Registration of Land – Village Hall & Pond Surrounds
This issue has yet to be completed and final details are still outstanding from David Hodson, solicitor. Cllr. Nichol said that he will contact him for advice on meeting with residents to attempt to reach interim agreements on access.

Page 216 Charlottes – monitoring update
Cllr. Macdonald reported that no actual building work has been undertaken at this site and she hopes to be kept updated on the situation by interested residents.

Page 218 Provision of bungalows at Bayworth
A reply has been received from Martin Deans, Area Planning Officer, Vale DC, which states that under the adopted Local Plan, this could not be deemed an exceptional site for social housing.

Action: Clerk to ask advice on steps that the Parish Council might take now in order to have this site considered for social housing at some later date.

7. CO-OPTION TO THE PARISH COUNCIL
Mr. D. Graham stated that he would like to be co-opted onto the Council at this meeting and agreed to leave the room whilst the matter was discussed. It was proposed by Cllr.

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Macdonald and seconded by Cllr. Woodward that Duncan Graham be accepted to fill the current vacancy on the Council. This was agreed unanimously by members who felt that he would be a great asset and the fact that he would be able to represent the Bayworth end of the Parish was considered to be an additional bonus. Cllr. Graham rejoined the meeting and signed a Declaration of Acceptance of Office which was witnessed by the Clerk.

8. PLANNING
a) Applications dealt with at the meeting
SUN/19821 Land adjoining 2, The Quarry, Sunningwell
Demolition of building. Erection of a dwelling
The Chairman invited Cllr. Woodward, as the applicant, to speak about his proposals for this site and he in turn gave members details of the historical background and the social reasons for this current application. Cllr. Nichol then adjourned the meeting for 10 minutes to enable members to view the plans. The meeting was then reconvened and the planning argument was put by the attending architect. Cllr. Woodward then left the room whilst a decision was made.

Following further discussion, Cllr. Nichol called for a vote on his proposal that the Parish Council object to the application on planning grounds. This proposal was seconded by Cllr. Macdonald. The voting was 3 in favour of this proposal and 3 against – the Chairman then used his casting vote to object to the application on the following grounds
(i) rebuilding the cottage from the ground upwards would effectively be creating a new dwelling in the Green Belt
(ii) the cottages were last inhabited in 1926 and are not being converted from an existing use such as active workshops or farm barns
(iii) the conversion of the remains of the cottages into a single dwelling would create an unwelcome precedent for other similar building in the parish and Vale.
(iv) there is no reference in the current Vale Local Plan which would indicate that this site could be regarded as an exception for development in the Green Belt.

The narrow nature of this decision was outlined in the response to the Vale DC and a request made that this application be placed before the full Development Control Committee to enable the applicants to state their case before a wider forum.

Cllr. Woodward rejoined the meeting at this point.

SUN11109/2 Sunningwell House, 81, Sunningwell Road
Replacement of existing staircase with elm box back staircase.
The Chairman invited Cllr. Lynam-Smith, the applicant, to comment and she explained that the proposed alterations are internal to the property – the new staircase being built specifically to match the existing front staircase in materials and design – and a planning application was necessary only because the house is a listed building. Cllr. Lynam-Smith then agreed to leave the meeting to enable members to reach a decision.

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It was proposed by Cllr. Macdonald and seconded by Cllr. Belcher that no objections be raised to this application. This was agreed unanimously.

Cllr. Lynam-Smith returned to the meeting at this point.

SUN/7250/3 25, Long Furlong Road, Sunningwell
Erection of a rear extension and raising roof to form chalet bungalow. (Garage and store permitted development). (Re-submission)
This application has only recently been received and because issues have already been raised by residents, it was agreed to refer it to the Planning Sub-Committee for more detailed consideration before a response is submitted on behalf of the Council.

b) Application dealt with between meetings
SUN/14766/1 8, Dark Lane Sunningwell
Erection of an extension.
Parish Council response: Objection for the following reasons –
1. We are given to understand, by written information on the plans (originally dated 1998), that the rear extension shown has been approved under permitted development rights. We wish to query this. In addition the neighbours at No. 9, Dark Lane, Mr. & Mrs Miles, were not allowed to build their extension beyond the building line that is currently formed by the back of No. 8, Dark Lane. We also think that a rear extension to No. 8 would completely block the light and enjoyment of the garden for Mrs Abel at No. 7.

2. The proposal for a front extension at No. 8 is likely to take the increase in volume of the property over the 50% allowed. A front extension would also destroy the building line and would look completely out of place for numbers 7 and 8 which form a ‘unit’ set back from the road with a grassy area in front.

We would like to ask the Vale to look carefully at any proposed development of this small property and in particular consider the immediate neighbours and the overall look of Dark Lane.

This application was subsequently withdrawn.

c) Decision Notice received
SUN/10425/1 Whitsun Meadows, Berkeley Road, Boars Hill
Demolition of outbuilding/garage and erection of garage and store with accommodation at first floor, ancillary to the dwelling Permission granted

d) Other Planning Issues
(i) Foxcombe Hill Farm – Cllr. Ward reported that a Planning Contravention Order is currently being prepared by the Vale DC because of the inappropriate use of this site. The landowner will, in the first instance, be invited to the District Council office for informal discussions with Officers on how best the situation might be resolved.

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(ii) Warnborough College Site - Cllr. Ward confirmed that to date no further approach has been made by Richmond Homes representatives to the Vale DC regarding the possible development of this site.

