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Monkton Farleigh Parish Council > Documents > Minutes > Minutes of Parish Council meeting – 12th July 2023

Minutes of Parish Council meeting – 12th July 2023

Minutes Uploaded on July 30, 2023

MFPC Minutes 12th July 2023

 

Monkton Farleigh Parish Council Minutes

 Wednesday 12th July 2023

7:00 pm at the Village Hall

Those attending: Brian Mardon, Ele Warrington (Chair), Jane Ghali (Clerk), Tom Firbank, Pauline Adams and Rachael MacDonald

  1. Apologies for Absence: Johnny Kidney, Andrew Tucker, Joy Spiers. Rachael MacDonald had a Declaration of Interest regarding a request for funding for the village hall car park.

 

  1. Minutes of Meeting 10th May and 5th June 2023

All agreed and signed by EW including 24th May

 

  1. Matters Arising
  • EW to report lid broken on dog poo bin by Broadstones Action EW
  • Broken manhole cover by Restore no mended. JG to put on My Wilts Action JG
  1. Report from Johnny Kidney

Local Plan

Wiltshire Council’s Local Plan Review went to Cabinet this week. It will now go to Full Council on 18th July for approval before going out to consultation probably in September. It will then be submitted to the Secretary of State for approval prior to adoption.

As part of the process of preparing a Local Plan Wiltshire Council must provide town and larger parish councils with a number of homes that they should plan for through Neighbourhood Plans, as this provides more housing opportunities for existing residents and helps to keep communities together.

In rural areas, the Wiltshire Local Plan provides a number of houses for each Large Village. The housing number does not mean that each Large Village must have a Neighbourhood Plan or that within their Plan they will need to allocate land to build houses to meet their requirement immediately. The figures indicated provide a guide for communities for the total number of houses that should be planned for during the life of the Local Plan, which is up until 2038. Many homes have already been built or are committed to be built and this goes some way to meeting the requirement for many settlements. Any homes built between April 2020 and March 2022 have been deducted from the overall requirement for each Large Village, along with any houses that are already committed to be built.

There is no housing requirement for Monkton Farleigh set out in the Neighbourhood Plan, and due to the village’s location in the West Wiltshire Greenbelt and Cotswolds AONB, there are no site allocations in Monkton Farleigh or in the wider area.

The only housing land allocation in the wider area proposed in the Local Plan review is the old golf course in Bradford-on-Avon.

I will provide further updates to the Parish Council when the next stage of consultation on the emerging plan goes live – probably in September.

You can find more information about the Local Plan here: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/1082/Local-Plan-Review `

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Good design guide consultation

Wiltshire Council is asking for people’s views on a draft guide that, if formally adopted, will help to ensure that future developments in the county are consistently of a high-quality design.

The draft Wiltshire Design Guide has been structured around the ‘10 characteristics of good design’, as described in the National Design Guide, and if adopted will be used as a supplementary planning document. These characteristics help ensure that all aspects of good design are considered and not singularly focused on the appearance of new buildings.

This means the Wiltshire Design Guide should provide new, locally-authored design guidance that would apply across Wiltshire at a level of detail that does not exist in the national equivalent. The guide will advise on good practice when building houses and other developments and help ensure that design complies with local priorities and preferences.

The consultation is now under way and will run for four weeks until 30 July. To participate in the consultation people should visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/6110/Wiltshire-Design-Guide, where they will find more information, a copy of the draft design guide and a survey /feedback form to complete.

Hard copies of the draft guide are available for reference at Wiltshire Council’s libraries and at the council’s three main offices in Monkton Park Chippenham, County Hall Trowbridge and Bourne Hill, Salisbury. The council will also be hosting an hour-long information sharing webinar to talk about the draft WDG in more detail. The webinar, which is open to all, will take place at 6:30pm on 19 July and on 26 July from 10am – 5:30pm an Urban Designer will be available in-person to answer any questions at: County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge BA14 8JQ.

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Business grants scheme

Wiltshire Council has launched a new £1.35m grants scheme called Invest in Wiltshire to encourage businesses in the county to improve and expand their enterprises.

The grants must be used by businesses to improve productivity by buying new equipment,

machinery or digital infrastructure; or improving premises and creating workspaces. All applications must show that they will create new jobs or better paid, more skilled jobs; and they must also help the business to decarbonise, for example, by reducing carbon-based energy usage or becoming more energy efficient.

The grants are open for applications from Friday 30 June – Friday 22 September. To find out more about Invest in Wiltshire, people should go to www.wiltshire.gov.uk/invest-in-wiltshire

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Household Support Fund

Wiltshire Council is working in partnership with a number of local organisations and internal

departments to distribute £5.4m allocated in round four of the Household Support Fund from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The Household Support Fund is in place to support households that would otherwise struggle to buy food, pay essential utility bills or meet other essential living costs during the current cost-of-living challenges.

The fund is intended to support a wide range of low-income households in need including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people.

Full details of how to apply for the grants and eligibility criteria can be found at

https://www.wiltshirecf.org.uk/

Further information can also be found at: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/benefits/household-support-fund

Action JG to put relevant info on website/WhatsApp

 

  1. Finances

JG presented the accounts. At the end of May there was £11,269.92 in the account and at end of June £10,538.09. JG to apply for payment card from Lloyds. Refund still to come from goalposts. Action JG

 

  1. Budget for 2023/24

JG presented the budget for 23/24 with the request that any additions/amendments to be sent to the clerk. Concluded that without sponsorship a new play area in Farleigh Rise was unaffordable. Costs of speed signs around, the village to date haven’t been estimated, those this has been left blank. If it’s decided to refurbish the inside of the phone box and glass there could be an additional £1,000 to add.

 

  1. Parish Council Assets

Some clarification is needed for audit in 2024. Concluded that the assets are:

  • 6 noticeboards – Farleigh Rise, outside the church, outside the school, Pinckney Green, Broadstones and Farleigh Wick (to be installed soon)
  • Bus shelters at Farleigh Rise, on A363 opposite the Villa, opposite the pub and opposite Broadstones
  • Benches – 2x top of avenue, Pinckney Green. (The one on the road to the A363 is a WI one RM to check). JG to check with AT about any others and to ask Rachel Exley about one in churchyard. Action JG and RM
  • Snow plough
  • 2 defibrillators at Village Hall and Farleigh Rise
  • Phone box by the pub
  • Play equipment at Broadstones
  • Zip wire and Climbing frame at Farleigh Rise
  1. Broken Wall at behind 1 Broadstones

Selwood Housing are due to start mending the wall on 18th August 2023

 

  1. Update on NetWise annual tariff

The same package is required as last year, the lower level one isn’t enough for our usage. Total cost £420

 

  1. Planning PL/2023/04563 – Notification of proposed works to trees in a conservation area – no objections
  1. Football goals Broadstones

The football goals purchased were deemed unfit for purpose due to the netting. Suggested AT and JS look at alternatives. Action AT and JS

  1. Defibrillator Pinckney Green with funding

Both current defibrillators are on The Circuit website, the VH one is registered through EW and the one at Farleigh Rise through the Clerk.

JG to give ‘expression of interest’ to Dept of Health and Social Care £1m defibrillator fund online on behalf of PC. Action JG

 

  1. Planting a hedge at Farleigh Rise

As part of these proposed improvements to a new play area, a further suggestion for hedge planting on this site has been put forward. This hedge would consist of native species (dogwood, rowan, hazel, blackthorn, crab apple etc). The aim is to improve the natural habitat, provide a corridor for wildlife and would run round the northwest of the play area.

Planting would allow continued access to all properties and would be planted to allow access to existing fencing for maintenance.