9. FINANCE
a) Draft Budget 2007 – 2008
Members had received a copy of the draft Budget prior to the meeting and Cllr. Nichol was able to clarify a number of points raised and provide the reasons for the figures outlined by the Finance Sub-Committee. It was proposed by Cllr. Lynam-Smith and seconded by Cllr. Macdonald that with the previously agreed item of a Ł1,000 donation to the Sunningwell Festival added to the total, the Budget be accepted. This was agreed unanimously with the Clerk’s salary remaining at Point 22 on the NJC Scale giving a current annual salary of Ł3989. (amended details attached)

b) Grant Applications
Oxfordshire Carers’ Forum – a donation of Ł25 was agreed
Open Spaces Society – it was decided not to give a donation but to continue the Council’s membership subscription.

c) Accounts for Payment
The following account was paid between meetings

Cheque No.	Payee	Purpose	Amount	VAT
066	Edwards Graphic Comm.	Printing of Sunningwell Scene	Ł142.60p

It was agreed unanimously to accept the following accounts for payment

Cheque No	Payee	Purpose	Amount	VAT
067	Oxfordshire Carers Forum	Donation	Ł25.00p
068	Sunningwell School of Art	Grant	Ł250.00p
069	Mr. B. Cross	Litter Warden salary/expenses	Ł92.87p
070	Mr. R. Wiggins	Upkeep of pond surrounds	Ł106.00p

d) Awards for All
The Chairman congratulated Cllr. Woodward on the success of his application to the Lottery Fund which has resulted in a grant of Ł10K towards the cost of presenting the Sunningwell Festival 2007. The Parish Council will need to administer the grant and Cllr. Woodward will supply the Clerk with copies of the relevant correspondence to show the internal auditor. He said that the grant will relieve the Festival Committee of the burden of financial liability which they have had to carry in the past.

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10. SUNNINGWELL CRICKET CLUB
Cllr. Nichol referred members to his detailed email regarding the various issues that have arisen in recent weeks regarding the Cricket Club. He invited Mr. Charles Frost, who lives adjacent to the Cricket Ground,to update members on the vandalism problem. He confirmed that there had been no recent visits by the youngsters who had originally been the nuisance. He was grateful for the increased police presence because this had made an obvious difference and he was also able to report that Cricket Club members had taken Cllr. Nichol’s advice and cleaned up the site to a marked degree.

Cllr. Ward reported that Mr. Martin Waugh had attended a recent meeting of the Neighbourhood Action Group held at Wootton and had been able to have the concerns of the Cricket Club Committee registered there by the Police.

Cllr. Nichol reminded members that this recent improvement does not necessarily mean that the problem of vandalism has been resolved and the commitment to monitoring the site should continue. He added that he hoped a balance could be achieved between controlling the vandalism whilst at the same time avoiding harassment of the youngsters in the community.

Members agreed unanimously that the Ł500 budgeted in 2007-2008 to pay for security lights at the Cricket Club was justified. Cllr. Nichol said that he will discuss with Martin Waugh how best to obtain 3 quotations to supply and fix the lights and also suggest that he seeks advice from the Police Crime Prevention Officer before this work is undertaken.

Cllr. Nichol said that there is now an urgent need for the Cricket Club to raise funds and he has made it clear that the Parish Council are not in a position to give substantial grants on a regular basis. Cllr. Graham was supplied with details of the Vale DC Community Grant Scheme and agreed to make enquiries regarding an application from the Cricket Club Committee.

11. VHMC REQUEST FOR USE OF NOTICE BOARDS
The Clerk reported on a request from the VHMC for occasional notice board space to advertise events at the Village Hall. This would be a temporary measure until they were in a position to purchase a notice board of their own. In view of the pressure for space that already exists it was decided that it would not be practical to offer this kind of help and the Clerk was asked to convey this decision to the Committee.

12. PARISH COUNCIL MEETING DATES FOR 2007
It was agreed that in general the last Wednesday in the month appears to be a convenient arrangement for the majority of members. However there are 2 events in the coming year – the Local Elections in May and the Sunningwell Festival in July – which will necessitate moving the Parish Council meeting to a different Wednesday in the month.

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Action: Clerk to check on the availability of the Hall on alternative Wednesdays and a final decision will be made at the next meeting.

13. CORRESPONDENCE
The following correspondence has been received since the last meeting

13.1 OCC Road Safety News – Autumn 2006 (Cllr. Nichol)
13.2 Vale DC Thames Water Proposed Reservoir (Cllr. Bennett)
13.3 Electoral Register (Clerk)
13.4 Grants for additional parish cleansing 2007/8 (Clerk)
13.5 Grants available to improve village life
13.6 Statement of Community Involvement – Inspector’s report
13.7 District & Council Elections May 2007
13.8 OPFA Annual Report 2005-2006 (Cllr. Belcher)
13.9 Countryside Alliance – love your Post Office campaign (Clerk)
13.10 Vale DC Meetings of Council & Committees
13.11 OALC Winter General Meeting – agenda
13.12 South & Vale Carers Centre – acknowledgement of donation
13.13 Clerks & Councils Direct – magazine
13.14 Wicksteed – advertising
13.15 Matta Products – advertising
13.16 S & C Slatter – advertising
13.17 Vale DC Copy of Adopted Local Plan (to be circulated)
13.18 Casual Vacancy Co-option
13.19 Thames Water Proposed Reservoir meeting 1^st March 2007
(Cllr. Bennett)
13.20 RoSPA Annual Play Inspection (Clerk)
13.21 Zurich Municipal – revised insurance schedule
13.22 Thames Valley Police – posters for display (Clerk)
13.23 OALC change of address
13.24 OCC Newsletter & magazine (Cllrs. Nichol, Macdonald & Graham)

There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 10.05pm.

Signed……………………………………….Date…………………………………
Chairman

Sunningwell Parish Council

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SUNNINGWELL PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 29th NOVEMBER 2006 AT SUNNINGWELL VILLAGE HALL

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF SUNNINGWELL PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 29^th NOVEMBER 2006 AT SUNNINGWELL VILLAGE HALL