Saplings would be provided by the Woodland Trust and would be included in the late Queen’s Green Canopy Scheme with the aim of planting this November so that it falls within the year of King Charles III coronation.

Spaces would be left for garden gates. Farleigh rise volunteers to plant and maintain hedge. Thought 200 saplings required – they will be free. Suggestion of plaque to mark coronation.

JG has asked Johnny Kidney about who to ask at Wiltshire Council, he has contacted Christopher Clark and we wait to hear back Action JG to chase as need to know by 31 July

 

  1. Funding for play area on Farleigh Rise

JG approached Restore and Bannerdown Benching about funding, but hasn’t had a reply. EW to ask Blackberries campsite. JG ask AT if he could also speak to them. JG to look at grant options and put on What’s App.  Action JG, EW and AT

 

  1. Winter Preparations – requirements

JG to contact AT to see if any salt needed. Action JG

 

  1. Stiles and access to local footpaths update

EW updated that some stiles now mended by Cotswold Wardens coming from Pinckney Green towards village. Some form of scan to be done on steps up to footpath between Church Farm House and church before this one can be mended. Also going to mend one at back of Church Farm House. All done for free – many thanks to Cotswold Wardens. TF suggested some need doing in windmill field in Farleigh Wick – suggested to put on MyWilts as this is how the info goes to Cotswold Wardens. Action TF

 

  1. Speed Limits Update

The email update from Kirsty on 14th June said: ‘The legal fees relating the traffic regulation order for speed limit changes is £2500. Additional funding will be required for the cost of the associated signing and road markings. These are not included within that figure. Invoices are usually issued once a piece of work is complete, however I can have the invoice raised sooner if required.  Please be aware however that the LHFIG have yet to allocate funding for either the TRO or the signing/road markings associated with the speed limit changes in Monkton Farleigh yet, so we are not yet in a position to progress this.

In terms of the sign on the A363, whilst I am still content that the sign is sufficiently sized and visible to oncoming motorists, there is scope to increase the sign size and so I will arrange for this to be done.  The sign face will be the same as existing (which is the same as the ones on approach from Bath) but will be larger.’

 

Next LHFIG meeting 24th July at 4pm, PA unable to attend – possibly EW or JG instead. JG to contact Kirsty Rose to see when SLOW on road is going to be painted. Action EW/JG

 

  1. Speed warning signs with smiley faces

JG had contacted Limpley Stoke about their signs, their PC are very pleased with them as they also provide lots of data. JG to keep info should it be needed: Pandora Technologies Ltd Radar Speed Signs pandorasigns@gmail.com

 

  1. Notice Boards and phone box

Neil is available from 12th July to start work. Action JG to check when and provide red paint

 

  1. Work for the Parish Steward

All gutters, clearing footpath to dry arch, plants overhanging pavement on road out to A363, plant growth in alley from top to bottom of Broadstones, long grass onto A363 from Hayeswood Farm and road from village.

The Parish Steward has said that drain clearage needs to be reported on MyWilts as specialist equipment is required (gully tanker). We may also need to report sweeping og the leaves at the top of Th Street to MyWilts. Action JG for The Street. EW has reported drains in Broadstones.

EW concerned about tree at the entrance to Broadstones, she has reported this on MyWilts.

 

  1. Parish Matters
  • Concern over recent incident with white car near Pinckney Green and over cars parking on corner under red beech tree on The Street and in Broadstones making it difficult to see oncoming cars . EW to contact PCSO. Action EW
  • RM asked on behalf of Village Hall for donation to Village Hall car park. PC might consider help for particular project, but only if there were no hall funds available.
  • Churchfields School asking for funds for swimming pool in Atworth and outdoor shelter in Monkton Farleigh. PC would consider MF school site. JG to contact to ask for more info on shelter, what sort of structure and costs. JG to put crowd funding info on website. Action JG
  1. Date of Next Meeting – Wednesday 9th August at Village Hall at 7pm